Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | ||||||||||||||||
| 01V200000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 10/01/1996 to 10/31/1996 | V (Vehicle) | 48600 | 09/04/2001 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/28/2001 | 07/02/2001 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This can result in impaired steering or steering loss, or a partial or complete collapse of the front suspension, increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace both upper ball joints. owner notification began september 4, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
| 01I018000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | I | 12/04/2001 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 12/04/2001 | 01/07/2002 | |||||||||
| Defect Summary | This is not a safety recall in accordance with the safety act. however, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. vehicle description: 1996-1997 4-wheel drive chevrolet blazer, gmc jimmy, and oldsmobile bravada sport utility vehicles. some owners have had to pay for replacement of the upper ball joints that have separated. gm is providing a special policy to these owners to cover upper ball joint replacement if the customer followed the recommended maintenance schedule for the chassis lubrication and the vehicle still required the replacement of the upper ball joints due to separation. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This could cause a loss of steering control of the vehicle. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Gm has decided to conduct a customer satisfaction campaign to replace the upper ball joints on affected vehicles. this special policy is for a period of 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the date the vheicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership. the upper ball joint replacement, due to separation, will be made at no charge to the customer during this period. owners can contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-862-4389, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, concerning this program. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | ||||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 3183 | 10010877 | Front axle grind whine noise in 2wd gone in 4wd. *eh | 12/15/2004 | ||
| 02015 | 01/01/2004 | 10006961 | Pop snap noise in the front suspension when braking. *mr | 05/20/2004 | |
| 01049 | 12/05/2001 | 628527 | Special policy adjustment for four-wheel and all-wheel utility vehicles that may have front suspension upper ball joints that separate at a lower mileage than expected by customers. *tt | 03/13/2002 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||||
| 01049 | 11/01/2001 | 628913 | Special policy adjustment 01049 for upper ball joint replacement. *tt | 03/22/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 03/08/2006 | 70000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 |
| Owning this vehicle has been a nightmare and a financial drain. windshield wipers worked when they chose, replaced wiper motor due to defective part. upper and lower ball joints all had to be replaced. wheel bearings had to be replaced. a/c stopped working, had it looked at and recharged and it still doesn't work. fuel gage didn't work, replaced fuel sensor and sending unit. rear wiper quit working, replaced rear wiper motor, a few days later it does not work again. replaced water pump, have replaced abs only to get a recall after the fact with no reimbursement. wears through brake pads entirely too fast. replaced alternator and battery twice. rear hatch does not unlock with key. headlights are so dim they might as well not exist. water leaks into interior on drivers side due to a bad seal. idler arm needs to be replaced. gas pedal sticks. now heater fan works sometimes. reading through the complaints we are all experiencing the same problems and nothing is being done about it. recalls issued on some vehicles but not all? now i hear gm put a bad intake manifold gasket on these as well as several other cars (1997) and did not issue a recall because it is not a safety matter! this causes antifreeze to leak into the engine and ultimately ends in a repair of at least 1500.00. after my experience with this vehicle i will be purchasing soon and it most likely will not be gm. sad since my dad worked for them for 30 years. they should be held accountable for putting a bad product on the market and leaving us to dry. *nm | |||
| 04/20/2005 | 65000 | 1 | |
| Dt: owner noticed after washing the car that the windshield wipers don't work. owner has to stop and get out and hit the windshield wiper motor in order to get the windshield wipers to work. sometimes the owner has to get out and wipe off the windshield. the auto parts store told the owner that there was no seal in the motor of the windshield wipers and this allows water to enter the motor. the owner has checked with chevrolet and they stated owner would have to pay for diagnosis and the repair. *nm the consumer believes the vehicle also has inferior ball joints. *nm | |||
| 02/02/2002 | 57000 | 1 | |
| When driving over a bump, a noise came from the vehicle, the consumer believed the problem was related to the ball joint recall. *jb | |||
| 03/31/2003 | 33500 | 1 | 10/17/1996 |
| While driving a 1997 chevrolet blazer with under 34,000 miles on it with no prior warning the left front ball joint snapped causing the wheel to bend inward causing me to lose control of the vehicle narrowly avoiding an accident. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic that found the other three ball joints to be loose and in poor condition as well. he was shocked to find such a condition on such a low mileage vehicle as well. *nlm | |||
| 08/15/1998 | 1000 | 10/01/1997 | |
| After approximately 30,000 miles, my leased s-10 blazer developed a vibration that is noticeable when driving above 60 mph. the vibration is most noticeable at 65 to 70 mph. the local dealer in roanoke, va has acknowledged that there is a vibration problem, but has been unable to fix the problem. they also told me that they had seen the same problem in other blazers with the new body style (same as mine). | |||
| 09/27/1997 | 8 | 09/27/1997 | |
| Vehicle vibrates while driving. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 07/13/2008 | 99000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet blazer. the contact stated that she experienced difficulty steering accompanied by an abnormal drift in the vehicle. she took the vehicle to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. the dealer and manufacturer stated that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 01i018000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). the contact would have to pay $644.49 for the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 99,000 and current mileage was 120,291. | |||
| 02/21/2009 | 1 | ||
| I have occurying multiple issues with my 1997 chevy blazer which include the back seat seat belts not working correctly,suspension control arm and bushings, corrosion of intake gaskets due to dexcool required coolant. *tr | |||
| 01/28/2002 | 55000 | 1 | 01/29/2002 |
| Primary: electrical failures! ignition switch; multiple electrical failures with interior lights for which no one can figure out what is happening; check engine light has come on since i purchased the vehicle even after dealer worked on it; vehicle stalling out while driving almost caused accident; alternator replacement; multiple batteries -drain for unidentified reason; fuel injection system and pump; unexplained noises in the front end; front ball joints loose for which the dealership would not replace when i bought the vehicle because they said it was within factory limits even though my mechanic said that they were not; at this point i have become afraid to drive the vehicle due to the electrical problems and stalling but feel that i have no choice because the costs to maintain the vehicle is that of the payments and sometimes more and i cannot afford the required money down to replace it. bottom line -i am getting rid of it as soon as i can since i have spoken to other owners who have had similar recurrent problems. i need a reliable vehicle. this is not one and from what i have seen and dealt with -1997 chevy blazers are not. the rule out there is you either have a good one or a bad one and i cannot afford on many fronts the one i have. at least chevy should own up to the electrical problems particularly since it is tied to a moving vehicle stalling out and putting peoples lives at risk. i will not own another chevy once i can get rid of this one. the incident date refers to the period starting with the electrical equipment failures. *la | |||
| 08/27/2001 | 11/01/1996 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/02/1999 | |||
| While driving at higher rates of speed vehicle shakes as if it needs a front end alignment.please provide any futher information. *ak | |||
| Popping noise is coming from front end, causing major erractic tire wear . dealer cannot determine defect. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1998 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| The front driver's side tire is against the wheel well, causing more wear and tear on that tire, which may result in a tire blow out. dealer said that the oversized orginal tires are causing that problem. took to a certified mechanic, he said it it is due to improper front end assembly. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 02/19/2003 | 12/01/2000 | ||
| I purchase my 97 blazer in dec 2000 with 35000 miles from a local dealer, i believe it was a previous lease vehicle. within one year i had to replace ball joints but was told that i did not qualify for a recall. in feb of 2003 i lost my heat and spent close to 2000 dollars replacing first the water pump, then the radiator. after that didn't solve the problem, the dealership told me that the system needed to be flushed with a special machine that would cost another 400 dollars. the system had to be flushed twice to get marginal heat. according to the dealership, the next move is to replace the heater core. now the wipers stop working and only restart by flipping the switch back and forth. not real good on the highway in rush hour traffic. i recently had the alternator replaced and the dealership stated that the serpentine belt was old and cracked and needed to be replaced. it actually had less than 5000 miles on it as they replaced it in february when the water pump was done, there was nothing wrong with it. the combination of lousy service from 2 different dealerships, a vehicle that has had nothing but ongoing problems will be enough to stop me from buying another gm product again. *nlm | |||
| 01/02/2002 | 82000 | ||
| Vehicle was taken in for a routine inspection for tires, consumer states that mechanic noticed that the lower control arm ball joint had failed. no warning. please provide any further information. ts | |||
| 11/01/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that the vehicle's steering became loose and wobbly. also noticed that vehicle was having excessive alignment problems. dealer diagnosed that the upper and lower front ball joints were corroded causing problems. mr | |||
| 08/02/2002 | |||
| Upper and lower ball joints have to be replaced due to the joints separating while consumer was driving. contacted dealer, and dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in recall 01i081000*ak | |||
| 07/21/2002 | 84405 | 1 | |
| While traveling at 30 mph ball joint came apart and caused the passenger side tire to go inward towards the engine. *jb there was a recall to replaced ball joints. however vehicle was not included in recall. wheel bearings, upper and lower ball joints and control arm had to be replaced. *tt | |||
| 04/01/2002 | |||
| While getting an oil change technician informed consumer that upper and lower ball joints and idle arm needededto be replaced. dealer notified, and informed that consumer that upper ball joint is cover edunder a recall, but not lower ball joint and idle arm. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 05/01/2002 | 0 | ||
| Consumer heard noises under vehicle. took it to a mechanic, and found that upper and lower ball joints were corroded. has not had any accident, but was afraid since discovering this problem.*ak | |||
| 04/01/1997 | |||
| Re: recall id 3's 01l08000 & 01v200000, dealer claims my vehicle is not included in these recalls. independent review shows that ball joints and idler arm needs replacing at less than 50k miles. will recall be expanded?*ak | |||
| 10/10/2001 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| This vehicle has had numerous problems. from bad dexcool, witch caused a major overhaul of the cooling system at approx. 37000 or 3 1/2 yr. yet chevrolet states the coolant is good for 5yr or 150,000. the front ball joints had to be replaced at approx. 35,000. just over the 3yr warranty with no help from chevy despite numerous complaints of this failure. also have had two batteries in the system one after only 3000 miles and the second one is now out at 38000 miles. there is a short in the system that still has not been found. the shift lever handle has been a changed 3 times and still rattle after approx. a month of use. the front drivers side mirror shakes to the point it is hard to see out of when driving. the hood rattles when going over bumps, which can be fixed by adding a solid rubber gasket at the top of hood to keep the hinge stops from bouncing on the frame. the front brakes had to be redone at 28,000. *ak | |||
| 12/10/2001 | |||
| Upper and lower ball joints are worn out, causing squeaking in vehicle. also, there was a recall on ball joints; but this vehicle was not included in recall due to vin. contacted dealer, and dealer stated vehicle was not safe to drive.*ak | |||
| 10/30/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Chevrolet contacted (reference # 205786717) in reference to problems with vehicle including: failed ball joint while driving, others ball joints worn at that time and replaced (they were ok when checkced in july for state inspection), failed unit available; ignition switch failed causing vehicle to stall and eventually not start; problem with excessive wear on front disc pads (causing pads to be replaced 5 times in 48,000 miles). chevreolet advises they are not going to take any actions concerning these problems. copies of letters to chevrolet & receipts available upon request.*ak | |||
| 08/15/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1997 | |
| Right front upper and lower ball joint failure, the dealer would not cover the claim, i had to use my extended warranty and they would not cover my rim that was damaged when the tire caved in from the failure.*ak | |||
| 07/17/2001 | 05/01/2000 | ||
| The gas pedal has been sticking since i bought the vehicle. when i went to get an oil change in april of 2001 i had an all point vehicle inspection done. when i went to get my vehicle they told me that i needed to replace upper & lower ball joints on the front right side of my chevrolet blazer 4wd. i phone the gm hotline & i was told the my vehicle was not included on a recent recall that i just received by e-mail from autobytel. could you please help me to find out if my vehicle is part of a recall? thank you for your time and concern. lisa cook. *ak | |||
| 03/28/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Ball joint snapped into, causing tire rim to also break in half. garage reports never seen anything like it before.*ak | |||
| 12/18/1997 | 10 | 08/26/1996 | |
| Consumer has had the vehicle in for service on numerous occasions due to problems with the suspension system, vehicle experienced continued noise and vibration problems, consumer was involved in an accident due to possible ball joint rusting and failure which caused the wheel to collapse while driving, dealership is not assisting the consumer. *mjs | |||
| 08/09/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1997 | |
| Car was making banging sound when turning. cause was identified as failed idler arm and ball joints. repaired by gm/chevy under 36,000 mile warranty. concerned that low mileage failure may reflect significant and dangerous front end problem with chevy blazer. | |||
| 12/01/1998 | 2 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Front left ball joints on my new 1997 chevy blazer failed @26k miles. they were replaced at a chevy dealership, using general motors parts. at 44k miles, the same front left ball joints failed. because it is an intricate component of the vehicle's steering mechanism, i was urged to have them replaced. i chosen not to have them replaced for fear that the replacement parts used may be defective and fail once again. i have also chosen to limit my driving of the vehicle to only local use for fear that failure may occure again, but at highway speeds which may cause an accident with injuries or fatalities. what also has lead me to believe that this is not an isolated problem was that when picking up my vehicle another customer owning the same make and model as i was also told that their ball joints needed to be replaced. coincidence? maybe so, but i'm not willing to take the risk. *ak | |||
| 07/20/2000 | 1 | 06/30/1999 | |
| When driving right front ball joint broke and the right wheel completely collapsed/broke in half when driving 40 mph. consumer has contacted dealer. *ak | |||
| 03/20/1999 | 1 | 01/01/1997 | |
| The windshield wipers came loose twice going down the highway. the front rotors had to be repaired and brake pads replaced. this problem caused severe steering difficulty. ( the mechanic told me this is a common problem in all blazers and he'll see me again in about 15-25k miles)tires had to be replaced early because they wear fast on the front. replaced ball joint recently. vehicle makes excessive noises in front end( including engine compartment) for age. vehicle has had electrical problems since purchace to include ignition replacement, fuel pump and sensors replaced, fuel guage going wacky,lights always seem dim( i have a hard time seeing at night when driving this particular vehicle), vehicle would not start on too many occasions to list and towed once while on a trip for this problem. vehicle had to be jump started on several occasions, battery seems to drain fo no apparent reason. seats and belts have been repaired about 4 times. i only detail listed items which i know the exact dates. which happened. vehicle is at the dealer right now for electrical and they are saying there is no problem. my wife and i are currently trying to work with gm on these issues, but haven't received much help. i am very dissapointed with the gm service and the dealers. i have always been a chevy person, but i don't beleive i want to own another problem. i have heard many people complain about similar problems with their 199x blazer. the two dealers which have worked on this vehicle the most try to tell my wife these problems are normal. no vehicle of this age should have this many problems. i had a 20 year old chevy truck before this blazer and didn't have nearly the problems. sorry, had to vent a little. *ak | |||
| 03/07/1997 | 1 | 03/05/1997 | |
| Front upper ball joint disconnected from knuckle causing damage to other parts. however repairs were done on the front upper ball joint, lower ball joint, knuckle, half shaft, wheel speed sensor, brake hose, wheel & tire. *yc | |||
| 11/25/1997 | 3 | ||
| While driving noticed too much play in steering wheel. took vehicle to dealer & was informed by the mechanic that the ball joints were defective. dealer knows of problem. mechanic realigned the front end. had it checked & front end alignment not done. problem still exists. play in steering getting worse. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM | |||
| 09/21/2004 | 69055 | 1 | |
| Consumer heard a noise coming from the right front of the vehicle. dealer inspected the vehicle, and found no defects. consumer was concerned that the lower control arm was defective.*ak | |||
| 06/26/2002 | |||
| Front lower control arm broke, resulting in loss of control. contacted dealer,and dealer stated that this vehicle was not included in recall 01v200000 due to vin. vehicle is outside of recall region (rust belt) *ak | |||
| 06/07/2002 | 1 | ||
| Dealership refused to honor recall. dealer claimed there was nothing wrong with lower control arms. but after a state inspection, vehicle failed due to bad lower control arms. dealer still refuseed to honor recall.*ak *yh | |||
| 09/15/2001 | 1 | 11/30/1996 | |
| Consumer received recall 01v200000 notice concerning lower control arm failure. consumer repaired recall problem in february prior to recall. consumer was seeking reimbursement, but chevrolet refused to reimburse because consumer did not use gmc parts. *ak | |||
| 12/21/1997 | 10/03/1997 | ||
| While driving the lower control arm broke, causing consumer to lose steering ability, resulting in an accident. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 130300 | 1 | 05/14/2000 |
| Failure of the lower control arm ball joint resulted in high maintenance cost for replacement. *jb | |||
| 02/11/2003 | 1 | ||
| Nar 04/10/2003 the consumer right front upper ball joints of the vehicle were damaged in addition to that both the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. and after having repairs made. with out receiving any notification there had been a recall issued for the vehicle (recall campaign #-01v200000) that cover both the upper and lower ball joints. so the consumer is requesting a reimbursement of approximately $692.84 in replacements. *cb | |||
| 02/12/2004 | 2 | ||
| While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming through the front end. vehicle was taken to independent shop, and mechanic determined the need to be replace the upper and lower ball joints. few months later, dealership replaced passenger's side hub unit at owner's expense. *ak *mr | |||
| 12/08/2003 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Recall 01v200000, lower ball joint separation: while consumer was turning into driveway a loud cracking and popping sound was heard. several days later the lower ball joints separated coming out of the driveway. a recall was issued concerning this problem, but the consumer's vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak | |||
| 72000 | 3 | ||
| Trucks upper/lower ball joints were replaced on 3 separate occasions because of premature wear. *ak | |||
| 10/16/2003 | 89218 | 1 | 05/21/2001 |
| I took my 1997 chevrolet blazer in to my mechanic to have all tires replaced. i was called about an hour later to be informed by him that both lower ball joints were bad, also the idler arm needed replaced. i was informed that there was a re-call some time ago that the manufacturer would replace at no cost to the consumer. after calling general motors, i was informed that the recall did not include the vin # for this recall. *la | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer heard screeching noises that came from the wheels. this has been occurring since 2001. it did not duplicate itself when taken to the dealer. however, owner received a letter from the manufacturer about defective ball joint's, but it wasn't a recall letter. owner did receive a reimbursement check for $400.00, which was a fraction of what it cost him to have this problem resolved.*ak | |||
| 09/24/2003 | 30600 | 0 | 09/17/1996 |
| Upper and lower ball joints needs replaced. upper ball joints were replaced with the 2001 recall from gm. vehicle has less than 31,000 miles | |||
| 87948 | 1 | ||
| While making a left turn the driver could hear a clicking noise. took to a mechanic and they stated the ball joints needed replacing. please describe further. *ph | |||
| 09/10/2003 | 1 | ||
| Nhtsa 01-i-018-000, this is not a safety recall in accordance with the safety act. however, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. vehicle description: 1996-1997 4-wheel drive chevrolet blazer, some owners have had to pay for replacement of the upper ball joints that have separated. gm is providing a special policy to these owners to cover upper ball joint replacement if the customer followed the recommended maintenance schedule for the chassis lubrication and the vehicle still required the replacement of the upper ball joints due to separation. consumer has the same problem. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 06/14/2003 | 42000 | 1 | |
| While driving there was a loud noise. lower ball joints and tranfer case have failed.*ak | |||
| 04/21/2003 | 88243 | 1 | 10/01/2001 |
| The front lower ball joints had to be replaced by the dealer. ak ph *jb | |||
| 05/07/2003 | 510057 | 01/19/1997 | |
| Gm/chevrolet cover-up on may, 07, 2003 our 1997 chevy blazer was taken in for recall work. wipers, electronic mirrors and ball joints. i might point out that the car only had 51,057 miles on it and ball joints normally last 100,000-150,000 miles easily, with proper care. my husband david, works at parkland natl auto as their machinist (28 years) and oversees the 'shop', hence that is where my vehicle gets its lube, oil and filter work. gm/chev covered all repairs, except the lower ball joints. theyve refused responsibility, unusual since uppers and lowers all work together. the upper ball joints were shot and the lower ones were absolutely thrashed. since the car had barely 51,000 miles on it, we felt that gm/chevrolet should cover all costs due to the use of inferior parts. a week after requesting compensation, we were denied a refund. gm informed us that service manager at gilchrist chev in tacoma, told them we neglected service and because of his statement they would not help compensate us. we inspected the worn out parts that gilchrist chevrolet had left in my blazer. the parts were greasable and still full of grease! the next day (tues. 5/20/03) i went into gilchrist chev to speak directly with the service mgr bob cornet. he personally, that told gm, that regardless of whether or not the ball joints had been maintained, they were shot and required replacement. he claimed he never told them that we neglected maintenance. gm is covering up their use of poor quality components in their vehicles, expecting people like us to foot the bill. they are clear to state that this is not a recall, however they are making repairs for free. iif youve already paid for covered items they will reimburse. still they maintain that the lower ball joints are not covered! it's a case of inferior parts being used in the manufacturing process and the costs being passed along to the consumer. the public should know of gm/chevrolets current practice. | |||
| 1 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| The windshield wipers, upper and lower ball joints, idler arm, cap rotor and coil wire were replaced. *ph *jb | |||
| 03/31/2003 | 0 | 05/23/2001 | |
| Took my 1997 blazer for pa. state inspection,failed because of corroded lower ball joints...replaced at my expense. mechanic also advised me to keep an eye on idler arm-looked to be weakening. i later went on dealer website and found a recall notice for upper and lower ball joints for this vehicle. i called dealer and was told my vin # was not included in recall. called chevrolet and was told there was no recall for lower ball joints, only uppers. my mechanic was shocked to see such extreme corrosion on a later model and he said it was so bad he couldn't believe it had not fallen off and caused an accident. *nlm | |||
| 04/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle experienced the same defect with the lower ball joint as stated in recall # 01 v 200 000, however the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. *jb | |||
| 06/18/2002 | |||
| Vehicle has lose steering, when vehicle hitting a bump it felt real hollow. this was a result of bad lower ball joints.*ak | |||
| 10/25/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2097 | |
| Need replacement of lower ball joints in order to pass inspection | |||
| 09/17/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was taken in for recall on the upper ball joints, consumer was also informed that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced, however they were not included in the recall.*jg | |||
| 06/05/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states having problems with the lower ball joint dislocating. nlm | |||
| 02/28/2002 | 0 | ||
| While driving steering was not working rightly. at same had received a recall notice. then ,took vehicle to dealer for upper balls joint. but, mechanic said that lower balls joints had to be replaced. warranty had expired seven days befor,e and had to be repaired at owner's espence. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 01/15/2002 | |||
| When recall 01i018000 repairs on upper ball joint were done mechanic noticed that lower ball joints needed to be replaced, as well.*ak | |||
| 09/17/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was taken in for recall on the upper ball joints, consumer was also informed that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced, however they were not included in the recall.*jg | |||
| 12/30/2001 | 2 | ||
| While driving 20 mph there was a loud knocking on front right tire, took vehicle to mechanic, consumer was then informed that there was a recall on 1997, chevrolet, blazer concerning upper and lower ball joints, it was not safe to drive vehicle. manufacturer stated this vehicle was not included in recall due to vin. *ak *slc | |||
| 08/01/2001 | |||
| Both front lower ball joints were defective. dealer was notified, and informed consumer that it was not covered under a manufacturer's recall. feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter.*ak | |||
| 10/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| Pittman arm/ idler arm, and upper and lower ball joints have corroded. a recall has been issued on vehicles make and model,; however, this vehicle was not included due to vin. the dealer has repaired vehicle at the owner's expense.*ak *slc | |||
| 06/20/2001 | |||
| While exiting interstate at 65 mph, consumer was making a right hand turn, and without warning front passenger's side wheel caved due to lower ball joint snapping. wheel caved in at about a 45 degree angle. vehicle was not driveable, and had to be towed. consumer vehicle would have rolled over if consumer droveat a higher speed. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 01/19/2001 | 1 | 09/29/2000 | |
| Fauly ball joints and idler arm caused both front tires to begin to wear on the inside tread prematurely. nlm | |||
| 01/17/2001 | 1 | 03/11/1997 | |
| Both upper ball joints and idle arm failed at low mileages of 33,000. dealer notified, and informed that vehicle was out of its warranty. *ak the consumer restated the problem saying the lower ball joints and idle arem failed rather than the upper ball joints. *yh | |||
| 04/09/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1996 | |
| When replacing tires, noticed unacceptable play in the lower ball joint on the right side. this should not have happened at only 36k. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM | |||
| 12/07/2001 | |||
| Left upper front control arm broke at 35 mph. then on 15 april 2002 upper right front control arm broke at 35 mph. there is a recall o1v200000, but this vehicle is not affected due to vin, vehicle was retailed in a non-inclusive state. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 125000 | 1 | 07/15/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet blazer. the contact stated that the suspension front upper ball joint was making a popping noise. the failure caused the vehicle to shift, which made it impossible to align the front end. the vehicle has not been taken to the dealer. she also stated that the windshield wipers worked intermittently. occasionally, the windshield wipers grind when activated. she stated that the wiper motor works, but the arms do not. if she jiggles the arms, the wipers would work temporarily. the current mileage was 130,000 and failure mileage was 125,000. | |||
| 08/14/2005 | 91844 | 1 | 05/07/2000 |
| I took my 1997 blazer to alevander chevrolot because the front end was making a grinding and popping sound on 9/23/04 miles at time of service was 86,921 they told me all that was wrong was it was dry they charged me $222.94 and said they could not find anything else. then on 8/14/05 miles at time is 91,844 which is less than 5,000 miles later the upper ball joint broke and the wheel fell over thank god we were in front of the house only doing 10 mph or we could of been killed anyway all the dealer is doing is replacing the upper ball joints on both sides the lower they say is ok they are not replacing the wheel that was destroyed or for a front alignment which will be needed to save my tires. *ak | |||
| 06/16/2005 | 1 | 01/20/2005 | |
| We were driving into our driveway doing all of about 5mph and all of a sudden it felt like there was a flat. we parked the car and got out to check it and saw the tire leaning up against the car. the upper ball joints broke off. | |||
| 11/12/2004 | 59000 | 1 | 08/01/2002 |
| Ball joint upper control arm broke as i was driving today. since i purchased this 1997 blazer i have had nothing but problems-the windshield wipers fail,the water pump has been replaced the fuel pump has also been replaced. this vehicle has less than 60,000 miles. i just found out that most of these problem have been recalled i was never notified. i purchase the vehicle used at a local dealership,whom by the way did not tell me of any of these recalls. i have had very serious and dangerous problems with this vehicle. *jb | |||
| 10/20/2004 | 104000 | 1 | |
| While making a right hand turn the front upper ball joints failed. as a result, the front end collapsed.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Nar 6-03-2003 *mr recall campaign id number -01v200000. defective ball joints. *cb | |||
| 08/16/2004 | 44000 | 1 | |
| The dealership refused to perform the upper ball joint recall 01i0018000 indicating that the truck's upper ball joints didn't have the characteristic of the recalled ball joint, although the upper ball joint have failed. *jb | |||
| 02/11/2003 | 1 | ||
| Nar 04/10/2003 the consumer right front upper ball joints of the vehicle were damaged in addition to that both the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. and after having repairs made. with out receiving any notification there had been a recall issued for the vehicle (recall campaign #-01v200000) that cover both the upper and lower ball joints. so the consumer is requesting a reimbursement of approximately $692.84 in replacements. *cb | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving at any speed driver heard a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the driver's side upper ball joint needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 02/12/2004 | 2 | ||
| While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming through the front end. vehicle was taken to independent shop, and mechanic determined the need to be replace the upper and lower ball joints. few months later, dealership replaced passenger's side hub unit at owner's expense. *ak *mr | |||
| 09/17/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer took vehicle to dealership for inspection, and mechanic determined that upper ball joints failed. *ak | |||
| 72000 | 3 | ||
| Trucks upper/lower ball joints were replaced on 3 separate occasions because of premature wear. *ak | |||
| 10/18/2003 | 78000 | 1 | |
| While driving 25 mph upper ball joints failed. this caused the front end to collapse. a recall was issued, however this vehicle was not included in recall due to vin. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer heard screeching noises that came from the wheels. this has been occurring since 2001. it did not duplicate itself when taken to the dealer. however, owner received a letter from the manufacturer about defective ball joint's, but it wasn't a recall letter. owner did receive a reimbursement check for $400.00, which was a fraction of what it cost him to have this problem resolved.*ak | |||
| 09/24/2003 | 30600 | 0 | 09/17/1996 |
| Upper and lower ball joints needs replaced. upper ball joints were replaced with the 2001 recall from gm. vehicle has less than 31,000 miles | |||
| 09/11/2003 | 98567 | 04/05/2000 | |
| Lack of assistance in remedying defects of record. soon after the notification about upper and lower ball joints on the 97 chevy blazers (my suv originated in delaware, i called the local dealership and they blew me off and wouldn't fix the problem. i had to have one replaced at my expense. now i get the same thing about the windshield wiper motor. my wipers are now intermittent. they will stop going down the road. they restart when they feel like it. most of the time they work perfectly. it is the unexpected stop that is scary. i have also received a notice on the driver seat belt. just who am i suppose to call. lindsay sure doesn't want to remedy the situations. | |||
| 87948 | 1 | ||
| While making a left turn the driver could hear a clicking noise. took to a mechanic and they stated the ball joints needed replacing. please describe further. *ph | |||
| 02/08/2003 | 142881 | 1 | |
| The right front upper ball joint of my 1997 blazer failed as i was driving on a public highway. i immediately had my blazer repaired and reported it to chevrolet under recall campaign id number 01v200000. i complied with chevrolet's directions to have the vehicle inspected by their agents at a chevrolet dealership. chevrolet refuses to provide me with a written explanation of why it has not issued payment of my claim. *nlm | |||
| 06/18/2003 | 56000 | 4 | |
| Problems with front ball joints,winshield wiper blades, and fuel pump.the front ball joints were replaced also the wind shield motor had to be replaced. the consumer had to get a new fuel pump for the cost of $400.00. consumer fells dealership should be responsible for repairs. *mr *cb | |||
| 07/23/2003 | 91910 | 1 | 08/25/2000 |
| Consumer stated the upper ball joints separated while driving at 10 mph. dealer notified.*ak ball joints separated front the control arm causing the front of the vehicle to collapse. upon investigation, the consumer found it was a recurring problem with the blazer. *ph *jb | |||
| 11/09/2000 | 50293 | 1 | 12/03/1997 |
| Vehicle's left upper ball joint snapped. *mr while driving the vehicles driver's side upper ball joint snapped. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair. soon after the consumer received a recall notice related to the upper ball joint (recall # 01048). the consumer requested reimbursement for the repairs already made but was denied. *scc *nlm | |||
| 06/09/2003 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in recall#01i01800 concerning the suspension. the dealer refused to repair, because the vehicle identification was not included. *ak *ts *jb | |||
| 70000 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle experienced the same defect with the upper control arm ball joint as stated in recall 01 v 200 000, however the vehicle identification number was not included. *jb | |||
| 1 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| The windshield wipers, upper and lower ball joints, idler arm, cap rotor and coil wire were replaced. *ph *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| The upper ball joint was inoperative, which caused the steering wheel to tighten.*jb | |||
| 08/10/2002 | 1 | 02/15/1997 | |
| While traveling at 65 mph heard a loud noise and front end suddenly went down to the ground. *ak vehicle experienced upper ball joint separation, consumer states that there was a crash with one injury, also mentions recall 01e018, but states he never received a recall. *slc | |||
| 04/22/2002 | 1 | 06/01/2097 | |
| My vehicle has been inspected by a certified mechanic as having defective upper ball joints. after investigation into a similar recall on gm vehicles i find that they are replacing these ball joints on my year and make of vehicle.the problem is that i'm told that my vin number does not fall in the recall vin numbers. well who decides what vin numbers should be covered and is it possible that they made the cutoff at the wrong point? i need to have these repairs done and i feel that every vehicle made in that year should be covered. please forward these comments to anyone that could help and especially to all chevrolet manufacturers and dealers.i guess its time to buy a ford.*ak | |||
| Tire wear due to ball joints needed to be replaced. dealer has been contacted. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| Having vehicle serviced for an upper ball joint recall, noticed however that as a result of recall repairs front two tires have an uneven wear on them. manufacturer stated did not have to do an alignment on vehicle after replacing upper ball joint. *ak | |||
| 02/28/2002 | 0 | ||
| While driving steering was not working rightly. at same had received a recall notice. then ,took vehicle to dealer for upper balls joint. but, mechanic said that lower balls joints had to be replaced. warranty had expired seven days befor,e and had to be repaired at owner's espence. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 01/01/2002 | |||
| Nhtsa recall 01-i-018-000/ manufcturer's recall 01049; vehicle was taken to dealer to have recall repairs performed on upper ball joints. vehicle was denied service due to being over 100,000 mileage as stated in recall letter. also, vehicle could lose steering. currentl, vheicle is experiencing too much play, morethan normal in steering wheel. manufacturer was notified.*ak | |||
| 01/10/2002 | 1 | ||
| While making a turn at an intersection while driving approximately 0 to 5 mph, left/ front wheel unexpectedly collapsed. local dealership determined that left upper control arm/ ball joint disconnected and caused the problem. please provide any additional information / documentation.*ak | |||
| 12/30/2001 | 2 | ||
| While driving 20 mph there was a loud knocking on front right tire, took vehicle to mechanic, consumer was then informed that there was a recall on 1997, chevrolet, blazer concerning upper and lower ball joints, it was not safe to drive vehicle. manufacturer stated this vehicle was not included in recall due to vin. *ak *slc | |||
| 10/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| Pittman arm/ idler arm, and upper and lower ball joints have corroded. a recall has been issued on vehicles make and model,; however, this vehicle was not included due to vin. the dealer has repaired vehicle at the owner's expense.*ak *slc | |||
| 07/14/2001 | |||
| While consumer was driving at 5mph wheel caved inwards. has not contacted dealer.*ak | |||
| 06/11/2001 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| While pulling into a parking space at approx. 5mph the front axle and upper ball joint snapped, causing additional damage to the abs sensor, sliced the rim among other things. tires were wearing in a odd position down to the belts, obviously due to problems in the front end. dealership is repairing now. all under warranty, except the rim since it is a nonmechanical part even though mechanical defects caused the damage. luckily this happened in a parking space and not 50ft. sooner on the 4 lane highway i was on with my 8 yr old daughter. the wheel was half on leaning into the truck. had it happened sooner there would have been an accident involving numerous people. the rear windshield wiper is intermittent and only works when it wants, causing distractions in vision while driving. sometimes the wiper will not go down for up to 30min.that is also being repaired now. contacted gm and they claim there have been no previous complaints of this matter with the axle or ball joints breaking. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | |||
| While driving at approximately 25 mph consumer lost control of vehicle and was able to bring vehicle to a stop. dealership examined vehicle, and determined that right upper ball joint had collapsed. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 04/24/2001 | |||
| Consumer was traveling 30mph. as vehicle was going around a small curve driver's side front ball joint broke. vehicle slid out of control but to a stop. consumer was minutes from home to walk. dealership didn't know what to tell consumer since it was out of warranty. manufacturer suggested to take it to a chevrolet dealer to be checked. *ak | |||
| 01/19/2001 | 1 | 09/29/2000 | |
| Fauly ball joints and idler arm caused both front tires to begin to wear on the inside tread prematurely. nlm | |||
| 10/22/2000 | 1 | 01/23/1997 | |
| At 61,000 miles left side upper ball joints broke off, causing the left front wheel to break off. dealer notified, and replaced both upper ball joints. *ak *slc | |||
| 09/29/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Consumer was traveling about 30mph on highway and front wheel separated. he heard a slight noise and was able to pull over. left driver's side wheel had came off. dealership was aware of the incident, and insisted that vehicle was driveable. he had to have it towed.*ak left front upper ball joint separated damaging the rim. the customer states the part is defective. *yh | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB | |||
| 02/12/2004 | 2 | ||
| While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming through the front end. vehicle was taken to independent shop, and mechanic determined the need to be replace the upper and lower ball joints. few months later, dealership replaced passenger's side hub unit at owner's expense. *ak *mr | |||
| 03/20/1997 | 1 | 03/05/1997 | |
| The inner / end tie rod & sleeve adjuster was replaced due to failure. also the front wheel bearing & hub assembly was repaired. *yc | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - TORSION BAR | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 2 | 10/25/1998 | |
| Torsion bar failed. yh | |||
| 01/03/1999 | 0 | ||
| Vehicle was parked since dec. 31 through jan. 03, 1999 when she heard a loud noise and noticed that the front end on the passenger side of vehicle had dropped. vehicle was towed to town and country auto. consumer was told that the torsion bar had snapped, 407-365-2606 (larry). consumer then took the defective torsion bar to a gmc dealer bill heard chevrolet 407-321-7800. heard said that they will warrenty the defect and repair free. consumer will add vin.# once received. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 03/20/1997 | 1 | 03/05/1997 | |
| The inner / end tie rod & sleeve adjuster was replaced due to failure. also the front wheel bearing & hub assembly was repaired. *yc | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 03/01/1998 | ||
| Well so far the encoder motor, the drive belt,trans. dipstick rusted,sensor in ses light,whining fuel pump, vibration in rear when leaving from stop,now the car stalls while driving along.and you never know when it will ,it may go several miles before doing so and it may only go a couple before doing so. i feel that it is very dangerous not knowing whether you can get out of the way or not.the dealer tells me he is pretty sure that it is the fuel pump.but can not tell me for sure that it will take care of the problem....and the part alone is 518.00 we have a van with 142k miles and a truck with 262k miles so we feel like we maintain our vehicles or would not get the mileage..really concerned with this vehicle.....which was a fleet vehicle purchased from auction....and we were told differently.....i want to be able to get satisfaction from somewhere....please help. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 05/03/2001 | 0 | ||
| When wife was moving back hatch shock absorber ripped out of place unexpectedly.*ak | |||