general problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Blazer - part 1

This happened back in may and the dealership couldn’t find anything wrong and it happened again today. I am driving and the car will shut off. A message pops up saying shift to neutral and press start again. It’s very dangerous and frustrating.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the brake pedal became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to depress the brake pedal to engage the start/stop function to start the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by telephone.

Vehicle: 2020 Chevrolet Blazer v6 system: electronic transmission range select (etrs) – gear shifter / park engagement concern type: potential unintended vehicle motion / failure to confirm park state description of the issue on the 2020 Chevrolet Blazer v6, the electronic transmission range select (etrs) system fails to confirm that the transmission is in park, even when the physical gear shifter lever is placed in the park position. As a result the dashboard displays a "shift to park" warning message in the driver information center (dic). The vehicle continues to beep after the ignition is turned off. The vehicle does not fully power down, remaining in accessory/on mode because the etrs system has not received a valid park confirmation signal from the shifter position sensor. This issue presents a potential unintended vehicle motion (uvm) hazard for the following reasons: 1. Vehicle may not be secured in park the "shift to park" message indicates the etrs system does not confirm the transmission is in the park state. If the park pawl has not fully engaged — even though the shifter appears to be in park — the vehicle is not mechanically secured. On any inclined surface, this creates a risk of the vehicle rolling away, potentially injuring the driver, bystanders, or causing property damage. 2. Driver may exit vehicle believing it is secured the persistent beeping and dic warning are intended to alert the driver that the vehicle is not in park. However, customers may not understand the warning, may dismiss it, or may exit the vehicle assuming the shifter position is sufficient. This is a known human factors risk — the driver's perception of being in park does not match the system's inability to confirm park engagement. Vehicle cannot be powered off normally: when the system cannot confirm park, the vehicle remains in an active power state. This means the vehicle's propulsion system is not fully disabled, increasing the risk of unintended movement if the driver exit.

Car is in park but the car alerts that it is not in park ( causing radio and light s to stay on ) - happens continually and from what I have heard from other people and mechanics - this is a known issue with chevy.

The car is not sensing that it is in park when it is. When I place it in park and turn the car off it dings and says shift into park however it already is in park. Therefore the car will not turn off. I had to jiggle the shift or turn the car on, reverse then go forward then park to get it to register. This has taken up to 10 minutes and it’s getting worse. This is a known issue that is referenced in gm technical service bulletin 19-na-206.

This is what came up on my screen. Steering wheel assist reduced. Drive with care. My hot and cold gauge drop to c and stayed there for about 4 days and my a/c was blowing out hot air. I was told a lot of these suvs have done this.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the message, "steering assist reduced - drive carefully” was displayed. The contact stated that the a/c shut off and the windshield defroster failed after the message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the “special coverage" for the repair. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Vehicle: 2020 Chevrolet Blazer issue: “shift to park” malfunction description: the vehicle repeatedly displays a “shift to park” warning message even when the gear selector is fully placed in park. Because of this issue, the vehicle does not always shut off properly and may continue running electrical systems after the engine is turned off. Symptoms include: * warning message stating “shift to park” * vehicle not recognizing that it is in park * difficulty shutting vehicle off completely * doors/horn behavior acting abnormally after exiting vehicle * concern about battery drain and vehicle safety the issue occurs intermittently but has become more frequent over time. The shifter often must be moved multiple times before the warning clears. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting many gm vehicles and may involve a defective shifter assembly or park switch component. I am concerned this defect could: * cause unexpected battery failure, * prevent the vehicle from shutting down properly, * create a safety risk if the vehicle does not correctly recognize park status.

I am contacting you regarding my 2020 chevy Blazer with approx $55,580 miles. The vehicle is experiencing multiple issues consistent with the know thermostat problem reported on many 2020 Blazer, including the p0128 code, cooling fans running at high speed and "steering assist reduced" warnings. The steering wheel has now become hard to turn while driving, creating a serious safety concern for me and my family, I m [xxx] old and yesterday in mother's day) while I was driving on the expressway with my grandchildren in the vehicle, the steering suddenly became very had to turn and I was almost involved in an accident, this situation was extremely alarming and poses a significant safety risk. Please review many complains from owners who have experienced the same dangerous issue involving the "steering assist reduce- drive with care", warning, sudden stiff steering thermostat malfunction, loss of a/c, and overheating symptoms. I urge Chevrolet and the appropriate safety authorities to investigate this issue and take immediate corrective action to avoid loss of human life. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

A/c quit working, "caution power steering assist . . . . Working, temperature gauge reading zero ( far left side of gauge. Pf62f code set. Repair shop says very common. $800 to repair due to removal of plenum and other component including water temp sensor and thermostat while your there. $100+. 63k miles on vehicle.

My car will be running fine but the lights on the ac panel wont work. My car will stop and shut down while driving. Ive taken it in for service and they told me my battery cabels were lose. The second time it happened I got a notification of low battery level and it shut off and will not start. I just replace the battery 2 years ago. The service department tested my battery and said it was fine.

The temperature gauge on my 2020 Chevrolet Blazer stopped working and remains stuck on “cold” at all times. At the same time, the air conditioning stopped functioning properly and only blows hot air. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where diagnostics indicated a faulty thermostat sensor. The thermostat sensor was replaced and the issue appeared fixed. However, less than two weeks later, the same problem returned. The temperature gauge again stays on cold permanently, and the ac blows hot air. This appears to be a recurring issue affecting the vehicle’s cooling system and temperature monitoring.

Just took my car to the chevy dealership today and had them go over the car because I keep getting the message steering assist has been reduced and the fan is constantly running at the highest speed and it also makes it where I can not use the a/c or heat in the car! I don’t know the code off hand but it has something to do with the cam shaft and the thermostat for the antifreeze! from what chevy told me today it is a $9000 job to tear down the left side of the engine because the camshaft carrier gasket is leaking oil! which is probably why that code is popping up. Or from what I was told today it could be from the battery which I believe they were trying to shift blame. Either way this camshaft stuff really needs to be investigated!!.

Vehicle has shift to park light and will not turn off even with the shifter in the park position.

The vehicle experiences a constant cooling system failure that appears to be related to the thermostat. Beginning at approximately 40,000 miles, the engine cooling fan started running continuously at high speed whenever the vehicle is operating. At the same time, the air conditioning stopped functioning properly and the vehicle began displaying a warning message indicating that steering assist is unavailable or reduced. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This condition creates a safety concern because the steering assist warning indicates a potential reduction or loss of power steering assistance, which could increase steering effort and make the vehicle more difficult to control, particularly during low-speed maneuvers or emergency situations. The warning appears during normal vehicle operation and can distract the driver. The ongoing failure of multiple vehicle systems raises concerns about the safe and reliable operation of the vehicle. The problem has been present continuously since first appearing at approximately 40,000 miles and is fully reproducible. The condition occurs every time the vehicle is driven and has not corrected itself. Symptoms include the engine cooling fan running continuously, loss of air conditioning, and a steering assist warning message. Based on reports from other Chevrolet Blazer owners experiencing similar thermostat-related failures, this may represent a common defect that warrants investigation and consideration for a safety recall.

2020 chevy Blazer rs 3. 6l having intermittent issues with ‘check engine’ light activating and giving code p0128 - indicating “coolant thermostat (coolant temperature below thermostat regulating temperature)”. Symptoms include: - temp gauge drops to reading “c” (cold), - ac blows warm/hot air, - dash displays message, “steering assist is reduced, drive with care”, - radiator (electric) fans run full speed. It seems that the computer is interpreting the engine coolant temperature sensor drop as a ‘stuck open’ thermostat, thus the indicated code. However, at the same time it also appears to assume a bad coolant temp sensor, and failsafes to disable the ac and set the radiator fans to max to avoid potential overheating. The problem with this is that this can occur after driving for some period that the engine is suitably warm, then I can pull off the road, disconnect the battery for a few minutes, and everything goes back to normal operation. A broken thermostat would not behave this way. * this happened in Mar 2025 - after disconnecting the battery about 5-6 times over about a 1wk period the code cleared and we were able to pass inspection. The issue did not reoccur until about the same time this year. It has been recurring periodically since. * after reading numerous postings on this issue, with numerous different vehicles that have this engine and computer, I have no faith that the dealership will provide a solution other than charging me to replace the thermostat, and ending up with the same problem a few weeks later.

I received a check engine light which I took to bell tire for diagnosis. Here is there diagnosis comments: the p01f0 code on a 2020 chevy Blazer means the engine coolant temperature is below the normal operating range, often due to a stuck-open thermostat (or both thermostats in models with dual units), a faulty engine coolant temperature (ect) sensor, or low coolant, leading to poor fuel economy and potential wear; fixing it usually involves replacing the thermostat(s) or sensor after checking coolant levels and wiring. After that I took the vehicle to gm dealership. Even though this is a know issue with many vehicles from same year, I was told that my VIN is not part of recall and dealership ended up charging me 600+ to fix the issue. I am reaching out to seek help as I had exact same problem but gm is not covering the repairs because my VIN is not in the recall. How is that possible?.

Action required steering assist reduced and coolant temperature at 0. Air con blowing hot and check engine light on. The vehicle became hard to handle and keep in my lane on the interstate at high speeds. The problem has persisted. It has not been recitfied. I am not driving the car to avoid damage and danger. I bought the Blazer on 1/6/26. The lights and issues began 8 days later. Dealership will not help me. 2020 Blazer rs awd bought from morgan city Toyota louisiana.

The driver information center suddenly indicated steering assist disabled, temperature gauge drops to below cold, air conditioning blows warm air. This issue has happened several times and is able to be reset by disconnecting/reconnecting the battery or using a scan tool. Temperature sensor is not the cause in my opinion, and I have read that the harness for the temperature sensor also includes the coil wires, which can lead to electrical/rf interference, triggering this issue. I have read about many owners having this same issue, even after temperature sensor and thermostat replacement, at low mileages. This should be recalled and handled by gm, whatever the cause.

Engine showing po128 code. Steering assist system reduced power. Engine fan constantly running. Engine temp on dash is stuck on the "c" mark, doesn't move. Thermostat and temp sensor replaced, issue continues. This is a very common problem on gm vehicles with the 3. 6l around the 60,000 mile mark. Gm needs to get it figured out.

There seems to be a constant problem with the service driver assist error code popping up and check engine light coming on. The ac heating keeps losing temperature. I've looked for support for this issue and it seems to be a common problem for chevy owners. Why isn't there a recall on this.

Thermostat gauge isnt moving along side a message saying "steering assis is reduced drive with care".

I got into my vehicle and it said “steering assist reduced. Drive with care”. The a/c stops working and refuses to cool as well as the cooled seats. The thermostat for the coolant reads “c” despite driving it 40+ miles in 83 degree weather. Tried disconnecting battery upon research and finding out many other people are having the same problem. The light turned off and came right back on the following morning.

Shift to park issue. Vehicle shifts into park but does not register as such. Therefore, the vehicle keeps running and will not turn off or allow you to exist the vehicle. This is already a know issue with certain gm vehicles as is evident by a recall and service bulletins. However, none of those include the 2020 chevy Blazer.

Component/system involved: the electric power steering system in my 2020 chevy Blazer is malfunctioning. A warning appears on the dashboard: “steering assist is reduced – drive with care. ” when this happens, steering becomes very stiff and difficult. The issue is ongoing, and the component is available for inspection if requested. Safety risk: this creates a serious safety hazard. The sudden loss of steering assist makes it hard to turn the wheel, especially at low speeds or when maneuvering. It puts me and others at risk, especially if it happens in traffic or while turning. Problem confirmed by dealer: no, the issue has not yet been inspected or confirmed by a dealer or service center. Inspection history: the vehicle has not been inspected by a dealership, manufacturer, police, or insurance. Warning signs: the only warning is the “steering assist is reduced – drive with care” message, which appears randomly—sometimes at startup, sometimes while driving. The issue began around 10/15/2024 and continues to be an on going issue.

When I try to park the car, it says shift to park. Sometimes I can’t get the car to go into park to exit the vehicle or other times. I’ve shut the door and it has stayed on with the accessories because it won’t shut off.

Vehicle thermostat would read cold while operating and the ac was not working. A message would populate in the dash stating "steering assist is reduced drive with care. " multiple forums stated it was a thermostat issue or temperature sensor. Also attempted to disconnect the battery for several minutes which would in turn clear the message and all would be working fine. This has been done multiple times and is at random when the message and ac stop working.

Check engine light on, message saying "steering assist reduced drive with care", engine temperature gauge not moving from c, and ac not working. I have taken it in to be fixed 3x, and they have fixed it 2/3 times but the message has come back again. It is a big issue in 2019/2020 Blazers according to my research.

Shift to park warning comes on when car is in park, car electrical will not shut off until the shifter is shaken or car is turned back on and shifted into gear and back to park, may take several times.

My vehicle lost complete power while I was sitting at red light. The dashboard went completely out and pop back on stating to put the vehicle in park and push the brake to start. After following those instructions the vehicle failed to start and I left disability until onstar notified mpd to assist. While waiting for assistance I was almost hit 3 times. When mpd arrived on the scene they were able to push the vehicle out of traffic. After my vehicle arrived at the shop I was told the power failure was caused by the malfunction of the DC/DC converter output voltage. I see a bulletin was put out but a recall was my made available. I feel this is a major issue due to the vehicle losing power.

After the vehicle has been put into parked and attempted to shut off, a message displays “action required shift to park”. Although the vehicle is in parked there is some kind of sensor that is not reading it is in park. Vehicle first started doing this when parked on an incline but frequently happens since the first occurrence. One temporary solution is to shift into different gear or shake the gear shift.

Warning message indicating steering assist system reduced, engine fan running non-stop, ac blowing hot air, temperature gauge not registering/stuck on cold. Faulty engine temperature sensor and thermostat.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle and shifting to park(p), the message "shift to park” was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times and shifted from drive(d) to park(p) several times before the message disappeared. The contact stated that the vehicle was also showing electrical failures. The contact stated that after shifting to park(p) and turning off the vehicle, the contact heard chimes as if the vehicle was still running. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that one morning the vehicle had to be jumpstarted and on another morning the battery was completely drained. The battery was taken to an auto parts store to be checked. The contact was informed that the battery was in good operating condition. The contact stated that the battery was drained again and was replaced. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that the front passenger’s seat belt buckle was inoperable. The contact buckle was jammed and failed to properly secure the seat belt in place. The contact stated that while driving and stopped at a red light, the traffic light turned green and the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle surged forward unexpectedly while rolling. Additionally, the contact stated that the infotainment system intermittently displayed a blank or distorted screen, became frozen and was unresponsive to the touch commands. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

Shift to park message began appearing even after the shifter knob was in park. I cannot turn the vehicle off and it rolled backwards due to the vehicle not recognizing it was in park. This has now cost $700 to repair when its been a known issue with these vehicles for over 6 years and yet they refuse to issue a recall. This is dangerous and disgusting practice for a vehicle manufacturer to avoid keeping their customers safe.