IllustrationWHILE CHECKING RADIATOR, RADIATOR OPERATED POORLY, NO COOLING TURNED INTO JELL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
1997 Chevrolet Blazer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Blazer years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer are substantially higher than the model-year median of 32.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Blazer years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 171 of 768 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 144 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 129 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 110 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
60 crash reports26 fire reports44 injury reports
What owners actually said
768 reportsGAS GAUGE UNRELIABLE BELOW HALF TANK, FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN BETWEEN FULL AND EMPTY. NEED TO USE TRIP METER TO GAUGE FUEL IN TANK BY MPG. FRONT BRAKES AND ROTOR RECENTLY REPLACED DUE TO SHAKING IN STEERING WHEEL WHILE BRAKING. PER DEALER, ROTORS WERE BADLY WARPED. *AK
RADIATOR OVERFLOW DRY FILLED WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE DIRT RADIATOR FILLED WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE MUD CAUSED BY DEX-COOL COOLANT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE SERVICED FOR 6 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES.
FUEL GAUAGE DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT LEVELS OF FUEL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK FUEL GAUAGE ALWAYS STAYS ON FULL LEVEL, EVENTHOUGH IT ONLY HAS 2 GALLONS IN TANK. *YH
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY BECOME INTERMITTANT AND SUBSEQUENTLY STOP WORKING AFTER CONSECUTIVE USE UNTIL THEY FINALLY STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. INDEPENDANTLY REPLACED CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER AT OWN EXPENSE . HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS EXIST AND RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID#: 98V150001) E…
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY BECOME INTERMITTANT AND SUBSEQUENTLY STOP WORKING AFTER CONSECUTIVE USE UNTIL THEY FINALLY STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. INDEPENDANTLY REPLACED CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER AT OWN EXPENSE . HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS EXIST AND RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID#: 98V150001) EXISTS FOR 1996 MODELS. BELIEVE ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE TO INCLUDE NEWER VEHICLES AS WELL.
TRAVELING 63MPH APPROACHING SLOWING/STOPPING TRAFFIC FROM A DISTANCE. GRADUALLY BEGAN SLOWING VEHICLE AND APPLYING INCREASED BRAKE PRESSURE. TRAFFIC THEN STOPPED, APPLIED HEAVY PRESSURE-BOTH FEET ON PEDAL, HANDS BRACED ON WHEEL AND BODY THRUST BACK IN THE SEAT. BRAKE PEDAL WAS SOFT AND TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. A…
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TRAVELING 63MPH APPROACHING SLOWING/STOPPING TRAFFIC FROM A DISTANCE. GRADUALLY BEGAN SLOWING VEHICLE AND APPLYING INCREASED BRAKE PRESSURE. TRAFFIC THEN STOPPED, APPLIED HEAVY PRESSURE-BOTH FEET ON PEDAL, HANDS BRACED ON WHEEL AND BODY THRUST BACK IN THE SEAT. BRAKE PEDAL WAS SOFT AND TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. ABS DID NOT WORK - NO "CHK, CHK, CHK" SOUND AND NO PULSATING. RESULTED IN REAR END COLLISION. NOTICED THAT AN ABS RECALL EXISTS FOR MODEL OF VEHICLE MANUFACTURED IN SAME MONTH/YEAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID#: 99V193000) BUT WAS TOLD BY CHEVROLET THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE IT IS A 1997 MODEL.
BATTERY REPLACED, LEAKING FLUID. *MJS
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK THEN DO NOT WORK. HEAR WIPER MOTOR MAKING NOISE BUT NOT WORKING. HAS HAPPEND 4 TIMES NOW. HAVE TO TAP WIPER MOTOR TO WORK, BUT LAST TIME TAPPING DID NOT WORK. NEXT DAY WIPERS WORKED.
THE BRAKE POWER ASSIST UNIT WAS REPLACED BUT THE BRAKES ARE STILL NOT FUNCTIONING WELL. I HAD THE DEALER CHECK THEM AND THEY SAID THEY CHECKED OUT OK.
Official recalls
403V117000 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
Mar 31, 2003
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY THAT CONTAINS AN ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP. SUSTAINED LOADS OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE AND DURATION ON THE BELT IN SEVERE CRASHES COULD FULLY DEPLOY THE BUCKLE ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP, INTRODUCING A TOTAL OF 10 ADDITIONAL INCHES OF WEBBING INTO THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM. THE FREE FALLING LATCH PLATE USED IN THIS SYSTEM MAY ALLOW WEBBING TO DYNAMICALLY DISTRIBUTE BETWEEN THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT AS THE DRIVER'S POSITION CHANGES DURING A MULTIPLE ROLLOVER EVENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP FULLY DEPLOYS IN A SEVERE MULTIPLE ROLLOVER CRASH, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A BELTED DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE PARTIAL OR EVEN COMPLETE EJECTION FROM THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENERGY-ABSORBING SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES WITH ONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON AUGUST 8, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
03V093000 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/devices:exterior
Mar 7, 2003
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS, AND PICKUP TRUCKS MAY DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN, IT COULD RESULT IN AN INOPERATIVE SWITCH, HEAT DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER'S DOOR, AND/OR IGNITION OF COMPONENTS IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND A SUBSEQUENT VEHICLE FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED JUMPER HARNESS TO THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 24, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
01V200000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint
Jun 28, 2001
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN, AND IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. FAILURE OF AN UPPER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY COULD OCCUR DUE TO CORROSION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 4, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
97V096001 · Seat Belts
Jun 12, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 60/40 FRONT BENCH SEATS AND EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL LOCKING RECLINER BUCKET SEATS. THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE DRIVER'S AND/OR PASSENGER'S SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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 COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE RECLINER MECHANISM.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA97004 · Seat Belt Webbing Separation
Opened Feb 28, 1997 · Closed Aug 5, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:webbing
NHTSA'S NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP) TESTED A 1997 CHEVROLET S-10 EXTENDED CAB PICKUP EQUIPPED WITH A DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG.THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT WAS COMPLETELY CUT DURING THE TEST.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts:front:webbing
NHTSA'S NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP) TESTED A 1997 CHEVROLET S-10 EXTENDED CAB PICKUP EQUIPPED WITH A DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG.THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT WAS COMPLETELY CUT DURING THE TEST.
Seat Belts:front:webbing
NHTSA'S NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP) TESTED A 1997 CHEVROLET S-10 EXTENDED CAB PICKUP EQUIPPED WITH A DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG.THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT WAS COMPLETELY CUT DURING THE TEST.
EA94038 · Abs Braking System
Opened Oct 31, 1994 · Closed Feb 28, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.