Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Blazer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Throttle stuck brakes could not stop vehicle. Lost control and rolled. Lucky I was on my property and not a public road. No report. Can be inspected. Available anytime. This is not the only year of this model I have had this problem I have had two 2002 that have had same problem.
Owning this vehicle has been a nightmare and a financial drain. Windshield wipers worked when they chose, replaced wiper motor due to defective part. Upper and lower ball joints all had to be replaced. Wheel bearings had to be replaced. A/C stopped working, had it looked at and recharged and it still doesn't work. Fuel gage didn't work, replaced fuel sensor and sending unit. Rear wiper quit working, replaced rear wiper motor, a few days later it does not work again. Replaced water pump, have replaced ABS only to get a recall after the fact with no reimbursement. Wears through brake pads entirely too fast. Replaced alternator and battery twice. Rear hatch does not unlock with key. Headlights are so dim they might as well not exist. Water leaks into interior on drivers side due to a bad seal. Idler arm needs to be replaced. Gas pedal sticks. Now heater fan works sometimes. …
Dt: the contact set the cruise control while going up a hill and vehicle sped up .while going down the hill the vehicle just kept going faster. The rpms were above 4000. He pressed on the brake pedal as hard as possible. This slowed the vehicle a little. He managed to pull the vehicle to the side of the road. He got out of the vehicle and opened the hood to checked the throttle assembly. It was stuck. He worked with the throttle and finally managed to get it released. The contact has not taken the vehicle to a dealership to duplicate the problem. Updated 2/7/2006 -
While driving 30 MPH accelerator pedal went to the floor and commenced the vehicle to accelerate at 45 MPH. The driver engaged the emergency parking brake until the engine stop acceleration. The dealer was not notified. When the consumer released the gas pedal the speed did not decrease. The wheels started to smoke as the engine was racing and the brakes were engaged. The consumer then engaged the emergency brake and tried to get the transmission to go into neutral but it wouldn't.
While driving vehicle about 55 MPH the vehicle suddenly accelerated up to 70 MPH without any reason, causing an accident. Comsumer coudn't stop vehicle. The patrol police said: it was a mechanical deffect; manufacturer was contacted.
While driving at 65 MPH engine revved very high. Consumer pulled to the shoulder, and called a tow truck and had vehicle towed to a repair shop. A rebuilt engine was installed in the vehicle, but not by the dealer.
Cruise control cable/ plastic retainer snapped, cruise control engaged by itself. On approach to an intersection accelerator pedal jammed despite release of foot from pedal. Attempted to brake with both feet on brake pedal with no apparent slowing of vehicle. Given the fact that both of my young children were in the vehicle, and we were quickly approaching the intersection, I put the car in neutral. With both feet on the brake and still no slowing of the vehicle, my concern for the safety of my children became overwhelming. With my engine reving at an audibly 'pending- doom' level, and cars cruising directly across my path, ( crossing traffic did not have a stop sign), I slammed my vehicle into park and prayed for it to stop. I then proceeded to turn off the ignition and it wasn't until an eternity of a second later that the vehicle ceased. …
I was driving on the tollway and approximatly 1 mile before the toll, I felt my car accelerating without my foot on the gas. I thought the cruise control was on, but it wasn't.as I approached the toll and had my foot on the brake, my car was not slowing down, I almost crashed into the car ahead of me. I put the car in neutral and shut it off. After putting it in park, I was told by the toll authority to try to start the car. When I did, it revved up all the way into the red zone,8000 rpms. I took the car to the dealer and was told nothing was wrong with it. About 2 weeks later, my engine was deemed ruined. The rod, pistons and bearings were shot, not due to lack of maintanence. The cause of the engine problem was due to the throttle. None of this should of occurred in a car that is still somewhat new. Please respond.
Throttle sticks. Diagnosis=carbon build up in throttle line. Was told by service dept. That it is a design defect in late model Chevy engines. Was told that they see it all the time, ESP. In blazers. Throttle can stick at any given moment. Chevy calling it a maintenance problem even though dealer tech said it is a design problem. I consider the throttle sticking at any given moment a serious safety issue! First incident in sept. 1998 at 25,000 miles, fixed under warranty. Problem occcured again, was told that this is now considered a maintenance issue and not covered under warranty. I consider this a safety problem and am very nervous about driving this vehicle if the throttle will stick at any given moment.
Failure of engine control systems to reduce idle RPM on deceleration is causing undue strain on braking system and premature wear of components. Problem has been reported to dealer on two occasions and has not been corrected. Reduced braking ability while in gear and even downshifting due to the engine's delay in reducing the idle speed has forced the driver to shift to neutral to during braking to disable the engine from the drive system. The vehicle is equipped with a manual 5-speed transmission. Problem May be linked to other models with faulty EGR valves but has not been diagnosed by my dealer. Their only solution is to download a new program into the ECM, but it hasn't worked.
Acceleration complaints in other Blazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer, 6% of the model year's 768 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Blazer acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer, though it has 4 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 1997 Chevrolet Blazer acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.