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 fire or smoke problems
139 of the 8,035 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Blazer describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 139
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical repair cost reported
- $599
- typical mileage
- 86,524
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 7Engine failure 6Wipers 5Jerking 4Brake failure 4ABS 4Loss of power 3Adaptive cruise 3
What owners say
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that a technician identified a radiator leak during an emissions test after smelling an abnormal coolant odor. The technician confirmed that the coolant had leaked from the vehicle. Prior to the discovery by the technician, the contact’s husband observed white smoke coming from the engine. The fluid levels were checked and were normal at that time despite the smoke. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Steering Assist Reduced" was displayed on the instrument panel prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair with 15% goodwill assistance towards the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 46,860.
My car caught on fire for no apparent reason. Front of car totally destroyed.
On June 1 I parked my blazer in the driveway and went into the house and came back out to my car in flames. I have had lots of electrical issues with the vehicle had it in the dealer to be repaired and reset several times. It was never fixed and now it has gone up in flames.
Steering column had smoke coming out of it a week ago. I'm constantly hearing the blinkers even when they're not in use, for the past few months now. This happens anytime the car is running, whether it's moving or stopped. Problem with constant blinker sound started the first of april, and has continued ever since.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 chevrolet blazer. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.
I was driving yesterday when I smelled something burning. I looked and noticed my rear window was glowing orange and then the rear window exploded!
I was returning from las vegas on a ruff paved desert hwy in my 2005 5 speed 2 door chevy blazer when I notice a slight smell of electrical smoke. I turned on the dome light and notice the turning signal switch arm bouncing a lot with some smoke coming out there at the column ! I slowed from 65 to 40 with my flashers on, problem solved . Got back on a smooth free way at 65 with no smoke. The switch arm got sloppier over time but still worked for about six months. Then one day I turn right with my signal on, windshield wipers came on by themselves, & the smoke was back (much stronger ) while driving slow! I then pulled into a auto parts parking lot, shut it off, & took out the keys! To my shock the wipers, & smoke kept going! I then opened the hood, unplugged the wiper motor, & again problem solved ! Then came a rainy day so I had to plug back in the wipers, things still all ok! But then I made a right turn with the turn signal on! The even stronger smoke was back plus my asthma attack (used my inhaler ) ! I thought about stopping in the strong rain but I turned on the A/C on full then got very mad ! I yanked on the plastic switch arm pulling it to the left, & it popped off in my hand! Problem solved except now my windshield spray, & wiper delay don't work! I still get some smoke on ruff roads! The whole turning signal witch part cost $599.95 at chevy plus $330.00 labor ! To rich for me! I took the small column dashboard panel off, put a kill switch on the wiper motor power wire just in case, & a light weight wood 6" cut off stained broom handle on the 4" metal switch arm ( drilled a 5\16 hole 4" deep)! I avoid bad roads, using turning signals, & I clean my windshield by hand often ! Problem solved for now! If the air bad goes off from this problem while driving I will probably have a heart attack, & die!
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.
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 fire or smoke
Which Chevrolet Blazer years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (20 complaints), 1995 (17 complaints) and 1996 (17 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Chevrolet Blazer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $599 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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