Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SEATS
22080108/22/2001625141Customers may comment that the seat recliner handle is stripped. *jg11/16/2001
SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - POWER ADJUST
04085001709/01/200410011080Power seat inoperative fore/aft after being moved all the way rearward. *tt12/29/2004

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SEATS
11/24/2004780001
 Lever to adjust passenger seat broke off, it was like this when we purchased the vehicle in 2004. i see that many others have had problems with their seat levers as well. this just affects my passenger seat, as the drivers seat is electronic. *tr
08/22/20081500001
 My power seat shorted out while i was driving and set my shorts on fire, vehical completly burned to the ground despite three fire trucks showing up in about 5 min. , reported to gm , but the said since vehical was destroyed they are not to blame. *tr
07/07/2008800001
 1998 chevy s10 blazer seat recliner handle too weak for use needs better product. *tr
06/03/2003110/14/2000
 As reported in odi id number : 758908 i also am having problems with dome light coming on for no reason, the noise for the turn signal would come on without the turn signal being on (my turn signals worked perfectly fine) and the handle you use to adjust the seat back broke off on passenger front seat.*ak
04/17/2003
 While driving and without warning the driver seat became loose which caused the seat to rock. *nlm
01/11/2003
 When reclining the drive seat, the latch snapped. as a result, the driver seat is unstable. dealer has been notified. ph
09/30/200285000302/01/2001
 The driver lifted the handle to recline the passenger side seat and the handle broke, without using excessive force. a week later the driver side handle broke also. there is a tis bulletin (220801) for this problem. ts the driverside handle was replaced prior to purchase and broke after only 34,000 miles. *jg
05/01/2002205/01/2002
 When we purchased the blazer it had 36000 miles on it. the day after we purchased it the seat adjuster arm for the drivers seat broke off. we weren't doing anything heinous, just adjusting the seat. we contacted the dealership and they agreed to fix it. approximately 11 months thereafter, the seat adjuster arm broke off again. only we were at 52,000 miles so we were sold. the passengers seat adjuster broke off about 6 months ago and the passenger cut her leg. i contacted biddles chevrolet and they quoted me $105 for the part and 8 hours of labor to fix it. i then contacted chevrolet about 3 months there after, and hence the process began. in the process of my research, i found that chevrolet had issued a tsb with the nhtsa for this specific issue. it seems that chevrolet knew about this problem and failed to contact owner's of the blazers. my guess is it worked out to their statistical advantage. needless to say, about a week ago my brother in law questioned me because he was looking to buy a blazer about the same year as mine. he asked if there was anything wrong with the car. when i told him just the seat adjuster's he told me that he had contacted 4 other owners and they indicated the same thing. the only thing i want is the seat fixed no more no less. dt
03/13/2002109/01/2001
 There was a recall for this exact problem in chevy trucks in 1996... please see nhtsa campaign id number 96e010000 for the exact problem. the seat recliner to seat frame attaching bolts fractured which has resulted in the passenger seat reclining at all times. nlm
09/10/2001104/01/1998
 Seat adjustment lever broke off when attempting to adjust seat. the metal (aluminum?) rod the plastic handle attaches to sheared. no weight was against the seat back at the time of the failure.*ak
507/01/1998
 Arm that holds reclining seat handle has broken 2 to 3 times on both front seats without abusive treatment.*ak
01/15/2001107/01/1999
 The metal shafts on the manual front seat recliners have broken three times. the first on drivers side was under warranty. the next time on drivers side is not, as well as the third on the passenger side. the estimated repair cost is $134.50 for each seat. i contacted chevrolet who told me they would need a diagnosis from dealership, and then might not be able to help with problem. i contacted dealerships by phone and was told they have had the problem with the seats before. my request # with chevrolet is 03524972, and i spoke with angelia montgomery. i really think something ought to be done with this problem, as it seems to be a recurring problem not only with me but others as listed on your complaint database. as far as the actual dates of the shaft breakings, i cannot say except for the one on 03/08/01. thank you so much.*ak
12/31/1997112/01/1997
 Right rear seat won't fold down, seat was improperly installed. *slc
310/01/1998
 Drivers side recliner has failed (4) times. passenger side has failed (1) time. aside from the inconveionce of taking the car to be repaied again and again.i feel there is a safety issue.if i drive some place and recline the seat and it breaks in the reclined position the car is not safely drivable from a prone position. this could be a very dangerous problem depending on conditions and/or situation. i have talked to some gm parts counter persons.i was informed that this is an ongoing and common problem. this was confirmed by an independent upolstry shop which does these repairs on a sublet basis. i have examend the part , i am not an engineer but i know that such a critical high stress part should not be made from such a soft material. your attention to this problem will be apreceaited. thank you. sincerly mark l. stewart
06/18/1999108/11/1998
 Left front seat outer recliner shaft failed. mjs
11/24/1999
 The manual adjustments broke of both the right and left front seats. one month after purchasing my vehicle, parts of the muffler had to be replace car. the emergency brakes stick. the passenger side airbag lights comes on for and extended period for no reason. *ak
01/09/200002/14/1998
 Tensioner belt broke, and engine shut off. cause unknown. also, driver and passenger side seats slide up and down when braking and accelerating. *ak *ml
10/29/1999
 When driving vehicle seat has to be hit more than once to lock into place. also, the tensioner drive belt came apart. had to be towed. the dealership has been notified. *ak
103/05/1998
 Passenger seat lumbar system failed. yh
07/20/1999107/17/1998
 Passenger seat recliner lever. yh
11/01/1997206/01/1997
 Driver side recliner handle broke. serpentine belt tensioner came apart.
06/10/1998311/15/1997
 Driver side lumbar support failed.
 The passenger's side seat recliner and track broke, causing the seat to move forward and backwards, will not lock and in a upright position. *ak
02/01/199812/10/1997
 Passenger's seat adjustor lever position causes the occupant's clothing to get stuck in this lever, almost injuring the occupant while exiting out of the vehicle. the 1999 blazer changed the location of the passenger's adjustor lever. *ak *ml
08/18/1998
 Due to the location and the style of the manuel seat handle behind the left knee of the driver, when exiting the vehicle consumer dress got caught in the handle, resulting in the consumer falling out the vehicle face first. consumer sustained some minor injuries. consumer has contacted the dealer. please provide any further details. *ak
SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - HEAD RESTRAINT
06/10/1999
 While folding the backseat head restraint folds down on consumer fingers, causing injury to the fingers. please provide further information. *ak
SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - POWER ADJUST
08/01/1998110/01/1997
 Seat tilt control failed. yh
 Front passenger's side seat power adjusting lever is located in front of seat rather than underneath seat, causing the passenger's leg to get caught in seat lever ,possble injuries. *ak
SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER
08/01/20052
 My 1998 blazer's driver's and passenger's seat adjustment lever broke off when attempting to adjust seat. i am unable to adjust the seat for proper driving position. the driver's seat lever broke at 30,000 miles and the passenger seat lever broke about 40,000 miles. i have been driving this vehicle utilizing vice grips to hold the driver's seat and passenger seat in place. these seats are no longer adjustable and presents a safety hazard. inquiries from other individuals that own this vehicle have had the same problem. further investigation revealed that at some point the manufacturer distributed a service bulletin regarding this defect. i am concerned as to why there has not been a recall and why i have not been notified of this ongoing problem. obviously, numerous consumers owning the blazer are faced with this same problem. i feel the lever should be replaced at no cost to the consumer since it is apparently a manufacturing defect and a safety issue. *tr
07/23/20061
 1998 chevy blazer with multitude of problems, which chevy denies. including wiper failure, brake failure, complete corrosion of anything touched by dexcool, and on and on. very unsafe vehicle!!!!! *nm
01/01/19011
 Consumer was injured by the seat adjustment handle on the 1998 chevrolet blazer.*mr the consumer and her husband were involved in an accident when the incident with the seat adjustment handle occurred. *jb
12/02/200131956311/28/2001
 Dt: consumer states that the levers on the front two seats broke. this has been happening since 2001. the owner contacted the dealer and the manufacturer. the manufacturer told the owner to keep replacing the levers with the same identical part with what they provided. afterwards, the dealership replaced the levers. they kept breaking. owner decided to go to an independent repair shop were the levers were made out of metal and were lasting . they have not broken since the owner changed the levers to metal. currently, the owner was going to have to replace the lever on the other seat which would cost $113.52. the owner stated that there should be a recall, that they replace the lever with real metal instead of flimsy metal, and the manufacturers should reimburse the consumer. *ak *jb
07/17/200273939511/01/1997
 My wife and i have had to make major repairs to our 1998 blazer. we had to replace the water pump ($294.55) in october 2002. then, the transmission started slipping and got worse. we took it to aamco, where we were informed that it had to be rebuilt. this was in july of 2002. the total cost was ($2077.37). i inquired that same month at chevrolet about recalls, and they said that there were none. since then, we have had numerous minor problems with the lame suv, including broken recliner handles, steering that pulls and grinds, and a malfunctioning electrical system (clicking sounds from under the glove box, three batteries replaced). i saw a report last week about the use of dexcool and its possible link to problems in gm vehicles. are there any remedies available at this time? *ak
11/03/20041
 While adjusting the passenger side seat the latch sheared off. consumer contacted the dealer, and mechanic asked consumer to bring the vehicle in for inspection. *ak
10/01/19995
 Consumer stated the front driver and passengers seat the lever. broke off. the consumer contacted the dealership and was able to get it fixed under warranty. however, the levers broke three times after that, which has totaled up to five times. please provide any further information. *jb
06/12/200353000107/24/2001
 Like so many others, passenger side recline lever has broken. metal sheared off so whole rod will need to be replaced. unit was not forced and snapped off. think gm needs to recall this defective item and replace it free of charge.*ak
06/15/2004900003
 Windshield wipers did not work. also, the handles on the driver and passenger seats broke, and water pump was defective.*ak
07/29/200429000309/06/1997
 I recently had to replace the ball joints and idler arm on my 1998 chevrolet blazer. i was advised by the dealership that this is a constant problem. i do not understand that if the manufacturer knows that there is a problem with the steering components becoming defective, then why don't they solve the problem. this is the third set of balljoints that have needed to be instaledl on the vehicle. the first set along with the pitman arm went defective at 29,000 miles and the dealership replaced them under the manufactures warranty.
04/19/200256770705/25/1998
 1. driver and passenger seat recliner levers have broken over last few yrs, drivers side replaced 3 times, i had to pay 100. deductible to fix each time. 2. fuel guage indicator showed fuel tank 1/'2 full, no gas in the tank,car stopped in a dark street in an unsafe part of town, had to pay $100. deductible to fix, no warning lights to show gas empty, car just suddenly stopped. 3.rear trunk latch would not work, had to pay deductible for dealer to fix. 4. windshiield wiper mechanism stopped working, dealer replaced after we paid deductible. 5. currently there is a rubbing noise from the brake pedal when pedal depressed, car no longer under extended warranty, was brought to dealer's attn sev times before warrnty expired, dealer mech could find no problm. *ak
1
 While driving 60 mph the vehicle was involved in a side impact accident on the passenger side. as a result the vehicle slammed into a wall and the driver's seat back collapsed. please provide any additional information. *nm
11/06/20031
 Passenger seat recliner lever broke twice - repaired by dealer first time at cost of $150.00- will cost the same for second failure lever shaft sheared. how many of these failures does this agency need to initiate corrective action?*ak
06/01/200356000104/27/1998
 Front seat recliner handles broke. *ak
11/18/200361000104/27/1998
 Bucket seat recliner handles broke. *ak
09/16/200270193108/16/1998
 Passenger seat recliner lever broke, 4 wheel drive will not engage (encoder motor) altenator light is on (replace). *la
05/21/200149647108/26/1998
 Driver's seat recliner lever broke , excessive play in steering (steering gear shot). *la
01/28/199921498108/26/1998
 Driver's seat recliner lever broke, rear differential leaking. *la
03/06/200035600108/26/1998
 Passenger seat recliner lever broke off, rear differential front seal leaking, temperature display changes to celsius when raining, tailgate cover broke. *la
06/15/200268000012/14/2001
 Both the driver and passenger recliner handles where broken. one broke without being used or touched. *la
08/27/2003109/01/2000
 Both driver side and passenger side seat back reclining bolt disconnected from the seat when trying to recline. *ak *nlm
02/01/200250000212/12/1998
 The handle controlling the recline function on both driver and passenger seats has broken. the driver side was replaced once while under warranty, both seats are now in an upright position. around april, 2003, the hood latch broke and it takes forever to maneuver to get the hood up to check the oil. *nlm
06/28/200365000203/10/1998
 Windshield wipier do not come on sometimes and at others will not turn off, also will go from itermittent to full speed without being selected. front seat recliner handles both have broken off, left side twice.*ak
06/23/2003107/07/1998
 My abs light goes on frequently. i have been in a couple of almost collisions. in slow moving traffic, the sensor goes on and freezes my brakes. my car has been to dealership and to repair centers and all companies say they there is nothing wrong. the solution each time was just to replace the sensor, however, even driving out of dealership the abs light went on. i have read in the past similar instances with abs problems, is there ever going to be a recall, or is it going to take a serious lawsuit/accident before the problem gets fixed? i also have experienced the right passenger seat handle breaking, and it is still broken. *jb
08/27/200278433205/25/2001
 Seat handles to recline front seats broke off on both passenger and driver seats. *jb
11/15/2002101/10/2001
 Driver's seat handle sheared off during use due to component manufacturing of soft metal.*ak
05/29/200335000106/16/1998
 The seat back, transfer case, and windshield wiper motor all failed. *ak *cb the parking brake was adjusted, the air condition blew warm air, and the oil cooler lines were replaced.*jb
07/01/2002400002011/30/2001
 Had to replace altenator. handle of passenger seat fell off in hand, causing riding and sitting difficult. puts me right up to the air bag. purchased this vehicle to take my husband to nashville, for his heart transplant visits, needed a reliable vehicle. on the last trip there, 70 mph, in hard rain, no windshield wipers, just quit on the expressway, in heavy traffic. gas pedal also sticks, and pushes with force, when it releases. (wonder we haven't hit someone). being on social security,we thought paying extra, for and extended warranty would protect us. (a wasted $1800.00) the payment takes almost half our income, we can't afford to fix the manufacturers mistakes. by looking at the other complaints, we're not the first with the above problems. very unhappy consumer. our first payment on the blazer was 1-14-02, we began having these problems 6 months later. *tt
03/02/200356025102/05/2001
 After parking my 1998 blazer and opening the door to get out of the vehicle, the driver's side seat back adjuster lever just fell off. i very rarely ever adjust the seat back.*jb
12/11/2002212/31/1999
 Front bucket seat release piece has come off once on both front seats, already off for second time for driver side (and not that i use it that much either!). cannot move the location of the back of the front seat, making sitting straight up very tiring and aggravating for driving!*jb
03/01/200358800102/15/2001
 Seat back adjustment lever snapped off with normal use. although the adjustment lever is seldom used, the metal shaft failed and the handle came off in the driver's hand.*jb
01/01/20014000010/01/1998
 The handle used to recline the front seats have both broken off. the passenger one broke off first and fortunately it was still under warranty. when i was at the dealership, i noticed there were four other chevy blazers in the same day with the same problem. several months later the driver's side handle broke off. it is not under warranty and the dealer refuses to fix this problem. ts
09/30/1999303/31/2000
 Consumer states that the drivers side front bucket seat latch had broke twice within two years, and the passenger side broke also at 80000. *nlm *scc
08/12/2002107/11/2002
 The lever controlling reclining seat broke off when the consumer applied a little pressure. the consumer stated that the shaft on which the lever was mounted was not a strong metal. *yh consumer adds when the lever broke after using it for the first time, the lever had been worn or lack lubrication. manufacturer notified. *tt *dt
09/12/2001
 Recliner seat handle on both driver's side and passenger's side broke without accessive force. had them replaced. they broke again.*ak
09/01/2002510/01/2098
 This has been a chronic problem since 1999 with this vehicle. it is clearly a design problem with the part ( the shaft that the adjustment handle is attached to) and poor quality of materials, mr. castinas service manager advises that while there have been service bulletins on the problem that the total part was redesigned about a year ago and that they have been putting in the revised part ever since though the revised part has broken again (installed 12/01) on the drivers side.this is the 4th replacement on the drivers side, once on the passengers side.this is the 5 th repair to this part. this is the shaft and lever that is on the side of the seat and adjust the front to back tilt on the seat. each time it has sheared off the shaft where the collored handle fits on the shaft where a screw fits into a notched part of the shaft. the shaft at the handle is descending in size as it fits into a metal collor on the plastic handle. iam skeptical based on my experience that this fourth repair on the drivers side will finally remedy this problem. there has been no abuse by me or others to this part. indeed it has rarely been used and has broken twice in my wife's hand and once in a child's hand. while this has not happened i am concerned that if there is design defect to the operation of the shaft that there is potential for the seat to flop back into a reclining position while the driver is driving.*ak
06/13/2002
 Front seat handle snapped, and consumer is unable to recline seat for adjustment. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak
04/29/2002
 Consumer was reclining seat and seat latch lever broke off in hand. dealer was notified. please probide more information.*ak
06/01/2001209/01/1998
 Dome light would come on for no reason, the noise for the turn signal would come on without the turn signal being on (my turn signals worked perfectly fine)and the handle you use to adjust the seat backs broke off on both front seats. also, the latch on the inside on the vehicle which you pull to release the hood broke. wondering if anyone else had problems with this vehicle.
02/21/200205/01/1998
 Replaced both seat adjusters. replaced battery after it broke and leaked on the cable operating the 4wd. replaced the cable operating the 4wd. replaced both back windows, (2-door) the seals kept coming out in front of the doors making it hard to open the doors. replaced drivers side mirror. seat belt warning light was staying on. lastly the lower ball joints, tie rod ends, pittman arm and idler arm have been replaced. all done under warranty except the front end components. what a crappy car!
211/01/1999
 The seat reclining levers broke off on both front seats. driver side broke first, then passenger side broke about 4 months later.
12/01/1999305/01/1998
 Latch that moves seat to different positions broke three times. *ak dealer has inistalled latch twice, however it keeps breaking and locking when in a tilted position, consumer states the broken latch has cut his leg when getting out of vehicle. *slc
10/02/19980
 Lever that reclines passenger's and drivers seat has broken 3 times on passenger's side, and 1 time on driver's side. once while driving, driver's seat fell back. consumer felt this was dangerous. *ak
12/01/1999305/15/1998
 Handle that adjusts seat to different positions broke three times . seat is being held in place by a 2 ply board. *ak screw sticks out and has cut consumer on the leg. *slc
201/01/1998
 The seat recline lever has already been relaced once and is never used. *ak
 Tilt seat recliner sticks in place. dealer has inspected vehicle.*ak
01/01/19991008/01/1998
 Loud clunk noise is heard from the exhaust system under vehicle during start-up and engine shutoff, cruise control shuts off during operation at 55+ mph, front passenger seat recliner handle broke off without force, handle on the cargo shade in the rear broke during cold temperatures, driver side mirror shakes while driving, fog lamps keep blowing out on both sides, gas pedal sticks often, causing a safety hazzard in traffic.*ak
110/01/1999
 Seatback latch on driver and passenger sides seat has broken, and been replaced once. latches have broken again. dealr has been contacted.*ak
02/01/1998
 I have contacted gm several times to no avail.here are my problems.the right side latch on the seat has been replaced three times by apple valley cherolet. now the one on the left has broken.this is a two door vehicle and the only way to get in and out of back seat.this car is not mistreated to have this happen.three times it has left me sitting and wont start sometimes you can tell when its going to happen because the lights will dim and the charging gage will drop they have tried to repair this but havent,the windsheild wipers now will delay for about five times then they just stop in the middle of the windsheild or keep running as fast as they can until you turn them off and start over,the four wheel drive system kicks in on its own and you have to stop to get it back to two wheel drive,not the light on the dash it stays in two,the brakes are spongee and go almost all the way to the floor,gm said my blazer wasnt in the recall for the brakes because of where it was made,the exhaust smells like sewer i dont know if i have an exhaust leak or not,when i received this vehicle i ordered it in december of 97 and received it in feb. of 98.the bolt was missing off of the strut,they replaced that and alligned the front end and it still will not stay in allignment,since the warranty has ran out 4,000 miles ago we have replaced a belt tightner and a water pump
3
 The front reclining seat adjusters on driver side and passenger side have been worked on twice and keep failing. the seat will lock in a certain position and can not be readjusted without being worked on by a service tech. this can make it hard to drive the vehicle if the seat recline can not be readjusted.*ak
10/10/2000408/01/1998
 The seat recline lever routinely fails because of defective design it is dangerous because it puts the driver and or passenger in a unsafe position to the air bag gm is aware of the problem but refuse to fix the defective design or replace. *ak
08/01/2000110/01/1999
 Maual adjust handle metal shaft (rod) broke while attempting to adjust seat back angle. minimum force was used. dealership estimated > 150.00 to replace shaft as seat will have to be removed. this metal shaft should'nt have failed so easily.
08/04/1999404/22/1998
 Driver's seat back latch has broken four times. dealer has repaired the vehicle three times under warranty. *ak
 The front bucket seat latch does not lock properly. the dealer has repalced the seat latch. *ak
SEATS - MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
05/01/200461500112/01/2001
 At the time of purchase the dealer could not get both sides of the back seats to lay flat only the right side. another complaint is i took my vehicle to the shop because it sounded like the right front tire was warped and when the mechanic did the diagnosis of the front the hub assembly had to be replaced. i was wondering if any complaints have been made or is there pending recalls for these. *ak
04/01/19983
 Driver's rear seat adjustment broke 3 times, and caused seat to move to an uprigtht position. therfore the driver is not able to adjust seat back for suitable driving position. chevrolet cannot determine cause. *ak