2021 Chevrolet Blazer: brake failure

Filed Sep 30, 2026 · Brakes · 120,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle lost braking functionality. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. After exiting the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fluid leak underneath the vehicle. The "BRAKE Failure" warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where technicians diagnosed a fluid leak from the vacuum pump, causing the brake failure. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) as a possible cause for the failure. However, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer replaced the vacuum pump, and the vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jun 29, 2025 · Brakes · LA

My 2021 Chevrolet Blazer experienced brake failure while driving, without any warning lights or diagnostic alerts from the vehicle’s onboard system prior to. This created a very dangerous situation for myself and others on the road, including my family who was in the car as well. Prior to this incident, I brought the vehicle to the dealership not long after purchasing it because I was constantly hearing screeching noises when braking. I thought it was rather soon to need new brakes, considering I purchased the vehicle brand new, but the issue was dismissed without any further inspection. This most definitely resulted in a missed opportunity to diagnose what is seemingly a more well known mechanical failure common among GM manufactured parts. After the brake failure, service technicians discovered that the vacuum pump had failed, causing the brakes to fail which led to engine damage by projecting shrapnel into the engine. This has rendered a $35,000 car purchase useless after 4 years of use without a $10,000 repair. I find this highly unethical. Upon further investigation, I learned that GM has previously acknowledged vacuum pump failures in several vehicles manufactured between 2014–2018 and even recalled certain models. The 2021 Chevy Blazer should be included in the list because failures of this part can lead to harm, injury, or loss of life. The documented defects in older GM models is consistent with my experience. I got oil changes and service regularly. The dealership should not have been so quick to dismiss the the brakes, knowing the history of these parts and the warning signs. This issue should be taken seriously as it is likely more widespread and is a ticking time bomb. Loss of life should not be the catalyst to trigger action in this situation. Other consumers are likely at risk without knowing it.

Filed Jun 17, 2025 · Brakes, Engine · CA

I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2021 Chevrolet Blazer, which experienced brake failure while driving, without any warning lights or diagnostic alerts from the vehicle’s onboard system. This created a highly dangerous situation for myself and others on the road. Prior to this incident, I brought the vehicle to the dealership after consistently hearing squealing or screeching noises when braking. The issue was dismissed and attributed to a change in federal regulations limiting the use of copper in brake pads—without any further inspection. This resulted in a missed opportunity to diagnose what appears to be a deeper mechanical failure. After the brake failure, service technicians discovered that the vacuum pump had failed, which impacted braking performance and also caused engine damage. While I’ve since learned that GM has acknowledged vacuum pump failures in several vehicles manufactured between 2014–2018 (via formal recalls), the 2021 Chevy Blazer is not currently included in those campaigns However, the symptoms and outcome I experienced are strikingly similar to the documented defects in older GM models. The lack of early diagnostic detection, coupled with dealership dismissal of clear warning signs, signals a potential emerging safety defect in this newer model that may not yet be officially recognized. Given the safety-critical nature of the braking system and the failure of both mechanical and procedural safeguards, I strongly urge the federal safety agency to investigate whether this issue is more widespread in recent GM models, including the 2021 Blazer. Other consumers may be at risk without knowing it.

Filed Apr 21, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · OK

The vehicle’s brakes failed while I was driving. I was luckily able to steer the vehicle off the road narrowly avoiding hitting another car. We had the vehicle towed to a Chevy dealer and they told us the fault was due to a low voltage battery. They would also not drive the vehicle until the battery was replaced because it was giving an error message of “brake system failure”. The dealer is the only place that has inspected the vehicle at this time. The warning messages appeared at the time of failure and not before. I find this to be a manufacturing defect in need of a recall as this could have easily caused harm or loss of life.

Filed Nov 17, 2024 · Brakes · AZ

The brakes failed on my SUV as I was driving on a city street. Yes it is available for inspection. Losing my breaks almost caused a collision with the car in front of me but due to the distance between the cars and the low speed at the time, I was able to avoid collision and detour into a parking lot where I cruised to a stop with the help of a parking lot space concrete stop. The problem was not reproduced by me but the service center computer diagnostics confirmed break issues. The service center says that the cause was low voltage of the car battery which affected the brakes. This is a very dangerous situation if the vehicle can lose complete braking ability due to a low voltage battery. This is the reason for reporting the issue. They replace the battery and said that should fix the issue. They said the only recourse to avoid this happening again is to replace the battery around every 2 years. The issue was inspected by a service center owned by the manufacturer of my SUV. The warning lamps only occurred as the brake system failed. A message of "Brake System Failure" appeared and the "Check Engine" light came on. Within the previous week of the issue the SUV also had other electrical issues such as the Climate Control interface went out and the rear camera also went out.