1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER Complaints

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE "FASTEN SAFETY-BELT" AUDIBLE WARNING OCCASIONALLY MAY NOT COME ON OR MAY TERMINATE IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD. THE CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE WIPER MOTOR. *TS *JB

WHILE DRIVING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK *TS *JB

COMPLAINT REGARDING FAULTY MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH IN 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE.*MR THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH IN THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS REPLACED WITH A 2000 SWITCH, HOWEVER THE SWITCH FAILED THE SAME WAY IT WAS DESCRIBED IN RECALL #01V364000, CHEVROLET ADMITTED THEY INSTALLED A FAULTY 2000 SWITCH IN THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, BUT THE RECALL WAS BY CAR MODEL YEAR AND NOT THE RECALL SWITCH YEAR *TS *JB

CONSUMER STATES "WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR." CONSUMER HAD TO PUMP BRAKES TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY STATED THEAT"BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED."*AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. THE CONSUMER HEARD OF A RECALL BUT WAS NEVER PERSONALLY NOTIFIED OF ONE. (RECALL # 98V150001). *SCC *NLM

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE WILL SKID AND MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. ABS BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. *AK

1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH COOLING SYSTEM DUE TO BAD ANTI-FREEZE GENERAL MOTORS USED IN THE VEHICLE OF THIS VINTAGE. THEY CHARGED ME TO HAVE THE SYSTEM FLUSHED OUT BECAUSE THE ANTI-FREEZE WOULD CLOG THE HEATER COILS. NO HEATER IN WINTER. PREVIOUSLY THE VEHICLE WAS OVER HEATED AND DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND WATER PUMP PLUS SEALS AND HEAD GASKET DUE TO THE ENGINE RUNNING TOO HOT. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME I'M RETURNING IT AND NOW THEY WANT ME REPAIR OR REPLACE THE RADIATOR. IT IS STILL RUNNING HOT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM TALKING TO THE MECHANICS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR VEHICLE OF THIS VINTAGE AND IT TOOK A COUPLE OF YEARS FOR GM TO CHANGE ANTI-FREEZE MANUFACTURERS. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE? *NLM

1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER TCC VALVE ON TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ONCE VEHICLE WARMED UP AFTER DRIVING FOR A DISTANCE. APPEARS THAT THE SAME TRANSMISSION ON MANY MODELS HAVE SIMILAR FAILURES AND ISSUES WHERE IT SWITCHES HARD FROM 1ST TO 2ND ON AT. SES ENGINE SERVICE CODE 1870. *NLM

CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTORS. EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS. *MR *TT *JB

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY 1996 CHEVY BLAZER BEGAN TO SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED THE CAR WAS NOT OVER HEATING. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO ALLOW THE SMOKE TO CLEAR AND PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE. AFTER 5 MINUTES THE CAR CONTINUED TO SMOKE. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO CHECK UNDER THE HOOD. I NOTICED A BLACK SPOT ON THE HOOD AND HAD THE SENSE TO REALIZE THE CAR WAS ON FIRE WITHOUT TRYING TO LIFT THE HOOD. I YELLED TO MY MOTHER TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I CALLED 911 TO REACH THE POLICE. WHEN THEY CAME THEY COULD NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE POLICEMAN CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. I THANK GOD MY 3 YEAR OLD WAS NOT WITH ME STRAPPED IN HIS CAR SEAT AS HE USUALLY TRAVELS WITH ME. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. *JB