Auto hold was on, radar cruise control was set and as I was merging in traffic a sharp smell of burning started. The cruise control refused to disengage until I parked the car in garage. Eventually burn smell ended but seems like brake was stuck while acceleration causing a burn smell. It seems like brake could get stuck to wheels perhaps when auto hold is on even when driving? Auto break hold is a feature which keeps the break on while car is stopped.
Chevrolet Blazer adaptive cruise problems
73 of the 8,038 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Blazer describe adaptive cruise control problems, most of them for the 1998 model year.
- owner complaints
- 73
- worst model year
- 1998
- typical repair cost reported
- $800
- typical mileage
- 60,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Brake failure 6Wipers 5Headlights 4Sudden acceleration 3Stalling 3Fire or smoke 3Check engine light 2Grinding brakes 2
What owners say
Driving this vehicle in cruise control at around 70-80 mph, on an empty freeway early in the morning. No traffic but suddenly and for no reason the collision prevention system activated causing the steering wheel to turn all the way to the right and locking in place, the brakes activating, and leaving me no control sending me and two passengers in an embankment and the car on its passenger side.
1. Wire harness with coil wires is the problem. It was fixed by a local shop and the vehicle can be inspected if needed. 2. The car throws a code for a faulty thermostat/coolant temp sensor. This will not allow the car get to oporating temp and could cause engine damage or not perform properly causing risk of an accident. Also this will reduce the driver assist features such as lane assist and adaptive cruise/braking. 3. Yes. 4. A local shop inspected the thermostat and coolant temp sensor and they oporated as they should. 5. The engine light comes on for the reasons mentioned above. It also has a "driver assist reduced" message. It appeared randomly while driving and stayed on for multiple days. Vehicle had a code for a bad thermostat/coolant temp sensor and "driver assist reduced" message. The cause is NOT the temp sensor or thermostat and is actually a wiring harness that two wires need to be separated from the bunch. The frequency from one wire interferes with the coolant temp sensor wires. I am on several forums for chevy blazers and there are TONS of posts about this issue with the 3.6 V6. Most people will go in and have these expensice parts replaced. It is not acceptable to have people get charged for a $800+ job when the part is not faulty.
I was driving down the highway at 70mph using the adaptive cruise control. There was nobody in front of me, and suddenly the vehicle started picking up speed. I looked at the cruise control and it said 115mph, so I hit the brakes to override it and slow down. when I reset it for , ~70mph again it worked fine. This happened to me two other times with the same basic scenario. The speed is always over 100mph, and it always occurs when the adaptive cruise control has been in use for at least 30 minutes. I have an appt with the dealer that I bought it from to have it looked at. No warning lights and no other symptoms.
This is less an incident and more like a concern. I noticed a slight shudder upon accelerating. It started at lower speeds, approximately 25-30 mph, and shifting between second and third gear. Now with daily driving, the shudder has progressively gotten worse. It now happens at higher speeds, approximately 50-55 mph, and has become more violent. There is also now an acceleration and deceleration issue whether my foot is on the accelerator or I have the vehicle on cruise control. After some research, reading several service bulletins and forum posts, I have learned that the problem component is the torque converter in the transmission. Chevrolet is aware of the problem and has issued a service bulletin, PIP560C, recommending a drain and fill claiming that will fix the problem. I had this done in accordance with the bulletin, and it only made the problem worse. After talking with more than one mechanic, I was told that if this problem is not fixed, the vehicle could stall and the transmission could lock/seize up. This could present a safety issue by posing a potential cause of an accident if the vehicle stalls in the middle of a highway or busy street. This issue also can potentially cause further transmission failure.
While driving the vehicle, an airbag alert goes off recommending service. It does not matter what speed I'm driving, or necessarily the weather. But it does tend to go off more frequently if it's hot or cold out. I have brought the vehicle in for service, but they can't seem to figure it out. Also, while driving, an adaptive cruise alert goes off at times. I have serviced the vehicle at least three times for this. It is happening less, but still happening.
After using the cruise control the first time on the highway at 65mph , it stuck and would not shut off. The vehicle accelerates to a dangerous speed and the breaks barely helped. Even after turning the car off taking out the battery and putting it back, it did not reset. Cruise will not disengage.
I bought the blazer in may 2019, first 4 months was fine. Starting oct. 8, while driving the car. I had to turn off one highway onto another. I hit resume on the adaptive cruise control and it would not resume. Displayed "adaptive cruise control temporarily unavailable ". I tried several times. Got home parked. When I left for work, hours later. It worked fine. On oct. 10, 18, nov. 21 while driving- the car would beep 3 times and the adaptive cruise control would shut off. Took it to dealer on 11/7 for this problem. On 12/27 they replayed a front camera. Didn't get it home and it shut off again. Also on dec. 31. Back to dealership on 1/13- they updated software. Feb 1 and again on the 6, same thing, adaptive cruise shut off. Dry road conditions/ clean car. Blind spot monitors- 1/9 would come on for no reason, only car on the road. Sometimes when you pass a car they will light up & sometimes not, same with drivers side. It is currently at dealership for adaptive cruise shutting off. All issues were on highway, no rain/snow, car is washed once a week! On jan 3 the radio controls on steering wheel reversed.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet blazer. While driving with the cruise control activated at 50 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop. Instead, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and restarted the vehicle. In addition, while the vehicle was in park, it unintentionally accelerated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000. The VIN was not available.
1999 chevrolet blazer lt - multifunction switch (common problem!) is malfunctioning. Turn signal/flasher relay is constantly clicking whether signals are in use or not -- unless the brakes are applied. Good sign of an electrical short. The cause of this issue is the grease inside the switch, applied at the factory, running from contact to contact. This switch includes the wipers, cruise control, turn signals, hazards, and can also cause vehicle lighting (headlights, brake lights) to malfunction. Many cases include non-working brake lights! Others have reported smoke coming from the switch as the contacts are shorted by the grease. I inherited this vehicle from my grandfather, who couldn't hear the relay firing -- it is the only indicator inside the vehicle that something may be going wrong. There are no visible indicators inside the vehicle letting a person know their lights are malfunctioning. As there is no recall for this year of blazer (though I understand other years have had the same problem recalled), I will be replacing the switch on my own. Dealer quoted the price for the part alone well out of my price range (nevermind labor), so I'm going to have to shop around to get the vehicle in safe driving condition. Thanks for reading. I appreciate it!
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Chevrolet Blazer adaptive cruise
Which Chevrolet Blazer years have adaptive cruise control problems problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1998 (13 complaints), 1997 (11 complaints) and 1995 (8 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix adaptive cruise control problems on the Chevrolet Blazer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $800 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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