1996 Chevrolet Blazer Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,579 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, alongside 11 recall campaigns and 7 defect investigations. It scores 99/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 82,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1996 Chevrolet Blazer sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1991, 2002–2004, 2019–2022.
Avoid
Where 1996 sits among all Blazer years
What owners report
“Anti-lock brake failure, when brakes where applied pedal goes to floor and goes to the right. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Blazer
“Consumers vehicle exhibits the symptom of the windshield wiper recall (98v-150) but is not included due to vin. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Blazer
“Consumer states vehicle has a engine cooling system problem.(dex-cool engine coolant). Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Blazer
“The consumer stated that while driving, the left front upper ball joint separated from the vehicle, causing the tire/wheel problems. Scc”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Blazer
“Serpentine belt replaced twice. Also, front brake rotors/differential/alternator and front axle failed. In addition, engine sluggish/hesitates.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Blazer
“Intermittently vehicle stalls and dies, giving the driver no warning. Dealer has replaced the alternator/battery and fuel pump and the problem still exists.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Blazer
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 155 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 85,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 62,000 and 112,318 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (11)
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS,…
Fix: ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND…
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.…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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: CERTAIN LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, OR MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH 3-SENSOR ABS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE COMPUTER PROGRAM WHICH OPERATES THE ABS UNIT ON SOME VEHICLES, OR REPLACE THE COMPUTER ON OTHERS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ABS ON THESE SURFACES.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1989 THROUGH AUGUST 1996. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS THE SWITCH WHICH SIGNALS THE ABS SYSTEM…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE OR REPAIR THE 4-WHEEL/2-WHEEL DRIVE SWITCH.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, 2 AND 4-WHEEL DRIVE. SOLDER JOINTS NEAR THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR CAN CRACK CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 60/40 FRONT BENCH SEATS AND EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL LOCKING RECLINER BUCKET SEATS. THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE DRIVER'S AND/OR…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE RECLINER MECHANISM.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 4-DOOR, 4-WHEEL DRIVE AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING DEVELOPMENT TESTING, THE PROP SHAFT CONTACTED THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK ALLOWING FUEL LEAKAGE. THIS LEAKAGE WAS IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL SHIELDING OF THE FUEL TANK. THIS WILL BE ADDED WITHOUT REMOVING OR DISASSEMBLING THE FUEL SYSTEM.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 03V159000.
Led to recall campaign 01I018000.
Led to recall campaign 99V130000.
Led to recall campaign 97V096001.
Led to recall campaign 99I006000.
Technical service bulletins
49 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and body & structure — are on file for the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1996 Blazer TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer reliable?
The 1996 Chevrolet Blazer drew 1,579 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 99/100, scored against the model's worst year (1995).
What are the most common 1996 Chevrolet Blazer problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer are brakes & stability (508 complaints), visibility & wipers (194), and engine (176).
At what mileage do 1996 Chevrolet Blazer problems show up?
Owners most often report 1996 Chevrolet Blazer problems around 85,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 62,000 and 112,318 miles.
Does the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer have recalls?
11 recall campaigns apply to the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.