Power Train Problems of Chevrolet Blazer - part 2

To whom it may concern, I purchased a new 2020 chevy Blazer from the dealership five years ago. Since then I have had to replace my battery twice, radiator and now the thermostat all of which have been done at the dealership. The car and all receipts of the repairs are available for inspection if requested. This most recent mechanical issue with the thermostat included the following; fans blowing on high, no ac, check engine light, steering assist reduced message, and temp gauge on c. The car was immediately (same day) taken to the dealership for investigation. Upon inspecting the car the mechanic found the thermostat sticking open and indicated that it would need to be replaced as it was unsafe to drive. A total cost of $1400. It seemed odd that my car is only 5 years old with 75k miles and needing to have the thermostat replaced so I started researching this issue further. . Read more...

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Blazer 🔎.

Coolant temperature would not read, steering assist malfunctioning, air conditioner intermittent. Wiring harness for sensors loomed together with coil pack wiring interrupting signals.

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered, and the transmission was difficult to shift into gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the same diagnostic information was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,244.

See all problems of the 2023 Chevrolet Blazer 🔎.

In March 2025 a steering assist reduced warning came on briefly. Over the next several weeks intermittent. April 2025 engine warning light came on. 4-14-25 went to toddwenzel Chevrolet for diagnosis to be told the thermostat needs to be changed and due to a small amount of crystallization on the radiator that as well. I had just had oil changed and fluid levels topped off that morning at parkway express who did not identify concerns. 4-15-25 brought to parker brake who diagnosed and identified there was a glitch that prompted the warning and they can tell that fired when not driving, temp 125degrees. "it may have been parked cooling down". They noted not need for additional service. Thermostat fine and no evidence of radiator leak. They cleared codes/engine warning. After about a week experiencing intermittent assist reduced warning again. I am understanding that this is a known problem w/ these Blazers and changing thermostat for many does not work. Where does this leave me? gm needs to help with the cost and figuring this out. I am concerned about sudden failure of something while driving that could be unsafe for myself/others.

Purchased a brand new 2024 Blazer on [xxx] - 11 miles on the vehicle from friendly Chevrolet in dallas, TX. Transmission failed at 1150 miles in galveston, TX on [xxx]. According to the galveston dealership an extensive transmission repair was performed on the vehicle at 6 miles. According to the gm rep I spoke with, that maintenance was performed as a service bulletin recall. Car was transported to dallas by gm. Parts are on back order. No eta for resolution. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer 🔎.

Engine - code p0128 engine coolant thermostat. This is a safety issue because it reduces the power steering on vehicle, auto stop stopped working, unable to remote start vehicle. Issue has been confirmed at an independent service center (I work at an auto collision center). Warning lamp - check engine light. Message on dash - power steering reduced. Appears everything came on at the same time. Per dealership items most likely needing replacement are engine coolant thermostat and engine coolant temperature sensor but ecm module could also need replacement. Advised common problem but no recall power train - transmission shutters when accelerating. Safety is at risk because vehicle will not accelerate or accelerate too quickly. Called to dealership advise flush transmission fluid twice to fix issue. We have done this 4 times in the past year. Shutter temporarily reduces but does not go away. Per service advisor it is a "function design" and if flushing transmission fluid does not fix issue then transmission will need to be replaced. There are no warning lights or messages on dash electrical - vehicle says shift to park when vehicle is in park and will not allow vehicle to turn off. It is a safety issue because vehicle will not shut off. Problem confirmed by an independent service center we have already replaced the in-line wire harness jumper. This did not fix the issue. Advised from service center that entire shifter would need to be replaced.

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer 🔎.

Where do I start. Spring of 2024 I believe, less than 55,000 miles, my transmission went out. No warning. I just went out to my vehicle to go to work and when I put it into reverse, my vehicle make a awful noise, jerked forward almost going into my garage door, then wouldn't move. . I put it back in park, tried to put into reverse again and it wouldn't go. It was stuck in park. Had to get it towed to the dealership where they advised me the transmission went out. It was covered under the drivetrain warranty, but the gm warranty doesn't cover rental. It took almost 4 weeks for gm to approve for a new transmission due to parts being on back order to rebuild my transmission. Several months later, I was driving down the road when the esc light and then it said "shift to neutral & press start" and I lost power. I coasted into a parking lot, got it fired up, but had no air conditioning (of course it was summer). Took it to the dealer and they said my radiator and a/c compressor had to be replaced. Luckily my extended warranty covered the $5000 repair. Now 4 months later I got "steering assist reduced, drive with care" with codes. Took to shop and the codes basically was the temp was to low, but the shop couldn't find anything wrong. Cleared the codes and so far so good, but now my esc light pops on once a week again. I don't even have 60,000 miles on my vehicle.

Driver steering assist reduce message in display. Upon scanning codes, error code p0128 triggered. Temperature gauge does not register on dial between c-h.

See all problems of the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer 🔎.

Check engine light came on, gave error code p0128.

Steering assist is reduced came on dashboard. Check engine late came on shortly after. Ac wasn't working and the temperature gauge on the dash wouldn't move. I took it into a shop where they said it was a temperature gauge that was causing all the issues and would need to be replaced. P.

Ac not working, temp gauge stuck at c, steering assist reduced happened a year ago, went away, came back. Would fix short term if battery was disconnected and reconnected or if code was cleared. Found lots of others with this same issue.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle on several occasions, the gear shifter was shifted into park(p) but the vehicle failed to recognize that the gear shifter was in park(p). The contact stated that the message "shift to park" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was not able to be turned off and remained in drive(d). The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the shift controller sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred within two months. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the shift control sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Consistent Blazer issue. Error coded “steering assist reduced. Please drive with care”. There is a thermostat issue. Causing the car to sputter and not run properly. This a common issue with Blazers and a manufacturer default. Should be recalled and covered. It is a safety issue.

When putting the car in park the car don’t recognize it’s in park cause the car to stay running.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal roaring sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed there were metal fragments inside the transmission fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 84,000.

Cooling ran would never shut off, 'steering assist reduced drive with care', the smell of sweet syrup (coolant), and the temp gauge would not leave 'c'. All of this happened at once. Brought it in as it was subsequently throwing codes. Chevy heiderbrecht dealership said that the radiator seal at 53k is completely eroded away and needs to be replaced. They said this is a very common issue with these cars (2020 Blazer/original owner), and looking online there is a plethora of people with the exact same issue (low mileage, complete radiator replacement due to seal going bad on upper driver side). This is insane, you spend 40k on a car, maintain it well, and the parts fail this prematurely with no available recall? now I am stuck with an $1,800 bill with no legal recourse? I mean the dealership said it is a widely known issue, and gm has admitted that the seal is bad, but there's no consumer protection from this big of a company? only thing covered under powertrain warranty is the thermostat (wow thanks gm!) thanks for any help you can provide.

Reduced steering warning, the temperature gague is stuck on c, radiator fan is running on high as soon as I start my car and the transmission is shifting hard at second and third gears.

On Saturday, March 8, 2025 I was crossing a busy intersection when my car shut off completely and accelerated into oncoming traffic almost causing a collision or fatality. My brakes locked and steering wheel locked. I had to put the emergency brake on in order for the car to come to a stop. We got out of the car in the middle of the street and ran for safety. Scariest experience I’ve ever been in especially with my family in the car!!.

Frequently when shutting off my Blazer, I will get an alert that the vehicle is not in park. I have to squeeze and jiggle the shifter in order to get the alert to go away. On several occasions, when I have turned the engine on and back off again without ever touch the gear shifter, I will get the same alert that the vehicle is not in park. If the issue is not just the sensor/switch, this could mean that the transmission could potentially fall out of park and the vehicle start to roll on its own with no one inside.

When I go to put my car in park, I get a notice warning chime to shift it into park. Which then results me into not being able to turn off my car. I am then forced to sit in the car and try to wiggle the shifter until it registers that the car itself is in park. . This first happened to me a few days ago with my toddler and infant child in the car. Compromising my safety as well as the safety of my children, since I was now forced to sit in a public parking lot with my kids in the car trying to not only turn off the car, but also trying to make sure my car was properly parked and not an endangerment to others. I recently called a dealership on feb26,2025 and found out I had the problem fixed once before in 2021. I’m now currently working on getting my car to the dealer to get this issue resolved ASAP. Which is an inconvenience to me, my schedule as well as the schedule of others, since I now need assistance getting to and from the dealer along with taking my children to school and or appointments.

At around 55,000 miles my Blazer began to show error codes for “steering assist reduced” and “esc”. After 60,000 it began to intermittently populate the check engine light paired with the "steering assist reduced" message. Then, the engine fan would turn on high, auto-start when breaking would disable, and the steering would become more stiff. Finally, I was able to get a scan on the code and found out that it was my thermostat. After taking it to my local chevy dealer I was quoted $1100 to repair. When I called my local mechanic I was told they could fix it for cheaper, but they were unable to find an oem thermostat in stock which usually means there's a widespread issue with that part. Upon further research, I've found a plethora of complaints online where others with chevy vehicles are experiencing the same issue. This causes: -greater fuel consumption -risk for the engine to overheat -stiffened steering which could cause accidents.

A few months ago had Blazer in for oil change. That same day check engine light came on. Was told thermostat needed to be replaced. Needed to order part. Check engine light went out then steering maybe reduced just a week ago eventually check engine light came on. Took to dealership and thermostat needed to be replaced also radiator developed a leak. Just over 60000 miles.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that upon attempting to shift to park, the vehicle failed to register that the gear shifter had been shifted to park. The contact stated that the message “shift to park” was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to turn off the vehicle during the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the shifter cable was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

When attempting to put my car in park, the car issues a warning stating the car is not in park, it doesn't recognize the gear shift being in park, therefore, I am unable to shut my car off or lock it up. It is a known manufacturing defect and gm refuses to cover the cost to add a bandaid to it as there is no permanent fix. This is a safety issue, and now my car is not reliable, nor safe. Gm refuses to issue a recall on this.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while attempting to shift to park, the engine remained running, and the message "shift to park" was displayed. A mechanic was called to diagnose the vehicle, and the contact was informed that the transmission control, shifter harness, inline shifter wiring harness jumper, park switch, and other related components were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,340.

Shift to park message coming up on dash screen eventhough shifter was in park. Engine would not turn off. Had to shift several times for vehicle to recognize park . There was a recall on some 2019 chevy Blazers and a technical service bulletin issued, but my VIN number is not on the recall list. The current mileage is 37752. I bought the vehicle new. Dealership relaced shifter control at a cost to me of $553. 60. If there is a safety issue, should a recall cover all ?.

My vehicle has been throwing an error code related to the thermostat. The temperature gauge will remain on c resulting in the fan running loudly, the air conditioner not cooling the cabin of the vehicle well, and a message displaying "steering assist is reduced drive with care". When I check the fluid levels everything is fine without issue. I'm very frustrated and want to get rid of my Blazer ASAP.

When I put my car into park and go to shut the car off if starts saying put car in park even tho it is already in park. It will not allow me to fully shut car off when it says that. I usually have to put it back into drive and back into park again for it to register.

The Blazer is having a recurring p0128 code. We have informed the dealership. This has been going on for 2 years or so. I reset the code with a code reader and it stays off for a few months usually. Tried to have the dealership look at it one of the last times it happened but they wouldn't just look at it. . . They wanted to set up an appointment. We needed the car so I reset the code again. Now it is time to get it fixed. I know it needs a thermostat and temperature sensor. The cost to install it will be close to $1000. This should not be at my cost. This is a know issue with the 3. 6l engine and it affects the emissions of the vehicle along with many other parts of the engine. I am reaching out to see what can be done.

When placing the vehicle into park there is often a issue with the sensor recognizing that the vehicle stating that it is not when attempting to power off the vehicle. When stopping there are times that the vehicle is difficult to stop and there is not fault code as to what may be occurring.

Questions answered below: what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the vehicle is at a gm dealership now and is available for inspection. I have not authorized repairs as of yet. I am being told by the dealership: the ball joint on the control arm on the left side seized snapping the axle shaft - causing the tire to to turn out. The dealership has suggested: mechanical repair costs $1,850, plus an additional $2,000 due to wheel well damage caused by the failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I am being told by the dealership: the ball joint on the control arm on the left side seized snapping the axle shaft - causing the tire to to turn out. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? due to my slow speed turning out of the parking lot ~10 mph - the vehicle came to a sudden halt. However, had this occurred while driving any faster - it would have been very dangerous and put myself and others at significant risk. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? it was towed by aaa and has been inspected by the gm dealership. That is the only inspection thus far. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? earlier in the day while pulling out of a parking spot and turning the wheel to the left I thought I felt some type of resistance then it went away as I started driving. No other symptoms or warning prior to the failure.

P0128 code- assisted steering fault check engine light ac blowing cold temp gauge flat lined need to replace temp sensor and thermostat. Others with this issue have reported steering can completely lock up, which could cause serious accidents which could result in fatalities.

I am getting the message "shift to park" displayed while vehicle in park after turning the vehicle off. Looking online, it seems to be a common issue with Blazers as well as other gm vehicles. I found online that "the cause of the condition may be that the park switch in the transmission control (shifter) assembly is not pulling the bcm signal low to electronically show that the vehicle is in the park position. " if this is such a common issue on similar vehicle to mine since 2018 it appears, why is this not a recall already?!.

When you shift it into park, it often doesn’t recognize that it’s in park and begins to roll backwards. This doesn’t happen every single time but at least twice a week and I have to use the parking break.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping while driving in the lower gears. The contact stated that the message “reduced steering - drive with caution” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle became inoperable. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.