Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Chevrolet Blazer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On September 5, 2004, my husband, mother, 8 year old son, 4 year old daughter, and 1 year old son, were stranded in the emergency lane on I-66 east in fairfax county, va with a broken fuel pump. While waiting for a tow truck they were hit by a drunk driver who was traveling at approximately 100 MPH. The Blazer flipped onto its side and skidded a great distance, before finally coming to rest upside down. My 4 year old daughter was seriously injured when the back seat, and the front seat broke and sandwiched her in between the two. She broke her jaw when she was slammed into the small handle above the rear right passenger side door. She also suffered a broken wrist and broken arm when she was thrown into the door. When the back seat broke it caused her to hit the headset of the broken front seat which in turn caused some of her teeth to go through her bottom lip. …
When applying the ABS brakes in a sudden stop, the pedal went to the floor and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. Brake pads prematurely worn out and dealer replaced them and also resurfaced rotors, consumer states an accident resulted because of the faulty brakes. Rear passenger side door panel material came apart, dealer replaced.
Dt: the consumer has a 1996 Chevrolet Blazer. The vehicle's frame cracked at one of the welds under the front wheel. The consumer noticed this about 2 weeks ago. The consumer has never received any recalls on the vehicle. Manufacturer and dealership not willing to provide free assistance.
While driving in the rain, consumer put on brakes and felt ABS kicking in, but there was a delay in stopping, consumer has also been to the dealer regarding an excessive brake squeak, dealer had replaced brake pads twice and rotors once. Right rear door won't always unlock from inside, dealer found no problem, pins at driver's door hinges rusted. The seal around right rear window holds water after rain. Rear passenger seat will not fold down, dealer found cable binding up. Water collects in rear light lense when washing vehicle, dealer replaced taillight lense, center high mount lense collects moisture, dealer replaced 3rd light brake assembly. Consumer flushed radiator and 12 months later it needed flushed again, dealer performed, consumer paid to have the first flush down and is requesting reimbursement.
In November, I noticed an increase in wind/air noise coming from the rear tailgate. Upon investigation, I discovered that the rear windshield is being pulled away from the vehicle; the hinge mechanism, that holds the glass to the vehicle, has failed and there is about = inch gap between the glass and the weather seal. This problem has become worse with continued driving and a dealer has determined that the problem was do to " no fault of my own". Chevrolet has refused to correct the problem which May cause exhaust fumes to enter and/or the rear windshield to be ripped from the vehicle.
After 3 months of consumer's purchase when applying the ABS brakes the vehicle does not stop within feets. The ABS would allow the vehicle 4-5 Blazer distances before stopping. On 4-3-97 the seat belts stopped locking. Also, when the engine is running and hood opened one can see a spray mist of gasoline misting from the engine, the smell is penetrating into the inside compartnment and is unconfortable to consumer. Please give consumer a call. Vehicle is parked at this time.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Chevrolet Blazer. While proceeding to turn a corner at 25 MPH, the driver's side door unexpectedly opened. The driver immediately closed the door manually while the vehicle was in motion. The driver then went to a repair shop and had the door temporarily secured. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The authorized dealer was notified of the failure and the vehicle has not been repaired. Updated 04/21/09. Updated 04/21/09.
Most of the problems that surfaced had already been repaired at least once. Most of the problems had already been repaired at least once under warranty and have recurred. The A/C seal leaked and needed a pump. There were problems with the idler pulley, oil filter lines, crank shaft,door hinges, power steering, throttle positioner sensor 2, left front axle seal, and the differential side covers.
Due to front frame of the vehicle breaking behind left front wheel vehicle was rocking back and forth during operation; in addition, to a popping and grinding noise being emitted from the vehicle. Dealership has examined vehicle and was in process of repairing defect. Please provide any additional information/attachments.
Drove vehicle while rear windows were down. At speeds over 50 MPH, the vehicle began to shake violently. Upon rolling the rear windows up, the shaking stopped. Chevrolet dealer indicated all blazers are experiencing this problem due to a design flaw in body style.
Body complaints in other Blazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the body & structure of the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, 3% of the model year's 1,153 complaints. The component named most often is frame and members (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Chevrolet Blazer body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Chevrolet Blazer body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 178,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.