Faults:

I've had the brakes and rotors replaced twice. Ball joints and wiper motor (recalls). Fuel lines and fuel pump at 105000 miles. I changed the heater core myself (9 hours). Rear wiper motor is shot. Tailgate latch is shot. 4wd has been fixed twice, is messed up again (won't engage). A/C is shot. Ball joints are going again. Only reason I bought this was it was from my dad. 2 lessons learned: 1-never buy from a family member...2-never buy a GM product again...JUNK!!!

General Comments:

I'll never buy a a GM product again.

Faults:

Great, reliable vehicle - at first.

Within the first month of owning it, it needed:

-ball joints.

-wheel bearings.

-alternator (left me stranded, just up and died)

-plugs & wires.

-radiator shroud.

-brakes.

-new fuel lines.

-and more...

I bought it with a two year warranty, but it was only powertrain (go figure)

Just when I thought everything seemed to be going great for a few weeks, I was exiting the QEW when I went to stop and the truck wouldn't! It kept going faster! I put it in nuetral to try and stop, when the RPM's went up to 6000 instantly, so I turned the truck off. Turns out the accelerator was stuck on, and the motor might have blown up in the process!!! (I find out next week the total damage, hopefully its covered under my trusty warranty!!!)

General Comments:

The only great thing about this vehicle is the acceleration speed and handling.

(Oh, yeah - the 4x4 is awesome too)

Faults:

I have replaced the fuel pump at 110,000 miles and the water pump at 140,000 miles. I replaced the alternator at 150,000 miles. Other replacement items have been normal such as spark plugs, tires, brake pads, etc.

General Comments:

My '96 Blazer is a solid well-built family vehicle that gets me through tough Wisconsin winters in both style and comfort. The 4 wheel drive works smooth and is effective.

With rear seats down, it can carry considerable cargo. I like the split back door and window. The front seats are a bit small and could be more plush and comfortable. The interior layout and controls are well thought out and driver/passenger friendly.

The redesigned 95/96 Blazer has much more body rustproofing than the 94. I have driven on many salty roads and yet have no through rust. My daughter's '94 Blazer is a rusty mess with less miles on it and being in a warmer salt-free climate.

As a mechanic, I find the Blazer to be very serviceable and easy to work on. The engine layout is well engineered. Chevy engineers did their homework well on the '96 Blazer. I'm anxious to dive the new Trailblazer hearing that this vehicle is even more well designed. The American auto makers are finally doing some of the right things to make a quality vehicle.

My wife drives our Blazer as her primary vehicle and feels safe within its confines. We'll probably replace this Blazer with another Blazer or perhaps a Trailblazer.

Faults:

First, when I bought it, the engine hesitated in-between 3,000 and 4,000 RPM's. The left front inner brake pad wore down completely while the outer pad was fine, which caused the caliper to overextend, causing me to have to replace the caliper. The radiator cracked, and the water pump went out. During the same time, the alternator went out. Currently, there is a new alternator on it, and I have no power to anything in the truck at all.

General Comments:

This total disappointment of a vehicle makes me want to rethink my fandom of GM and Chevrolet. 90 percent of the vehicles I have owned have been Chevrolet, and have had very few problems out of them. I never had this many problems out of the 1984 Chevrolet Cavalier that I had with almost 200,000 miles on it. I would advise anyone considering purchasing an SUV to turn tail and run away from the Chevy Blazer. It is nothing, but a hassle, and from what I have read on this website, I am not the only one who feels this way. Sorry Chevrolet, but you struck out with this lemon.