1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER Complaints

1. TWO DAYS AGO, AT 50 MPH, I STARTED HAVING STEERING PROBLEMS (QUICKLY STEERING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT TO STAY ON ROAD). IT IS IN THE SHOP (ONLY 84K MILES) TO THE TUNE OF $600 TO REPLACE BOTH BALL JOINTS. *NM

I HAVE A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER (LAST 8 OF VIN W2121658) THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENT LEVELS DO NOT WORK. THE HIGH LEVEL OF THE WIPERS WILL WORK FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AND THEN STOP. I WANT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT BECAUSE SEVERAL OTHER YEARS OF THIS SAME MODEL HAVE HAD A RECALL BUT THIS YEAR AND VIN DO NOT HAVE A CURRENT RECALL ON THEM. *AK

MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD TO MAKE MAJOR REPAIRS TO OUR 1998 BLAZER. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP ($294.55) IN OCTOBER 2002. THEN, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND GOT WORSE. WE TOOK IT TO AAMCO, WHERE WE WERE INFORMED THAT IT HAD TO BE REBUILT. THIS WAS IN JULY OF 2002. THE TOTAL COST WAS ($2077.37). I INQUIRED THAT SAME MONTH AT CHEVROLET ABOUT RECALLS, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE NONE. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THE LAME SUV, INCLUDING BROKEN RECLINER HANDLES, STEERING THAT PULLS AND GRINDS, AND A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (CLICKING SOUNDS FROM UNDER THE GLOVE BOX, THREE BATTERIES REPLACED). I SAW A REPORT LAST WEEK ABOUT THE USE OF DEXCOOL AND ITS POSSIBLE LINK TO PROBLEMS IN GM VEHICLES. ARE THERE ANY REMEDIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME? *AK

THE ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT 10 MPH CONSUMER MADE HER WAY BACK INTO THE EMPTY PARKING LOT, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF WHILE STILL IN GEAR. CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE. *AK

WHEN DRIVING ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DURING THE FIRST RAINSTORM SINCE I BOUGHT MY USED BLAZER, MY FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER DIDN'T WORK WHEN TURNED ON. AFTER REPEATEDLY TURNING THE SWITCH ON AND OFF, THE WIPER FINALLY WORKED AT HIGH SPEED ONLY. AFTER A WHILE, IT WORKED AT LOW SPEED AND INTERMITENT SPEED. THEN WHILE IN THE INTERMITENT SPEED POSITION, THE WIPER WORKED IN LOW SPEED ONLY. WHEN SWITCHED OFF, THE WIPER DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY STOP. SINCE THE RAINSTORM, THIS PROBLEM WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE WIPER EITHER WORKING CORRECTLY OR MALFUNCTIONING. I REMOVED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER PULSE CONTROL MODULE FROM THE WIPER MOTOR, EXAMINED THE CIRCUIT BOARD, AND FOUND EIGHT CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS. I RESOLDERED THE DEFECTIVE SOLDER JOINTS AND REINSTALLED THE MODULE INTO THE WIPER MOTOR. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER HAS WORKED CORRECTLY SINCE MY REPAIR. THE DESIGN OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD IS POOR. THESE FAILURES OCCURRED AT STRESS POINTS. APPARENTLY NO ACCOMMODATION WAS MADE TO MECHANICALLY SECURE THE LEADS TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD BEFORE THE LEADS WERE SOLDERED. INSTEAD, SOLDER WAS USED TO BOTH MECHANICALLY SECURE THE LEADS TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND ELECTRICALLY PROVIDE THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY REQUIRED. TO EXACERBATE THIS SITUATION, NOT ENOUGH SOLDER WAS USED AT THESE JOINTS. THE PREVIOUS OWNER TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATED ERRATICALLY, BUT IT HAPPENED AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE ERRATIC OPERATION WAS NOT SO BAD THAT HE WAS OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. IT IS A FACT THAT CRACKS ON DEFECTIVE SOLDER JOINTS WIDEN WHEN SUBJECTED TO STRESS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS HAS BEEN AN IDENTIFIED SAFETY PROBLEM IN GENERAL MOTORS' 1994 TO 1997 PICKUPS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND VANS.

WHILE ADJUSTING THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT THE LATCH SHEARED OFF. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC ASKED CONSUMER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION. *AK

THE TURN SIGNAL ON MY1998 CHEVY BLAZER WON'T STOP CLICKING. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED THE COMBINATION FLASHER/SIGNAL PART THAT'S BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX WITH NO RESULT. TODAY I SAW WISPS OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING CONSOLE. I CHECKED THE FUSES AND THEY ARE FINE. I'M AFRAID MY CAR IS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE!*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY,SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT WORK AT ALL,SOMETIMES THEY WILL NOT TURN OFF FOR A LONG TIME AFTER THE SWITCH IS TURNED OFF.FROM THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ON THIS INTERNET SITE,IT SEEMS THAT YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS A PROBLEM IN PREVIOUS YEARS,BUT IT'S NOT A PROBLEM NOW.PLEASE BELIEVE ME,IT IS.TRY IT OUT FOR YOURSELF.NEXT TIME YOU ARE COMING HOME FRON A LONG TRIP,WITH TWO KIDS IN THE CAR,PRETEND THAT IT'S RAINING,PULL OFF THE ROAD AND SIT THERE FOR OVER AN HOUR,YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF THE CAR AND STRETCH,YOU CAN'T TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THE BATHROOM.OKAY,IT STOPPED RAINING,ON YOUR WAY AGAIN.AFTER A HALF HOUR OF DRIVING,WOOPS,IT'S RAINING AGAIN.APPARENTLY,NOBODY TOLD THE CLOUDS THAT A 98 CHEVY BLAZER WAS ON THE HIGHWAY.STILL DON'Y THINK IT'S A PROBLEM,TRY THIS.TAKE YOUR CHILD TO A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT THAT THEY HAVE TO ATTEND,A LITTLE OVER HALF WAY THERE,PRETEND THAT IT STARTS TO RAIN,AND YOUR WIPERS WON'T TURN ON.DO YOU TRY TO SEE THROUGH THE RAIN CASCADING DOWN YOU WINDSHIELD AND HOPE THAT YOU CAN KEEP YOUR CAR ON THE ROAD AND OUT OF HEAVY ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR DO YOU PULL OFF THE ROAD AND HOPE THAT THE RAIN DOESN'T LAST MORE THAN THE TWENTY MINUTES OF EXTRA TIME YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF.I COULD GO ON,BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS "THERE IS A MALFUNCTION PROBLEM IN THE WIPER CONTROL SYSTEM IN THESE VEHICLES ."DO YOU NEED DEATH REPORTS BEFORE A PROBLEM BECOMES A PROBLEM?WHY DON'T YOU ,AT THE VERY LEAST,SEND A QUESTIONAIRE TO THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES TO SEE HOW MANY HAVE THIS PROBLEM,CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING?*AK

CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGERS SEAT THE LEVER. BROKE OFF. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE LEVERS BROKE THREE TIMES AFTER THAT, WHICH HAS TOTALED UP TO FIVE TIMES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB