REAR ENDED A STOPPED PICK UP AT 45 MPH AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IT WAS ON A HIGHWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55. THE WHOLE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED BUT MOST WAS ON DRIVER SIDE.
2003 Chevrolet Blazer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Blazer do not stand out strongly from 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
49 reports with mileage · 28 unknown
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
77 reports1/10/2018, WHILE DRIVING ON I-96, SUV SUDDENLY LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 72MPH. I COASTED VEHICLE TO A STOP IN THAT LANE, AS HEAVY TRAFFIC WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO PULL OVER. MY FAMILY OF FOUR WERE IN THAT SUV WHEN THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM FAILED. THE FUEL PUMP STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT WARNING.
I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY 2015 WITH 71,000 - THE BODY WAS VERY WELL KEPT INSIDE AND OUT. WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS THE EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST AND CORROSION UNDER THE VEHICLE, WHICH DID NOT SHOW INITIALLY. I HAVE ONLY HAD SAME A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND HAVE HAD TO ALREADY REPLACE FRONT ARM JOINTS BECAUSE THEY SNAPPED I…
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I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY 2015 WITH 71,000 - THE BODY WAS VERY WELL KEPT INSIDE AND OUT. WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS THE EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST AND CORROSION UNDER THE VEHICLE, WHICH DID NOT SHOW INITIALLY. I HAVE ONLY HAD SAME A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND HAVE HAD TO ALREADY REPLACE FRONT ARM JOINTS BECAUSE THEY SNAPPED IN HALF AND MY TIRE WAS SITTING CROOKED AND IN DANGER OF FALLING OFF!! FUEL LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY COMPLETED RUSTED THROUGH AND GASOLINE WAS LEAKING OUT ALL OVER. THE DRIVER DOOR WAS CHECKED 2X AS IT DOES NOT SHUT CORRECTLY AND I CAN HEAR WIND GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING (NOT TO MENTION WATER POURING IN OVER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND DOOR CONTROLS), THE BRAKES GO COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR (DESPITE BEING FIXED), THE ABS LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAY ON DESPITE BEING CHECKED - THIS TRUCK DESIGN IS TERRIBLE AND IT NOW RIDES AND SOUNDS LIKE A BUCKET OF BOLTS. I HAVE HAD MANY TRUCKS FROM GMC JIMMY, CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER, ETC. - I HAVE NEVER HAD ONE THAT HAS GONE COMPLETELY SOUR IN SO SHORT A TIME. I HAVE ALSO READ THE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE IN ACCIDENTS WITH THIS YEAR VEHICLE AND THE BRAKES FAILING AND AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING - I AM SERIOUSLY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ANYMORE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF 2 AND THOUGHT I WAS PURCHASING A RELIABLE VEHICLE FOR MY FAMILY FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY. I SEE THAT MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS - IF THEY WERE INVESTIGATED BY CHEVY - WERE DEEMED "NO PROBLEM FOUND" AND SWEPT UNDER THE RUG. WHAT DO I DO?! I HAVE ALREADY SPENT OVER $1,000 TO FIX THIS VEHICLE AND IT STILL HAS ISSUES - I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP SINKING $$ INTO A VEHICLE THAT IS GOING TO BLEED ME DRY.
TAKATA INFLATORS: I HAD LEFT MY HOUSE HEADED TO WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30 AM AND GOT ON I40 EASTBOUND, IT HAD SNOWED THE DAY BEFORE AND THE ROADS HAD BEEN TREATED AND WERE CLEAR FOR TRAVEL, I WAS TRAVELING ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY IN THE LEFT LANE @ APROX 50MPH AND I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO DO UPCOMING TRAFFIC, WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM LOCK…
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TAKATA INFLATORS: I HAD LEFT MY HOUSE HEADED TO WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30 AM AND GOT ON I40 EASTBOUND, IT HAD SNOWED THE DAY BEFORE AND THE ROADS HAD BEEN TREATED AND WERE CLEAR FOR TRAVEL, I WAS TRAVELING ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY IN THE LEFT LANE @ APROX 50MPH AND I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO DO UPCOMING TRAFFIC, WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM LOCKED. I ATTEMPTED TO LET OFF AND RE APPLY THE BRAKE BUT THE ABS SYSTEM JUST STAYED ENGAGED AND THE FRONT END STARTED SLIDING HARD TO THE LEFT AND I STEERED AWAY FROM THE PULL. I SUBSEQUENTLY HIT THE CENTER CONCRETE WALL AT APPROX. 40MPH WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR, WHICH CAUSED ME TO SPIN AROUND AND HIT THE PASSENGER REAR, I CONTINUED TO SPIN UNTIL I WAS FACING BACK EAST. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BUT IT CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO CORE SUPPORT AND PASSENGER SIDE FRAME HORN. IT WAS A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ANYTHING BUT MY VEHICLE AND MYSELF, THE ABS DID NOT RELEASE WITHIN WHAT I APPROXIMATE TO BE ABOUT 6 SECONDS AND THIS SO CALLED SAFETY DEVICE NEARLY KILLED ME. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT.
AIRBAG RECALL. *TR
MY 03 BLAZER HAS HAD ITS AIRBAG LIGHTS ON FOR SOME TIME NOW AND I'M WORRIED THAT IF I GET INTO A CRASH MY AIRBAGS WONT DEPLOY, I'M SCARED ALSO TO SEE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ALONG THE SAME LINES AS MINE. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA OR BY GM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR INJURED BADLY. A RECALL IS NEEDED! *TR
DRIVERS DOOR HINGES ARE LOOSE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE DOOR LATCH AND DOOR FLYING OPEN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS STARTING THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THAT THE STARTER RELAY SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REP…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS STARTING THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THAT THE STARTER RELAY SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.
WAS HIT BY RIGHT SIDE IMPACT BY A TRUCK WITHOUT BRAKES AT A STOP LIGHT. IT WAS GOING 40 MPH. COMING DOWN HILL AS I TOOK OFF AT STOP LIGHT . PUSHED ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ! ALSO I WAS HIT ON FRONT RIGHT SIDE PANEL . IT LATER CAUSED MY INSTRUMENT PANEL TO NOT DISPLAY THE LIGHTS ON WARNINGS . HAD T…
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WAS HIT BY RIGHT SIDE IMPACT BY A TRUCK WITHOUT BRAKES AT A STOP LIGHT. IT WAS GOING 40 MPH. COMING DOWN HILL AS I TOOK OFF AT STOP LIGHT . PUSHED ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ! ALSO I WAS HIT ON FRONT RIGHT SIDE PANEL . IT LATER CAUSED MY INSTRUMENT PANEL TO NOT DISPLAY THE LIGHTS ON WARNINGS . HAD TO REPLACE THE PANEL . THAT'S WHEN I WAS INFORMED THAT AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY AT ALL ! BUT FLASHES ON AND OFF AS YOU DRIVE. *JS
NOTICED BRAKE FLUID ON FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE TO THE REAR BRAKES WAS RUSTED AND LEAKING. GM DEALER SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I PAID A LOCAL GARAGE TO INSTALL NEW BRAKE LINE. IT HAS FAILED AGAIN, 98,000, WHILE I WAS DRIVING. LOST BRAKING ABILITY. I FIND THAT GM WILL SELL ME A SET OF BRAKE LINES FO…
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NOTICED BRAKE FLUID ON FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINE TO THE REAR BRAKES WAS RUSTED AND LEAKING. GM DEALER SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I PAID A LOCAL GARAGE TO INSTALL NEW BRAKE LINE. IT HAS FAILED AGAIN, 98,000, WHILE I WAS DRIVING. LOST BRAKING ABILITY. I FIND THAT GM WILL SELL ME A SET OF BRAKE LINES FOR $500 AND I CAN HAVE THEM INSTALLED ANYWHERE I WANT TO. CONSIDERING THE CURRENT GM SITUATION WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH I THINK THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL ALL EFFECTED VEHICLES AND FIX THEIR RUSTING BRAKE LINES. *TR
Official recalls
104V132000 · Equipment:other:labels
Mar 18, 2004
CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SOME OF THESE VEHICLES INCLUDE INCORRECT STATEMENTS ON ONE OF THE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH CORRECT LABELS AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 4, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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