1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER Complaints

RECALL 98V150 001/WINDSHIELD WIPER/WIRING: WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, REDUCING DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, AND INCREASING A RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVER UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WAS DRIVING 45MPH ON WET ROAD WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CUT IN FRONT. APPLIED BRAKES & SLID INTO REAR OF VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT WITH OTHER VEHICLE, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PROBLEM REPAIRED. SECOND TIME, ROAD DRY & APPLIED BRAKES QUICKLY. HEARD SQUEALING OF BRAKES & TIRES. BRAKES (ABS) FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. RAN INTO AMBULANCE. ONCE AGAIN AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. WENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM FOR TREATMENT. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH DURING RUSH HOUR, THE FRONT LEFT TOP BALL JOINT FAILED CAUSING THE TIRE TO COLLAPSE INWARD AND LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. $1000 TO REPAIR. I BELIEVE THIS IS ANOTHER CASE FOR INVESTIGATION EA99022.

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS STARTING IN 12/98. AT THIS TIME, OUR TRUCK WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND WE MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING WHEN OUR TRUCK WAS SERVICED AT WILTON MOTORS. THE MECHANICS INSISTED IT WAS FINE. IN FACT, WE ARE NOT EVEN SURE IF THEY CHECKED SINCE OUR SERVICE INVOICE INDICATES THAT CHECKING THE TRANSMISSION WAS A "DELETED OPERATION". ON 2/25/00, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS CONSTANTLY SLIPPING AND COULD NOT HANDLE HIGHWAY SPEEDS (THE TRUCK WAS HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING GEARS AND MADE A GRINDING NOISE). WE BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO AN INDEPENDENT SPECIALIST ON 3/2/00. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT AND SEVERAL BANDS WERE REPLACED. THE ENTIRE REPAIR COST $1,800. WE WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE AT THE GM DEALERSHIP, AND WERE CONCERNED THAT THEY WOULD NOW FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND CHARGE AN EVEN HIGHER AMOUNT THAN AN INDEPENDENT SPECIALIST. AT THIS POINT, OUR TRUCK WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, WE FELT THE PROBLEM HAD DEVELOPED WHILE THE TRUCK WAS STILL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE GM MECHANICS FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GENERAL MOTORS ON 4/12, A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU ON 6/12, AND ARE NOW FILING A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER OWNERS OF 1995 AND 1996 BLAZERS, AND MANY HAVE COMPLAINED OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WE ARE HOPING THAT GM REALIZES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART AND WILL INVESTIGATE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE ALREADY HAD 5 RECALLS FOR OUR 1996 BLAZER, AND WE ARE HOPING THERE WILL BE A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION. *AK

PREMATURE BALL JOINT FAILURE. TWO CHEVROLET DEALERS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR FIX BALL JOINT PROBLEM-VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED AT OUR EXPENSE; UPPER WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED SHORTLY. SEVERAL MECHANICS STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR CHEVY BLAZERS/TRUCKS, BUT CHEVROLET WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT. WHY IS THAT?

AFTER MAKING A TURN, CONSUMER TRIED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP, AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK

ENGINE OVERHEATED,OIL PRESSURE INCREASED, I BROUGHT IT SALISBURY CHEVROLET. THEY ADVISED ME THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NOT ANY WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. DEALER ADVISES THAT ENGINE SHOULD NOT BE DISASSEMBLED DUE TO COST OF JOB AND"STRAIN ON BEARINGS".

2ND TIME THIS HAPPEND.AT 30000MILES .NOW AT 67000. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED WITHIN SUMMARY. *AK

TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION. TRAFFIC BEGAN TO MOVE. VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME STARTED AND SLAMMED ON BRAKES WHEN ANOTHER PULLED IN FRONT OF HER. I HAD TO BRAKE QUICKLY - I HEARD A NOISE AND MY VEHICLE CONTINUED INTO HERS WITHOUT EVEN SLOWING DOWN. A RECALL HAD BEEN SERVICED ON 1/04/00. I FEEL THAT THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM IS A FAILURE. I HAVE HAD MANY SUCH INSTANCES BUT LUCKILY THIS WAS THE FIRST ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THE BRAKE FAILURE. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON FRONT PASSENEGER'S SIDE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO THROUGH A BRICK WALL. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES. CONSUMER HAD TO BE AIR LIFTED TO HOSPITAL INTO A TRAUMA UNIT. SEATBELTS WERE WORN AT THE TIME.*AK