1997 Chevrolet Blazer

BAD A/C: COMPLAINED TO A DEALER APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS (SUMMER OF 98) AFTER THE PURCHASE ABOUT WARM AIR BLOWING, INTERMITTENTLY, FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD. THE DIAL WAS TURNED TO COLD POSITION AND THE FAN WAS OFF. DEALER TECHNICIAN COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM EVEN AFTER THE CAR WAS KEPT OVERNIGHT. COMPLAINED AGAIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER. HOWEVER, THE DEALER COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM, BUT APPARENTLY OPENED THE UNIT AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER (SPRING OF 99), COMPLAINED ABOUT A/C NOT BLOWING COOL ENOUGH AIR. AGAIN, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEMS AND STATED THAT IT THE DESIGN DEFECT. ABOUT 2 YEARS LATER, MOVED TO SC WHERE NO COLD AIR WAS BLOWING - ONLY OUTSIDE AIR (IT WAS COOLER TO OPEN THE WINDOW). TOOK THE CAR TO PRECISION TUNE AND THEY ADDED FREON AND A DIE TO DETECT LEAKS. THE FREON SEEMED TO MAKE SOME DIFFERENCE. NO LEAK WAS FOUND AFTER A REVISIT A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER. PLACED A COMPLAINT TO THE CHEVROLET 800 NUMBER SERVICE LAST YEAR (FALL OF 02). THE OPERATOR WAS SOMEWHAT HESITANT AND QUESTIONED WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND FINALLY MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A LOCAL DEALER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE COMPRESSOR HAD GONE BAD. THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN DETECTED IF THE PREVIOUS DEALER HAD RUN DIAGNOSTICS. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TALK TO CHEVROLET POINT OF CONTACT ABOUT WARRANTY COVERAGE. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE INITIAL COMPLAINT WAS AROUND 10,000 MILES AND LAST COMPLAINT WAS AROUND 46000 MILES. CHEVROLET SHOULD PAY FOR SOME OR ALL OF THE COST ($1000).

ENCODER MOTOR FAILURE: CALLED CHEVROLET 800 NUMBER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SWICTCH FROM 2-WHEEL DRIVE TO 4-WHEEL. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL DEALER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, TOLD THERE WAS A ENCODER MOTOR FAILURE AND THE MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CHERVROLET POINT OF CONTACT TO DISCUSS IF THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS HARDLY USED AND THE PART IS PROBABLY DEFECTIVE. HOWEVER, NO RESPONSE AS OF YET. THE COST IS $600 FOR THE REPAIR. THE CAR HAD ONLY 45,000 MILES AT THE TIME. PRIOR TO THAT, THE LIGHT ON THE 4-WHEEL BUTTON WOULD BE LIT DURING SWITCHING BUT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. DOING A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET RESULTED IN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ENCODER.

THE TURN SIGNAL ON OUR 1997 CHEVY BLAZER JUST STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I CALLED THE SHOP TO GET AN APPOINTMENT I WAS TOLD THAT THAT WAS A PART THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED BUT ACCORDING TO MY VIN #, MY TRUCK WAS NOT INCLUDED. I HAD TO PAY 594.19, FOR A REPLACEMENT PARTS AND SERVICE. THE PART IS CALLED A MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH, AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT SHORTED OUT. NOW I HAVE DRIVEN LOTS OF CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS SWITCH GOING OUT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IF IT SHORTED OUT THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET MY PART REPLACED EVEN IF MY VIN# DIDN'T MATCH. BASICALLY IF CHEVROLET MADE A BAD PART IT SHOULD REPLACE ALL OF THEM, NOT JUST PICK AND CHOSE SO THAT THEY CAN SAVE MONEY.

THIS TRUCK WAS ALWAYS SERVICED AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. ANY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WAS DONE INCLUDING THE TRANSMISSION. ON THE 60,000 SERVICE THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED A FLUSH TYPE OF TRANSMISSION SERVICE & I SAID TO PROCEED. THE VERY NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP & IMMEDIATELY SHOWED SYMPTOMS OF SHIFTING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS THAN IT HAD BEFORE THE SERVICE. AFTER SOME CALLS TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK SO THEY COULD DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. NO DEFINITIVE ANSWER COULD BE GIVEN BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED, THEY, THE DEALERSHIP, WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. I GUESS THEY NEVER HEARD OF CAUSE & EFFECT. NEEDLESS TO SAY I REMOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THEIR POSSESSION IMMEDIATELY. A THIRD PARTY REPAIR FACILITY HAD DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION HAD SELF DESTRUCTED TO THE POINT OF MAJOR DAMAGE. SUBSEQUENTLY I SPOKE WITH OTHER SHOPS ONLY TO FIND THE METHOD OF FLUSHING WAS A BAD IDEA MOST LIKELY DID CAUSE THE FAILURE. SO MUCH FOR AN AUTHORIZED DEALER & MANUFACTURER STANDING BEHIND THEIR WORK. THIS COST ME TO THE TUNE OF $2,000.