1996 Chevrolet Blazer Steering Problems

THE FRONT TIRES ARE WORN, AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. I HAVE HAD THESE REPLACED IN THE PAST. THIS IS A CONTINUAL REPAIR AND GETTING COSTLY. I CALLED GM AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL BUT BECAUSE OF THE TIME THAT HAS PAST THAT IT IS NO LONGER COVERED. I AM IN FEAR OF GETTING IN AN ACCIDENT DRIVING THE WAY IT IS. IT IS VERY UNSAFE. I WAS TOLD ALSO THAT I NEED IDLER ARM REPLACEMENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10273912

Incident

Jun 13, 2009

Mileage

216,000 mi

I HAVE A 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER WITH ABOUT 60,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT END PARTS ABOUT 4-5 TIMES. WITH OUT FIXING THIS EVERYTIME IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. THE STEERING BECOMES LOOSE, AND THERE IS MUCH PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL.*AK

NHTSA ID

10100049

Incident

Aug 10, 2004

Mileage

10,000 mi

MOST OF THE PROBLEMS THAT SURFACED HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED AT LEAST ONCE. *PH MOST OF THE PROBLEMS HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED AT LEAST ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND HAVE RECURRED. THE A/C SEAL LEAKED AND NEEDED A PUMP. THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE IDLER PULLEY, OIL FILTER LINES, CRANK SHAFT,DOOR HINGES, POWER STEERING, THROTTLE POSITIONER SENSOR 2, LEFT FRONT AXLE SEAL, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL SIDE COVERS. *SC *MR *JB

NHTSA ID

10057277

LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE/ RIGHT & LEFT SIDE IDLER. ALSO IDLER ARM & PITMAN ARM LOOSE. *MR *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10034170

MY 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER DID NOT PASS A STATE INSPECTION DUE TO CORROSION OF THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND AS WELL THAT THE IDLER ARM,. THE FRONT STEERING AND SUSPENSION MUST BE REPLACED. UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH 1996 BLAZER'S AND A RECALL WAS ISSUED. I DID CONTACT CHEVROLET AND SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THE RECALL,HOWEVER, AFTER PROVIDING MY VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER, I WAS TOLD THAT MY BLAZER DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. I FEEL THAT THIS IS INAPPROPRIATE. IF MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM DISCRIBED IN THE RECALL, THEN IT SHOULD QUALIFY FOR THE REMEDY. *AK

NHTSA ID

10021348

Incident

Jun 7, 2003

Mileage

72,500 mi

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FRONT & REAR FAILED, WATER PUMP QUIT, DRIVE SHAFT BROKE, BALL JOINTS RIGHT FRONT BROKE, HEATER QUIT, AIR CONDITIONER QUIT. DRIVERS SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF, STEERING PROBLEMS, BRAKE PROBLEMS, UNIVERSAL JOINTS WORN OUT, CRACKED FRONT ROTORS,ETC. *JB

NHTSA ID

10016198

Incident

Jan 5, 2002

Mileage

99,000 mi

THE VEHICLES FRONT SPINDLE BROKE WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10017153

Incident

Apr 12, 2003

Mileage

101,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES BALL JOINTS ARE CONSTANTLY FAILING. CONSUMER HAS HAD TO REPLACE THEM TWICE. A RECALL WAS INITIATED, BUT CONSUMER'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. RELATED RECALLS 01V200000 AND 01I018000. *AK RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF AS A RESULT OF THE FAULTY BALL JOINTS. THERE WAS SQUEAKING NOISE ON TURNS DUE TO IDLER ARM FAILURE. FRONT PADS WORN OUT AND ROTORS FAILED, BOTH WERE REPLACED. *YH

NHTSA ID

8019559

Incident

Sep 24, 2002

CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO MECHANIC, THAT'S WHY NO SPECIFIC VEHICLE. HAVE SEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF THESE GM TRUCKS, ALL LINES, BLAXER, TAHOE, K3500, ETC. WITH THE BELT TENSIONERS COMING APART. THE CENTER ROTS OUT AND THE SPRING JUST MAKES THE TENSIONER FALL SIDEWAYS. FOR A WHILE ITS NOT BAD, THE BELT IS STILL ON AND ONLY SLIPS WET. WHEN THEY COME OFF THERE IS SUDDENLY NO POWER STEERING, ALONG WITH OF COURSE NO ALTERNATOR. WE ARE CHANGING THESE AT PROBABLY ONE PER DAY, AND CHECK ALL OF THESE VEHICLES. I HAVE FOUND THAT ALL OF THEM WITH AT LEAST THIRTY THOUSAND MILES EITHER NEED A NEW TENSIONER OR HAVE ALREADY HAD THE TENSIONER REPLACED. THIS COVERS A FEW YEARS, FROM AT LEAST 1995 THROUGH 1999, AND IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM THAT ALL THE AFTERMARKET SUPPLIERS I HAVE SEEN (GATES, NAPA, CARQUEST) STOCK THESE PARTS. I CAN TELL YOU THE CARQUEST PART NUMBER, 89231, FROM MEMORY. AS A SIDE ISSUE, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER A SEPERATE FORM FOR MECHANICS TO FILL OUT, WITH QUESTIONS AIMED MORE THE INFORMATION WE CAN PROVIDE. AFTER ALL, WE ARE IN THE FRONT LINES, AND CAN PICK UP MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS MORE QUICKLY THAN INDIVIDUAL OWNERS PROBABLY CAN.*AK

NHTSA ID

760558

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A COLLISION.*AK CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES ALSO FAILED, AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND POWER STEERING FLUID WAS ALSO LEAKING.*SLC

NHTSA ID

8001056

Incident

Dec 21, 2001

STEERING BECAME HARD TO STEER EVEN THOUGH POWER STEERING. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER P/S PUMP WAS LEAKING AND LACK OF FLUID MADE STEERING DIFFICULT. I FEEL WITH THE LOW MILAGE OF 53,000 THIS SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MORE SEVERE PROBLEMS IF PUMP HAD COMPLETELY LEAKED EMPTY CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *AK

NHTSA ID

744171

Incident

Mar 1, 2001

NO MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, SIGNFICANT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH VERY MODERATE MILEAGE. MECHANICAL PROBLEMS INCLUDE STEERING LINKAGE, WATER PUMP, STARTER, HEAD GASKET.

NHTSA ID

741888

Incident

Feb 28, 2001

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

NHTSA ID

878802

Incident

Dec 23, 2000

CONSUMER TRIED TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION AND IDLER PULLEY/SERPENTINE BELTS WERE REPLACED. THEN, STEERING LOCKED UP, AND BRAKES FAILED, CONSUMER STATED THAT RECALL 98V193000 CONCERNING ABS BRAKES WAS NEVER DONE.*AK

NHTSA ID

875139

Incident

Dec 20, 1999

OPERATING TILT STEERING CAUSES WIRES IN HARNESS TO BEND OR CRIMP CAUSING WIRE TO BREAK AND THEREFORE LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS,ALSO SHORTS OUT OTHER CIRCUTS IN HARNESS.COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A FIRE.

NHTSA ID

720865

I'VE OWNED 25 VEHICLES, ITS TIME TO SWITCH TO A DODGE. NO SAFETY DEFECT (S) MENTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ID

716328

Incident

Dec 15, 1999

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING DUE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP GOING OUT. DEALER REPLACED STEERING PUMP. *AK

NHTSA ID

852288

1&2) LOWER LEFT BALL JOINT AND IDLER ARM HAVE BEEN REPLACED, LOWER RIGHT BALL JOINT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF WEAR AND WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 3) 4X4 ELECTRIC SHIFT JUST FAILED LAST WEEK. PRELIMINARY TROUBLESHOOTING INDICATES A #2 FAILURE CODE WHICH POINT TO EITHER THE ENCODER/SHIFT MOTOR ASSEMBLY OR THE TRANSFER CASE CONTROL MODULE (TCCM). 4) THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM. WHENEVER THE GAS GAUGE INDICATES 1/8 TANK OR LESS AND THE VEHICLE STANDS FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS IT IS DIFFICULT TO START. IT TAKES 4-5 TRIES AND REQUIRES THAT THE GAS PEDAL BE PRESSED ABOUT 1/2 TRAVEL IN ORDER TO START. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR WITH A NEARLY EMPTY GAS TANK, DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. YET, THE DAY BEFORE THE HARD STARTING PROBLEM OCCURED AT LEAST 6 TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ID

713539

Incident

Jun 15, 1999

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

706906

Incident

May 1, 1999

IDLE ARM FAILED AND REPLACED. *ET

NHTSA ID

784558

Incident

Mar 12, 1998

IN 15 MOS. THIS CAR HAS LEFT ME MORE THAN ALL OTHERS TOGETHER !!! HAVE LOST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN INCOME . MOST UNRELIABLE UNSAFE CAR I'VE EVER OWNED . I SEE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN MY FEILD OF WORK AND I TELL THEM ALL NOT TO GET A BLAZER !! IT CAN'T STAY ON THE ROAD AND THE CO. IS UNWILLING TO HELP . VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE PRODUCT AND HANDLING OF COMPLAINT. READ E-MAIL SENT TO GET THE JEST OF PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS HAD . IF MY DAUGHTER OR I DIE AS A RESULT OF THIS FAULTY CAR YOU CAN BE ASSURED YOU WILL BE SUED !!! I'VE TRYED TO LET SOMEONE KNOW SINCE 1-2 MOS. AFTER PURCHASE THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM . TO NO AVAIL CHEVY DOES'NT CARE !!!!!

NHTSA ID

702483

Incident

Nov 29, 1997

BALL JOINT FAILED. MJS

NHTSA ID

536681

Incident

Sep 6, 1997

OIL COOLING LINES RUB AGAINST OIL PAN.

NHTSA ID

531636

Incident

Feb 2, 1998

POWER STEERING FAILED.

NHTSA ID

527091

Incident

Nov 1, 1997

WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE FOR FOUR HOURS, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK

NHTSA ID

817649