Chevrolet Blazer
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Chevrolet Blazer, model year by model year — ranked from 243 federal NHTSA complaints across 2019–2021.
Year matters more than usual if you're shopping a used Chevrolet Blazer. In this data, the 2020 posts 292 complaint occurrences — more than double the 2019's 135 — while the 2021 drops sharply to 41. The 2020's file is dominated by three themes: transmission failure and hard shifting (64 reports, the largest single cluster in any Blazer year here), thermostat malfunction (54), and steering trouble, split between reduced steering assist (49 reports) and a combined steering-assist-and-temperature-gauge complaint (41). Shift-to-park errors add 37 more. Campaign 20V668 applies to this year — verify by VIN that the recall is closed.
The 2019 shares much of the same DNA at lower volume. Its top complaint is the vehicle failing to recognize it's in park (27 reports), joined by two more shift-to-park variants (19 and 18 reports), reduced steering assist warnings (20), and a faulty thermostat (17). Between the two years, the pattern is remarkably consistent: park-position electronics, steering assist, and the thermostat. On a test drive, watch the temperature gauge, note any steering-assist messages, and shift into park repeatedly — including on an incline — to see whether the car protests.
The 2021 is the comparative bright spot at 41 occurrences, though its complaints scatter across fourteen problems: small clusters of electrical malfunctions, brake complaints (including a four-report cluster rated at safety severity, the only safety-rated item in any of these years), a fuel pump control module issue, and the familiar steering-assist warning. Nothing dominates, which is itself a change from the two earlier years.
Despite the volume, no 2019 or 2020 problem carries a safety-severity rating — these are high-frequency drivability-and-electronics complaints more than crash-risk reports, and that's worth holding onto. Complaint totals also reflect what owners filed with NHTSA rather than measured failure rates, and the 2021's low count partly reflects less time on the road. Whichever year fits your budget, prioritize a pre-purchase inspection covering shift quality, cooling system behavior, and shift-to-park operation, plus service records showing whether the common items were already addressed.
Chevrolet Blazer problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 79 | 10 | 0/4 | Unrecognized Park Position Electrical · 27 complaints |
| 2020worst | 123 | 7 | 0/4 | Transmission Failure and Hard Shifting Transmission · 64 complaints |
| 2021worst | 41 | 14 | 1/4 | Electrical System Malfunction Electrical · 5 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2019–2021. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.