1997 Chevrolet BLAZER: complaints, problems and recalls

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION FOR TIRES, CONSUMER STATES THAT MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT HAD FAILED. NO WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 82,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001130 at NHTSA ↗

THIS TRUCK WAS ALWAYS SERVICED AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. ANY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WAS DONE INCLUDING THE TRANSMISSION. ON THE 60,000 SERVICE THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED A FLUSH TYPE OF TRANSMISSION SERVICE & I SAID TO PROCEED. THE VERY NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP & IMMEDIATELY SHOWED SYMPTOMS OF SHIFTING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS THAN IT HAD BEFORE THE SERVICE. AFTER SOME CALLS TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK SO THEY COULD DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. NO DEFINITIVE ANSWER COULD BE GIVEN BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER ST…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002879 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING , CONSUMER CAN HEAR AND FEEL OUTSIDE AIR COMING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION, NOTICED THAT DOOR HINGE IS PULLING AWAY FROM FRAME. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006164 at NHTSA ↗

THE TURN SIGNAL ON OUR 1997 CHEVY BLAZER JUST STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I CALLED THE SHOP TO GET AN APPOINTMENT I WAS TOLD THAT THAT WAS A PART THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED BUT ACCORDING TO MY VIN #, MY TRUCK WAS NOT INCLUDED. I HAD TO PAY 594.19, FOR A REPLACEMENT PARTS AND SERVICE. THE PART IS CALLED A MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH, AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT SHORTED OUT. NOW I HAVE DRIVEN LOTS OF CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS SWITCH GOING OUT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IF IT SHORTED OUT THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET MY PART …

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007812 at NHTSA ↗

ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON HAD A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK DONE WITH THE CODE P0440 COMING UP WHICH IS THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS SYSTEM YET NO-ONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WROND WITH THE BLAZER

Owner-reported narrative. 60,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007823 at NHTSA ↗

ENCODER MOTOR FAILURE: CALLED CHEVROLET 800 NUMBER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SWICTCH FROM 2-WHEEL DRIVE TO 4-WHEEL. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL DEALER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, TOLD THERE WAS A ENCODER MOTOR FAILURE AND THE MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CHERVROLET POINT OF CONTACT TO DISCUSS IF THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS HARDLY USED AND THE PART IS PROBABLY DEFECTIVE. HOWEVER, NO RESPONSE AS OF YET. THE COST IS $600 FOR THE REPAIR. THE CAR HAD ONLY 45,000 MILES AT TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007878 at NHTSA ↗

BAD A/C: COMPLAINED TO A DEALER APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS (SUMMER OF 98) AFTER THE PURCHASE ABOUT WARM AIR BLOWING, INTERMITTENTLY, FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD. THE DIAL WAS TURNED TO COLD POSITION AND THE FAN WAS OFF. DEALER TECHNICIAN COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM EVEN AFTER THE CAR WAS KEPT OVERNIGHT. COMPLAINED AGAIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER. HOWEVER, THE DEALER COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM, BUT APPARENTLY OPENED THE UNIT AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER (SPRING OF 99), COMPLAINED ABOUT A/C NOT BLOWING COOL ENOUGH AIR. AGAIN,…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007881 at NHTSA ↗

1997 CHEV BLAZER S-10 WINDSHIELD WIPPERS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. STOP WORKING WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION TCV SHORTED OUT, CAUSING COMPUTER TO SHORT OUT, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK PAST 1/2 TANK NO WARNING. RAN OUT OF GAS ON INTERSTATE.

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007889 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2001-06-28 (June 28, 2001)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN, AND IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. FAILURE OF AN UPPER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY COULD OCCUR DUE TO CORROSION.

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN IMPAIRED STEERING OR STEERING LOSS, OR A PARTIAL OR COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 4, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.

Reported: 2003-03-07 (March 7, 2003)

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS, AND PICKUP TRUCKS MAY DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH.

Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN, IT COULD RESULT IN AN INOPERATIVE SWITCH, HEAT DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER'S DOOR, AND/OR IGNITION OF COMPONENTS IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND A SUBSEQUENT VEHICLE FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED JUMPER HARNESS TO THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 24, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.

Reported: 2003-03-31 (March 31, 2003)

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY THAT CONTAINS AN ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP. SUSTAINED LOADS OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE AND DURATION ON THE BELT IN SEVERE CRASHES COULD FULLY DEPLOY THE BUCKLE ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP, INTRODUCING A TOTAL OF 10 ADDITIONAL INCHES OF WEBBING INTO THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM. THE FREE FALLING LATCH PLATE USED IN THIS SYSTEM MAY ALLOW WEBBING TO DYNAMICALLY DISTRIBUTE BETWEEN THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT AS THE DRIVER'S POSITION CHANGES DURING A MULTIPLE ROLLOVER EVENT.

Consequence: IF THE ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP FULLY DEPLOYS IN A SEVERE MULTIPLE ROLLOVER CRASH, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A BELTED DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE PARTIAL OR EVEN COMPLETE EJECTION FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENERGY-ABSORBING SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES WITH ONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON AUGUST 8, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.

Reported: 1997-06-12 (June 12, 1997)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 60/40 FRONT BENCH SEATS AND EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL LOCKING RECLINER BUCKET SEATS. THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE DRIVER'S AND/OR PASSENGER'S SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT.

Consequence: IF A SEPARATION OCCURRED AND THERE WERE SECONDARY CRASH EVENTS OR VEHICLE ROLLOVER, THERE WOULD BE NO BELT RESTRAINT OF THE OCCUPANT AND INCREASED INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE RECLINER MECHANISM.