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1997 Chevrolet Blazer suspension problems

105 complaints (14% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 82,000. 2 crashes reported.

owner complaints
105
of this car's complaints
14%
typical mileage
82,000
crashes
2
recalls
1

Which part fails

  • Front: control arm: upper ball joint
    42
  • Front: control arm: lower ball joint
    29
  • Front: control arm
    21
  • Front
    9
  • Front: control arm: lower arm
    5
  • Front: springs: torsion bar
    2
  • Front: hub
    2
  • Rear: shock absorber
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Chevrolet Blazer suspension problems in other years

19901995200020202025

Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer suspension

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Ball joint 95

Related recalls

Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball jointReported June 28, 2001 · 48,600 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. Failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion.
Risk
This can result in impaired steering or steering loss, or a partial or complete collapse of the front suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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 free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.

Recall number 01V200000 · Recall details

What 1997 Chevrolet Blazer owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jul 1, 2010 · Suspension · 136,000 miles · FL

Dealer refused to correct defect as listed below: make: chevrolet model: blazer model year(s): 1996 the federal safety agency campaign id number : 01v200000 component: suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint per recall this vehicles is subject to the conditions and is originally from new jersey.

Filed Apr 9, 2009 · Suspension · 99,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet blazer. The contact stated that she experienced difficulty steering accompanied by an abnormal drift in the vehicle. She took the vehicle to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced. The dealer and manufacturer stated that the VIN was excluded from the federal safety agency campaign id number 01i018000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint). The contact would have to pay $644.49 for the repair. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 99,000 and current mileage was 120,291.

Filed Feb 21, 2009 · Engine, Seat belts · CA

I have occurying multiple issues with my 1997 chevy blazer which include the back seat seat belts not working correctly,suspension control arm and bushings, corrosion of intake gaskets due to dexcool required coolant.

Filed Oct 4, 2007 · Suspension, Visibility · 125,000 miles · WV

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet blazer. The contact stated that the suspension front upper ball joint was making a popping noise. The failure caused the vehicle to shift, which made it impossible to align the front end. The vehicle has not been taken to the dealer. She also stated that the windshield wipers worked intermittently. Occasionally, the windshield wipers grind when activated. She stated that the wiper motor works, but the arms do not. If she jiggles the arms, the wipers would work temporarily. The current mileage was 130,000 and failure mileage was 125,000.

Filed Mar 8, 2006 · Acceleration, Brakes · 70,000 miles · MI

Owning this vehicle has been a nightmare and a financial drain. Windshield wipers worked when they chose, replaced wiper motor due to defective part. Upper and lower ball joints all had to be replaced. Wheel bearings had to be replaced. A/c stopped working, had it looked at and recharged and it still doesn't work. Fuel gage didn't work, replaced fuel sensor and sending unit. Rear wiper quit working, replaced rear wiper motor, a few days later it does not work again. Replaced water pump, have replaced ABS only to get a recall after the fact with no reimbursement. Wears through brake pads entirely too fast. Replaced alternator and battery twice. Rear hatch does not unlock with key. Headlights are so dim they might as well not exist. Water leaks into interior on drivers side due to a bad seal. Idler arm needs to be replaced. Gas pedal sticks. Now heater fan works sometimes. Reading through the complaints we are all experiencing the same problems and nothing is being done about it. Recalls issued on some vehicles but not all? Now I hear gm put a bad intake manifold gasket on these as well as several other cars (1997) and did not issue a recall because it is not a safety matter! This causes antifreeze to leak into the engine and ultimately ends in a repair of at least 1500.00. After my experience with this vehicle I will be purchasing soon and it most likely will not be gm. Sad since my dad worked for them for 30 years. They should be held accountable for putting a bad product on the market and leaving us to dry.

Filed Aug 30, 2005 · Suspension, Visibility · 65,000 miles · PA

Dt: owner noticed after washing the car that the windshield wipers don't work. Owner has to stop and get out and hit the windshield wiper motor in order to get the windshield wipers to work. Sometimes the owner has to get out and wipe off the windshield. The auto parts store told the owner that there was no seal in the motor of the windshield wipers and this allows water to enter the motor. The owner has checked with chevrolet and they stated owner would have to pay for diagnosis and the repair. *nm the consumer believes the vehicle also has inferior ball joints.

Filed Aug 17, 2005 · Suspension · 91,844 miles · TN

I took my 1997 blazer to alevander chevrolot because the front end was making a grinding and popping sound on 9/23/04 miles at time of service was 86,921 they told me all that was wrong was it was dry they charged me $222.94 and said they could not find anything else. Then on 8/14/05 miles at time is 91,844 which is less than 5,000 miles later the upper ball joint broke and the wheel fell over thank god we were in front of the house only doing 10 MPH or we could of been killed anyway all the dealer is doing is replacing the upper ball joints on both sides the lower they say is ok they are not replacing the wheel that was destroyed or for a front alignment which will be needed to save my tires.

Filed Jun 18, 2005 · Suspension · OH

We were driving into our driveway doing all of about 5mph and all of a sudden it felt like there was a flat. We parked the car and got out to check it and saw the tire leaning up against the car. The upper ball joints broke off.

Filed Dec 17, 2004 · Suspension · 130,300 miles · ID

Failure of the lower control arm ball joint resulted in high maintenance cost for replacement.

Filed Nov 12, 2004 · Engine, Fuel system · 59,000 miles · OH

Ball joint upper control arm broke as I was driving today. Since I purchased this 1997 blazer I have had nothing but problems-the windshield wipers fail,the water pump has been replaced the fuel pump has also been replaced. This vehicle has less than 60,000 miles. I just found out that most of these problem have been recalled I was never notified. I purchase the vehicle used at a local dealership,whom by the way did not tell me of any of these recalls. I have had very serious and dangerous problems with this vehicle.

Questions about the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer suspension

Does the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer have suspension problems?

Owners have filed 105 complaints about the suspension of the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer, 14% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Blazer suspension problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 82,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer suspension?

Yes, 1 recall: 01V200000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Chevrolet Blazer have bad suspension?

The Chevrolet Blazer model years with the most suspension complaints are 1996 (149 complaints), 1997 (105 complaints) and 2000 (100 complaints).

Other 1997 Chevrolet Blazer problems

Brakes 156Visibility 128Transmission 110Engine 93Electrical 90Fuel system 84Acceleration 47Airbags 38Seat belts 26Steering 24Body 19Lights 17Seats 10Locks 7Tires 7Wheels 5

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