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BrakesPart report

1997 Chevrolet Blazer Brakes Problems

Complaints
156about this part
Share
20%of 768 total for the year
Median mileage
80,500miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 156 complaints about the brakes of the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer, 20% of the 768 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,500 miles. 25 of these say a crash was involved and 4 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Abs wire caught fire on my 1997 chevy Blazer after turning it off. And caught antifreeze reservoir on fire. Luckily I could catch it before it burned the truck up. Called dealer and they said that there was no recall on the problem.”

NHTSA complaint #10330936, filed 2010-05, 175,000 miles

“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. After I finally stopped the vehicle I checked the brake lines and found out that the front driver's side metal brake line had rusted through and was spraying brake fluid all over the place. …”

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

“While traveling at 25 MPH on a wet roadway I approached a vehicle stopped at a stop light. At around 6 car lengths I applied my brakes and the vehicle would not stop, resulting in a rear end crash with the vehicle in front of me. When I applied the brakes the vehicle started to vibrate as if the ABS brakes were activating. The braking system failed to provide much stopping power. The speed at the time of collision was about 15 MPH, slowed from 25.”

NHTSA complaint #10145777, filed 2005-12, 77,000 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. With this leak, I inspected the rest of my brake lines to which I've found both my front brake lines in a severely corroded state as well waiting to burst. …”

NHTSA complaint #10497821, filed 2013-02, 80,500 miles

“My 1997 Blazer dies when I am driving it. I can drive it for 2 weeks with no problems and then it will die several times in one day. It doesn't matter how fast I am going...I can be going 50 MPH or coming to a stop when it dies. The steering and brakes go out and I'm afraid I am going to have an accident. I took it to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong with it and of course it didn't cut off when the mechanic drove it. I have also had to replace the alternator, battery, thermostat, and water pump within the last 6 months.”

NHTSA complaint #10054924, filed 2004-01, 70,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Brakes: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2025720%
20241426%
20231023%
2022815%
20212115%
2020115%
2019147%
2007111%
200615%
2004714%
2003810%
2002239%
20015116%
20006311%
19997016%
19986910%
199715620%
199644338%
199553143%
199443470%
199337774%
199220674%
199112958%
1990825%
1989718%
198825%
198713%
1986316%
1985517%

Other parts of the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
129 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
110 complaints
Suspension
105 complaints
Engine cooling
93 complaints
Electrical system
89 complaints
Fuel system
84 complaints
Vehicle speed control
47 complaints
Air bags
38 complaints
Other or unknown
27 complaints
Seat belts
26 complaints
Steering
24 complaints
Body and structure
18 complaints

← All problems reported for the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology