1998 Chevrolet Blazer

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE POWER DOOR LOCKS WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONTACT FURTHER STATED THAT THE DIMMER SWITCH FAILED TO WORK, WHICH RESULTED IN A LACK OF VISIBILITY WHEN USING THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 00V220000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH CONTINUES TO OPERATE AFTER SHE MANUALLY TURNS OFF THE SWITCH. THE FAILURE COULD PREVENT HER FROM WARNING THE DRIVER'S IN THE REAR THAT THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING AND/OR STOPPED, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V231000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH). THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 120,000.

ISSUES ONE WOULD NOT EXPECT FROM A 20K PLUS VEHICLE INCLUDING WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE FAILURE TODAY ("NEAR MISS" ACCIDENT FROM HEAVY RAIN AND TRAFFIC), SMOKE EMITTING FROM STEERING COLUMN, CONTINUOUS INTERMITTENT REPETITIVE SOUNDS EMITTING FROM TURN SIGNAL CONTROLLER(S). SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS HAVE ALL PREVIOUSLY BEEN DESCRIBED IN GREAT DETAIL BY OTHER OWNERS AS: AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ISSUE, WIPER CONTROL BOARD, VARIOUS CONNECTORS AND OR HARNESS, MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, SMOKE CONCERNS ETC. LISTED FROM COMPLAINTS FROM ODI CASE NUMBERS: 743685, 10014026, 10023129, 10030946, 10036610, 10045357, 10060630, 10066061, 10086138, 10086896, 10098912, 10103977, 10112458, 10137415, 549079, 847885, 866953, 874993. *JB

BLINKER NOISE PERSISTS EVEN WHEN BLINKERS ARE TURNED OFF. SOUND DISAPEARS AFTER ENGAGING BRAKE PEDAL THEN PERSISTS WHEN BREAK PEDAL IS RELEASED. IN A HEAVY RAIN STORM, HAD TO USE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF USE WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. TALKED TO A GM MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE MY AIRBAG TO DEPLOY - A REAL LIABILITY. CALLED GM TO EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM & POSSIBLE LIABILITY OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT (CASE #1-333564043) & WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE OF THE BLAZER BEING A 1998 THERE MAY BE NONTHING THEY CAN DO. THE SAME MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS MADE IN MEXICO FOR 1998-2001 MODELS AND IF IT DISFUNCTIONS CAN CAUSE BREAK LIGHTS NOT TO WORK AS WELL AS MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES LIKE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT OR FIRE - WOULDN'T THIS BE A RECALL FOR ALL MODELS THAT HAVE THE PART?

THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AND THE CONSUMER COULD STILL HEAR THE CLICKING NOISE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE HEATER WAS LEAKING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WERE INOPERATIVE, THE REAR END HAD GONE OUT AND THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. A NEW SWITCH WAS PLACED ONTO THE TRANSFER CASE AND THE DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. *SC *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT AT ONE POINT HEADLIGHTS AND FLASHERS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND FOUND THAT THE WAIT WAS TOO LONG. THEN, CONSUMER DECIDED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE CERTIFIED MECHANIC, AND WAS TOLD BY HIM THAT MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. HAD THIS REPLACED, BUT HAZARD LIGHTS DID NOT WORK HALF THE TIME. ALSO, SOMETHING WAS DRAINING BATTERY BECAUSE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. WENT TO THE WEB, AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON VEHICLE. CONSUMER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE RECALL. *AK THE VEHICLE BALL JOINTS WERE ALSO REPLACED. *NM