Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 29 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 29, in the owner's own words
1998 CHEVY BLAZER WITH MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS, WHICH CHEVY DENIES. INCLUDING WIPER FAILURE, BRAKE FAILURE, COMPLETE CORROSION OF ANYTHING TOUCHED BY DEXCOOL, AND ON AND ON. VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE!!!!! *NM
SUSPENSION - RIDES ROUGH: REPLACED SHOCKS ELECTRICAL - INTERIOR/EXTERIOR PROBLEMS WITH THE HORN, HEADLIGHTS, DIRECTIONAL, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND CAUTION LIGHTS. REPLACED: ELECTRICAL UNIT INSIDE STEERING COLUMN AND OXGEN SENSOR. STEERING - REPLACED: WHEELS, TIRES, ROTORS, BALL JOINTS, AND SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO BALANCE TIRES AND FRONT END ALIGNMENTS WITH NO REAL DIFFERENCE. IDLES - ROUGH. *JB
VEHICLE NOT STEERING PROPERLY AND IDLER ARM WAS REPLACED AT ABOUT 65,000 MI. *NM
MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD TO MAKE MAJOR REPAIRS TO OUR 1998 BLAZER. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP ($294.55) IN OCTOBER 2002. THEN, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND GOT WORSE. WE TOOK IT TO AAMCO, WHERE WE WERE INFORMED THAT IT HAD TO BE REBUILT. THIS WAS IN JULY OF 2002. THE TOTAL COST WAS ($2077.37). I INQUIRED THAT SAME MONTH AT CHEVROLET ABOUT RECALLS, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE NONE. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THE LAME SUV, INCLUDING BROKEN RECLINER HANDLES, STEERING THAT PULLS AND GRINDS, AND A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (CLICKING SOUNDS FROM UNDER THE GLOVE BOX, THREE BATTERIES REPLACED). I SAW A REPORT LAST WEEK ABOUT THE USE OF DEXCOOL AND ITS POSSIBLE LINK TO PROBLEMS IN GM VEHICLES. ARE THERE ANY REMEDIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME? *AK
THE TURN SIGNAL ON MY1998 CHEVY BLAZER WON'T STOP CLICKING. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED THE COMBINATION FLASHER/SIGNAL PART THAT'S BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX WITH NO RESULT. TODAY I SAW WISPS OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING CONSOLE. I CHECKED THE FUSES AND THEY ARE FINE. I'M AFRAID MY CAR IS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE!*AK
I RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS AND IDLER ARM ON MY 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. I WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IF THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COMPONENTS BECOMING DEFECTIVE, THEN WHY DON'T THEY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS THE THIRD SET OF BALLJOINTS THAT HAVE NEEDED TO BE INSTALEDL ON THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST SET ALONG WITH THE PITMAN ARM WENT DEFECTIVE AT 29,000 MILES AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THEM UNDER THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY.
UNABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN ALIGNMENT, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WORK HAS BEEN SONE ON IT. SIGNAL ALSO CONTINUES TO MAKE SOUND EVEN WHEN THE BLINKER IS NOT ON.
WITHOUT ANY WARNING DRIVER COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHO FOUND THAT THE RACK AND PINION HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
LOUD SOUND DURING ACCELERATION (CATALYTIC CONVERTER SHOT AGAIN NOT REPLACED, CONTACTING GM, NO ASSISTANCE), OIL LEAK ON FRONT OF ENGINE (POWER STEERING PULLY SHAFT SEAL), NOISY AC COMPRESSOR(REPLACE), FLUID LEAK ON FRONT OF REAR DIFFERENTIAL (REPLACE YOKE AND SEAL [2ND SEAL]), REAR DIFFERENTIAL CLUNKS ON ACCELERATION (CHANGE CASE AND SHAFT BEARING), DASH GRILL CRACKED, IDELER ARM REPLACED AGAIN. *LA
DRIVER'S SEAT RECLINER LEVER BROKE , EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING (STEERING GEAR SHOT). *LA
RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT COLLAPSED AT HIGHWAY SPEED, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING/TIRE DAMAGE, AND NEAR COLLISION.*AK
STEERING PULLS SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT. UNSUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING AN ALIGNMENT TO PRECLUDE THE SITUATION. *NLM
THE VEHICLE PULLED REALLY HARD TO THE RIGHT. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE TIRES AND HAD A FRONT END ALIGNMENT BUT IT ALREADY SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING BACK. *JB
I HAD THE SAME STEERING GEAR FAILURE REFERENCED IN THE GM RECALL FROM 11/14/02. EXCEPT THIS RECALL DOES NOT COVER MY VEHICLE. PLEASE CONSIDER INVESTIGATING BLAZERS AS WELL! DT
LOWER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT AT 800 MILES ON VEHICLE. THIS WAS NOTICED WHEN CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE INTO REPAIR SHOP. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK DEALER ALSO FOUND IDLER ARM LOOSE. DEALER ADJUSTED CAMBER AND CASTER ON BOTH SIDES AND SET TOE. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED BUT WILL NOT OPEN A RECALL UNLESS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS GIVEN COMPLAINT NUMBER SI-4462134. *TT
POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. CONSUMER REPAIRED VEHICLE. *AKCONSUMER FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS WORN AND HAD A HOLE IN IT CAUSING IT TO LEAK. PHOTOS ATTACHED. *TT
I HAVE HAD SEVERE PROBLEMS WITH THE SUSPENSION ON MY TRUCK. I HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN IT O PINKERTON CHEVROLET AND WANTED THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM . AT THIS TIME I DID NOT KNOW OF ANY RECALL ON THE 1996 AND 1997 MODELS. I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. BUT THE GUY AT THE PLACE INFORMED ME THERE MAY BE A RECALL, BUT HE WANTED TO LOOK AT IT AND CALL ME BACK. WELL A FEW HRS LATER HE CALLED ME AND SAID THAT IT WAS NOT MY BALL JOINTS IT WAS THE IDLER ARM SO I HAD IT REPLACED AND THOUGHT I WAS DONE. WELL 3 DAYS LATER MY TRUCK IS WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE .SO I HAVE SINCE CALLED THE DEALER AND I AM GOING TO TAKE IT TODAY TO SEE IF WE CAN COME TO TERMS ON THIS. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 96 AND 97 MODELS, IS MY TRUCK AFFECTED? WHY DID THE MECHANIC TELL ME HE CHECKED BALL JOINTS WHEN HE DIDN'T . HE SENT ME ON THE ROAD UNSAFE WITH MY CHILD. AND PROBABLY FIXED SOMETHING NOT BROKEN. WAS I SCAMMED? IS THE A WAY TO ABSORB THE COST OF A RECALL AT THE PUBLICS EXPENSE? NOT GOOD BUSINESS. WERE LEFT OVER PARTS USED ON 98 VEHICLES? IS THIS CONSIDERED WHEN A RECALL IS DETERMINED NECESSARY? ARE THE PARTS STAMPED TO DETERMINE MANF. DATE ON PARTS? *AK
WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 MPH POWER ASSISTED STEERING WAS LOST AND THE DRIVER HAD A DIFFICULT TIME MAINTAINING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. UPON EXAMINATION, BELT TENSIONER BAR BROKE WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. *AK *JB
WHENEVER TURNING A SHARP CORNER OR PARALLEL PARKING STEERING WHEEL POPS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFOMATION.*AK
IF IDLER ARM FAILS, IT'S THROWN INTO FAN BELT AND RADIATOR, DISEMBOWELING POWER SYSTEM. *AK
STEERING COLUMN UPPER SHAFT FRACTURED. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.*AK
DEALER HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL, HOWEVER SECOND SET OF LOWER BALL JOINTS ONLY LASTED 11,000 TO 12,000 MILES. WHEN GETTING THE VEHICLE ALIGNED I WAS TOLD THE PITMAN ARM AN IDLER ARM ARE WORN EXCESSIVELY. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE HIGH RATE OF WEAR ON THESE STEERING COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE IS NOT "OFF ROADED". IT IS USED AS A COMMUTER VEHICLE BY MY WIFE. THE VEHICLE HAS THE ORIGINAL TIRES AND THE SUSPENSION HAS NOT BEEN ALTERED. AT THIS POINT MY DEALER HAS NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO INSPECT THE LATEST PROBLEM DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS I HAVE HAD, NOT THE DEALERS FAULT. I HAVE RECENTLY NOTIFIED CHEVROLET OF MY CONCERN, BUT HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THEM. IS THIS A COMMON PROBLEM? I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN.
LEFT FRONT ELECTRIC WINDOW MOTOR FAILED AND THE REGULATOR FAILED. *SLC
RING AND PINION GEAR AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL WERE REPLACED TWICE. ALSO STEERING IDLER ARM AND THE SPEED SENSOR HAV E BEEN REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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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