Best tires for the Chevrolet S10
Top picks across four categories for the Chevrolet S10, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 245/70R16. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Pirelli
Scorpion all terrain plus
UTQG 600 with a 50,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Chevrolet S10 owners.
BFGoodrich
All-Terrain T/A KO2
Reinforced sidewall all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Blizzak DM V2
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Dueler H/T D684 II 245/70R16
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Michelin
Defender LTX M/S
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
BFGoodrich
Advantage T/A sport LT
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Toyo
Open country H/T II
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Yokohama
Geolandar H/T G056
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Lowest cabin noise
Best quiet
Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.
Michelin
X-Ice snow
71 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; well below the segment median. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Pirelli
Scorpion all terrain plus
73 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; well below the segment median. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
BFGoodrich
All-Terrain T/A KO2
75 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; still quieter than most competitors in this size. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Cold-weather grip
Best winter
Dedicated winter or all-weather compounds that stay pliable below 7 °C. Necessary for >5 snow days a year.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus | Best budget Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Best quiet Michelin X-Ice Snow |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | 600 | 800 | - |
| Mileage warranty | 50,000 mi | - | - |
| Cabin noise | 73 dB | - | 71 dB |
| Season class | all-season | - | winter |
| Type | truck-suv | - | passenger |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the chevrolet S10 use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 195/75R14 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1983–1986 | 205/70R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1987–1994 | 205/75R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1995–2001 | 235/55R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2002–2003 | 235/75R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2004 | 235/70R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2005–2011 | 225/75R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2012–2013 | 235/75R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2014–2026 | 245/70R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the chevrolet S10
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 245/70R16; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches passenger car segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for chevrolet S10
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (61) · Spare Tire (43) · Tread / Belt (24) · Sidewall (11) · Bead (1)
Reported across: 1983 – 2004 (22 years)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 14% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 71 reports covering every model year of the Chevrolet S10 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 14% | 20% | 0.7× |
| Sidewall failure | 14% | 15% | 0.9× |
| Tread or belt separation | 10% | 13% | 0.7× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 10% | 9% | 1.1× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 10% | 8% | 1.2× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 7% | 6% | 1.2× |
Mileage at failure
20 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 32,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 10,000 and 72,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Chevrolet S10. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
I WAS PULLING OUT FROM AN INTERSECTION WHEN SOMETHING "JOLTED" THE VEHICLE AND MADE A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING HIT THE TRUCK. LOOKING BACK IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE SPARE TIRE WAS LYING IN THE ROAD AND THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT IT. I WENT BACK AND PICKED UP THE TIRE. AFTER RETURNING HOME MY FATHER INSPECTED THE TRUCK AND SAID THE CABLE HAD BROKEN WHERE THE SPARE TIRE MOUNT HOLDS THE TIRE UP UNDER THE TRUCK BED. THE TIRE IS CUT IN A COUPLE PLACES ON THE SIDEWALLS AND THE BRACKET THAT SHOULD BE ON THE END OF THE CABLE IS MISSING. I DIDN'T NOTICE IT LYING IN THE ROAD AS I JUST GRABBED MY TIRE IN A HURRY BECAUSE MORE TRAFFIC WAS COMING.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET S10 EQUIPPED WITH UNIROYAL TIGER PAW AWP II TIRES, SIZE: P205/75/R15 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT INDEPENDENTLY REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SPARE. THE TIRE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.
2/25/99 TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO SERRA CHEV IN JACKSON FOR CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT, SMELL OF BURNING ODOR, DRIVERS DOOR HARD TO SHUT, DRIVERS SEAT BELT LOCKS UP ON STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. 3/1/99 ENGINE QUIT WHILE DRIVING 35-40MPH. TOWED TO SERRA CHEVROLET. WIRE WAS FOUND BURNT AT TRANS AND DIST. 3/6/99 TRUCK AGAIN QUIT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 30 MPH IN 2ND GEAR. TIRES LOCKED UP AND TRUCK COASTED TO STOP. THIS IS A 4 LANE,55MPH HIGHWAY. WAS NEARLY HIT BY VEHICLE BEHIND. LOST ALL POWER INCLUDING STEERING. TRUCK IS AGAIN SITTING AT SERRA CHEVROLET HERE IN JACKSON. THIS VEHICLE NEEDS IMMEDIATE RECALL FOR SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING AND TWICE FOR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING, BEFORE IT CAUSES A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
The contact owns a 2002 Chevy S10 equipped with Tornel Classic All Season Tires. Tire Size: 205/75 R15, and DOT Number: N/A. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact's friend noticed that the passenger's front tire had a large bubble. The contact stated that the bubble was the size of a football. The tire was recently purchased online from Walmart. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. VIN Unavailable.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Chevrolet S10 →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Chevrolet S10?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Chevrolet S10?
Does the Chevrolet S10 need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Chevrolet S10?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-10-07.