THE INTAKE GASKET IN THE ENGINE HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND IT'S LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, GASOLINE (MAYBE), AND OTHER FLUIDS REALLY BADLY.
1999 Chevrolet Blazer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Blazer years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
161 reports with mileage · 275 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.
- Suspension. Review the 72 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
436 reportsAPPLIED BRAKES & PEDAL SUDDENLY STARTED SINKING TO THE FLOOR. WAS ABLE TO STOP DUE TO SLOW SPEED. SCARED ME TO DEATH & NEARLY HIT A CAR. IF HAPPENED ON FREEWAY IT COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. LATER FOUND THAT A REAR DRIVER SIDE STEEL BRAKE LINE MOUNTED METAL ON METAL, HARD TO FIND BEHIND WHEEL WELL & ON FRAME, HAD RUSTED THROUGH. …
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APPLIED BRAKES & PEDAL SUDDENLY STARTED SINKING TO THE FLOOR. WAS ABLE TO STOP DUE TO SLOW SPEED. SCARED ME TO DEATH & NEARLY HIT A CAR. IF HAPPENED ON FREEWAY IT COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. LATER FOUND THAT A REAR DRIVER SIDE STEEL BRAKE LINE MOUNTED METAL ON METAL, HARD TO FIND BEHIND WHEEL WELL & ON FRAME, HAD RUSTED THROUGH. ALL OTHERS NEAR IT ARE ALSO IN EQUALLY BAD CONDITION. NO MOVING PART TO WEAR OUT & THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR SUCH CHEAPNESS ON SUCH A SAFETY RELATED ITEM. *TR
HAD DRIVER SIDE IMPACT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ALSO HAD TO USE JAWS OF LIFE TO GET DASH OF LEFT LEG. *TR
I AM SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS BRAKES AND THE FRONT END BALL JOINTS. I AM ACTUALLY AFRAID TO DRIVE MY BLAZER AFTER READING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HAVE TO DRIVE MOUNTAIN ROADS AND ALONG A RIVER TO GET TO A BIGGER CITY. I AVERAGE AB…
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I AM SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS BRAKES AND THE FRONT END BALL JOINTS. I AM ACTUALLY AFRAID TO DRIVE MY BLAZER AFTER READING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HAVE TO DRIVE MOUNTAIN ROADS AND ALONG A RIVER TO GET TO A BIGGER CITY. I AVERAGE ABOUT ONCE A MONTH THIS TRIP AND IF I MY BLAZER WAS TO HAVE A WHEEL FALL OFF BECAUSE OF A BAD BALL JOINT SYSTEM I AND MAYBE OTHERS WOULD BE DEAD OR SERIOUSLY HURT. I HAVE OVER THE YEARS REPLACED MY BALL JOINTS SEVERAL TIMES AS THEY KEEP GOING BAD, MUCH MORE THAN JUST NORMAL WEAR IT APPEARS. I ALSO HAVE FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS OR SO HAVE HAD THE ABS LIGHT COME ON AND THE ABS BRAKES COME INTO PLAY WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A STOP ON DRY ROADS. THERE ARE TIMES THE LIGHT IS ON WHEN I FIRST START MY BLAZER AND HAVEN'T EVEN MOVED YET. A MECHANIC THAT LOOKED AT IT SAID THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE SENSOR WOULD NEED REPLACING. I DID NOT HAVE IT DONE AS IT WAS GOING TO BE SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE A RECALL? HOW CAN PEOPLE TELL YOU OF THE PROBLEMS THEY TOO ARE HAVING, WHEN THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT IT IS NOT JUST THEIR VEHICLE. LIKE ME, I HAD NO IDEA THERE WERE THESE PROBLEMS GOING ON FOR OTHER PEOPLE TOO. LIKE I SAID I NOW AM AFRAID ABOUT HAVING A MAJOR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE BALL JOINT/SUSPENSION PROBLEM THAT IS TALKED ABOUT ON THIS WEBSITE. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO BUY A NEW VEHICLE. CAN'T WE GET HELP BEFORE SOMEONE HAS TO BE HURT OR KILLED? *TR
1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER LT - MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH (COMMON PROBLEM!) IS MALFUNCTIONING. TURN SIGNAL/FLASHER RELAY IS CONSTANTLY CLICKING WHETHER SIGNALS ARE IN USE OR NOT -- UNLESS THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. GOOD SIGN OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE IS THE GREASE INSIDE THE SWITCH, APPLIED AT THE FACTORY, RUNNIN…
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1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER LT - MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH (COMMON PROBLEM!) IS MALFUNCTIONING. TURN SIGNAL/FLASHER RELAY IS CONSTANTLY CLICKING WHETHER SIGNALS ARE IN USE OR NOT -- UNLESS THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. GOOD SIGN OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE IS THE GREASE INSIDE THE SWITCH, APPLIED AT THE FACTORY, RUNNING FROM CONTACT TO CONTACT. THIS SWITCH INCLUDES THE WIPERS, CRUISE CONTROL, TURN SIGNALS, HAZARDS, AND CAN ALSO CAUSE VEHICLE LIGHTING (HEADLIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS) TO MALFUNCTION. MANY CASES INCLUDE NON-WORKING BRAKE LIGHTS! OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SMOKE COMING FROM THE SWITCH AS THE CONTACTS ARE SHORTED BY THE GREASE. I INHERITED THIS VEHICLE FROM MY GRANDFATHER, WHO COULDN'T HEAR THE RELAY FIRING -- IT IS THE ONLY INDICATOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE THAT SOMETHING MAY BE GOING WRONG. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE INDICATORS INSIDE THE VEHICLE LETTING A PERSON KNOW THEIR LIGHTS ARE MALFUNCTIONING. AS THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS YEAR OF BLAZER (THOUGH I UNDERSTAND OTHER YEARS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM RECALLED), I WILL BE REPLACING THE SWITCH ON MY OWN. DEALER QUOTED THE PRICE FOR THE PART ALONE WELL OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE (NEVERMIND LABOR), SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SHOP AROUND TO GET THE VEHICLE IN SAFE DRIVING CONDITION. THANKS FOR READING. I APPRECIATE IT! *TR
BRAKES FAILED, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, UPON INSPECTION FOUND LINES RUSTED IN REAR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY, CAUSING AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE AND TIME. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGN…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY, CAUSING AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE AND TIME. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK) BUT DID NOT RECEIVE CONFIRMATION OF WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR CLICKS WHEN TURN SIGNALS NOT IN USE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT MY WIFE TRIED TO STOP AND THE BRAKES JUST MADE THAT ABS BUZZING NOISE AND WAS NOT STOPPING. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE WHEEL BEARING ABS SENSOR BEING BAD NOT THE WHEEL BEARING ITSELF THIS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAPPEN AS IT IS A DANGER/ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED ISSUE WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND THE CUR…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET BLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED ISSUE WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BALL JOINTS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 55,000.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
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Additional source detail variants (7)
Suspension:front:control Arm
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Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm
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Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
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Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Arm
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Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint
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Suspension:front
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Suspension
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Illustration