1,165 of the 11,236 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Blazer are about the engine — 10% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1995.
1,165
Complaints
10%
Share of all complaints
19
Crashes
58
Fires
ENGINE
Car will not crank, stalled while cranked, throws code P023F
NHTSA complaint #11758918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
While idling in my driveway, the engine started to shake and the check engine light came on. Got it diagnosed and was told by a private repair center that we had lost compression in cylinder 4 and that it was not worth the repair and we needed to replace the engine. Got it towed to the dealership, Bill Fox Chevrolet, for a 2nd opinion and they confirmed what the private shop had said. Because the vehicle was well maintained with regular preventative maintenance, it was deemed the failure was not the fault of the owner. GM extended a goodwill warranty to help cover the cost of the engine replacement (70% coverage. We were 1 month and 2,000 miles past our warranty). They never told us root cause, only that it would have cost more money to repair it than it would be to get a new engine. The Blazer had been running fine up to that point and was my wife's main mode of transportation. The Blazer only had 62,000 miles on it when the failure occured.
NHTSA complaint #11758482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Thermostat went bad at 47,500 miles. Temp gauge stopped working, Engine light came on and alert stating steering assist is reduced
NHTSA complaint #11757806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The car just stopped while I was driving. I was in an intersection. The car would not turn back on
NHTSA complaint #11754839 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The vehicle’s radiator developed a coolant leak that was discovered and confirmed by the dealership during a routine oil change, tire rotation and state inspection. There were no warning lights, warning messages prior to the dealership discovering the leak. The radiator required replacement. The dealership also told me that they had the replacement radiator on hand because this type of radiator failure had been occurring fairly often with this type of vehicle. The radiator failure presented a potential safety concern because a coolant leak can worsen without warning and result in a sudden loss of coolant, engine overheating, or vehicle breakdown while driving. Because there were no warning lamps or other symptoms before the leak was discovered, we may not have had any indication that the cooling system was failing. The problem was confirmed by the dealership during inspection, and the dealership determined that the radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle/component was inspected by the dealership. No manufacturer, police, or insurance inspection has occurred, to my knowledge. There were no warning lamps, messages, overheating, or other noticeable symptoms prior to the dealership finding the leak. The vehicle is only three years old, with 39000 miles on it at the time of the failure. I am reporting this because a radiator failure at such a young vehicle age, particularly one that develops without any warning to the driver, could potentially create a safety hazard if the coolant loss becomes severe while the vehicle is being operated. I’ve seen many complaints in online forums that this is an ongoing issue with these radiators used by Chevy. It seems the replacement radiators are having the same issues. Why can’t something be done? Dealership information: #1 Cochran Chevrolet Cranberry [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11754268 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
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.
NHTSA complaint #11749661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
"While attempting to merge onto a high-speed freeway on-ramp, the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic loss of engine power, rendering it unable to accelerate and creating an immediate life-threatening safety hazard. The vehicle was restarte and driven home, where an onboard diagnostic check revealed an emissions system failure. The dealership later confirmed that BOTH close-coupled catalytic converters on the 3.6L V6 were damaged. The check engine light was a solid light. Not flashing.
NHTSA complaint #11748654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that the coolant was leaking from the radiator. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the radiator needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the dealer was replacing a lot of radiators for similar failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 49,500.
NHTSA complaint #11747341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The vehicle experiences a constant cooling system failure that appears to be related to the thermostat. Beginning at approximately 40,000 miles, the engine cooling fan started running continuously at high speed whenever the vehicle is operating. At the same time, the air conditioning stopped functioning properly and the vehicle began displaying a warning message indicating that steering assist is unavailable or reduced. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This condition creates a safety concern because the steering assist warning indicates a potential reduction or loss of power steering assistance, which could increase steering effort and make the vehicle more difficult to control, particularly during low-speed maneuvers or emergency situations. The warning appears during normal vehicle operation and can distract the driver. The ongoing failure of multiple vehicle systems raises concerns about the safe and reliable operation of the vehicle. The problem has been present continuously since first appearing at approximately 40,000 miles and is fully reproducible. The condition occurs every time the vehicle is driven and has not corrected itself. Symptoms include the engine cooling fan running continuously, loss of air conditioning, and a steering assist warning message. Based on reports from other Chevrolet Blazer owners experiencing similar thermostat-related failures, this may represent a common defect that warrants investigation and consideration for a safety recall.
NHTSA complaint #11745859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The thermostat malfunctioned causing an error message regarding “steering assist is reduced”. When I parked and turned off, the engine fan continued to run. When car was restarted, the temp gauge inside was stuck at C. Took to dealership and they assessed. They repaired the thermostat under power train warranty, however there was a crack in the radiator (top) resulting in the need for a new radiator. This vehicle had 35,000 miles on it. Upon research online, it seems there are MANY people who have had this same issue and worse. It appears cars produced during COVID era are most affected. Chevy refused to warranty the issue. The dealership offered a small cost reduction (due to our loyalty). The thermostat and the radiator issues seem to be well known by Chevy, they just refuse to accept responsibility. Now we are out thousands of dollars on a basically “new” vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11745926 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the sun gear and the drive shaft fractured. The vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was pushed to a safe place. The check engine warning light illuminated after the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V172000 (Power Train). The vehicle was towed on a flatbed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer provided an estimate for the transmission replacement. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
NHTSA complaint #11745894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The thermometer and thermometer sensor are glitching . The engine temp needle will not rise at all, the engine fan will run the whole time driving and then when it is turned off will run for 10 min . Right before this happens a notice shows the guided steering is being limited. I disconnected the battery and it reset , I drove and there were no issues , next time I started my car the engine temp needle stayed down and the van started again. This car has 36k miles on it. I just bought it 2 days before it started happening
NHTSA complaint #11745573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
BROUGHT MY CAR TO CHEVROLET CENTER IN WINTER HAVEN FLORIDA BECAUSE I HAD 2 DIAGNOSTIC CODES SHOW UP WITH A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THE CODES WERE (U1345: Indicates a communication fault on the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) Bus, usually tied to modules like the active grille shutters, cooling fans, or charge air cooler (CAC) pump.U0632: Indicates lost communication specifically with Cooling Fan 1.) THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY CODES IN THE SYSTEM AND THEY TRIED TO CHARGE ME $165 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. RIGHT AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP I WAS HAVING THE SAME CODES POP UP, WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND MY CAR WAS OVERHEATING. CHEVROLETS ECM/PCM WARRANTY IS 8 YEARS OR 80,000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #11744030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Engine temp gauge bottoms out because the thermostat is stuck open, causing the air to stop working. 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
NHTSA complaint #11742353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving, a code appeared on the dashboard P0128. When the vehicle's engine was switched off, the engine cooling fan continued to run. Warning light stating the steering would be disable.; however power steering was not lost. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a thermostat failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000
NHTSA complaint #11740828 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
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
NHTSA complaint #11740390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Electronically controlled thermostat and sensor fail or get stuck at a much lower coolant temperature causing the dash to display the “steering assist is reduced drive with care.” It isn’t just a message, the steering is much harder to use potentially causing an accident. The ac completely doesn’t work causing potential for sensitive, elderly, or young children and pets to overheat inside, it’s significant risk of injury or death from the hot summer temperatures. The engine coolant temperature gauge is all the way down on C position which isn’t registering how hot/cold the engine gets potentially causing damage to the vehicle and a total loss of the vehicle entirely due to damage from the engine overheating. GM sent out letters to 2021 blazer owners which included a special coverage number N252508350 applying to people with this year having this problem and they have until 2036 or 150,009 mi to get the repairs made free of charge, they just bring the document with the special repair codes to the dealer and they fix it free of charge. After doing research online, this problem is affecting all years of the 2019+ blazers with the 3.6L V6 engine AND other known problems with other models and years of their other lineup of cars, it’s very widespread across their platforms. So what are people supposed to do when it isn’t the 2021 year? Pay an $800+ repair bill to GM when they KNOW it’s more widespread than just this year/make? This is a scam. I can’t even do the repair myself because I’m having trouble finding the correct parts online and not only that the repair is extensive, the whole top half of the engine needs to be taken apart just to get to the thermostat, we’re talking the airbox and intake manifold, all the plastic parts and shrouds and sensors covering engine, the fuel rail and injectors, pipes and clamps, engine coolant needs drained and refilled. It’s a major fix. I’m reporting this complaint to raise awareness and hopefully GM will do the right thing.
NHTSA complaint #11739939 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
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
NHTSA complaint #11739711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Thermostat stuck open radiator broke. Told by 4 GM Dealerships, this is a very common problem in a GM 3.6L V6. GM even claims it's common in its Tech Advisements. The "Stuck Open" Glitch (P0128 Code)
NHTSA complaint #11738523 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
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.
NHTSA complaint #11738607 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.