no report yet
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
Risk. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
1996 Chevrolet BlazerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,153 owner complaints about the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 6 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 28, 2023. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer has problems
1,153 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
420Service brakes, hydraulic97 crash/fire/injury
182Visibility2 crash/fire/injury
149Suspension12 crash/fire/injury
149Engine and engine cooling7 crash/fire/injury
96Power train6 crash/fire/injury
62Electrical system
56Air bags
31Fuel system, gasoline
30Seat belts
22715 other systems29 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 420 | 97 |
| Visibility | 182 | 2 |
| Suspension | 149 | 12 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 149 | 7 |
| Power train | 96 | 6 |
| Electrical system | 62 | 18 |
| Air bags | 56 | 49 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 31 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 30 | 9 |
| 15 other systems | 227 | 29 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
6 recalls
1996 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.
no report yet
Control arm: upper ball joint
Risk. THIS CAN RESULT IN IMPAIRED STEERING OR STEERING LOSS, OR A PARTIAL OR COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Risk. IF THIS OCCURRED AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE WAS REQUIRED, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
no report yet
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
Risk. THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN INOPERATIVE WIPERS, REDUCING A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Show 2 more recalls
no report yet
Seat belts
Risk. IF A SEPARATION OCCURRED AND THERE WERE SECONDARY CRASH EVENTS OR VEHICLE ROLLOVER, THERE WOULD BE NO BELT RESTRAINT OF THE OCCUPANT AND INCREASED INJURIES…
no report yet
Storage: tank assembly
Risk. IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT, AND THERE IS A FUEL LEAK, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
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.
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine and engine cooling
9 owners mentioned a cost$661median
Middle half: $400 – $1,200
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
1996 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
NHTSA crash tests
1996 Chevrolet Blazer safety ratings
1996 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer 4-DR. 4x4 in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
7 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, and the recalls they led to.
- WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURELed to recall 03V-210
- ABS BRAKING SYSTEMLed to recall 99I006000
- SEAT BELT WEBBING SEPARATIONLed to recall 97V-096
- STEERING SHAFT SEPARATIONSNo recall
- UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTLed to recall 01I018000
- UPPER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT BREAKAGENo recall
- FRONT SEAT RECLINER BOLT FAILURELed to recall 99V-130
In owners' words
What Blazer owners report
Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PRESSURE MODULATOR VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.…
THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH THIS TRUCK: 1. THE WHEELS ARE MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING; REPLACED BRAKES, ROTORS, HAD TIRES ROTATED, BALANCED AND NEW ALIGNMENT DONE WITH NO HELP 2. BRAKES GO TO FLOOR WHILE BRAKING..THIS JUST STARTED 3. BACK WINDSHIELD WIPER MAKES A LOUD NOISE…
ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 20, 2006. MY SON AND 3 FRIENDS WERE LEAVING A FRIENDS HOUSE. WHEN MY SON APPLIED HIS BRAKE TO SLOW, THE BRAKES FAILED. WHEN THEY FAILED THE ENGINE REVVED COMPLETELY UP, THROTTLED OUT AND SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE. HE OF COURSE HAD NO BRAKES, BUT NOW NO STEERING, AND THE ENGINE WAS…
Own a 1996 Blazer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.