zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10-January 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:50

MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ?

MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is of the 1997 Chevy S-10 extended cab. The second generation of GM’s mid-size pickups, the Chevy S-10 and its GMC Sonoma sibling had been recently redesigned in 1994 after going unchanged since their introduction in 1982. The biggest change came in an extended cab, a three-door configuration that MotorWeek tested here.

GM extended the cab, allowing for just over 17 cubic feet of storage space behind the rear seats. The downside to this setup was the three-door configuration, with the extra door only being on the driver’s side. This configuration also did away with one of the dual rear jump seats, something GM says was done in the name of safety.

The S-10’s track performance was surprising, but not in the way you’d think. This is by no means a performance vehicle; power came from Chevy’s 4.3-liter Vortec V6 with 180 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque routed through a four-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. The surprise came when MotorWeek did their braking test.

Mind you, the S-10 performed horribly in its braking test. The S-10 averaged 150 feet from 60 mph in three separate braking tests. The worst part came after the third test. MotorWeek says the S-10’s four-wheel antilock braking system failed, resulting in the disastrous GIF you see above. John Davis mentions that both the truck’s test driver and videographer had an “anxious” moment. Luckily this was done in a controlled setting, as it could have been dangerous out on the open road. Strangely, Davis says the failure of the system never happened again during the truck’s two-week stay, even after a visit to dealer service.

Vehicle technology and driver safety systems have come a long way in the last 27 years since the test. This truck’s failure though is a stark reminder that at despite technology, cars are still machines that can have any part of them fail at any given time for no reason.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
The Karma SC2 Appears To Have Koenigsegg's Door Mechanism
The Karma SC2 Appears To Have Koenigsegg's Door Mechanism
Karma unveiled their SC2 at the Los Angeles auto show a couple of months ago and I forgot it existed immediately after seeing it. Yesterday, looking back through my pictures from the show, I remembered there was one thing that caught my attention: The door mechanism looks the same...
Jan 27, 2026
Your Vehicle Is Already Broken, Have Fun Breaking It
Your Vehicle Is Already Broken, Have Fun Breaking It
I bought my first new car in 2008 after several years of proud shitbox ownership. I was coming from a $500 Honda CRX that was missing most of its interior trim and a bumper, alluding to some unknown past that probably had something to do with Grand Theft Auto....
Jan 27, 2026
Two GM Engineers Arrested For Street Racing C8 Corvettes
Two GM Engineers Arrested For Street Racing C8 Corvettes
Two General Motors employees were taken to jail earlier this week after the Kentucky State Police busted them for allegedly street racing C8 Corvette test vehicles. The incident involving two company-owned Corvettes that you can’t even buy yet took place this past Wednesday in Bowling Green, Kentucky, home to...
Jan 27, 2026
RV Graphics Are The Fucking Worst
RV Graphics Are The Fucking Worst
Thirty-odd years ago, some design hack drew a bunch of brown swooshes on the side of an RV in a move that would forever change the look of interstates and campgrounds everywhere. Overnight, the entire industry apparently decided that this was peak RV design and that no new designs...
Jan 27, 2026
A 2008 Trip To Israel Is Complicating Carlos Ghosn's Arrival In Lebanon
A 2008 Trip To Israel Is Complicating Carlos Ghosn's Arrival In Lebanon
Shortly after fleeing house arrest in Japan where he was awaiting trial for alleged financial crimes to Beirut, Lebanon, former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has already attracted new legal attention, this time for a business trip he made to his new neighbor to the south back in 2008. A...
Jan 27, 2026
What Was Your Favorite Car Find While Traveling?
What Was Your Favorite Car Find While Traveling?
Like most of the writers and many of the readers here, I look for interesting car related things everywhere I go. Cruise-ins and small racing events are always great, especially in other countries. Car museums are interesting for some local history, although I did go to a great that...
Jan 27, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved