1998 Chevrolet Blazer Visibility Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD BE ACTIVATED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ID

10809344

Incident

Apr 15, 2015

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE WIPERS WILL NOT WORK. THE WIPER MOTOR SEEMS TO HAVE AN ISSUE. IT GETS REAL HOT WHEN CONNECTED. AND I HAD JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 11/19/2015

NHTSA ID

10795308

Incident

Nov 19, 2015

Mileage

180,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED BY THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

NHTSA ID

10726147

Incident

Jun 11, 2015

Mileage

180,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW FAILED TO GO UP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

NHTSA ID

10636999

Incident

Aug 25, 2014

Mileage

145,000 mi

INTERMITTENT WINDSHIELD WIPER. FAULT DUE TO FAULTY CIRCUIT BOARD WHICH FIXED PROBLEM. GM WAS AWARE OF DEFECT BUT REFUSED TO GUARANTEE REPAIR ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL SINCE THEY ONLY COVERED UP TO YEAR PRIOR TO 1998. *TR

NHTSA ID

10277264

Incident

Jun 1, 2009

Mileage

130,000 mi

FIRST NOTICED EXCESSIVE ACTIVATION OF ABS UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON ICY PAVEMENT. NOW INTERMITTENT ACTIVATION OF ABS UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON DRY PAVEMENT & ON WET BUT NOT STANDING WATER PAVEMENT. FAULTY ABS ACTIVATION IS OCCURRING SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. HAVE NOT CORRECTED PROBLEM. INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS. OCCURS OCCASIONALLY. THEY WILL NOT WORK AT ALL & THEN WILL START WORKING AT SOME POINT LATER. HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10275258

Incident

Dec 1, 2006

Mileage

100,000 mi

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CONTINUALLY FAIL. SOMETIMES THEY STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CYCLE, OTHER TIMES THEY DO NOT TURN ON AT ALL. THIS HAS HAPPENED DOZENS OF TIMES, OFTEN WHEN I AM DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10265601

Incident

Apr 15, 2009

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING WITHOUT NOTICE. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 1998 IT ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES. THE WIPERS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 2003. WHEN WIPERS QUIT WORKING WE ARE UNABLE TO SEE THE ROADWAY AND THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE READ ABOUT OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS REPAIR DONE BECAUSE I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECT THAT CHEVROLET KNOWS ABOUT. IF THIS DEFECT SHOULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT I WILL ACQUIRE AN ATTORNEY AND FILE SUITE AGAINST CHEVROLET FOR FAILURE TO REPAIR SAID DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10262539

Incident

Aug 30, 2003

Mileage

25,000 mi

WIPERS DON'T WORK THEN WORK WON'T SHUT OFF FOR A LONG TIME, USUALLY SHUT OFF DURING A DOWNPOUR, CRUISE CONTROL QUIT WORKING, FLASHERS SOUND ERRATIC WON'T SHUT OFF UNLESS BRAKE IS PRESSED, PASSENGER SIDE SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLE BROKE OFF, I HAVE CUT MY LEG NUMEROUS TIMES AS WELL AS OTHERS. PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WON'T LOCK JUST PULLS OUT. DRIVERS SIDE SEAT RECLINE BROKE OFF ONLY USED THAT ABOUT 5 TIMES. NOW ONE OF THE REAR HATCH SHOCKS BROKE OFF THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE SHOCK IN PLACE CRACKED OFF, HATCH DOOR IS REALLY HEAVY. THE RIGHT FLASHER FLASHES REAL FAST EVEN THOUGH IT STILL WORKS. I WILL NEVER EVER BUY A CHEVY BLAZER AGAIN OR ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A PAIN IN MY BUTT FOR 10 YEARS. I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT!! IT'S BECOMING A HAZARD TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE WIPERS ACTING SPORADIC ALL THE TIME AND WITH WINTER COMING EARLY IT'S SCARY. I HOPE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS SOON. I BEEN READING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES PROBLEMS AND THEIR EXACTLY LIKE MINE. SOMEBODY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A MULTIFUNCTION BOARD TO REPAIR IT. YEAH THEIR 200.00 DOLLARS AND HAVE TO TAKE APART THE STEERING COLUMN. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY ONE PENNY FOR ALL MY REPAIRS THAT I NEED.. SHAME ON GM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10253704

Incident

Nov 20, 2007

Mileage

50,000 mi

WIPERS FAILED TO WORK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10245813

Incident

Sep 20, 2008

1998 CHEVY S-10 BLAZER WITH 97K MILES AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THIS WOULD UNFORTUNATELY OCCUR WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WASHER BUTTON WOULD BE PRESSED LEAVING THE WINDSHIELD COMPLETELY COVERED IN SOAPY SOLUTION AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. AFTER VISITING SEVERAL WEBSITES THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEM WAS ON THIS LINK HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVEHELPER.COM/TOPIC130258.HTM. THE CONTROL CIRCUIT CARD ATTACHED TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY HAD CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON 7 PINS OF THE HARNESS CONNECTOR. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SOLDER FATIGUE PROBLEM DUE TO VIBRATION AND TEMPERATURE CYCLING AND THE FACT THAT THE HARNESS CONNECTOR BODY IS LONG AND MADE OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL THAN THE CIRCUIT CARD LEAVING THE SOLDER JOINTS UNDER STRESS DUE TO MISMATCH OF THERMAL EXPANSION COEFFICIENTS. CONSEQUENTLY, AFTER TEN YEARS THE SOLDER JOINTS FINALLY GAVE UP. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE CIRCUIT CARD IS EASY TO REMOVE (3 TORQUE SCREWS) AND THE SOLDER JOINTS CAN BE SIMPLY REFLOWED WITH A SOLDERING IRON AND FRESH SOLDER. THE SOLDER JOINT CRACKS ARE EASY TO SEE USING A MAGNIFYING GLASS. THE WIPERS ARE NOW WORKING PROPERLY AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10245207

Incident

Jul 15, 2008

Mileage

97,000 mi

WIPERS WORK ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME AT BEST, TYPICALLY WHEN IT IS NOT RAINING. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. IT LOOKS LIKE COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR 98 BLAZER. I HAVE NOT YET FIXED THE PROBLEM. WHEN WILL THIS BE RECALLED? *TR

NHTSA ID

10244744

Incident

Jun 1, 2008

Mileage

98,000 mi

THERE ARE 2 RECALLS FOR WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT WORKING/INTERMITTENLY WORKING FOR 1996 BLAZER - MY 1998 BLAZER IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE BUT I CAN'T FIND ANY RECALLS WITH MY 1998. IT HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTEN PROBLEM FOR 2 YEARS AND NOW THEY JUST STOPPED. THE FUSE IS GOOD AND THERE IS A LOT DEALING WITH CIRCUIT BOARD SOLDER JOINTS FOR THE WIPERS.

NHTSA ID

10237794

Incident

Aug 7, 2008

Mileage

123,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM APPROXIMATELY 2-5 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO IMMEDIATELY STOP. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE SYSTEM, BUT THE FAILURE STILL REMAINED. IN ADDITION, THE WIPER BLADES WIRING MECHANISM DID NOT WORK EFFECTIVELY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE WIPERS WOULD NOT OPERATE. SHE HAD THE WIRING SPLICED AND WAS ABLE TO USE THE WIPERS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 7/3/08 *CN UPDATED 07/03/08

NHTSA ID

10226519

Incident

Feb 7, 2006

Mileage

160,000 mi

1998 CHEVY BLAZER WITH TIRE FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TIRES BLEW OUT AND WHEN HE WENT TO GET THEM REPLACED THE MECHANIC SAID THEY WERE DRY ROTTED. HE SAID THE BRAKES ENGAGED ON HIS WAY HOME. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED. AFTER THE TIRE REPLACEMENT, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKES BY ANOTHER DEALER. THE FIRST DEALER STATED EVERY THING CHECKED OUT AND THAT MAYBE THE MASTER CYLINDER THAT WAS REPLACED BY THE PREVIOUS DEALER MAY HAVE PARTIALLY FAILED. THE REAR SHOCKS WERE REPLACED, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY WAS LOOSE. THE DEALER GLUED IT BACK TOGETHER.

NHTSA ID

10212792

Incident

Dec 4, 2007

I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT MANY OTHER BLAZER OWNERS HAVE WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. AS THE OTHER COMPLAINTS EXPLAIN, THEY TURN OFF AFTER MINUTES OF USE, AND SOMETIMES WILL TURN RIGHT BACK ON, BUT USUALLY STAY OFF FOR A WHILE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10209936

Incident

Oct 27, 2006

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER UNTIL THE RAIN STOPPED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

NHTSA ID

10209512

Incident

Feb 1, 2006

Mileage

20,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V159000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER). THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 01/02/08. *4200 THE CONSUMER STATED HAS 2 CHEVROLET BLAZERS WITH THE SAME INTERMITTENT DEFECT. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

NHTSA ID

10204657

Incident

Apr 1, 2004

Mileage

70,000 mi

ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE VEHICLE IN LIGHT RAIN. WIPERS WOULD NOT TURN ON. ON A LATER OCCASION, FRIENDS WERE FOLLOWING BEHIND MY VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE (THIRD BRAKE LIGHT WAS WORKING). ALSO NOTICED THAT HAZARDS LAMPS WERE NOT WORKING EITHER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10200044

Incident

Aug 7, 2007

Mileage

130,900 mi

WINSHIELD WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. INTERMITTENT CONTROL IS INOPERABLE EXCEPT AT HIGHEST SETTING AND USUALLY SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY DURING HEAVY DOWN POURS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10199751

Incident

Aug 16, 2007

Mileage

140,000 mi

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT. AT TIMES THERE IS NO PROBLEM AT OTHER TIMES THE STOP IN MID CYCLE AND AT OTHER TIMES THE SPEED CONTROL WON'T ALLOW THEM TO SHUT OFF. THIS NORMALLY OCCURS DURING A DOWNPOUR. I HAVE LOOKED AT THE OTHER COMPLAINTS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY IT TAKES BEFORE NTSB DECIDES TO MAKE GM REPAIR AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10197823

Incident

Jul 7, 2007

Mileage

83,000 mi

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED/FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WAS NO DISCERNIBLE PATTERN, BUT IT WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY WIFE TRAVELED 120 MILES ROUND TRIP TO WORK AND HAD TO STOP MIDWAY YESTERDAY BECAUSE OF RAIN. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RANDOMLY DECIDED NOT TO WORK. A HALF-HOUR OF WAITING AND THEY WORKED FINE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10190378

Incident

May 9, 2007

Mileage

120,000 mi

FOR THE PAST YEAR OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE I'VE EXPERIENCED A SPORADIC FRONT WIPER MOTOR. JUST RECENTLY IT WENT OUT CAUSING ME TO SWERVE AND HIT A LOW BRANCH. THE BRANCH CAUSED THE WINDSCREEN TO CRACK BUT NOT SHATTER, AND THE DRIVERSIDE WIPER TO CEASE FUNCTIONING. *NM

NHTSA ID

10178678

Incident

Jan 7, 2007

1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER, WINDSHIELD WIPERS ACTS ERRATIC. RECENTLY HAVE NOT BEEN COMING ON WHEN TURNED ON. *NM

NHTSA ID

10169128

Incident

Sep 22, 2006

Mileage

85,000 mi

ISSUES ONE WOULD NOT EXPECT FROM A 20K PLUS VEHICLE INCLUDING WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE FAILURE TODAY ("NEAR MISS" ACCIDENT FROM HEAVY RAIN AND TRAFFIC), SMOKE EMITTING FROM STEERING COLUMN, CONTINUOUS INTERMITTENT REPETITIVE SOUNDS EMITTING FROM TURN SIGNAL CONTROLLER(S). SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS HAVE ALL PREVIOUSLY BEEN DESCRIBED IN GREAT DETAIL BY OTHER OWNERS AS: AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ISSUE, WIPER CONTROL BOARD, VARIOUS CONNECTORS AND OR HARNESS, MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, SMOKE CONCERNS ETC. LISTED FROM COMPLAINTS FROM ODI CASE NUMBERS: 743685, 10014026, 10023129, 10030946, 10036610, 10045357, 10060630, 10066061, 10086138, 10086896, 10098912, 10103977, 10112458, 10137415, 549079, 847885, 866953, 874993. *JB

NHTSA ID

10166638

Incident

Aug 27, 2006

Mileage

120,829 mi