RoadVitals

1981 Chevrolet Blazer

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Oct 10, 1995
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Oct 24, 2007
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1981 Chevrolet Blazer, most frequently naming the seat belts category. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Seat belts1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT

Oct 24, 2007
121,680 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN HONEYWELL FRAM RACING BRAND HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 25, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2007, AND SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR VEHICLES LIST ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FILTERS ARE MARKED WITH A DATE CODE A61451 THROUGH A72571 SEQUENTIALLY. THE DATE CODE AND PART NUMBER APPEAR ON THE FILTER HOUSING. FRAM RACING HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS NOT BEARING A DATE CODE IN THIS RANGE ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. THE GASKET OF THE OIL FILTER BECOMES MORE PLIABLE UNDER HIGH TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES.
The risk: THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE INADEQUATE SEALING AND LOSS OF ENGINE OIL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.
The remedy: HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Mar 23, 2006
61,944 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
The risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
The remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
PRO-A MOTORS, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

Nov 14, 1980
364 units potentially affected
The defect: THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED WITHOUT THE RETAINER CLIP FOR THE BRAKE PEDAL PUSH ROD. THE ABSENCE OF THIS RETAINER CLIP COULD ALLOW THE BRAKE PEDAL TO DISENGAGE FROM THE MASTER CYCLINDER PUSH ROD.
The remedy: THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL THE RETAINER CLIP ON ALL SUSPECT VEHICLES WITHOUT CHARGE.
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Seat belts
Filed Oct 10, 1995

WHERE BELT GOES INTO SHOULDER BELT HOLDER DOES NOT GRAB/LOCK UP AS INTENDED, WHEN JERKED ON. TT

NHTSA ID
973104
Incident
Aug 15, 1990

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Blazer by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026100
2025261050.9
2024421055.9
2023412059.4
2022451056.6
20211251051.3
20202113059.0
20191832051.4
2009000
2008500
2007900
2006190040.5
2005150037.8
2004501039.7
2003771044.3
20022462152.1
20013263259.2
20005894359.3
19994360144.1
19987163155.9
19977687261.7
19961,15311767.5
19951,22411867.5
19946207669.7
19935117570.0
19922786571.0
19912227870.4
1990324670.2
1989384570.5
1988404161.2
1987303362.5
1986192263.0
1985292264.4
1984933
1983443
1982130
1981Viewing130
1980110
1979110
1978110
1977210
1976110
1975010
1974020
1973110
1972010
1969010

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.