17188 miles, left rear seatbelt will not buckle, dealer replaced under warranty.
21498 miles, drivers side recliner lever fell off, front seal on rear differential leaking, repaired under warranty.
33631 miles, temperature display changes units when raining (changed exterior sensor), missing coolant (pressure check, no leaks), loud noise when starting (changed starter), Drivers side mirror vibrates (replaced) all under warranty.
35600 miles, passenger seat recliner lever fell off (replaced under warranty), rear differential still leaking, tailgate cover cracked (replaced under warranty), Temp display still changing units.
36100 miles, hard starting replaced battery under warranty.
37492 miles, transmission line came off transmission, line and fitting replaced, $205.89.
41236 miles, starter replaced again, $431.81.
48000 miles, battery cable broke off the battery, cable too tight, new battery again $64.16.
49647 miles, drivers seat recliner lever fell off again, steering really sloppy, changed lever and steering gear. $965.33.
70193 miles, passenger seat recliner lever fell off again, 4 wheel drive will not engage (encoder motor), Alternator replaced. $1120.53.
72455 miles, wipers work occasionally (replaced controller board), Turn signal switch keeps clicking (replaced), idles rough (flushed system and changed fuel filter no help), loud exhaust (catalytic converter changed under Factory Warranty), front end loose (Idler arm, upper and lower ball joints replaced, alignment) Also changed the alternator belt and belt tensioner do to noise. $1948.45.
75194 miles, radiator flush and fill since the heater was not working due to sludge build up from red antifreeze.
88736 miles, loud exhaust again (catalytic converter, dealer wants $600), power steering pump shaft seal leaking (replaced), noisy AC compressor (replaced), front seal on rear differential leaking again and loud clunk during acceleration (rear pinion seal, yoke, case, bearing, shaft, and gasket replaced). Idler arm replaced again. $1988.26.
93351 miles, loud noise from rear-end. Taking it in for service again.
I do not think I want to keep this car much longer, my extended warranty runs out at 100,000 miles and then I have to pay for all of the repairs myself. Do not think I will by another GM. I never was a fan of extended warranties, but I saved $5110 so far with this car.
Wow! I'm surprised at all your problems. Looks like you ended up with a lemon: (Sorry to hear all the problems. I have a 1996, have owned it for the last 2 years, have had no problems at all, no seats breaking, seat belt problems, my wipers work, and everything else... I would have returned your blazer while it was under warranty and demanded a replacement vehicle. That is unacceptable for all those problems with a new vehicle.
I really understand your frustrations with your 1998 Blazer. I own a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer 4WD, and I live in Central Florida. I have had numerous problems with mine as well. I have had to replace the fuel pump, radiator, water pump, both front wheel bearings and hubs, the reclining handle on the passenger seat is broken, the thermostat has been replaced twice and I am having to take it in to have it replaced for third time, pitman and idler arms, upper ball joints, relay, fuel filter, transfer case, rotars due to warping, brake drums, calipers, brake lines, and much much more. I am very disappointed with the way my truck handles and how much money I have had to sink into repairs just to keep it on the road. My truck only has 115,000 so far. I do not think I will ever own another GM, Blazer in particular. I have had nothing, but bad luck with Blazer I own.
I too have many of the same problems with my 1995 S10 Blazer. Seems like the oil lines all eventually leak, what a stupid design!
My rear axle front seal is also leaking, and the axle in general is making a lot of noise.
4 wheel drive failed to engage after 3 years of ownership. The single fuel injector was plugged up and needed to be cleaned out.
I hope GM goes down the toilet, NEVER will I own american again. My other car is a Hyundai. USA owned the car market and they soiled it with their poor quality cars.
I also understand your frustrations with your 1998 Blazer. I own a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer 2-4WD push button. I have had numerous problems with mine as well. I have dealt with a broken thermostat, air compressor, broken passenger recliner handle, pitman and idler arms, upper ball joints, windshield wipers, starter and battery went out as well... to name a few things... I am very disappointed with the way my Blazer handles. I too will never own another Blazer.
I own a 1998 blazer Lt! the first problem I had was the transmission failed 2200$ in repairs. and I have had nothing but problems with the computer climate control and that cost over 700$ to repair that problem. I will never buy a GM product again! I also have a 1994 explorer with 140,000 miles on it and have never had a problem. I got the ford new and I am going to buy a new ford ranger, the best truck on the road!
I still have my 1998 Chevy Blazer LS. It no longer will shift into 4wd, I don't really need it to so I won't get it fixed. The only other problem I have had is the seat recliners on both front seats broke off. It seems many of you have had the same problem. Its no longer under warranty, has anyone had this fixed and know about how much it would cost?
My 1998 4X4 Blazer has had just about all the problems listed; warped rotors, front hub, leaking A/C evaporator, transmission replaced @ 70k miles, lever on passenger seat, water pump, idle and pitman arms, oil lines leaking, timing cover leaking, water leaks, cracked cylinder head, numerous interior dash lights out, door panel comes off. Feed back from Dealer, all cars have problems!
I own a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer LS since it was brand new. There is exactly 149,798 miles on it and the only problem ever is a loose turn signal arm. I generally think that the life of your car or truck depends on how you drive it. I bought this Blazer when I was 22 and I am now 31 and still no problems. No leaks, no levers breaking off, no noises. My interior even still looks new. I love my Blazer and I would never trade it. Its all in how you drive it.
I own a 1998 Blazer LS 2WD, and ever since I got it, things have been falling off or stopped working. The CD player no longer works, the driver's side mirror vibrates, the turn signal makes a loud clicking noise (and it gets worse as you apply the brakes), the heater no longer works (due to a bad heater core, which also leaks antifreeze into the cabin), a manifold seal went out, which caused the engine's oil to mix with water. It cost over $600 to repair. What's bad, is that the dealer I took it to to get it fixed said that he has done over 100 of the repairs on 1998 Blazers alone! Blazers are crap. I'm looking at Hondas now. Thanks GM.
I have a 1998 Blazer, it has 114,000 miles on it. It runs great! The only problems I have had is the passenger seat handle broke off, and the wipers were not working. I cleaned all of the connection going to the wiper motor and it now works fine. The Blazer does have a small oil leak. I think the leak comes from the area of the oil filter. I was told the aluminum has warped and the filter cannot make a tight seal??? I would buy another Blazer, mine starts every time and still drives nice. Other than the seat the interior has held up very well. I have to agree with an earlier entry as I keep this truck well maintained (oil changes and general cleaning) and it still is like new!
I agree with the comments "how you drive your vehicle" and such, but in this case I have to say the naysayers have the show. I own a '98 Blazer 4wd with every problem listed and then some. I do my own preventative maintenance timely, and I am a conservative driver... this thing is basically a tar-baby other than a little ice-fishing, never pulled a trailer, has lead the good life, but cost me thousands. I think I've paid for it twice... come to think of it, every GM I've owned since I was 16 (4 total, to be fair, the one shouldn't count!) has been a problem child. Had an '86 Ford Ranger I bought with 90k miles on it, 2.9L Mazda engine-5sp manual. I replaced a distributor module and the exhaust once and I put 326K miles on it before the clutch wore out. Actually the rear main oil seal went and caused the clutch to swell so I couldn't disengage. Should have fixed it... I have a '97 Altima now for my "going to work vehicle" and now at almost 160K miles with only the MAF sensor giving me grief. No more GM 'til they prove it to me PERSONALLY they're reliable.
I too have a 98 LS Blazer with a 135,000 on it. It has some of the problems listed here like the reclining handle. But the most annoying one is the wipers. I have to get out in the rain and jiggle the wires. I am not spending another 250 bucks for the thing when it's the wires. I have done the radiator and it is still loosing water. Looks like the water pump now. The cat convertor sounds like a blender with marbles in it. I can't pass a gas station without stopping to fill it up. Both exterior mirrors have fallen off just by closing the doors. Last night the interior rear view fell off. It is just one thing after another. If GM wants to stay number one they better look at the imports. I had a 1994 mitsubishi pickup that I did nothing, but oil changes and gas for 8 years. he clutch even went to 140,000 before replacement. I never had to do brakes and it was a stop and go truck. I kick myself for buying this truck. Well it's off to the mechaninc tomorrow.
I have owned Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Isuzu, Chevrolet, Honda, Dodge and have had some kind of problems, some big, some small. I have also owned three different Blazers 93-98 and are among the best vehicles that I have owned. Some vehicles and parts last longer than others, that's just the way it is no matter what Make of car that you get.
I own a 98 Blazer and have had many of the same problems.
Both power mirrors have failed, been repaired and failed again.
The seat recline handle on the driver side has been replaced twice and is now broken again along with the passenger side.
I have replaced the fuel pump, the alternator, the transmission twice and have broken the ball joints on the lower control arms on both the driver side and the passenger side.
I also have a slow coolant leak that according to the dealership will cost a lot to get repaired because it is coming from somewhere on the block. In it's first year, I had to replace the hood lever cable.
To the truck's credit, it has endured several Midwestern winters and a lot of pot holes in Chicago, but now I'm in San Francisco and it continues to fall apart.
I recently learned that the seat recline problem has been a known flaw for 7 years.
I will never buy another GM product. The vehicle only has 137,000 miles on it and I'm getting rid of it as soon as I can. I've spent over $7,000 in the last 19 months on repairs and towing.
My 98 Blazer with 132,000 miles has/had most of these same problems:
Heater Core Leak
Transmission Line Broke
(2) recliner handles broken
Door hinge bushings worn out
Clicking turn signal relay
Fuel Pump failed.
We take care of our things, keep the car inside, drive it gently, and do PM. Last GM vehicle for me.