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1988 Chevrolet BlazerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 40 owner complaints about the 1988 Chevrolet Blazer, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

84
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years81% below the Blazer median · #23 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints409 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem12Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 17, 2009. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1988 Chevrolet Blazer has problems

40 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts121
Engine and engine cooling73
Electrical system54
Steering40
Seats30
Tires20
Service brakes, hydraulic20
Power train21
Exterior lighting10
5 other systems50

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1988 Chevrolet Blazer recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Best & worst years

1988 vs. every other Blazer year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Blazer median. How we score

'69'72'73'74'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1988 Chevrolet Blazer, and the recalls they led to.

  1. STEERING DAMPER SEPARATIONPE89024 · closed Feb 27, 1989
    No recall
In owners' words

What Blazer owners report

Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I'VE TRIED EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE POSSIBLE TO GET SEAT BELTS TO WORK INCLUDING A FAST DEAD STOP, TURNING CORNERS AND YANKING EXTREMELY FAST AND AT A DEAD STOP. YOU CAN YANK THESE BELTS EXCEPTIONALLY FAST AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE WILL THEY WORK.
Complaint 9004704 · Sep 26, 2001
SEAT BELTS BROKE IN HALF WHILE TRYING TO RESTRAIN CHILD SEAT. CHILD FLEW OUT OF BELT. THE ANCHOR SUPPORT JUST LET GO. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER 7 WAS INFORMED IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. SEAT BELTS NOT MADE FOR VEHICLE 10 YEARS OLD OR MORE. *AK
Complaint 844800 · Aug 10, 1999
WHEN ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE SHOULDER PORTION OF THE SEATBELT WOULD NOT RETRACT, THE ASSMBLY WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE MENTIONED DEALER AND REPLACED. ON 6/29/99 THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURED, THE SHOULDER PORTION OF THE BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. I PURCHASED ANOTHER ASSEMBLY FROM THE SAME DEALER WHO SAID…
Complaint 710869 · Sep 2, 1999

Own a 1988 Blazer?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.