WIPERS FAIL. *NM
1998 Chevrolet Blazer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Blazer years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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
269 reports with mileage · 447 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.
- Visibility. Review the 256 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Visibility complaints
256 reportsDT: THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL STOP MIDWAY AND SOMETIMES THEY WILL NOT WORK AT ALL. AK *JB
MY 1998 BLAZER HAD A WIPER FAILURE DURING THE FIRST RAINSTORM OF THE CALIFORNIA YEAR YESTERDAY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS OFF THE FREEWAY AND ONLY A MILE OR TWO FROM HOME. THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. THIS MORNING, THEY DID. I SAW THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THE 1998 BLAZER. *JB
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO, THEY QUIT AT ANYTIME THEN START WORKING AGAIN THEN QUIT. THERE IS NO DELAY, LOW, OR HIGH THEY WORK ON WHAT EVER LEVEL THEY WANT TO. I HAVE CALLED LOCAL DEALERS AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER MODELS OF VEHICLES EXCEPT FOR 1998 FOR THE SAME REASON.( IT IS GOING TO COST $200.00 PLUS …
Read full complaint
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO, THEY QUIT AT ANYTIME THEN START WORKING AGAIN THEN QUIT. THERE IS NO DELAY, LOW, OR HIGH THEY WORK ON WHAT EVER LEVEL THEY WANT TO. I HAVE CALLED LOCAL DEALERS AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER MODELS OF VEHICLES EXCEPT FOR 1998 FOR THE SAME REASON.( IT IS GOING TO COST $200.00 PLUS TO FIX) I WENT OFF THE RODE TODAY ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF THE WIPERS STOPPING IN A DOWN POUR. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS AS I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. *JB
INTERMITTENT WIPER CIRCUIT BOARD ON MY 1998 CHEVY BLAZER WENT BAD AROUND 90,000 MILES. CAUSED INTERMITTENT WIPER FAILURE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT BY GM AND THAT EARLIER MODELS WITH SAME PROBLEM WERE RECALLED.*JB
1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THEY WILL STOP AT ANY GIVEN TIME, DURING WET WEATHER. THE STOPPED WIPER BLOCKS VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. NO DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED TO THE WIPER MOTOR/CIRCUIT BOARD OR WIRING. THIS IS A PRODUCT FAILURE THAT GM HAS NOT RECALLED FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. THEY H…
Read full complaint
1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THEY WILL STOP AT ANY GIVEN TIME, DURING WET WEATHER. THE STOPPED WIPER BLOCKS VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. NO DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED TO THE WIPER MOTOR/CIRCUIT BOARD OR WIRING. THIS IS A PRODUCT FAILURE THAT GM HAS NOT RECALLED FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. THEY HAVE RECALLED 1996, 1997, 2002, AND 2003 SUVS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. AFTER MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH GM REPRESENTATIVES, THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT. I MUST PAY FOR REPAIRS OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. WHY WON'T THEY RECALL THE 1998 LINE WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEM? A QUICK ON-LINE INTERNET SEARCH YIELDS HUNDREDS OF UNHAPPY 1998 BLAZER OWNERS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE VERY SAME WIPER ISSUES THAT CAUSED THE OTHER RECALLS. *NM
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK ACCORDING TO THE SETTING ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL. MANY TIMES THE WIPERS WOULD GO ON AND NOT SHUT OFF AND MANY TIME THE WIPERS WOULD NOT GO ON AT ALL. OVER THE SPAN OF 18,000 MILES THE EFFECT HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS TO MY PERSONAL SAFETY. ON SUNNY DAYS WHEN APPLYING TH…
Read full complaint
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK ACCORDING TO THE SETTING ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL. MANY TIMES THE WIPERS WOULD GO ON AND NOT SHUT OFF AND MANY TIME THE WIPERS WOULD NOT GO ON AT ALL. OVER THE SPAN OF 18,000 MILES THE EFFECT HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS TO MY PERSONAL SAFETY. ON SUNNY DAYS WHEN APPLYING THE WINDSHIELD WASHER, THE WIPERS WOULD NOT OPERATE. THIS CAUSES ME TO PULL OVER AND PULL ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS UNTIL THEY START AND THEN THEY DO NOT TURN OFF. ON RAINY DAYS, THEY TURN OFF WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING ME TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY AND RISK BEING HIT DUE TO A DRIVER SIDE VEHICLE EXIT ON BUSY HIGHWAYS TO MANUALLY CLEAN THE WINDOW OR WAIT UNTIL THE RAIN STOPS. I HAVE HAD THE CONTROL REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $300 BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO FAULTY CONNECTIONS FROM THE PULSE CONTROLLER BOARD AND THE WIPER MOTOR. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY FLAW IN THE VEHICLE AND MUST BE CORRECTED BY GM. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ALL THE OWNERS OF VEHICLES USING AC DELCO PART NUMBER 15036008 WIPER MOTORS. MANY COMPLAINT HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AND IT IS TIME THAT THE NHTSA PROTECTED THE DRIVERS OF THE VEHICLES EFFECTED REGARDLESS OF THE PAIN CAUSED TO GM. IF IT SAVES ONLY ONE LIFE IT IS WORTH IT. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM DUE TO THEIR DEATHS? HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION AGAINST AN OBVIOUS SAFETY FLAW IN A VEHICLE? THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED. *NM
DT: THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENTS AS OF NOW. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 9-1-02. *AK *MR
VEHICLE: 1998 CHEVY BLAZER 4DR 4X4 4.3L VORTEC V6 EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS FAILURE(S): THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH THIS VEHICLE: 1) FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK, IT WILL REPORT COMPLETE FULL AND WHEN VARYING AMOUNTS OF FUEL THE FUEL GAUGE BOUNCES AROUND(USUALLY BETWEEN HALF AND FULL, BUT SOME…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE: 1998 CHEVY BLAZER 4DR 4X4 4.3L VORTEC V6 EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS FAILURE(S): THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH THIS VEHICLE: 1) FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK, IT WILL REPORT COMPLETE FULL AND WHEN VARYING AMOUNTS OF FUEL THE FUEL GAUGE BOUNCES AROUND(USUALLY BETWEEN HALF AND FULL, BUT SOMETIMES BETWEEN E AND FULL) I AM FORCED TO USE TRIP ODOMETER AND APPROXIMATE FUEL ECONOMY TO DETERMINE TANK LEVEL. I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL TO MANY ANECDOTAL STORIES OF OTHER CHEVY VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THE SAME SYMPTOMS. 2) THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK SPORADICALLY. CURRENTLY WHEN OPERATING IN 'INTERMITTENT' MODE, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL BEGIN TO OPERATE IN CONTINUOUS, REGULAR SPEED AND WILL NOT TURN OFF WHEN SWITCH TURNED TO 'OFF' POSITION. SITUATION WILL OCCASIONALLY CORRECT ITSELF AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. OTHER TIMES I AM REQUIRED TO STOP, PARK, AND TURN OFF THE VEHICLE BEFORE RESTARTING IT TO TURN THE WIPERS OFF. OCCASIONALLY THE WIPERS WILL NOT WORK AT ALL IN ANY POSITION. USUALLY THIS ONLY HAPPENS FOR A SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, WHILE I AM TRYING TO TURN THEM ON BY SCRUBBING THROUGH ALL THE POSITIONS OF THE SWITCH. I OWNED A 95 GMC JIMMY PRIOR TO THIS VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THIS MODEL YEAR WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL THAT ENDED WITH, I BELIEVE, THE 97 MODEL YEAR. CORRECTIONS/REPAIRS: I HAVE HAD NEITHER PROBLEM REPAIRED. THEREFORE, I STILL HAVE THE OLD PARTS. INSTEAD OF REPAIRING, CURRENTLY FINANCIALLY UNFEASIBLE, I AM USING RAIN-X FOR THE WINDSHIELD AND THE ODOMETER FOR A FUEL GAUGE. *INCIDENT DATE IS APPROXIMATELY THE LAST TIME THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE USED. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN IN THE RAIN MUCH THIS SUMMER. *JB
SAME COMPLAINT AS DOCUMENTED IN CHEVROLET S10 BLAZER RECALL 03023 BUT THAT IS LIMITED UP TO AND INCLUDING 1997 AND MY VEHICLE IS A 1998.....*JB
Official recalls
300V220000 · Exterior Lighting
Aug 11, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS BUILT WITH A CANDELA VALUE GREATER THAN 3,000 CANNOT BE MOUNTED HIGHER THAN 864MM ABOVE THE ROAD SURFACE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REVISED WIRING HARNESS THAT CHANGES THE DRL'S FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM DRL'S, AND INSTALL NEW LONG-LIFE LOW BEAM BULBS.
98V053000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm
Mar 9, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL DRIVE OR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE. ONE OR BOTH OF THE ATTACHING NUTS FOR THE RIGHT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM ARE UNDER TORQUED. THIS CAN ALLOW THE ATTACHMENT BOLT TO LOOSEN AND SUBSEQUENT BREAK RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM FROM THE FRAME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RETIGHTEN THE RIGHT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM NUTS TO THE PROPER TORQUE SPECIFICATION.
97V218000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Nov 24, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE REAR AXLE RIGHT-HAND BRAKE PIPE CAN OCCUR CAUSING A SLOW BRAKE FLUID LEAK RESULTING IN A SOFT BRAKE PEDAL. IF THE BRAKE PIPE BREAKS, THE DRIVER WOULD EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN DROP IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BRAKE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE, AND THERE WOULD BE A LOSS OF REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE WAS REQUIRED COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE BRAKE PIPE.
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
1RQ02012 · Front Control Arm Ball Joints
Opened Sep 10, 2002 · Closed Mar 7, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension; Suspension:front; Suspension:front:control Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint; Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Additional source detail variants (7)
Suspension:front:control Arm
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Arm
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Suspension:front
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Suspension
SEE ATTACHED PAGE.
Illustration