1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER Complaints

WITHIN 1 MINUTE OF TURNING ON MY REAR DEFROSTER, THE REAR WINDSHIELS EXPLODED. MY CAR WAS ALREADY WARMED UP AND WAS DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING ON THE REAR DEFROSTER. *AK

-- PASSENGER SIDE RECLINER HANDLE BROKE -- FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE IN THE 6YRS OF OWNERSHIP -- WINDSHIELD WIPER WORKS ERRATICALLY (STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDOW) -- THE EXTRA HEAVY DUTY BATTERY DIED AFTER 3 YRS OF OWNERSHIP -- THE ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. *PH THE SWITCH FOR THE WIPERS HAD BEEN REPLACED. THERE WERE 3 PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS OF THE BLAZER WHICH HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR FAULTY WIPER MOTORS. *SC *JB

WIPER STOPS WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD, OR WIPER RUNS CONTINUOUSLY. *CB

MY WIFE WAS IN DANGER DRIVING THE TRUCK WHEN SHE BROUGHT IT TO ANOTHER ROUTE (ANOTHER SHOP), WHICH WAS HUTCHENS CHEVROLET. THEY TOLD MY WIFE AND GAVE HER THE PAPER WORK STATING THAT, THE TRUCK WAS UNSAFE AND SHE COULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER IF CONTINUED DRIVING IT. WHEN HE WAS TOLD OF THE BRAKE PROBLEMS, (THE CAR DEALERSHIP OWNER) HE INSTRUCTED MY WIFE TO TAKE IT TO HIS OWN AUTO REPAIR SHOP, WHEN MY WIFE GOT THE TRUCK BACK, IT WAS IN THE SAME STATE NOT EVERYTHING WAS FIXED. THE WORK WAS COMPLETED AT HUTCHENS. THE WORK HAD TO HAVE COST ABOUT $378.00. AND THERE ARE MORE TROUBLES WITH THE TRUCK, I SEE SIGNS OF RUST AND CORROSION, THERE ARE VIBRATIONS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES.

SEAT RECLINER HANDLES JUST BREAK OFF THIS IS COMMON ON ALL BLAZER WITH THE SAME RECLINING BUCKET SEATS THE PART IS 70 BUCKS A SIDE 2 HOURS LABOR PER SIDE! AND THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS HARDLY EVER BEEN USED THAT JUST BROKE OFF I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM WITH GM AND THEY COZ MY CAR IS A 98 THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO THIS IS A BIG SAFTY ISSUE AND EVERY BLAZER PERSON I HAVE TALKED TOO HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO WORK PROPERLY. THEY STOP WORKING AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES...LIKE WHEN THERE IS A RAIN FALL AND THEY ARE NEEDED FOR SAFETY AND VISIBILITY. I CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL. THE RECALL IS AVAILABLE ON 94 TO 96 MODELS. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURE DATE ON MY VEHICLE IS 2/17/1997. IN A TORRENTIAL RAIN FALL, GOING 50 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE W/S WIPERS STOPPED, IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN AN 18 WHEELER PASSED MY SON, WHOM WAS DRIVING AND SPLASHED EXTRA WATER ON THE VEHICLE. LUCKLY HE MAINTAINED CONTROL AND HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT ACCIDENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO A WALL AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED AND CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. SOMETIMES THE WIPERS REMAINED ON ALTHOUGH THE SWITCH WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. *AK *NM

2 YEARS AGO IN THE FALL, I WENT TO FIRESTONE WITH A COMPLAINT OF NO HEAT. WITH NO HEAT, THE DEFROSTERS ARE SLOW OR DO NOT CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD IN A QUICK OR SAFE MANNER. FIRESTONE REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND I HAD SUFFICIENT (NOT HOT LIKE IN THE PAST) HEAT UNTIL THIS PAST NOVEMBER. AGAIN WITH NO HEAT OR EFFICIENT DEFROSTERS, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO WILSON'S AUTO SERVICE. THEY SAID MY THERMOSTAT WAS COMPLETELY OPEN--THE SPRING WAS CAUGHT. THEY PERFORMED SERVICE TO THE EXTENT OF REPLACING THE THERMOSTAT AND BACKFLUSHING THE HEATER CORE. THIS SEEMED TO HELP SOME UNTIL IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT COLDER WEATHER. LAST WEEK WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 15 DEGREES IN THE MORNING AND I LET MY VEHICLE "WARM UP" FOR 20 MINUTES, THE INTERIOR WAS STILL VERY COLD AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS BARELY CLEARED OF LIGHT FROST. WILSON'S IS NOW WORKING ON REPLACING THE HEATER CORE AT A COST TO ME TO THE TUNE OF ALMOST $800. WILSON'S SERVICE MANAGER WAS TOLD BY A FRIEND THAT WORKS OR WORKED FOR GM THAT THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH BLAZER OWNERS AS THE DESIGN AND THE PLACEMENT OF THE HEATER CORE IN THESE VEHICLES ARE SUCH THAT WHEN THE HEATER IS NOT IN USE--LIKE IN THE SUMMER--THE CORROSION AND SEDIMENT FROM THE COOLANT CLOGS UP THE PASSAGES AND BLOCKS THE HOT AIR TO HEAT THE VEHICLE. APPARENTLY THE PART IS NOT TOO EXPENSIVE BUT THE LABOR INTENSIVE REPAIR IS THE MAJORITY OF THE COST OF REPLACING THE PART. I KNOW OF AT LEAST 2 OTHER BLAZER OWNERS--DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS--THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM AND INCURRED SIGNIFICANT COSTS AT THE RISK OF SAFE VISIBILITY. IF THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST THE 3 MODEL YEARS THAT I KNOW OF AND OTHER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM, THEN WHY HASN'T THIS DESIGN BEEN CORRECTED AND/OR REPAIRS COMPENSATED FOR?