I bought a new 2001 S-10 Extreem pick-up from Daugherty Chevrolet in Sacramento, CA. I started by having only minor problems, door rattles, knocking sounds from underneath. I took the vehicle back numerous times for the third door rattle. It wasn't until the door broke and would not open that it was finally fixed.
The knocks from underneath were found to be I believe stabalizers or something like that for the bed. They had been put on backward. The emergency brake cable had been routed incorrectly and was making noise, the trim on the doors was loose and coming off as I drove down the road. At about 3,000 miles the "service engine" light came on and I called Daugherty and talked with Dan, a service writer. I explained what was happening and he said that it was the injectors and that GM was having trouble with them and the California gas and there really wasn't anything they could do other than clean them out.The problem was intermittent so I ignored it until about 6,000 miles when the vehicle came close one morning to not starting. I called Daugherty and took it in to them immediately. When I picked it up that afternoon they said there was no problem and they had reset the computer. I took their word for it, they are supposed to know what they are doing. The next morning I went to my truck and tried to start it and could not. It would turn over but would not start.
I had to have it towed to Folsom Chevrolet in the city of Folsom. The service writer there commented that Daugherty had the code in the computer and he listed a number of things then he said, "All they did was clear the codes." Now this is two times I have had my truck in for the injectors, and I should have taken it in at 3,000 miles as well. Again at about 8,200 miles the "service engine" light comes on again. So I immediately take the vehicle down to Folsom Chevrolet. They are courteous and get me a rental car but again I am without my vehicle for a reason GM has known about for at least over a year and has done little or nothing to resolve.
The consumer gets a vehicle that is substandard and is constantly in the shop for repairs to problems GM admits in private to having but refuses to to own up to in public or correct. It has now been about 1,500 miles since the last problem. I am expecting the SES light to come on within the next 1,500 - 2,000 miles.
I have tried the BBB, and I have been through arbitration. I am going to send more paperwork in and reopen for a 2nd arbitration but I'm tired and all I wanted was a vehicle that was good on milege and that I could trust to be dependable. General Motors S-10 Extreem has proven to be anything but reliable.
