2019 Chevrolet Blazer Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2019 Blazer report two recurring themes: a "Shift to Park" warning that appears even when the shifter is in Park, and a cooling-system fault that leaves the temperature gauge at cold, shuts down the A/C and triggers a reduced-power-steering message. Both come up across a wide mileage range, from low-mileage vehicles to ones well past 100,000 miles, and several owners describe repeat repairs.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shift to Park warning and vehicle won't shut off

   Mentioned in 24 of 60 sampled complaints

   With the shifter physically in Park, the dash still displays "Shift to Park" and the vehicle will not power down fully; owners describe jiggling or cycling the shifter through drive and back into park until it finally registers. Some say the dealer replaced the shifter, shifter cable, harness or a sensor, and several report the symptom returning afterward. Others note the vehicle stays powered, the battery drains, or they cannot lock the doors. Reported from roughly 17,000 to 114,000 miles, often as an intermittent problem that becomes more frequent over time.

   Recall 20V668000

   What to check: Start the engine, shift into Park and shut it off several times in one sitting to see whether the warning appears or the car stays powered. Ask whether the shifter assembly, cable or switch has already been replaced under warranty.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I go to put my car in park, I get a notice warning chime to shift it into park. Which then results me into not being able to turn off my car. I am then forced to sit in the car and try to wiggle the shifter until it registers that the car itself is in park. . This first happened to me a few days ago with my toddler and infant child in the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11645211, filed 2025-02

   “Shift To Park message displays while vehicle is already in Park! Incident began increasing in frequency in late 2022 . Vehicle would not Shut Off! Bulletin on problem came out in 2019, Chevy did not inform me of this Safety issue , Grandchildren in vehicle at least 2 times . Chevy charged me for the fix , Chevy was aware of problem before warranty expired !”

   NHTSA complaint #11503279, filed 2023-01
2. 2
   Engine

   Thermostat fault: temp gauge at cold, no A/C, steering

   • 32 complaints (17%)
   • typically at 6.5 yrs old
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the coolant temperature gauge sitting at the cold mark, the air conditioning no longer cooling, the radiator fan running constantly and the auto stop-start feature quitting. A "Steering Assist Reduced — Drive with Care" message often accompanies these symptoms, along with a check engine light and code P0128. Complaints describe the thermostat and temperature sensor being replaced, with owners quoting repair costs in the several-hundred-to-thousand-dollar range. Reported from low mileage up to around 68,000 miles, in warm and cold weather alike; some owners say disconnecting the battery temporarily clears it.

   What to check: On a cold start, confirm the temperature gauge rises normally and the A/C blows cold within a few minutes. Ask whether the thermostat or coolant temperature sensor has been replaced and whether code P0128 has been stored.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Coolant Thermostat needs replaced at 59945 miles. The temperature gauge stopped working and the A/C unit shut off. The temperature outside created a safety issue for my family and I to ride in the car. The engine light came on and a message that stated the Steering Assist was effected. This should not happen in a car under 60000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11655329, filed 2025-04

   “We are noticing the coolant meter seems to be stuck on C, the AC is not blowing cold and we are getting a message that ACTION REQUIRED steering assist is reduced, drive with CAUTION. Today the brakes slammed on by themselves and almost sent my wife thru the windshield. Luckily she was in a clear area with no other cars around.”

   NHTSA complaint #11699307, filed 2025-11
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Reduced power, stalling and transmission faults

   • 19 complaints (10%)
   • median 20,350 mi at 2.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Several owners describe the vehicle losing power or dying while driving, with messages such as engine power reduced or service parking brake, and a dash lit with multiple warning lights. Others report rough running traced to an injector, or a loss of drive traced to a disconnected transmission coolant hose. One complaint describes unintended acceleration into a building while parking. Ranges from under 1,000 miles to around 93,000 miles, with no consistent weather or usage pattern in the sample.

   Recall 20V6680001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for a full diagnostic scan history and any transmission or injector repairs. A test drive should include steady-speed and stop-and-go driving to watch for hesitation, warning lights or loss of power.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving, veh showed message , engine power being reduced, service parking brake. Then it died and would not restart. Parking brake was not engaged. Vehicle was in drive and moving apps 30 MPH. I was driving straight. Now the check engine light stays on. Vehicle had reduced power and feels like I'm driving with brake engaged. When the vehicle dies the brake service light illuminated and then turned off after 10 minutes.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362407, filed 2020-10, 26,700 miles

   “While driving, veh showed message , engine power being reduced, service parking brake. Then it died and would not restart. Parking brake was not engaged. Vehicle was in drive and moving apps 30 MPH. I was driving straight. Now the check engine light stays on. Vehicle had reduced power and feels like I'm driving with brake engaged. When the vehicle dies the brake service light illuminated and then turned off after apps 6 minutes.”

   NHTSA complaint #11279055, filed 2019-11, 767 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes hard and stopping distance increases

   • 6 complaints (3%)
   • median 1,500 mi at 1.3 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2025

   Complaints describe the brake pedal becoming hard and unresponsive, as though the engine were off, with the vehicle rolling through a stop or into the vehicle ahead. Owners report the cause being identified as a brake booster or related component. A few complaints also describe the brakes applying on their own or feeling engaged while driving. Mostly reported on low-mileage vehicles, from around 1,500 to 2,000 miles, though some occur at higher mileage.

   What to check: Check that the pedal feels firm but not stiff on repeated presses with the engine running, and ask whether the brake booster or vacuum components have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Without warning, the brake pedal on my 2019 Chevy Blazer became hard, almost as if the car was turned off. I was unable to stop and slowly rolled into the back of a semi stopped at a stoplight. This was moments after exiting off of a major highway and could have been much worse. The car was taken to a mechanic and it was determined to be a failure with the brake booster. GM has issued recalls for this problem in several other models but the Blazer has been excluded. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11602686, filed 2024-07

   “Brake failure occurred on a city street at a 3 way stop when approaching a stop sign. Brakes did not provide any stopping power and caused the vehicle to blow through stop sign and caused an accident into a drainage ditch not involving any other vehicles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11315810, filed 2020-03, 1,500 miles

Buying note. These reports cluster around two things a buyer can test in a short drive and a walk-around: cycling Park and shutoff several times, and checking that the temperature gauge and A/C behave normally from a cold start. Ask for service records showing whether shifter and thermostat repairs have already been done, since some owners report the symptoms returning.

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.