The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V433000 (PARKING BRAKE). The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The contact exited the freeway and the front passenger’s side tie rod detached from the vehicle and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to pull over to the curb. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was inspected the contact noticed that the front passenger’s side wheel was bent and the tire was deflated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle remained at the residence unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
Chevrolet Blazer ball joint problems
368 of the 8,038 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Blazer describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 368
- worst model year
- 1996
- typical repair cost reported
- $900
- typical mileage
- 69,055
By model year
Often reported together
Wipers 19Harsh shifting 13Grinding brakes 12ABS 12Power steering loss 10Fuel gauge 10Fuel pump 9Pulling 6
What owners say
Control arm snapped on the I-71. Going 70 miles an hour when it happened. Definitely could have been a major accident but luckily no cars were around us when it happened. i rode over a bridge's transition and heard a big pop like a tire. Then it sounded and felt like we were riding on a rim. When we got out we saw what had happened. No warnings or anything before this happened.
Driving home about 25 mph, front passenger tire blew. Put donut spare on,. Took to Dealer next morning. front control arm bushing torn out of control. This is dangerous and should not have happened.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the ambient air temperature was stuck on negative forty. The contact replaced the sensor. The vehicle went into ICE/SNOW Mode on several occasions and was not driving as designed. The air conditioner was blowing out hot air. Additionally, the vehicle was pulling to the right while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who scanned the vehicle and determined that the sensor was operating as designed. The mechanic informed the contact that there was a loss of communication. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall coverage on the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 34,980.
Questions Answered Below: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle is at a GM Dealership now and is available for inspection. I have not authorized repairs as of yet. I am being told by the dealership: The ball joint on the control arm on the left side seized snapping the axle shaft - causing the tire to to turn out. The dealership has suggested: Mechanical repair costs $1,850, Plus an additional $2,000 due to wheel well damage caused by the failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I am being told by the dealership: The ball joint on the control arm on the left side seized snapping the axle shaft - causing the tire to to turn out. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Due to my slow speed turning out of the parking lot ~10 mph - the vehicle came to a sudden halt. However, had this occurred while driving any faster - it would have been very dangerous and put myself and others at significant risk. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It was towed by AAA and has been inspected by the GM Dealership. That is the only inspection thus far. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Earlier in the day while pulling out of a parking spot and turning the wheel to the left I thought I felt some type of resistance then it went away as I started driving. No other symptoms or warning prior to the failure.
Fortunately, I had just gotten off the freeway and was looking for an address at a slow speed. All of a sudden the car lurched; I had no steering; I lost all electrical control; the car ground to a halt; smoke came out from under the hood. I and a friend got out of the car. Fortuitously, fire trucks appeared. It turned out they were returning from another incident as I could not believe the immediacy of their response. They took over preventing further aggravation of this situation. The battery was boiling. All the electrical wire harnesses were melted. The upper suspension control arm was broken. The firemen's observation was, if I had been going any faster, the car could have flipped. After being towed to a nearby mechanic, I learned the upper control arm had broken. It impailed the starter which shorted. That melted the wiring harnesses to and from the battery, as well as being the cause of the battery boiling. The key issue is that general motors would build a vehicle where the upper control arm is so flimsy it would break. I have read other incidents of the same thing with the chevrolet blazer where, for example, a person was going 30mph, the car flipped, and the person was knocked unconscious. A repeated corporate failure of this nature should have consequences.
I am shocked to find out that there are so many other people having problems with the ABS brakes and the front end ball joints. I am actually afraid to drive my blazer after reading about the problems. I live in a small town in the mountains and have to drive mountain roads and along a river to get to a bigger city. I average about once a month this trip and if I my blazer was to have a wheel fall off because of a bad ball joint system I and maybe others would be dead or seriously hurt. I have over the years replaced my ball joints several times as they keep going bad, much more than just normal wear it appears. I also have for the last 6 months or so have had the ABS light come on and the ABS brakes come into play when slowing down or coming to a stop on dry roads. There are times the light is on when I first start my blazer and haven't even moved yet. A mechanic that looked at it said that it appeared that the sensor would need replacing. I did not have it done as it was going to be several hundred dollars for the repair. What does it take to have a recall? How can people tell you of the problems they too are having, when these problems are not publicly announced and they have no idea that it is not just their vehicle. Like me, I had no idea there were these problems going on for other people too. Like I said I now am afraid about having a major accident because of the ball joint/suspension problem that is talked about on this website. I can not afford to buy a new vehicle. Can't we get help before someone has to be hurt or killed?
Noise from engine. Diagnosed as ball joints need replacing or wheels will fall off. Replaced upper and lower ball joints and idler arm for about 1200.00. Now(june 19, 2012) at 100,000 miles, same noise coming from engine compartment. Looks like another ball joint replacement.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 chevrolet blazer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic for an unrelated issue when the contact was advised that the ball joints would need replacing. The ball joints were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage 55,000.
1994 chevrolet s10 blazer. Consumer states several problems with vehicle *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle had broke down a total of 9 times 5 of which the vehicle was towed back to the used car dealer. The fuel pump, battery, starter, studs and lug nuts all had to be replaced. Also, the bracket for the alternator, a bolt for the power steering, the pitman arm, hub wheel assembly, 4- wheel drive actuator and upper and lower ball joints all needed to be replaced.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
- 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
Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle equipped with 4-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive. One or both of the attaching nuts for the right-hand lower control arm are under torqued. This can allow the attachment bolt to loosen and subsequent break resulting in separation of the lower control arm from the frame.
- Risk
- This condition can result in a loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and retighten the right-hand lower control arm nuts to the proper torque specification.
Recall number 98V053000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
- What is wrong
- The upper ball joint nuts were under-torqued resulting in improper seating in the steering knuckle.
- Risk
- This condition can cause the ball joint stud to loosen, and fracture resulting in a loss of steering control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will retorque the upper ball joint nut on both sides of the vehicle to the correct torque values.
Recall number 95V080000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Blazer ball joint
Which Chevrolet Blazer years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (111 complaints), 1997 (95 complaints) and 2000 (43 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Chevrolet Blazer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $900 (median of 23 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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