Most common 1998 Chevrolet Blazer problems
Share of the 716 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Blazer complaints by model year
Best Blazer years: 2022, 2019, 2021. Years to avoid: 2025, 2024, 1995, 1996, 1997. Compare all years →
1998 Chevrolet Blazer recalls (3)
Exterior lighting
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the daytime running lights built with a candela value greater than 3,000 cannot be mounted higher than 864mm above the road…
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised wiring harness that changes the drl's from high beam to low beam drl's, and install new long-life low beam bulbs.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle equipped with 4-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive. One or both of the attaching nuts for the right-hand lower control arm are under torqued. This can allow the attachment bolt to loosen and subsequent break resulting in separation of the lower control arm from the frame.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and retighten the right-hand lower control arm nuts to the proper torque specification.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. A fatigue fracture of the rear axle right-hand brake pipe can occur causing a slow brake fluid leak resulting in a soft brake pedal.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pipe.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer:
Front control arm ball joints
See attached page.
What 1998 Chevrolet Blazer owners say
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 252 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH in the rain, the windshield wipers failed without warning. The vehicle was merged to the shoulder of the road where the windshield wipers could be activated after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was unable to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer. While driving 60 MPH, the windshield wiper blades stopped working without warning. The failure occurred intermittently. The windshield wipers were previously repaired by the dealer on two occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
Seats all 84 →
The handle controlling the recline function on both driver and passenger seats has broken. The driver side was replaced once while under warranty, both seats are now in an upright position. Around April, 2003, the hood latch broke and it takes forever to maneuver to get the hood up to check the oil.
My power seat shorted out while I was driving and set my shorts on fire, vehical completly burned to the ground despite three fire trucks showing up in about 5 min. , reported to GM , but the said since vehical was destroyed they are not to blame.
Transmission & drivetrain all 74 →
Front driver's side door does not latch due to the body of the strike plate on driver's side caving in. There was a crack around the sticker plate. The dealer adjusted the driver side sticker plate. The problem remained the same after adjustments were made. Two months after purchase the consumer would hear rattling on the passenger and the drivers side door. The seat belt would not release, the encoder motor had become inoperative after the module shorted, the stabilizer link nuts were missing, the left door would rattle when driven over bumps, when braking, a squealing noise was heard, there was a hesitation in the transmission when changing the reverse, the "trip meter" was inoperative, the was a rattle in the dash when driven over bumps, there was an oil leak, there was a rattle in the front suspension when driven over bumps, the left rear door would open by itself, and the tail gate …
Am the original owner of the vehicle. First factory automatic trans went out at 1 year 10 months/28,877 miles. Per certified cheverolet dealer's repair notes: "removed trans...found 3-4 clutch burned severely and no possible cause for 3-4 clutch failure...". "...found leaking at trans cooler line...replaced lower trans cooler line...". Replaced with certified re-built (srta). Now, 2nd re-built trans failed at 77,867 miles (but only 48,990 on 2nd trans). Per dealership analysis, "r.t. Found to slip in all gears PCM storing p1870 convertor is overheaded and atf burnt bad...". Dealership and cheverolet district rep act as if trans problems are unheard of. Cheverolet customer service case opened, cheverolet district rep refuses to provide any assistance. Sounds just like service bulletin #020421005
1998 Chevrolet Blazer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer a good car?
Based on 716 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Blazer rates avoid: 3.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Blazer at the same age. It is one of the Blazer years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer?
The windows, wipers & sunroof — 252 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about windshield wiper/washer. Next are the seats (84) and transmission & drivetrain (74).
How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer have?
There are 3 recalls for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer, the most recent from August 11, 2000 (exterior lighting). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Blazer?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2022, 2019 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2024, 1995, 1996 and 1997. See the full Chevrolet Blazer years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet Blazer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 20% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.