Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 94 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 94, in the owner's own words
FOR THREE YEARS IN THE SUMMERS I COULD NOT DRIVE FAR WITHOUT SMOKE TRICKLING UP BY THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD. NEVER HAPPENED IN THE WINTER. TOOK IT TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND TRANSMISSION SHOPS, NO ONE COULD FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS YEAR IT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND I HAD TO JUNK THE VEHICLE. MY NEIGHBORS 2000 BLAZER IS DOING THE SAME THING NOW. *TR
I HAVE OCCURYING MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH MY 1997 CHEVY BLAZER WHICH INCLUDE THE BACK SEAT SEAT BELTS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY,SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM AND BUSHINGS, CORROSION OF INTAKE GASKETS DUE TO DEXCOOL REQUIRED COOLANT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. AFTER WAITING 5-10 MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED WHILE MAKING A TURN, DRIVING DOWNHILL AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, AND ANOTHER TIME WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. AFTER THE MOST RECENT FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY. THE MECAHNIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO WAIT UNTIL IT OCCURS AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR ALMOST A MONTH AND THE FAILURE HAS NOT RECURRED. THE FAILURES WERE INTERMITTENT AND NO WARNING INDICATORS WERE PRESENT. ONCE THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE KEY COULD NOT BE TURNED OR REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION AND EVERYTHING FAILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,000. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ UPDATED *JB
OWNING THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE AND A FINANCIAL DRAIN. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED WHEN THEY CHOSE, REPLACED WIPER MOTOR DUE TO DEFECTIVE PART. UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. A/C STOPPED WORKING, HAD IT LOOKED AT AND RECHARGED AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. FUEL GAGE DIDN'T WORK, REPLACED FUEL SENSOR AND SENDING UNIT. REAR WIPER QUIT WORKING, REPLACED REAR WIPER MOTOR, A FEW DAYS LATER IT DOES NOT WORK AGAIN. REPLACED WATER PUMP, HAVE REPLACED ABS ONLY TO GET A RECALL AFTER THE FACT WITH NO REIMBURSEMENT. WEARS THROUGH BRAKE PADS ENTIRELY TOO FAST. REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY TWICE. REAR HATCH DOES NOT UNLOCK WITH KEY. HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM THEY MIGHT AS WELL NOT EXIST. WATER LEAKS INTO INTERIOR ON DRIVERS SIDE DUE TO A BAD SEAL. IDLER ARM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. GAS PEDAL STICKS. NOW HEATER FAN WORKS SOMETIMES. READING THROUGH THE COMPLAINTS WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. RECALLS ISSUED ON SOME VEHICLES BUT NOT ALL? NOW I HEAR GM PUT A BAD INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON THESE AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER CARS (1997) AND DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL BECAUSE IT IS NOT A SAFETY MATTER! THIS CAUSES ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE AND ULTIMATELY ENDS IN A REPAIR OF AT LEAST 1500.00. AFTER MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE I WILL BE PURCHASING SOON AND IT MOST LIKELY WILL NOT BE GM. SAD SINCE MY DAD WORKED FOR THEM FOR 30 YEARS. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR PUTTING A BAD PRODUCT ON THE MARKET AND LEAVING US TO DRY. *NM
DRIVING SOUTH ON I-5. HEARD LOUD RATTLING NOISE WHICH BECAME LOUD BANGING NOISE, FOLLOWED BY BOOM AND WHITE SMOKE POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CAR SPUN AROUND SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE I COULD GAIN CONTROL. ENGINE BLEW. THIS CAR HAS COST ME $4490 IN REPAIRS FROM 1/1/04 TO 9/26/05. CAR WELL MAINTAINED - I HAVE ALL RECEIPTS FOR WORK. AAA AUTO SVCS TEAM CONDUCTING INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AS TO CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. *NM UPDATED 12/12/05. *JB
BALL JOINT UPPER CONTROL ARM BROKE AS I WAS DRIVING TODAY. SINCE I PURCHASED THIS 1997 BLAZER I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS-THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL,THE WATER PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP HAS ALSO BEEN REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. I JUST FOUND OUT THAT MOST OF THESE PROBLEM HAVE BEEN RECALLED I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE USED AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP,WHOM BY THE WAY DID NOT TELL ME OF ANY OF THESE RECALLS. I HAVE HAD VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. *JB
CHEVROLET BLAZER 4X4 1997, CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED WHILE DRIVING. *BF *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THIS CAUSED A LOST OF STEERING AND BRAKES. AN INDEPENDENT SHOP AND DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK *SC *JB
I HAVE HAD COOLANT LEAKAGE IN MY 1997 CHEVEROLET BLAZER AND HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT DEALERS TO NO AVAIL NO ONE RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE A SYSTEMS CHECK NOW I FIND OUT THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN THAT I STUMBLED UPON AT JASPER ENGINES THAT SHOWS THAT THE 1992 THROUGH 1997 GM 4.3L VIN R&W ENGINES HAVE THE PROBLEM THAT COOLANT LOSS HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CRACKS THAT MAY DEVELOP IN THE LIFTER VALLEY AREA OF THE BLOCK. UNTIL I CAME UPON THIS NOBODY COULD GIVE ME A ANSWER IS THERE ANY THING THAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP ME RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. *JB
IN NOVEMBER I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE CHEVY DEALER AND HAD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED. A MONTH LATER MY ENGINE (4.3L V6) WAS DEAD, AS A RESULT OF DEXI-COOL IN THE BLOCK. MY CHEVY DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. WANTED $5000 FOR A NEW ENGINE. I DONATED THE CAR TO CHARITY.
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND STALLED, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO INDEPENDENT SHOP, TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT COOLANT TURNED INTO ACID AND DAMAGED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD/WATER PUMP/ THERMOSTAT, AND RADIATOR. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
97 BLAZER COOLING SYSTEM FAILURE. FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT THE CAR THE COOLING SYSTEM HAD TROUBLE. THE RADIATOR HAD A LEAK ( 34391 MILES), THE COOLING SYSTEM CLOGGED UP AND THE HEATER CORE LEAKED FROM DEX-COOL GELLING UP ( 65265 MILES ), AGAIN HEATER CORE LEAKING FROM BAD DEX-COOL ( 104044 MILES ), HEATER CORE LEAKING (114387 MILES). EACH TIME THE HEATER CORE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO BE ACID FLUSHED BY THE DEALER BECAUSE THE DEX-COOL GELLED UP. ALL THESE REPAIRS WHERE DONE BY GM DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT TELL ME WHY THE DEX-COOL WAS GELLING UP OR THE HEATER CORE KEPT LEAKING. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GMC (COMPLAINT # 1-152407734) GMC COULD NOT HELP ME. I FOUND OUT FROM A RADIATOR REPAIR SHOP THAT THEY HAVE HAD MANY GM COOLING SYSTEM FAILURES DU TO THE DEX-COOL CAUSING ELECTROLYSIS. THIS IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM AND GM AND THE DEALER WILL NOT ADDRESS IT. THE RADIATOR SHOP SAID THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO FLUSH OUT THE COOLING SYSTEM FOR 36 HOURS THE REFILL IT WITH ANTIFREEZE, NOT DEX-COOL. ALSO ADD AN ANTI-ELECTROLYSIS SOLUTION TO IT AND A RADIATOR CAP WITH AN ANODE ROD ON IT. THEY HAVE HAD VERY GOOD RESULTS WITH THIS REPAIR. THERE MANY COMPLAINTS ON YOUR SITE ABOUT THIS AND ALSO MANY ON OTHER AUTO REPAIR WEB SITES. ALL I WANT IS TO BE REFUNDED THE MONEY I SPENT ON REPAIRS FROM DAY ONE AND HAVE GM PAY FOR THE RADIATOR SHOP TO DO THE FLUSHING AND REPAIRS. *LA
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ENGINE REVVED VERY HIGH. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SHOULDER, AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. A REBUILT ENGINE WAS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE, BUT NOT BY THE DEALER.*AK
UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDS REPLACED. UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED WITH THE 2001 RECALL FROM GM. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 31,000 MILES
VEHICLE WILL NOT START OR QUITS RUNNING WHILE ON ROADWAY OR IN TRAFFIC. *NLM
FOR ABOUT A WEEK VEHICLE HAS STALLED FOUR TIMES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. *AK
I PURCHASE MY 97 BLAZER IN DEC 2000 WITH 35000 MILES FROM A LOCAL DEALER, I BELIEVE IT WAS A PREVIOUS LEASE VEHICLE. WITHIN ONE YEAR I HAD TO REPLACE BALL JOINTS BUT WAS TOLD THAT I DID NOT QUALIFY FOR A RECALL. IN FEB OF 2003 I LOST MY HEAT AND SPENT CLOSE TO 2000 DOLLARS REPLACING FIRST THE WATER PUMP, THEN THE RADIATOR. AFTER THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED WITH A SPECIAL MACHINE THAT WOULD COST ANOTHER 400 DOLLARS. THE SYSTEM HAD TO BE FLUSHED TWICE TO GET MARGINAL HEAT. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE NEXT MOVE IS TO REPLACE THE HEATER CORE. NOW THE WIPERS STOP WORKING AND ONLY RESTART BY FLIPPING THE SWITCH BACK AND FORTH. NOT REAL GOOD ON THE HIGHWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I RECENTLY HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED AND THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS OLD AND CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT ACTUALLY HAD LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON IT AS THEY REPLACED IT IN FEBRUARY WHEN THE WATER PUMP WAS DONE, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE COMBINATION OF LOUSY SERVICE FROM 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, A VEHICLE THAT HAS HAD NOTHING BUT ONGOING PROBLEMS WILL BE ENOUGH TO STOP ME FROM BUYING ANOTHER GM PRODUCT AGAIN. *NLM
INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE ON A 1997 CHEVY BLAZER LT. LEAKING LARGE AMOUNT OF COOLANT, WATER PUMP FAILURE LEAKING LARGE AMOUNT OF COOLANT. *JB
HEATER IN TRUCK FAILED, NO HEAT TO DEFROST WINDOWS. COOLANT GAUGE SPIKING WITH SLUDGE IN RADIATOR AND OVERFLOW BOTTLE. AFTER TRUCK HAS BEEN RUN, STRONG SMELL OF COOLANT IS APPARENT. *JB
ENGINE FAILURES RELATED TO COOLANT GEL UP WITH DEX-COOL. COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED TWICE. INTAKE GASKET LEAKED COOLANT INTO ENGINE AND DAMAGED INTERNAL BEARINGS. NEW ENGINE NEEDED. WATER PUMP FAILED AFTER THAT. *JB
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING RADIATOR CONTAMINATION WHICH LEAKED IN THE FRONT SEAT. *NLM
THE TRANSMISSION IN MY VEHICLE HAS A DEFECTIVE VALVE BODY AND IT CAUSED MY TRANSMISSION TO BREAK, I WENT TO THE DEALER WHEN I FIRST HAD THE PROBLEM OF A HARD SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN LONG DISTANCES. THE DEALER SAID THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING FINE AND TO BRING IT BACK WHEN IT DOES IT AGAIN. THIS WAS BACK ON 08/19/02 AND NOW I HAVE A CODE 1870 ON THE COMPUTER AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. I FOUND OUT THE TRANSMISSION IS A 4L60E AND IT IS VERY UNRELIABLE. ALSO I ALREADY HAD TO CHANGE MY WATER PUMP AND ALTERNATOR AND MY GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK AND THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALSO. *JB
NAR 02/10/2003. THE CONSUMER HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED, THE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED, THE TURN SIGNALS WENT OUT, 2 BATTERIES FAILED WITHIN A YEAR, THE ALTERNATOR AND BELT FAILED, THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND A/C COMPRESSOR FAILED. *JB
GM WON'T REIMBURSE BALL JOINTS DUE TO REPLACEMENT NOT BY GM DEALER. DT
THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTANTLY. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE BY THE DEALER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE GUIDE HOUSING AIR CLEANER BROKE OFF AND LODGED BEHIND THE ACCELERATOR. NLM
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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