Thermostat stuck open radiator broke. Told by 4 GM Dealerships, this is a very common problem in a GM 3.6L V6. GM even claims it's common in its Tech Advisements. The "Stuck Open" Glitch (P0128 Code)
2020 Chevrolet Blazer engine complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 74, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Car is overheating with multiple engine codes. Unable to drive. Car power is reduced and shortly after will start overheating.
The check engine light came on with a warning that said "Steering assist reduced drive with care". The temperature gauge went to cold and the air condition quit working.
Steering assist reduced drive with care display, air conditioning turned off, stop and start disabled, temperature monitor at cold, fan blows hard Why my 2020 model was not covered under the special coverage N252508350 the federal safety agency ID# 11024390
A/C quit working, "Caution Power steering assist ....working, temperature gauge reading zero ( far left side of gauge. PF62F Code set. Repair shop says very common. $800 To repair due to removal of plenum and other component including water temp sensor and thermostat while your there. $100+. 63k miles on vehicle.
2020 Chevy Blazer RS 3.6L V6: having intermittent issues with ‘check engine’ light activating and giving code P0128 - indicating “Coolant Thermostat (Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature)”. Symptoms include: - Temp gauge drops to reading “C” (cold), - AC blows warm/hot air, - Dash displays message, “Steering Assist is Reduced, Drive with Care”, - Radiator (electric) fans run full speed. It seems that the computer is interpreting the engine coolant temperature sensor drop as a ‘stuck open’ thermostat, thus the indicated code. However, at the same time it also appears to assume a bad coolant temp sensor, and failsafes to disable the AC and set the radiator fans to max to avoid potential overheating. The problem with this is that this can occur after driving for some period that the engine is suitably warm, then I can pull off the road, disconnect the battery for a few minutes, and everything goes back to normal operation. A broken thermostat would not behave this way. * This happened in Mar 2025 - after disconnecting the battery about 5-6 times over about a 1wk period the code cleared and we were able to pass inspection. The issue did not reoccur until about the same time this year. It has been recurring periodically since. * After reading numerous postings on this issue, with numerous different vehicles that have this engine and computer, I have no faith that the dealership will provide a solution other than charging me to replace the thermostat, and ending up with the same problem a few weeks later.
2020 Blazer, 65,000 miles. Temp stuck on cold, A/C blows warm aor and driving assistance off. The radiator fan runs continuously. Check engine light on.
| Issues first appeared recorded on 3/9/2026, while odometer read 49,663 miles. Check engine light was caused by error codes P0128 and P01F0. This causes the following issues: * Check engine light to appear on the dashboard. * Engine temperature gauges to be unreliable at times or completely non functional at others, as it will constantly read the engine temperature "Cold". * Air conditioning unit to become unreliable at times or completely non functional at others, and only blow hot air. * Radiator fan will be stuck running at max speed despite current engine temperature. * A "Reduced Steering Assist" message will periodically appear on the dashboard. * A "Service ESC" message will periodically appear on the dashboard. * Remote start will becomes non functional. | Car was taken to a license Chevrolet dealership and had full thermostat housing and thermostat sensors replaced. Dealership confirmed all replaced parts are working correctly and as intended. After picking up the vehicle from the dealership, and driving car for roughly 30 miles, the check engine light appeared on the dashboard again causing all previous issues to return. | Several other Chevy Blazer 2020 owners have complained of the same issue online, and in forums such as: [XXX] . | INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Just took my car to the Chevy dealership today and had them go over the car because I keep getting the message steering assist has been reduced and the fan is constantly running at the highest speed and it also makes it where I can not use the a/c or heat in the car! I don’t know the code off hand but it has something to do with the cam shaft and the thermostat for the antifreeze! From what Chevy told me today it is a $9000 job to tear down the left side of the engine because the camshaft carrier gasket is leaking oil! Which is probably why that code is popping up. Or from what I was told today it could be from the battery which I believe they were trying to shift blame. Either way this camshaft stuff really needs to be investigated!!
P0128 code for thermostat issue. Fans run after shutting car off. Steering assist reduced message. Check engine light. Chevy knows this is a common issue. This needs to be investigated asap.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with VVT sensor failure. The sensors were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where a solenoid was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that if the failure recurred, there might be an internal engine failure. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Engine showing PO128 code. Steering Assist System reduced power. Engine fan constantly running. Engine temp on dash is stuck on the "C" mark, doesn't move. Thermostat and temp sensor replaced, issue continues. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON GM VEHICLES WITH THE 3.6L AROUND THE 60,000 MILE MARK. GM NEEDS TO GET IT FIGURED OUT.
I received a check engine light which i took to Bell tire for diagnosis. Here is there diagnosis Comments: The P01F0 code on a 2020 Chevy Blazer means the engine coolant temperature is below the normal operating range, often due to a stuck-open thermostat (or both thermostats in models with dual units), a faulty Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor, or low coolant, leading to poor fuel economy and potential wear; fixing it usually involves replacing the thermostat(s) or sensor after checking coolant levels and wiring. After that i took the vehicle to GM Dealership. Even though this is a know issue with many vehicles from same year, i was told that my VIN is not part of recall and dealership ended up charging me 600+ to fix the issue. I am reaching out to seek help as i had exact same problem but GM is not covering the repairs because my VIN is not in the recall. How is that possible?
I bought this car brand new. 0 miles. I’ve had an oil leak fixed once in it. And now it’s leaking oil again. I have to have it put back in the shop and pay out of pocket once again for now fault of mine. The first time it was leaking from the cam shaft. This is ridiculous. I will also be filing a complaint with Chevy.
Car is cutting off while driving , I’m driving on a busy road , engine jerks and stall out leaving me with no power to accelerate. Brakes work but gas pedal not so much . I have to cut off the car hoping it turns on , cause it don’t want to turn over once I decide to turn it off
The thermostat failed on a trip locking in 0 temperature reading and steering assist warning. Licensed mechanic repaired on 10/9/25 invoice is available. 67,509 miles. This could risk overheating and destroying the engine and might cause accident. Two other friends have had similar issues, appears to be a safety defect!
Where do I start. Spring of 2024 I believe, less than 55,000 miles, my transmission went out. No warning. I just went out to my vehicle to go to work and when I put it into reverse, my vehicle make a awful noise, jerked forward almost going into my garage door, then wouldn't move.. I put it back in park, tried to put into reverse again and it wouldn't go. It was stuck in park. Had to get it towed to the dealership where they advised me the transmission went out. It was covered under the drivetrain warranty, but the GM warranty doesn't cover rental. It took almost 4 weeks for GM to approve for a new transmission due to parts being on back order to rebuild my transmission. Several months later, I was driving down the road when the ESC light and then it said "shift to neutral & press start" and I lost power. I coasted into a parking lot, got it fired up, but had no air conditioning (of course it was summer). Took it to the dealer and they said my radiator and A/C Compressor had to be replaced. Luckily my extended warranty covered the $5000 repair. Now 4 months later I got "steering assist reduced, drive with care" with codes. Took to shop and the codes basically was the temp was to low, but the shop couldn't find anything wrong. Cleared the codes and so far so good, but now my ESC light pops on once a week again. I don't even have 60,000 miles on my vehicle.
Thermostat/thermostat sensor and complete water outlet system replacement at only 52,377 miles. The defective part was located under the Intake Manifold requiring its removal, excessive labor cost for the repair, and potential future engine issues due to exposed/open head gasket for the repair.
2020 Chevrolet Blazer, 19900 miles, lightly driven The radiator seam is leaking coolant, which appears to be a known issue as there are numerous complaints on various websites and forums. The vehicle is now unreliable due to an overheating risk.
"Steering Assist Reduced” warning message appears on dashboard display and temperature gauge stuck on cold on the dashboard display. I understand this such a common issue with the 2019 and 2020 Blazer that General Motors has issued Technical Service Bulletins but refuses to repair these vehicles for free. This is unacceptable! Issue a mandatory recall therefore GM must perform the repairs for free.
Warning message indicating steering assist system reduced, engine fan running non-stop, AC blowing hot air, temperature gauge not registering/stuck on cold. Faulty engine temperature sensor and thermostat.
Engine light on, power steering assist, air conditioning stop working diagnostic tool read p0128 coolant thermostat
The original issue was that the temperature gauge was pegged on cold and the A/C was inoperative. The vehicle’s fans would run continuously even when the engine was cold. This created a safety concern since the engine’s actual temperature could not be monitored, and loss of A/C affected drivability in hot conditions. The issue appears related to the engine’s coolant temperature sensor or thermostat system, which causes incorrect signals to the temperature gauge and HVAC system. The condition has been reported by multiple owners of the 2020 Chevy Blazer 3.6L. In my case, the malfunction happened suddenly and has been repeatable. There were no prior warning lamps until the issue occurred, at which point the temperature gauge stopped working properly and the air conditioning failed.
My vehicle lost complete power while I was sitting at red light. The dashboard went completely out and pop back on stating to put the vehicle in park and push the brake to start. After following those instructions the vehicle failed to start and I left disability until OnStar notified MPD to assist. While waiting for assistance I was almost hit 3 times. When MPD arrived on the scene they were able to push the vehicle out of traffic. After my vehicle arrived at the shop I was told the power failure was caused by the malfunction of the DC/DC CONVERTER Output voltage. I see a bulletin was put out but a recall was my made available. I feel this is a major issue due to the vehicle losing power.
Check engine light on, message saying "steering assist reduced drive with care", engine temperature gauge not moving from C, and AC not working. I have taken it in to be fixed 3x, and they have fixed it 2/3 times but the message has come back again. It is a big issue in 2019/2020 blazers according to my research.
I purchased this vehicle in March, 2025 from a used dealer. When I got it, I noticed the vehicle was leaking oil on my garage floor. I took it back to used dealer who also agreed there is a leak but couldn't detect it. They sent me to Chevy Dealer. It has been 3 months now and dealer states the transmission has a seal leak. It seems like a similar recall on same year and model, however my vehicle is not listed as a recall. Why isn't there one?
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the instrument cluster went black, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated or an audible chime heard. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the message "Vehicle in Transport Mode" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
The blazer's check engine light came on and I had it scanned. The code was PO128 indicating that the engine coolant temperature is consistently below the thermostat regulating temperature. We are also getting a message on the vehicle that states the steering assist is reduced, drive with care. The car is also blowing hot air when the AC is on, the temperature gauge is staying at the lowest setting and the fans are running full blast. This seems to be a very common problem with the Chevrolet Blazer.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn with a reduced steering message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat had failed, which caused the steering wheel to fail, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.
I have an oil leak and now they are saying both of my camshaft housing gaskets are leaking it's going to take weeks to repair cause it's such a major leak
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