1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER Complaints

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY WORK OCCASIONALLY.....USUALLY WHEN IT'S RAINING,THEY DON'T WORK. CONTACTED CHEVROLET BECAUSE WE SAW THAT THE 1996 BLAZER WIPERS WERE RECALLED....THEY SAID OUR BLAZER IS A WEEK OF OF THE RECALL VIN #'S. , AND SINCE WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN INT AN ACCIDENT, THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING.*AK

SOMETIMES WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD BE WORKING/SOMETIMES THEY WOULD NOT,AND SOMETIMES THERE WAS A DELAYED REACTION. *AK

WHILE CHANGING LANES VEHICLE SWERVED. DRIVER STOPPED VEHICLE, AND UPON VISUAL INSPECTION NOTICED THAT BALL JOINT BROKE OFF. *AK

ON 8/18/1999 I TOOK MY 1996 CHEVY BLAZER TO SUPERIOR CHEVROLET (MERRIAM, KS [XXX]) BECAUSE THE ENGINE COOLING LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. AS SOON AS I TOLD THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THE PROBLEM HE REPLIED THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1996 BLAZERS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COOLANT (DEX-COOL) THAT WAS USED IN THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID THAT THE FIX WAS TO "FLUSH" THE COOLING SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE TO GM SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 99-06-02-012 (OF WHICH I HAVE A COPY). AT THIS TIME THEY CHARGED ME $543.96 FOR THE "FLUSH". AS I INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT MORE I FOUND FROM SEVERAL OF THE SERVICE PERSONEL AT THIS DEALERSHIP, AS WELL AS FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER ([XXX] [XXX]) THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEX-COOL COOLANT WAS VERY COMMON WITH 1996 &1997 BLAZERS. I THEN QUESTIONED WHY THE CONSUMER SHOULD PAY FOR AN INFERIOR COOLANT THAT WAS USED IN THESE VEHICLES. AS I PURSUED MY COMPLAINT MORE, THE SERVICE MANAGER ENDED UP CONTACTING THE AREA REP FOR CHEVY, WHO IN TURN ENDED UP REIMBURSING ME APPROX. $312. OF MY $543. AT THE TIME I FIGURED THAT I BETTER TAKE WHAT I COULD GET, AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED.... WELL HERE I AM 18 MONTHS LATER AND 19,200 MILES LATER AND THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. ONCE AGAIN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SUPERIOR CHEVROLET, AND ONCE AGAIN THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM DUE TO THE DEX-COOL COOLANT ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE REPS AND SERVICE MANAGER. THIS TIME THOUGH THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THAT THE ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM (RADIATOR, HEATER CORE, AND WATER PUMP) ALL NEED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE DEX-COOL HAS "GELLED" UP THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. MR. [XXX] HAS TOLD ME THAT TO REPAIR THIS WOULD COST $2100., BUT BECAUSE WE HAD THE SYSTEM FLUSHED JUST 18 MO. AGO, AND BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WITH THIS DEX-COOL COOLANT IS SO COMMON THAT HE WOULD ONLY CHARGE ME $1300. I VOICED MY CONCERN OF WHY THE CONSUMER SHOULD PAY FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS COMMONLY KNOWN AT CHEVROLET. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT THE LISTED PHONE NUMBERS. THANKS. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY ID

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, APPLIED BRAKES AGAIN PEDAL WOULD NOT GO DOWN. APPLIED BRAKES AGAIN, ABS LIGHT CAME ON, AT THAT TIME NO ABS BRAKING ACTION. DEALER FOUND RIGHT FRONT SPEED SENSOR TO BE AT FAULT. *AK

FAILED DEX-COOL. CALLED DEX-COOL AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS GMC. CALLED GMC AND THEY SAID TO CONTACT DEALER. DEALER SAID TO DRAIN DEX-COOL AND FLUSH AND FILL WITH GREEN ANTI FREEZE IMMEDIATELY. DEX COOL TURNS TO GELL PER DEALER. THEY NOTIFY ALL CUSTOMERS TO DRAIN DEX-COOL.*AK

TEMP GAUGE CLIMBED INTO RED.PER DEALER COOLENT WAS CONTAMINATED. BLAZER HAS NEVER HAD ANYONE BUT DEALER PERFORM MAINTENCE ETC...DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON FOR COOLENT TO BECOME CONTAMINATED. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS INFACT A BULLENTINE RELEASE FOR THIS & CUSTOMERS NOT NOTIFIED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT CAUSING ANY DANGER TO PASSENGERS. HOWEVER, IT WAS COSTLY TO REPAIR.

FAILED OIL COOLER LINES. DEALER REPORTS MANY OWNERS OF BLAZERS AND S-10 PICKUPS HAVE HAD BOTH OIL COOLER LINES REPLACED.*AK

VEHICLE HIT A UTILITY POLE AT 45MPH, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK

STEERING STARTED GETTING TIGHT, HAD TO JERK IT TO STEER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT LOWER BALL JOINTS AND IDLER ARM WERE BAD. CONSUMER REPLACED BALL JOINTS, AND THEY ONLY LASTED FOR 38000 MILES. THEY SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN THAT.*AK