1999 Chevrolet Blazer

THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDER THE DASH IS PROBLEMATIC. THE FAILURE OF THE SWITCH RESULTS IN THE RAPID CLICKING NOISE THAT CAN BE HEARD FROM BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM I CAN NOT BELIEVE THERE IS NOT A RECALL. THIS IS THE SECOND GM OF THIS MODEL THAT MY FAMILY HAS OWNED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

THE ONLY CONTINUING PROBLEM IS THIS: MOST CARS HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT ARE TYPICAL FAILURE POINTS, AND WE'VE FOUND ONE. THE COMBINATION SWITCH (TURN SIGNAL, CRUISE, WIPER/WASHER, FLASHER) ON THE BLAZER IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. WE'VE FOUND THAT IT'S VERY COMMON FOR THE FLASHER RELAY (UNDER THE DASH, RIGHT SIDE) TO START CLICKING ENDLESSLY AND AUDIBLY WHILE NO LIGHTS ARE FLASHING. TURNS OUT THE BLAZERS COMBINATION SWITCH IS THE PROBLEM. IT'S USUALLY EITHER FAILURE IN THE TURN SIGNAL STALK, OR CONTACT PROBLEMS WITH THE EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. IF YOU REMOVE THE SHROUD, YOU'LL FIND THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND TURN SIGNAL STALK MUST BE REPLACED AS A UNIT. I DON'T KNOW DEALER PRICES, BUT THE PART ON THE AFTERMARKET STARTS ABOUT $140 AND GOES UP TO $250 OR SO DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC MODEL AND OPTIONS (TILT, CRUISE, ETC). LABOR WILL ADD AT LEAST ANOTHER HOUR IF YOU CAN'T TEAR DOWN THE STEERING COLUMN FAR ENOUGH TO DO IT YOURSELF. THIS PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT IT'S A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION ON BLAZER AND S10 DISCUSSION BOARDS, BUT DON'T EXPECT A DEALER ADJUSTMENT. IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU, EXPECT TO PAY FOR A REPAIR. IN SOME CASES OWNERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SPRAY GENEROUS AMOUNTS OF CONTACT CLEANER INTO THE SWITCH AND STOP THE RELAY CLICKING, BUT IT'S A VERY HIT-OR-MISS PROPOSITION AND YOU HAVE TO BE LUCKY TO AVOID REPLACING THE SWITCH. HOWEVER, IF THIS IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM YOU EVER HAVE WITH THE VEHICLE, LIFE ISN'T THAT BAD! ALSO THIS SAME SWITCH CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT WORK. SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN ALREADY RECALLED FOR THE 2000-2002 BLAZERS. I HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS AND IT WILL COST ME $300 TO REPAIR DUE TO A FAULTY SWITCH.*JB

1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER LS: APPROXIMATELY 120,000 MILES (4-DOOR /4WD) CONSTANT TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD RELAY WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. ODI ID# 10043711 THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH SEEMS TO BE THE SOURCE AS SEEN IN MANY ON-LINE FORUMS/DISCUSSION GROUPS. MOST ARE DATED, 2001-2003 TIME FRAME. I AM JUST WONDERING IF ANY RESOLUTION HAS BEEN MADE FOR THIS ISSUE. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT, WHILE AT THE SHOP I WAS ASKED BY THE DEALER TO USE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD MY COMPLAINT TO THE ODI ID# 10043711 ISSUE. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE ACTUATION MOTOR WAS REPLACED. THE HEATER CORE BECAME BLOCKED AND WAS FLUSHED BY THE DEALER. THE STEERING BOX AND PITMAN ARM WERE REPLACED. ALSO, THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME DIM. THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALER PERFORMED NUMEROUS REPAIRS, AND COULD NOT OFFER AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THESE PROBLEMS OCCURRED AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. THE VEHICLE IS REMAINED AT THE DEALER AWAITING REPAIRS ON THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER. ALSO, REPLACED LOOSE FRONT HUBS. *AK

1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER 2WD / 4 DOOR BOUGHT USED 5/2004. SUDDEN ONSET OF UNCONTROLLABLE "CLICKING" OF TURN SIGNAL FLASHER UNIT / CONTROLLER SWITCH. THIS HAS CONTINUED FOR THE LAST MONTH. SMOKE WAS RECENTLY PRODUCED FROM STEERING COLUMN. TURN SIGNAL NOISE IS NOT ONLY ANNOYING, IT IS DISTRACTING AND POTENTIALLY UNSAFE, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING IN TRAFFIC NEAR CROWDED INTERSECTIONS. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT 2000-2002 BLAZERS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR SIGNAL CONTROLLER PROBLEMS, BUT NOT 1999. GM HOLDS THAT THE MALFUNCTIONING SIGNAL CONTROLLER IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM, I DISAGREE.*JB

FOLLOWING IS PART OF THE BACKGROUND FIRST SUBMITTED 9/6 TO CHEVY FOR A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR 1999 BLAZER ... CLOSELY RELATED TO A RECENT GM RECALL FOR FAULTY HAZARD AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS. OUR HAZARD/BLINKER FLASHER JUST STARTED (9/1) TURNING ON/CLICKING INTERMITTENTLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON ... DOING SO RANDOMLY ABOUT HALF THE TIME. THIS CONCERNS US FOR OUR SAFETY ... AS WE ARE NOW CONSTANTLY MAKING BOTH KINDS OF MAJOR SAFETY ERRORS THAT CAN HAPPEN WITH THIS DEFECT: WE FREQUENTLY THINK THE BLINKERS ARE ON FOR A TURN WERE MAKING, WHEN IN REALITY THEY ARE NOT, BUT THE FLASHER IS CLICKING JUST LIKE THEY ARE ON, SO WE WRONGLY THINK THEY ARE ON. THE OTHER ERROR IS THAT WE HAVE ACCIDENTALLY TURNED THE BLINKERS ON AND DON'T REALIZE IT SINCE THE FLASHING NOISE IS HAPPENING SO MUCH. THE MAJOR REASON FOR OUR CONCERN IS A STATEMENT FROM OUR LOCAL CHEVY SERVICE TECH AROUND OUR EXACT ISSUE ... AS OUR EXACT CONCERNS/ISSUES STEM FROM A WELL KNOWN/DOCUMENTED SAFETY ISSUE WITH BLAZERS (PER THE WORDS OF OUR CHEVY SERVICE TECH AROUND OUR EXACT ISSUE, & THIS HAS BEEN A BIG/MAJOR PROBLEM WITH BLAZERS & ... AND '90% OF THE TIME A DEFECTIVE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH/CONTACTS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS WE WERE EXPERIENCING', AND INDEED UNIQUE TO CHEVY/GMC.) GIVEN HOW EMPHATIC/HONEST THE SERVICE TECH WAS WITH US, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO READILY SUBSTANTIATE HIS STATEMENT THROUGH CHEVY'S RECORDS AROUND REPAIRS FOR THIS PROBLEM. AS SUCH, OUR SAFETY ISSUE IS CLEARLY: A WELL KNOWN/DOCUMENTED SAFETY DESIGN ISSUE WITH BLAZERS, AND RELATED TO THE RECENT SAFETY RECALL FOR GM FLASHERS; WITH OUR BLAZER ONLY A YEAR OFF OF THE RECALLED VEHICLE AGE; UNIQUE TO CHEVY, AND AS SUCH, NOT 'NORMAL WEAR/TEAR THAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED'). WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FORWARD OUR CONCERNS TO YOUR AGENCY, AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU ON YOUR LATITUDE TO PURSUE THIS FURTHER AFTER CONTINUAL REJECTIONS FROM CHEVY. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *AK *JB *CB