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Thread: How bad are the older Chevy Blazers?

  1. #1
    Tom Brown
    I'm thinking of buying a 1999 Blazer from a buddy. It's in extremely nice shape with about 100K miles on the clock (160K Kms). He will let me have it cheap.
    .... so I hit the Internet to do some reading and discover this car is generally hated: intermittent electrical problems with the power windows, locks, and interior lights, extremely low fuel economy, front end requiring rebuild every 60K Kms, front CV joint problems, and a few other things that sound common. The general concensus of the 110 negative reviews (of 170) is that they are expensive vehicles to own.
    I notice alternators and radiators aren't on the list. Don't they use the same alternators and rads as the full size pickup trucks?
    I'm sure this truck has a bad frontend. It wonders a lot. It has big tires so that is probably part of it. I don't mind rebuilding the front end, if that's all it would take to make it perfect.
    This is the 4x4 version of the truck and it has every feature from heated leather seats, CD changer, and so on. It's all there and it all works and looks like new except for some surface cracking in the leather on the driver's seat close to the door.
    To be fair ot the vehicle, a lot of the negative reviews are really more about terrible to non-existant dealer service causing a fault to turn into a big, big deal.
    I guess what I'd like to know is how bad are they? Does anyone here have some service nightmare stories to share?
    I'm thinking of picking it up Tuesday. It is cheap and I could use a four wheel drive as winter approaches. Did I mention it was cheap?

  2. #2
    Kachina26
    I'm thinking of buying a 1999 Blazer from a buddy. It's in extremely nice shape with about 100K miles on the clock (160K Kms). He will let me have it cheap.
    .... so I hit the Internet to do some reading and discover this car is generally hated: intermittent electrical problems with the power windows, locks, and interior lights, extremely low fuel economy, front end requiring rebuild every 60K Kms, front CV joint problems, and a few other things that sound common. The general concensus of the 110 negative reviews (of 170) is that they are expensive vehicles to own.
    I notice alternators and radiators aren't on the list. Don't they use the same alternators and rads as the full size pickup trucks?
    I'm sure this truck has a bad frontend. It wonders a lot. It has big tires so that is probably part of it. I don't mind rebuilding it, if that's all it would take to make it perfect.
    This is the 4x4 version of the truck and it has every feature from heated leather seats, CD changer, and so on. It's all there and it all works and looks like new except for some surface cracking in the leather on the driver's seat close to the door.
    To be fair ot the vehicle, a lot of the negative reviews are really more about terrible to non-existant dealer service causing a fault to turn into a big, big deal.
    I guess what I'd like to know is how bad are they? Does anyone here have some service nightmare stories to share?
    I'm thinking of picking it up Tuesday. It is cheap and I could use a four wheel drive as winter approaches. Did I mention it was cheap?
    EGR valve issues, injector issues (expensive repair, may have been repaired under a special warranty policy though), I've replaced the occasional 4wd selector motor (obviously not a problem if it's not a push button 4wd). Power windows not more of an issue than any other car I've worked with. Rattles galore. Get rid of the dexcool in the cooling system, if the system develops a leak, it turns to mud and clogs everything. Interior light and lock issues usually are due to a broken wire in areas that get a lot of flex, like between the door and the body. Fuel mileage is not super, but not off par for that type of vehicle. Really not a bad vehicle though.
    Just out of curiosity, what exactly does the front end wonder about?

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    1,105
    I have owned three: 89, 92 and a 99 Had no problems with any of them. One I put 189K on and only put a water pump an alternator and a couple of tail light bulbs. Great vehicles for me...
    Steve
    EDIT: These were Blazers first then changed to Tahoes... I had the ones built on the truck chassis. Oh never mind... You are going to do what you want anyway, right... LOL..

  4. #4
    Tom Brown
    Thanks, guys.
    This is really a nice truck. It's been well taken care of and looks like new.
    I'm going to pick it up Tuesday.

  5. #5
    UncleJoe
    I have a 1999 Tahoe 4 door 4X4 which I purchased new in 1998. It has 74,540 miles on it and has been a great vehicle. I had transmission work done under warranty and just replaced the waterpump. I do preventative maintenance on my equipment. This truck tows my boats well and has seen it's share of off road action. Never abused. No problems with the electronic 4 wheel drive. Runs cool. On the negative side, about 10MPG around town and 15MPG to 18MPG on the hwy.
    Buy it Tom

  6. #6
    RitcheyRch
    I know someone with an '89 Blazer and think they have over 250K miles on it. The paint looks like crap but still runs and drives good.

  7. #7
    Tom Brown
    I have a 1999 Tahoe....
    I believe the Tahoe is built on the full size truck platform. The Blazer/Jimmy are built on the S10/S15 platform, which also receives terrible reviews.

  8. #8
    a catered life
    I have a 1999 Tahoe 4 door 4X4 which I purchased new in 1998. It has 74,540 miles on it and has been a great vehicle. I had transmission work done under warranty and just replaced the waterpump. I do preventative maintenance on my equipment. This truck tows my boats well and has seen it's share of off road action. Never abused. No problems with the electronic 4 wheel drive. Runs cool. On the negative side, about 10MPG around town and 15MPG to 18MPG on the hwy.
    Buy it Tom
    we have a 2wheel tahoe and love it bought it used with about 50,000 miles...all of the older chevy's are pretty good trucks except for the fuel pump issues and milage....we have also had two astros which is the same engine as the small blazer (i think) on the first astro 190,000 miles one transmission and about 185,00 on this one second transmission about to nbe done

  9. #9
    UncleJoe
    I believe the Tahoe is built on the full size truck platform. The Blazer/Jimmy are built on the S10/S15 platform, which also receives terrible reviews.
    Yes they are basically a truck. I have not heard any negatives on the 4X4 front end. Mine handles great. Has speed sensitive steering.

  10. #10
    pw_Tony
    I own a 1992. It has some 4x4 problems, the transfer case is takin a shit, and the module is done too. Mine's got a 4.3 and it kinda has an overheating problems. But all my electrical work ok. Those are just my experiences for them though

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