1997 Chevrolet Blazer Powertrain (other) Problems

97 BLAZER WITH ORIGINAL LOW MILES HAD ENGINE STOP BOTH ON AND OFF THE HIGHWAY SEVERAL TIMES BUT IT WOULD START BACK UP. IN JAN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND RPMS WENT UP. WE PULLED OFF AND FOUND THE TRANSMISSION WAS STUCK IN 3'RD GEAR. ALSO KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE TO REMOVE. ERRORS CAME UP P1860 P0785 AND P740 THAT REFER TO TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT TRANSMISSION BUT IGNITION SWITCH CONTACT BLOCK COMMONLY CALLED THE IGNITION SWITCH, IT IS THE CONTACT SECTION AND NOT THE KEY OR LOCK CYLINDER. THIS IGNITION SWITCH HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE. GM HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN #17006264 ON THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM ACROSS MANY YEARS AND MODELS BUT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED. AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM CAN CAUSE ENGINE TO DIE, LIGHTS TO GO OUT AND OTHER PROBLEMS BUT THE CONTACT FOR THE TRANSMISSION POWER SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE POINT. I REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND EVERYTHING WORKED FINE FOR ONE MONTH AND THEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED WITH ERRORS P1860 P0758 P0753 P0740 AND P0785. I TESTED THE IGNITION SWITCH POWER FROM RED/WHITE TO WHITE WIRE AND GOT NO POWER WHEN SWITCH WAS ON SO THE NEW SWITCH FAILED. I TESTED BY TEMPORARY JUMPING A FUSED LINE TO FUSE 24 OUTPUT AND THEN TRANSMISSION WORKED FINE AND THE KEY RELEASED. I AGAIN REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH CONTACT BLOCK UNDER WARRANTY AND NEW SWITCH WORKED FINE EXCEPT THE ERRORS CAME BACK ON P0740, P0785 AND P1860. TRANSMISSION WORKED OK THOUGH SO I TOOK THE BLAZER TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP TO CHECK IT. THEY RESET CODE ERRORS , CHECKED WIRING, CONNECTIONS AND SWITCH. THE TECHNICIAN SAID MY WORK WAS CORRECT AND EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT FINE AND HE WAS NOT SURE WHY CODES CAME BACK. NOW OK. I EXAMINED THE ORIGINAL SWITCH AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH CONTACTS OR WIRES EVIDENT. THIS COULD BE A SWITCH DESIGN ISSUE OR THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE CAUSING THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10702398

Incident

Jan 10, 2015

Mileage

25,100 mi

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE WIPER MOTOR FAILED AND WAS RECALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE. THE RADIO WOULD GO OFF AND ON, THE OVERHEAD DISPLAY AND MAP LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF AND ON, THE CD PLAYER NO LONGER WORKED, THE REAR WINDOW LATCH FAILED, THE MIRRORS WOULD ONLY MOVE TO THE LEFT AND THERE WAS RUST IN THE TRANSMISSION. *LA *NM

NHTSA ID

10059442

Incident

Nov 24, 2003

Mileage

96,194 mi

THE 1997 AND 1998 BLAZER HAS AN INHERENT DEFECT IN THE VALVE BODY IN TRANSMISSION. CODE 1870 FOUND AFTER VEHICLE IS WARM THE TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO SECOND GEAR CAUSING THE REAR WHEELS TO LOOSE TRACTION. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION MOST LIKELY NEEDS A VALVE BODY. THE CHEVROLET DEALER AND A VERY REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT THE 1997 AND 1998 BLAZERS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THIS INHERENT DEFECT, AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE VALVE BODY WITH A LARGER ONE WHICH FIXES THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL PROBABLY BECAUSE NO ONE HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10069744

Incident

Nov 15, 2002

CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER COULD NEVER CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH THE POWER WINDOWS, AND ALSO THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEAL LEAKED AND WAS REPLACED.*YH

NHTSA ID

8009778

Incident

May 10, 2002

DRIVER CANNOT TELL WHETHER VEHICLE IS IN OR OUT OF 4 WHEEL DRIVE. TOLD BY CHEVROLET SERVICE PERSONNEL THAT DIFFERENTIAL AND FRONT AXLES WERE IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE BUT FRONT WHEELS WERE NOT. 4 WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM USED VERY LITTLE, AND VEHICLE HAS ONLY 60K MILES. MECHANIC MADE COMENTS THAT INDICATE FREQUENT FAILURE OF COMPONENTS IN THIS SYSTEM. CAN CAUSE BRAKE NON FUNCTION ON SLIPPERY SURFACES WITH NO OTHER INDICATION OF A PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

757939

Incident

Jan 15, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

753263

Incident

Oct 5, 2001

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT APPROX. 5MPH THE FRONT AXLE AND UPPER BALL JOINT SNAPPED, CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ABS SENSOR, SLICED THE RIM AMONG OTHER THINGS. TIRES WERE WEARING IN A ODD POSITION DOWN TO THE BELTS, OBVIOUSLY DUE TO PROBLEMS IN THE FRONT END. DEALERSHIP IS REPAIRING NOW. ALL UNDER WARRANTY, EXCEPT THE RIM SINCE IT IS A NONMECHANICAL PART EVEN THOUGH MECHANICAL DEFECTS CAUSED THE DAMAGE. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING SPACE AND NOT 50FT. SOONER ON THE 4 LANE HIGHWAY I WAS ON WITH MY 8 YR OLD DAUGHTER. THE WHEEL WAS HALF ON LEANING INTO THE TRUCK. HAD IT HAPPENED SOONER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING NUMEROUS PEOPLE. THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER IS INTERMITTENT AND ONLY WORKS WHEN IT WANTS, CAUSING DISTRACTIONS IN VISION WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES THE WIPER WILL NOT GO DOWN FOR UP TO 30MIN.THAT IS ALSO BEING REPAIRED NOW. CONTACTED GM AND THEY CLAIM THERE HAVE BEEN NO PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS MATTER WITH THE AXLE OR BALL JOINTS BREAKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

746795

Incident

Jun 11, 2001

THE DIFFERENTIAL CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MPH., NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS MALFUNCTION WITH THE VEHICLE, THE DEALERSHIP HAS NO EXPLAINATION FOR THE INCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

713900

Incident

Oct 9, 1999

TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM 2-WHEEL DRIVE INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE. TOOK TO CAR DEALER AT 31K+ MILES. TOLD DIP STICK RUSTED. TRANSMISSION SLIPPED ON 3 OCCASIONS PREVIOUSLY FROM 2 WHEEL TO 4 WHEEL DRIVE AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 45 -55 MPH. AT DEALER NOW WITH JUST OVER 52K MILES AND TOLD TRANSMISSION WILL PROBABLY BE REPLACED, ESTIMATED COST $1800. BELIEVE THIS OCCURS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN REPORTED AND UNSUSPECTING OWNER ARE SHELLING OUT EXCESSIVE MONEY FOR FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS.

NHTSA ID

711088

Incident

Aug 29, 1999

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE AND THE FLUID LEVEL IS FINE. THE BRAKE PEDAL ALWAYS FEELS SPONGY AND ITS HARD TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE OTHER COMPLAINT DEALS WITH THE REAR END. AFTER THE CAR HAS BE EN DRIVEN FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES THE REAR END WILL VIBRATE AND MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE CAR TAKES OFF FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE CAR AND IT HAD 17000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT.

NHTSA ID

708382

Incident

Mar 26, 1999