1999 Chevrolet Blazer

DURING MAINTENANCE, OWNER NOTICED COOLANT GETTING DIRTY. HAD IT FLUSHED FOUR TIMES. HEATER QUIT WORKING AFTER FIRST FLUSH. BROWNISH-GRAY SLUDGE WAS BLOCKING THE HEATER CORE. MECHANIC STATED IT WAS DUE TO A SMALL LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING SMALL AMOUNTS OF DIRTY AIR AND OIL TO MIX WITH COOLANT. SINCE HAVING GASKET REPLACED, COOLANT HAS NOT GOTTEN DIRTY AGAIN. VORTEC ENGINES 1999-2003 WERE PRONE TO THIS GASKET FAILURE. DEXCOOL DOESN'T MIX WELL WITH DIRT OR OIL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AN OIL LEAK WAS NOTICED AND THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, THEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A FAILED OIL COOLER LINE AND "O" RINGS. THE LINE AND RING WAS REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE NOT THE ISSUE AS MUCH AS THE ENGINEERING CAUSING EXPENSIVE LABOR COSTS FOR A SMALL PART TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.

PURCHASED USED 99 BLAZER FOR BUSINESS USE. 8 MILES FROM DEALERS SITE, THE DAY OF PURCHASE, VEHICLE OVERHEATED - 18,200 MILES ON IT. DEALER REPLACED RADIATOR AND HOSES - FULL FLUSH OF SYSTEM - REFILLED WITH DEXCOOL, AT NO CHARGE. SOLIDIFIED RUSTY SLUDGE CLOGGED RADIATOR, HEATER CORE, AND HOSES - HAD IDENTICAL PROBLEM WITH 96 BLAZER. PERSONALLY REPLACED DEXCOOL WITH ZEREX. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HAS SEEN 15-18 OF THESE IN LAST TWO YEARS.*JB

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

I HAD VALVE NOISE AND TOOK TO LOCAL DEALER TO CHECK. DEALER CALLED AND TOLD ME IT NEEDED A VALVE JOB. AFTER THE VALVE JOB DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOISE IN LOWER PART OF ENGINE AND THOUGHT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS 1999 BLAZER HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT. I FEEL GM SHOULD COVER PART OF THIS EXPENSE. DEALER WOULD NOT HELP WITH THIS. *JB

I PURCHASED A 1999 CHEVROLET S10 BLAZER IN MARCH 2002. SINCE THEN, I HAVE REPLACED A FRONT END, A REAR END AND A TRANSMISSION. NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR END AGAIN. I HAVE 143000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND I AM NOT HAPPY WITH IT ALL. I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING DONE BY GM IN REGARDS TO MY PLIGHT. I HAVE HAD GM CARS MOST OF MY LIFE AND NEVER HAD ONE AS BAD AS THIS. I AM READY TO GO TO A FOREIGN VEHICLE. THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE WORST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE IMPACTED A TREE, HEAD ON. THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, RESULTING IN INJURIES OF THE CONTACT'S LEFT KNEE, ELBOW AND HEAD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND PICTURES WERE TAKEN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO THE JUNKYARD. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS DETERMINED BY THE INSURER TO BE TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. 08/04/06 CHEVY DRIVER HIT A CAR IN HER LANE FIRST, THEN RICOCHETED HEAD ON INTO A TREE. NEITHER TIME DID AIRBAGS DEPLOY. *TT