1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER Complaints

GOOD MORNING, I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO THE ISSUE OUTLINED BELOW. I HAVE CUT AND PASTED THE EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM GENERAL MOTORS IN REGARDS TO MY INQUIRY ABOUT INTERMITTENT WIPERS ON OUR 1996 S-10 BLAZER. AS I EMAILED BACK TO GENERAL MOTORS, OUR VEHICLE HAS OVER 70,000 MILES (EXCLUSION OF SPECIAL POLICY 02054); HOWEVER, I A FEW CONCERNS: 1) GENERAL MOTORS REPLACED A DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART. 2) GENERAL MOTORS IS USING THE AGE/MILEAGE OF A VEHICLE TO AVOID REPLACING A DEFECTIVE ITEM THAT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE - CAUSING REDUCED VISIBILITY. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CLARIFICATION ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE! BEST REGARDS, CHARLES BECK EMAIL FROM GENERAL MOTORS: THANK YOU FOR CONTACTING THE CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER. WE APPRECIATE YOUR OWNING A 1996 BLAZER AND WE APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR DISSATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION OVER THE REPAIRS THAT HAVE BEEN NEEDED ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. YOUR BLAZER WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS THAT WAS ISSUED IN 1998. THIS REPAIR WAS COMPLETED ON YOUR VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 1998. NOW IT APPEARS THAT YOUR BLAZER MAY BE INCLUDED IN SPECIAL POLICY #02054, WHICH COVERS WIPER FAILURE DUE TO A CRACKED CIRCUIT BOARD: SOME CUSTOMERS OF 1996-1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER, S10 PICKUP VEHICLES NOT INVOLVED IN RECALL 98043 MAY EXPERIENCE A WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THIS SPECIAL POLICY COVERS THE CONDITION DESCRIBED ABOVE FOR A PERIOD OF 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES (112,000 KM), WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST, FROM THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP, OR FOR THOSE VEHICLES CURRENTLY OUTSIDE OF THIS COVERAGE, UNTIL FEBRUARY 29, 2004. THE REPAIRS WILL BE MADE AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER. WE HAVE CREATED A COMPUTER FILE, 1-172249532, TO NOTATE YOUR CONCERNS. *AK

I OWN A 1996 CHEVY BLAZER I HAVE SEEN RECALLS ON THE UPPER BALL JOINTS BUT THIS VEHICLE WEARS THE BALL JOINTS OUT WAY MORE THAN A REGULAR VEHICLE SHOULD I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THIS IS THE SIXTH SET OF BALL JOINTS THAT WERE PUT ON AND I DON'T THINK I SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO KEEP PAYING FOR THESE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. *LA

MY 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER WITH LESS THAN 53,000 MILES HAS NO HEAT AND STARTED OVERHEATING. I TOOK IT FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEXCOOL THAT WAS GUARANTEED FOR 100,000 MILES HAD FAILED. THE RADIATOR WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED AND THE HEATER CORE WAS BLOCKED. BOTH THE RADIATOR AND THE HEATER CORE NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE SLUDGE AND RUST THAT WAS IN THE COOLING SYSTEM. *LA

REAR WINDOW WIPER MOTOR DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. EITHER IT WON'T START OR WILL NOT STOP UNLESS YOU DISCONNECT THE MAIN BATTERY. *LA

UPON MAKING A RIGHT TURN WHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY FRONT WHEELS TURNED INWARD AND FELL OFF. THE UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURELY, CAUSING THE FAILURE.*AK

VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING.*MR THE CONSUMER STOPPED AT MIDDLE RIDGE SERVICE PLAZA AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE CONSISTED OF HOSES, WIRES AND INSULATION UNDER HOOD. CONSUMER HAD NO RECENT ENGINE PROBLEMS. *PH *JB

UPPER BALL JOINTS SEPARATED, CAUSING THE FRONT WHEEL TO VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. RECALL 95V080000 DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE; BUT, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO MODEL AND VIN. *AK

ABS BRAKE SYSTEM; CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO TWO DEALERS.THEY HAD NO RECORD OF RECALLS. VEHICLE GRABBED/RELEASED/ KEPT SLIDING, AND WOULD NOT STOP. *AK

APPLIED BRAKES WHILE TWO CAR LENGTHS BEHIND ANOTHER CAR IN TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY, GOING ABOUT 25 MPH. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, CAR DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT HIT CAR IN FRONT OF US. WHILE BRAKING ON WET PAVEMENT, OR RR TRACKS, OR UNEVEN PAVEMENT THE ABS FAILS AND PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. AT MY EXPENSE I TOOK CAR TO GMC DEALERSHIP TO CHECK BRAKES. I WAS TOLD CAR HAD NO OPEN RECALLS. THEY LOOKED AT ABS AND SAID THERE WERE NO ERRORS COMING UP. GMC SAID BRAKE PADS WERE WORN - THEY WERE REPLACED 6 MONTHS AGO, AND THEN AGAIN ABOUT 30 DAYS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. MECHANIC TOOK US ON TEST DRIVE OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT, WE TRIED TO BRAKE, AND ABS WENT TO FLOOR, STOPPING WAS EXTREMELY DELAYED. WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS "NORMAL". HE ALSO SAID THAT IF WE HAD GMC BRAKE PADS THEN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP BETTER. OPENED CALL WITH GMC AND WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO MILEAGE OF CAR THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. HOW CAN A CAR BE CONSIDERED SAFE TO DRIVE IF THE BRAKES DON'T WORK? GMC RECALL 99I006000 DESCRIBES THIS EXACT PROBLEM WE EXPERIENCED. I WAS TOLD MY CAR HAD THIS RECALL PERFORMED. I WILL TAKE CAR TO 3RD PARTY FOR OPINION, AND THEN WILL SEEK LEGAL REPRESENTATION. CAR WILL SIT IN GARAGE UNTIL THEN. IT'S TOO UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH ON A WELL PAVED ROAD, HEARD A LOUD BANG. TWO SECONDS LATER, ANOTHER LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD, AND THE BLAZER TILTED TO THE LEFT LIKE HAVE A BLOWN TIRE. LUCKILY, WE WERE GOING AT SLOW SPEED AND MANAGED TO PULL THE BLAZER TO THE CURB. AFTER TOLD TO THE NEARBY SERVICE STATION, THE MECHANIC SAID THE UPPER BALL JOINT ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WAS PULLED OFF THE SOCKET. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE WHEEL RIM WAS CUT AND TIRE WAS BLOWN. AFTER LEARNING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF THIS KIND ON 1996 BLAZER, I CALLED GM AND GAVE THE VIN. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID MY VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE RECALL LIST AND THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO. THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED, OILED AND LUBRICATED EVERY 3000 MILES. I CANNOT IMAGINE IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREE WAY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT ALL BLAZER OWNER SHALL KNOW. *LA