1997 Chevrolet Blazer Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about windshield wipers that stop or run on their own, a fuel gauge that reads full or half-tank when the tank is empty, and brakes that grab, lock or feel weak. Many reports involve hard 1-2 shifting in the automatic transmission and front-suspension noise or failures. Complaints cluster from roughly 45,000 to 130,000 miles, and several describe parts failing while driving or after long trips rather than gradually at low mileage.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop, run on their own, or won't turn off

   • 113 complaints (15%)
   • median 91,100 mi at 7.5 yrs old (38 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2009

   Owners describe wipers that quit mid-sweep, only work on the wrong speed setting, keep running after being switched off, or stay dead until the arms are moved by hand. Several say it happened in rain, forcing them to pull off the road, and that a dealer replaced the wiper motor or wiper cover module. Some owners note that a similar wiper campaign covered other vehicles but their truck was not included by VIN. Reported across the range from about 12,000 up to 170,000 miles, often after several years in service and usually noticed in rain or wet weather.

   What to check: Turn the wipers on and off at every speed and watch for parking or running-on; ask whether the wiper motor or module has been replaced. Moving the arms by hand to see if they start is a quick field test.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The windshield wipers don't work all the time. The last 10 times that I tried to turn them on, they didn't 5 of those times. This has been happening on and off for the past month. Last night I had to pull into the breakdown lane on the highway across 3 lanes in a downpour, because the wipers just stopped operating. I was almost hit because I couldn't see anything.”

   NHTSA complaint #10266244, filed 2009-04, 170,200 miles

   “Erratic windsheild wiper blades on my 1997 Blazer s-10. The wipers will not come on sometimes unless the wiper arms are moved by hand. When that happenes, it is difficult at times to get them working. There was a recall on the wipers for the 1996 balzer and the 1997 s-10. My vehicle has the exact same wiper system as both of the recalled vehicles. My vehicle needs to be recalled and repaired.”

   NHTSA complaint #10120070, filed 2005-05, 90,000 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front upper ball joint failure and front-end noise

   • 108 complaints (14%)
   • median 78,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $668 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2010

   Owners describe grinding or popping from the front end that a dealer sometimes dismissed as dryness, followed by an upper ball joint breaking and the wheel folding over. Several say they were told their vehicle was not covered under the upper control arm ball joint campaign, or that a claim was still unresolved. Some reports pair the joint failure with lower ball joint or idler arm wear. Reported from about 44,000 miles up through the 140,000s, and in some cases shortly after a dealer inspection found nothing wrong.

   Recall 01V200000

   What to check: Check whether the upper ball joint campaign work was performed for this VIN, and have the front end inspected for play, popping or grease loss before driving on it.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10032530, filed 2003-08, 142,881 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10042961, filed 2003-10, 89,218 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   ABS engages, locks up, or brakes feel weak

   • 128 complaints (17%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 8.0 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 27 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2023

   Owners report the ABS activating at low speed and letting the truck roll farther than expected, a hard pedal with little stopping power, or front brakes locking intermittently with the ABS light on. Several found badly rusted metal brake lines that leaked fluid or burst. Diagnoses reported include a failed ABS pump and control module, and some dealers or shops declined repair or quoted replacements. Mostly between roughly 75,000 and 120,000 miles, with several reports of rusted lines on older, higher-mileage trucks.

   What to check: Ask for the brake lines to be inspected for corrosion, especially in the wheel wells, and have the ABS function checked; look for an ABS warning light and note any low-speed pedal kickback.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my 1997 chevy Blazer, I was turning to the left off the highway at 60mph. I applied my brakes which started my deceleration, suddenly the brake pedal went the floor. I pumped the brake pedal one more time with no resistance. I had to apply the parking brake and started making large s-turns to burn off the speed and manually downshifting the transmission. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10515173, filed 2013-06, 81,500 miles

   “I just picked up my 1997 chevy Blazer oct 31, 2012 with 79000 miles on it. I noticed that there was a large amount of corrosion buildup on the under carriage of the vehicle. Luckily yesterday, while sitting in my driveway, I noticed brake fluid leaking behind the driver's side door. Under closer inspection, I found out that the rear brake line was severely corroded and had burst. Now I cannot drive my Blazer until I get this fixed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10497821, filed 2013-02, 80,500 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge reads wrong; running out of gas

   • 44 complaints (6%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 6.9 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2006

   Complaints describe a fuel gauge that stays on full or hangs around half a tank, leading owners to run out of fuel without warning. Some had the sending unit or fuel tank replaced, while others say the gauge still misreads after repair. A few bundle this with a failing fuel pump. Reported from about 20,000 miles into the 100,000s, sometimes years after purchase, and not tied to weather.

   What to check: Fill the tank and compare gauge behavior against actual fuel use over a couple of tanks; ask whether the sending unit or pump assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Fuel gage was reading full and we ran out of gas. I thought my wife had filled the car up and she thought I had. So, fortunately we were only 10-15 miles from help. We added a couple gallons of gas and filled up at the gas station. The problem hasn't been fixed yet. Gage seems to read ok till half a tank, then it seems to stay around a half a tank.”

   NHTSA complaint #10068022, filed 2004-04, 103,000 miles

   “Fuel pump always reads full. I ran out of gas yesterday, and that is enough. I know of two other blazers at my work that are doing the same thing. Time for the sending unit to be recalled.”

   NHTSA complaint #10158471, filed 2006-05, 120,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hard 1-2 shifts and transmission slipping

   • 62 complaints (8%)
   • median 74,005 mi at 7.1 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,758 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2015

   Complaints describe harsh or abrupt shifting from first to second gear, delayed engagement from a stop, engine revving with little forward motion, and eventually loss of drive. Owners mention codes for shift-solenoid and slippage faults, and some found rust or grit on the transmission dipstick and fluid leaking from the tube. Repairs reported include valve body and transmission replacement. Often noted under about 100,000 miles, and several owners say the hard shifting worsened on longer trips.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive from a stop and on a long run to feel 1-2 shifting; check the transmission fluid level, its color, and the condition of the dipstick and tube for rust.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Transmission dip stick and tube are full of rust . This is a defect that will cause the transmission to fail and general motors should be correcting this problem. I only have 37000 miles on this vehicle and I do not want to replace the transmission at my cost because GM has made a mistake!”

   NHTSA complaint #10011044, filed 2003-03, 37,700 miles

   “Transmission has shifted hard from 1st to 2nd since I bought the vehicle used 10/7/03 also get intermittent check engine light used car dealer coded out to trans component slippage but didn't know what to do on 01/16/04 was on extended trip and transmission failed completely - rpms started to climb so pulled over to shoulder of road - kept slipping gears - finally lost all forward motion. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10054832, filed 2004-01, 102,465 miles

Buying note. These trucks are old enough that maintenance history matters more than mileage: confirm whether the wiper motor, fuel sending unit, brake lines and front ball joints have been addressed. A pre-purchase inspection covering brakes, front suspension and a transmission test drive is worth doing before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.