1996 Chevrolet Blazer LS from North America - Comments

110000: Transmission was replaced, due to rough treatment more than anything else. $2500.

198000: Radiator blew, which caused the engine to over heat, and then seize-up. Required replacement. Again, largely due to mistreatment. It could have been prevented. $6500.

265000: Clutch went out. Required replacement. This is only the second clutch this car has needed. The first came with the transmission at 110000 miles. $900.

This is without a doubt the best car I have ever owned. It can climb any mountain, drive on any amount of snow, and pull a trailer as well as a truck twice it's size. It has with only three minor exceptions, no problems.

The first exception is that the cruise control quit working at about 230000 miles. Not sure why, but it wasn't a big deal, and I've never bothered to fix it.

Secondly, it developed a minor electrical short that caused the battery to drain, involving the overhead dome light. I disconnected the dome light and had no more problems with it. It wasn't important enough to fix.

Third, and this is by far the worst of the problems. The windshield wipers will occasionally stop working with no notice. They can be got working again by stopping, getting out and moving them back and forth manually until the motor catches again. Their has been a recall on this problem, that I have not bothered to fix yet, so I really only have myself to blame (Strangely my Blazer started exhibiting this problem about 3 months after the recall.).

All in all, it has been good car, and has endured hard driving, long trips, and indifferent maintenance.

I might add that all the times it broke down, it did so either at home, in sight of a repair shop, or on the way to get the problem fixed in the first place. Also the one time I ran out of gas was 13 feet from the gas pump :)

My next car will be a Chevy Blazer.

I have owned Chevrolet products for just over 15 years. I have one left now, because of declining reliability. It is a '96 S10 blazer. I have put 4 heater coils, 2 full AC jobs with the second job requiring a condenser, ball joints and tie rods three times, and it was about to require its fourth. Fortunately for the fuel pump job, but unfortunate for the fact that I hadn't sold it yet, the second transmission leaked and caught it on fire to the point that the entire passenger side engine compartment has no wiring left. My JEEP WRANGLER has had not a single problem and ran circles around this piece when it was running. You can try to bring jeep into your fantasy world, but its obviously your first one and you won't talk mess about Ford because: A. They're both foreign produced pieces (Check under just your windshield washer fluid bottle for starters). and B? They both are currently losing on average? 7-10% a month of American automobile sales. Check your stats before you talk crazy about my vehicle. When you want to come here and follow me, you let me know. We'll make you look bad if the fuel pump doesn't go out before you get here...

I have fallen in love with my 1996 Chevy blazer except for the problems every one has, no heat in winter Fuel pump went out at 90,000 and 1 set of oil cooler lines at 85,000. But all of this together cost me about 350 dollars and that is the only money I have put into it except for maintanence and tires. And for the jeep thing I have a lot of buddies with jeeps and all of them have been pulled out of the same mud and snow I was just through with my stock Blazer.