1998 Chevrolet Blazer

WHEN WE PURCHASED THE BLAZER IT HAD 36000 MILES ON IT. THE DAY AFTER WE PURCHASED IT THE SEAT ADJUSTER ARM FOR THE DRIVERS SEAT BROKE OFF. WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING HEINOUS, JUST ADJUSTING THE SEAT. WE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREED TO FIX IT. APPROXIMATELY 11 MONTHS THEREAFTER, THE SEAT ADJUSTER ARM BROKE OFF AGAIN. ONLY WE WERE AT 52,000 MILES SO WE WERE SOLD. THE PASSENGERS SEAT ADJUSTER BROKE OFF ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND THE PASSENGER CUT HER LEG. I CONTACTED BIDDLES CHEVROLET AND THEY QUOTED ME $105 FOR THE PART AND 8 HOURS OF LABOR TO FIX IT. I THEN CONTACTED CHEVROLET ABOUT 3 MONTHS THERE AFTER, AND HENCE THE PROCESS BEGAN. IN THE PROCESS OF MY RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT CHEVROLET HAD ISSUED A TSB WITH THE NHTSA FOR THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE. IT SEEMS THAT CHEVROLET KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND FAILED TO CONTACT OWNER'S OF THE BLAZERS. MY GUESS IS IT WORKED OUT TO THEIR STATISTICAL ADVANTAGE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, ABOUT A WEEK AGO MY BROTHER IN LAW QUESTIONED ME BECAUSE HE WAS LOOKING TO BUY A BLAZER ABOUT THE SAME YEAR AS MINE. HE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WHEN I TOLD HIM JUST THE SEAT ADJUSTER'S HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD CONTACTED 4 OTHER OWNERS AND THEY INDICATED THE SAME THING. THE ONLY THING I WANT IS THE SEAT FIXED NO MORE NO LESS. DT

THIS HAS BEEN A CHRONIC PROBLEM SINCE 1999 WITH THIS VEHICLE. IT IS CLEARLY A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE PART ( THE SHAFT THAT THE ADJUSTMENT HANDLE IS ATTACHED TO) AND POOR QUALITY OF MATERIALS, MR. CASTINAS SERVICE MANAGER ADVISES THAT WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE PROBLEM THAT THE TOTAL PART WAS REDESIGNED ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN THE REVISED PART EVER SINCE THOUGH THE REVISED PART HAS BROKEN AGAIN (INSTALLED 12/01) ON THE DRIVERS SIDE.THIS IS THE 4TH REPLACEMENT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, ONCE ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE.THIS IS THE 5 TH REPAIR TO THIS PART. THIS IS THE SHAFT AND LEVER THAT IS ON THE SIDE OF THE SEAT AND ADJUST THE FRONT TO BACK TILT ON THE SEAT. EACH TIME IT HAS SHEARED OFF THE SHAFT WHERE THE COLLORED HANDLE FITS ON THE SHAFT WHERE A SCREW FITS INTO A NOTCHED PART OF THE SHAFT. THE SHAFT AT THE HANDLE IS DESCENDING IN SIZE AS IT FITS INTO A METAL COLLOR ON THE PLASTIC HANDLE. IAM SKEPTICAL BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE THAT THIS FOURTH REPAIR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WILL FINALLY REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. THERE HAS BEEN NO ABUSE BY ME OR OTHERS TO THIS PART. INDEED IT HAS RARELY BEEN USED AND HAS BROKEN TWICE IN MY WIFE'S HAND AND ONCE IN A CHILD'S HAND. WHILE THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED I AM CONCERNED THAT IF THERE IS DESIGN DEFECT TO THE OPERATION OF THE SHAFT THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THE SEAT TO FLOP BACK INTO A RECLINING POSITION WHILE THE DRIVER IS DRIVING.*AK

THE LEVER CONTROLLING RECLINING SEAT BROKE OFF WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED A LITTLE PRESSURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SHAFT ON WHICH THE LEVER WAS MOUNTED WAS NOT A STRONG METAL. *YH CONSUMER ADDS WHEN THE LEVER BROKE AFTER USING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE LEVER HAD BEEN WORN OR LACK LUBRICATION. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *TT *DT

DOME LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOR NO REASON, THE NOISE FOR THE TURN SIGNAL WOULD COME ON WITHOUT THE TURN SIGNAL BEING ON (MY TURN SIGNALS WORKED PERFECTLY FINE)AND THE HANDLE YOU USE TO ADJUST THE SEAT BACKS BROKE OFF ON BOTH FRONT SEATS. ALSO, THE LATCH ON THE INSIDE ON THE VEHICLE WHICH YOU PULL TO RELEASE THE HOOD BROKE. WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE.

REPLACED BOTH SEAT ADJUSTERS. REPLACED BATTERY AFTER IT BROKE AND LEAKED ON THE CABLE OPERATING THE 4WD. REPLACED THE CABLE OPERATING THE 4WD. REPLACED BOTH BACK WINDOWS, (2-DOOR) THE SEALS KEPT COMING OUT IN FRONT OF THE DOORS MAKING IT HARD TO OPEN THE DOORS. REPLACED DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR. SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT WAS STAYING ON. LASTLY THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, TIE ROD ENDS, PITTMAN ARM AND IDLER ARM HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ALL DONE UNDER WARRANTY EXCEPT THE FRONT END COMPONENTS. WHAT A CRAPPY CAR!