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 2020 Chevrolet Blazer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 40 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 40, in the owner's own words
I was driving and steering reduced drive with caution notification and brake assist notification came on and then engine light and the temp gage went to cold and stayed there. My steering stiffened up making it hard to steer. This is a known problem with the Chevy blazers and it had to do with the thermostat needing replaced.
Engine temp gauge stops working causing the air to stop working and the cooling fan to rev to highest rpm. Also a warning that the steering assist is reduced. Eng check light comes on with a code P0208. This a known problem with an extended service # (N242484760) but only if your vin is listed. All vehicles with this problem should be covered. This seem to be a common problem, as my co-worker is having the same issue. This should be a recall as the steering is affected.
The temperature gauge does not work, it stays at cold. The heater does not work unless the car is moving. AC does not blow cold air at all. I get a message that says “steering assist is reduced. Drive with care”. There are a lot of people online with the same complaints on these vehicles
P0128CODE P0024 CODE SECOND Cam Shaft sensor failure Thermostat failure, stuck open Electrical issues from low battery power Failure to shift to park when shutting off vehicle
P0128 code produced when scanned. Cooling fans on high. No ac. Steering Assist Warning. Had to replace the thermostat. ECM also replaced and caused the tire pressure sensors to fail and had to replace the tire sensors. There is a recall on models 2021 to 2025 but none on the 2020 for the thermostat. I have paid $3500.00 to have my vehicle fixed.
I am contacting you regarding my 2020 Chevy Blazer with approx $55,580 Miles. the vehicle is experiencing multiple issues consistent with the know thermostat problem reported on many 2020 Blazer, including the P0128 code, cooling fans running at high speed and "steering Assist Reduced" warnings. The Steering wheel has now become hard to turn while driving, creating a serious safety concern for me and my family, I m [XXX] old and yesterday in mother's day) while I was driving on the expressway with my grandchildren in the vehicle, the steering suddenly became very had to turn and I was almost involved in an accident, This situation was extremely alarming and poses a significant safety risk. PLEASE review many complains from owners who have experienced the same dangerous issue involving the "steering assist Reduce- Drive with Care", warning, sudden stiff steering thermostat malfunction, loss of A/C, and overheating symptoms. I urge Chevrolet and the appropriate safety authorities to investigate this issue and take immediate corrective action to avoid loss of human life. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering assist reduced drive with care display, air conditioning turned off, stop and start disabled, temperature monitor at cold, fan blows hard Why my 2020 model was not covered under the special coverage N252508350 NHTSA ID# 11024390
A/C quit working, "Caution Power steering assist ....working, temperature gauge reading zero ( far left side of gauge. PF62F Code set. Repair shop says very common. $800 To repair due to removal of plenum and other component including water temp sensor and thermostat while your there. $100+. 63k miles on vehicle.
2020 Chevy Blazer RS 3.6L V6: having intermittent issues with ‘check engine’ light activating and giving code P0128 - indicating “Coolant Thermostat (Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature)”. Symptoms include: - Temp gauge drops to reading “C” (cold), - AC blows warm/hot air, - Dash displays message, “Steering Assist is Reduced, Drive with Care”, - Radiator (electric) fans run full speed. It seems that the computer is interpreting the engine coolant temperature sensor drop as a ‘stuck open’ thermostat, thus the indicated code. However, at the same time it also appears to assume a bad coolant temp sensor, and failsafes to disable the AC and set the radiator fans to max to avoid potential overheating. The problem with this is that this can occur after driving for some period that the engine is suitably warm, then I can pull off the road, disconnect the battery for a few minutes, and everything goes back to normal operation. A broken thermostat would not behave this way. * This happened in Mar 2025 - after disconnecting the battery about 5-6 times over about a 1wk period the code cleared and we were able to pass inspection. The issue did not reoccur until about the same time this year. It has been recurring periodically since. * After reading numerous postings on this issue, with numerous different vehicles that have this engine and computer, I have no faith that the dealership will provide a solution other than charging me to replace the thermostat, and ending up with the same problem a few weeks later.
| Issues first appeared recorded on 3/9/2026, while odometer read 49,663 miles. Check engine light was caused by error codes P0128 and P01F0. This causes the following issues: * Check engine light to appear on the dashboard. * Engine temperature gauges to be unreliable at times or completely non functional at others, as it will constantly read the engine temperature "Cold". * Air conditioning unit to become unreliable at times or completely non functional at others, and only blow hot air. * Radiator fan will be stuck running at max speed despite current engine temperature. * A "Reduced Steering Assist" message will periodically appear on the dashboard. * A "Service ESC" message will periodically appear on the dashboard. * Remote start will becomes non functional. | Car was taken to a license Chevrolet dealership and had full thermostat housing and thermostat sensors replaced. Dealership confirmed all replaced parts are working correctly and as intended. After picking up the vehicle from the dealership, and driving car for roughly 30 miles, the check engine light appeared on the dashboard again causing all previous issues to return. | Several other Chevy Blazer 2020 owners have complained of the same issue online, and in forums such as: [XXX] . | INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine showing PO128 code. Steering Assist System reduced power. Engine fan constantly running. Engine temp on dash is stuck on the "C" mark, doesn't move. Thermostat and temp sensor replaced, issue continues. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON GM VEHICLES WITH THE 3.6L AROUND THE 60,000 MILE MARK. GM NEEDS TO GET IT FIGURED OUT.
The driver information center suddenly indicated steering assist disabled, temperature gauge drops to below cold, air conditioning blows warm air. This issue has happened several times and is able to be reset by disconnecting/reconnecting the battery or using a scan tool. Temperature sensor is not the cause in my opinion, and I have read that the harness for the temperature sensor also includes the coil wires, which can lead to electrical/rf interference, triggering this issue. I have read about many owners having this same issue, even after temperature sensor and thermostat replacement, at low mileages. This should be recalled and handled by GM, whatever the cause.
Action required steering assist reduced and coolant temperature at 0. Air con blowing hot and check engine light on. The vehicle became hard to handle and keep in my lane on the interstate at high speeds. The problem has persisted. It has not been recitfied. I am not driving the car to avoid damage and danger. I bought the blazer on 1/6/26. The lights and issues began 8 days later. Dealership will not help me. 2020 Blazer RS AWD bought from Morgan city Toyota Louisiana
1) Part that failed per General Motors Chevrolet dealer was the Thermostat along with Coolant Sensor. 2) I was getting warning notices on dash board screen stating (Reduced steering assist) I was also getting a ESC warning 3) Problem has been repaired at GM dealer 4) Parts were replaced by GM dealer/service center 5) ESC warning light that came on for a short time after motor stopped for auto stop / start and then restarted. If auto stop / start was turned off ESC warning did not come on. Reduced steering assist warning would come on but then go off. Finally the service engine light came on and stayed on. 6) GM Service stated Code for engine light was P01F0. Autozone read a P0128 code. 7) From investigating online this seems to be a very common problem with the 2019 and 2020 Chevrolet Blazer with the 6 cylinder engine. Note: I believe this should be a warranty repair due to the fact that 1) This is a known issue with the 2020 Blazer and known poor design 2) The warning about reduced steering assist and 3) ESC warning
There seems to be a constant problem with the service driver assist error code popping up and check engine light coming on. The ac heating keeps losing temperature. I've looked for support for this issue and it seems to be a common problem for chevy owners. Why isn't there a recall on this.
Where do I start. Spring of 2024 I believe, less than 55,000 miles, my transmission went out. No warning. I just went out to my vehicle to go to work and when I put it into reverse, my vehicle make a awful noise, jerked forward almost going into my garage door, then wouldn't move.. I put it back in park, tried to put into reverse again and it wouldn't go. It was stuck in park. Had to get it towed to the dealership where they advised me the transmission went out. It was covered under the drivetrain warranty, but the GM warranty doesn't cover rental. It took almost 4 weeks for GM to approve for a new transmission due to parts being on back order to rebuild my transmission. Several months later, I was driving down the road when the ESC light and then it said "shift to neutral & press start" and I lost power. I coasted into a parking lot, got it fired up, but had no air conditioning (of course it was summer). Took it to the dealer and they said my radiator and A/C Compressor had to be replaced. Luckily my extended warranty covered the $5000 repair. Now 4 months later I got "steering assist reduced, drive with care" with codes. Took to shop and the codes basically was the temp was to low, but the shop couldn't find anything wrong. Cleared the codes and so far so good, but now my ESC light pops on once a week again. I don't even have 60,000 miles on my vehicle.
Thermostat gauge isnt moving along side a message saying "Steering assis is reduced drive with care"
Component/System Involved: The electric power steering system in my 2020 Chevy Blazer is malfunctioning. A warning appears on the dashboard: “Steering Assist is Reduced – Drive with Care.” When this happens, steering becomes very stiff and difficult. The issue is ongoing, and the component is available for inspection if requested. Safety Risk: This creates a serious safety hazard. The sudden loss of steering assist makes it hard to turn the wheel, especially at low speeds or when maneuvering. It puts me and others at risk, especially if it happens in traffic or while turning. Problem Confirmed by Dealer: No, the issue has not yet been inspected or confirmed by a dealer or service center. Inspection History: The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealership, manufacturer, police, or insurance. Warning Signs: The only warning is the “Steering Assist is Reduced – Drive with Care” message, which appears randomly—sometimes at startup, sometimes while driving. The issue began around 10/15/2024 and continues to be an on going issue.
"Steering Assist Reduced” warning message appears on dashboard display and temperature gauge stuck on cold on the dashboard display. I understand this such a common issue with the 2019 and 2020 Blazer that General Motors has issued Technical Service Bulletins but refuses to repair these vehicles for free. This is unacceptable! Issue a mandatory recall therefore GM must perform the repairs for free.
Check engine light on, message saying "steering assist reduced drive with care", engine temperature gauge not moving from C, and AC not working. I have taken it in to be fixed 3x, and they have fixed it 2/3 times but the message has come back again. It is a big issue in 2019/2020 blazers according to my research.
Steering assist reduced warning is on all the time. Fan is on overdrive and thermostat needle on cool all the time. Leaking camshaft actuator solenoids
The blazer's check engine light came on and I had it scanned. The code was PO128 indicating that the engine coolant temperature is consistently below the thermostat regulating temperature. We are also getting a message on the vehicle that states the steering assist is reduced, drive with care. The car is also blowing hot air when the AC is on, the temperature gauge is staying at the lowest setting and the fans are running full blast. This seems to be a very common problem with the Chevrolet Blazer.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn with a reduced steering message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat had failed, which caused the steering wheel to fail, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.
Vehicle gives warning that steering assist is disabled. I should drive carefully. Also cooling fans run on high and temp gauge reads zero. P0128 I'd code given by computer. When code is cleared vehicle returns to normal operation. I read many, many people have this same problem with no clear correction. Many have replaced thermostat, temp sensors, and problem returns. Sounds like defective wiring to me and if it impacts steering should be an OEM problem to remedy
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping while driving in the lower gears. The contact stated that the message “Reduced Steering - Drive with Caution” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle became inoperable. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
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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