1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER Complaints

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT UPPER BALL JOINTS FAILED. *AK

I HAVE HAD COOLANT LEAKAGE IN MY 1997 CHEVEROLET BLAZER AND HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT DEALERS TO NO AVAIL NO ONE RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE A SYSTEMS CHECK NOW I FIND OUT THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN THAT I STUMBLED UPON AT JASPER ENGINES THAT SHOWS THAT THE 1992 THROUGH 1997 GM 4.3L VIN R&W ENGINES HAVE THE PROBLEM THAT COOLANT LOSS HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CRACKS THAT MAY DEVELOP IN THE LIFTER VALLEY AREA OF THE BLOCK. UNTIL I CAME UPON THIS NOBODY COULD GIVE ME A ANSWER IS THERE ANY THING THAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP ME RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. *JB

MY 1997 BLAZER DIES WHEN I AM DRIVING IT. I CAN DRIVE IT FOR 2 WEEKS WITH NO PROBLEMS AND THEN IT WILL DIE SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE DAY. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST I AM GOING...I CAN BE GOING 50 MPH OR COMING TO A STOP WHEN IT DIES. THE STEERING AND BRAKES GO OUT AND I'M AFRAID I AM GOING TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT AND OF COURSE IT DIDN'T CUT OFF WHEN THE MECHANIC DROVE IT. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, THERMOSTAT, AND WATER PUMP WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. *LA

TRANSMISSION HAS SHIFTED HARD FROM 1ST TO 2ND SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED 10/7/03 ALSO GET INTERMITTENT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT USED CAR DEALER CODED OUT TO TRANS COMPONENT SLIPPAGE BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ON 01/16/04 WAS ON EXTENDED TRIP AND TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY - RPMS STARTED TO CLIMB SO PULLED OVER TO SHOULDER OF ROAD - KEPT SLIPPING GEARS - FINALLY LOST ALL FORWARD MOTION. ON STOPPING AND CHECKING FOUND DIP STICK SHOWED NO FLUID BUT HAD RUST AND GRIT ON THE END FLUID APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN LEAKING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE TUBE AND THERE WAS TRANS FLUID ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO USED CAR DEALER HE PUT IN 8 QTS OF FLUID TO GET IT TO MOVE HIS MECHANIC SAID IT APPEARED THAT THE FLUID "BOILED" OUT OF THE DIP STICK TUBE BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHY IN CHECKING THE INTERNET IT APPEARS THAT THESE SYMPTOMS ARE COMMON BUT UNSUPPORTED BY CHEVY ON THIS MODEL YEAR OF BLAZER. *LA

FAULTY WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. THE MOTOR CONTINUES TO RUN BUT THE WIPERS DO NOT MOVE. HAVE TO GET OUT OF CAR & MANUALLY TRY TO GET THEM MOVING. ALSO THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. HAVE HAD THIS FIXED @ 1 YR. AGO BUT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN. DOES NOT SEEM AS BAD IN THE REAL COLD WEATHER.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A DRIVEWAY AT 20 MPH, AN ANIMAL JUMPED OUT IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SWERVED TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND HIT A TREE. THE DRIVER SUFFERED A CONCUSSION, DUE TO THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

IN NOVEMBER I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE CHEVY DEALER AND HAD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED. A MONTH LATER MY ENGINE (4.3L V6) WAS DEAD, AS A RESULT OF DEXI-COOL IN THE BLOCK. MY CHEVY DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. WANTED $5000 FOR A NEW ENGINE. I DONATED THE CAR TO CHARITY.

THE 1997 AND 1998 BLAZER HAS AN INHERENT DEFECT IN THE VALVE BODY IN TRANSMISSION. CODE 1870 FOUND AFTER VEHICLE IS WARM THE TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO SECOND GEAR CAUSING THE REAR WHEELS TO LOOSE TRACTION. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION MOST LIKELY NEEDS A VALVE BODY. THE CHEVROLET DEALER AND A VERY REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT THE 1997 AND 1998 BLAZERS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THIS INHERENT DEFECT, AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE VALVE BODY WITH A LARGER ONE WHICH FIXES THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL PROBABLY BECAUSE NO ONE HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PROBLEM.

FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, NEVER GO UNDER ONE HALF TANK READING. I TALKED TO TWO OTHER OWNER OF THE SAME MAKE & MODEL, AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

1997 CHEVY BLAZER HAS BEEN TAKEN TO BOB CHEVROLET IN COLUMBUS OHIO FOR BACK FLUSH OF HEATER CORE DUE TO NO HEAT FOR DEFROSTING WINDOWS.THIS HAS BEEN DONE TWICE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL SUNOCO STATION DUE TO NO HEAT. HAD THEMOSTAT REPLACED. AFTER THAT IT HEATED UP A SHORT WHILE BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF DOING THE JOB DURING COLDER NIGHTS. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED A HEATER WHICH COSTS ME $500 TO REPLACE WHICH I HAD TO HAVE DONE. I HAVE A COUPLE OF FRIENDS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THERE BLAZERS AND THE HEATER CORES GOING BAD. I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. NO WONDER PEOPLE BUY NON AMERICAN CRAFTED AUTOS. I DON'T THINK IF SO MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLES ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT GM SHOULD GET AWAY WITH THIS. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS, SCOTT BEVER