Steering Problems of Chevrolet Blazer - part 1

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).

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Vehicle safety defect complaint – 2023 Chevrolet Blazer to whom it may concern, I am submitting a formal safety defect complaint regarding my 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. This vehicle has exhibited multiple system failures that present a serious risk to driver safety and public roadway safety. The vehicle was purchased new on July 20, 2023. Beginning on April 21, 2025, at approximately 27,610 miles, the vehicle developed a progressive defect initially presenting as oil-related issues. Despite multiple repair attempts, the condition worsened and required a full engine replacement in January 2026. Following the engine replacement, the vehicle continued to experience critical safety failures, including engine stalling, reduced engine power warnings, and electronic stability control (esc) alerts. On April 26, 2026, the vehicle experienced a driver assistance system malfunction in which it attempted to steer off the roadway. I was forced to manually disable the system to maintain control of the vehicle. On April 27, 2026, the vehicle exhibited a fuel system failure, including fuel leakage and fuel odor, along with multiple simultaneous warning indicators: • reduced engine power • service esc • steering assist reduced / drive with care • power assist driver system disabled this combination of failures presents both a fire hazard and a loss-of-control risk. Additionally, I was informed by the dealership that a high-pressure fuel line, a one-time-use component, was not replaced during the engine installation. This raises concerns regarding improper repair and continued unsafe operation of the vehicle. The vehicle has undergone multiple repair attempts and a major powertrain replacement, yet continues to present serious safety concerns. Due to these ongoing issues, I do not feel safe operating this vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter for potential safety defects that may impact other vehicles of the same make and model.

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My engine coolant temperature sensor failed. Replaced it and still not fixing the issue. This takes my steering assist away as they are all interlinked? I have seen on forms this is a common issue. This has the potential to blow up my engine, I’m not sure how this is not a recall with so many 2020-2026 Blazer owners having the same issue.

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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.

Power steering goes out intermittently while driving.

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My vehicle makes a clunk noise when the vehicle is in motion and I press on the accelerator it also makes a little jerk. This mainly happens @ low speeds and on a incline hill. There some type of oil or grease stains where the cv axle goes into transmission. Ive felt my vehicle with less power and pulls to the left. Took the vehicle to Chevrolet and they said they couldnt duplicate the issue or the oil leak.

| issues first appeared recorded on 3/9/2026, while odometer read 49,663 miles. Check engine light was caused by error codes p0128 and p01f0. This causes the following issues: * check engine light to appear on the dashboard. * engine temperature gauges to be unreliable at times or completely non functional at others, as it will constantly read the engine temperature "cold". * air conditioning unit to become unreliable at times or completely non functional at others, and only blow hot air. * radiator fan will be stuck running at max speed despite current engine temperature. * a "reduced steering assist" message will periodically appear on the dashboard. * a "service esc" message will periodically appear on the dashboard. * remote start will becomes non functional. | car was taken to a license Chevrolet dealership and had full thermostat housing and thermostat sensors replaced. Dealership confirmed all replaced parts are working correctly and as intended. After picking up the vehicle from the dealership, and driving car for roughly 30 miles, the check engine light appeared on the dashboard again causing all previous issues to return. | several other chevy Blazer 2020 owners have complained of the same issue online, and in forums such [xxx] . | information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

Thermostat housing replacement + dexcool: p0128, thermostat stuck. Was told this can cause engine to overheat.

Shift to park issue: known issue where the car fails to recognize it is in park, preventing it from shutting off. Electronics: potential blanked-out display screens, usb port issues, and malfunctioning cameras. Steering assist: restricted, temperature gauge goes to cold and radiator fan blows hard. I have to unplug negative cable to battery and reconnect and everything goes back to normal.

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.

1) part that failed per general motors Chevrolet dealer was the thermostat along with coolant sensor. 2) I was getting warning notices on dash board screen stating (reduced steering assist) I was also getting a esc warning 3) problem has been repaired at gm dealer 4) parts were replaced by gm dealer/service center 5) esc warning light that came on for a short time after motor stopped for auto stop / start and then restarted. If auto stop / start was turned off esc warning did not come on. Reduced steering assist warning would come on but then go off. Finally the service engine light came on and stayed on. 6) gm service stated code for engine light was p01f0. Autozone read a p0128 code. 7) from investigating online this seems to be a very common problem with the 2019 and 2020 Chevrolet Blazer with the 6 cylinder engine. Note: I believe this should be a warranty repair due to the fact that 1) this is a known issue with the 2020 Blazer and known poor design 2) the warning about reduced steering assist and 3) esc warning.

The shift-to-park sensor in my 2019 chevy Blazer rs is malfunctioning. After shifting into park, the vehicle does not detect that it is in park and displays a “shift to park” message. The issue is/has been ongoing and now it is almost impossible to bypass with wiggling the shifter. Safety risk: the vehicle cannot be fully shut off or locked, increasing the risk of battery drain or unintended movement. This poses a safety risk if the vehicle is left in public or on an incline. Inspection history: the vehicle was taken in to the dealership in November/December 2025 due to multiple warning lights: “shift to park”, "steering assist", "stabilink" and the usb-c charging port under the radio screen will stop working all together when this happens as well. This started around September 2025 and has occurred regularly since.

In September 2023, when getting my vehicle serviced for a routine oil change, I was told there was a leak in my radiator. They replaced the entire thing under warranty. On November 15th, 2025, while driving on the highway heading home from out of town with my children, an error flashed up saying “steering assist is reduced – drive with care” upon arriving home, the fan on my car was running on high for a solid 10 minutes after turning the car off. No recall but special coverage n252508350 covers the thermostat replacement. Upon inspection by a mechanic, I was informed that the radiator is also leaking again in the exact same spot as it was previously. It should be noted I have never seen leaking fluid in my garage/driveway. I’ve driven less than 10,000 miles since the radiator was replaced previously. If there is a known problem with the coolant system which can cause overheating and steering assist issues, why isn't the faulty radiator and thermostat recalled. The radiator is cased in plastic to aluminum. Plastic can easily catch fire if a car overheats. The casing also prevents an owner from even knowing if there is a leak since the plastic is catching leaks - the mechanic informed me that's why I didn't know about both times it leaked. This is a 4yr old car with 46k miles, twice replaced radiator and thermostat. A recall should be issued since both problems could potentially cause a fire from an overheated engine & loss of steering assist while driving. A google search quickly showed me thousands of other chevy Blazers from 2019-2021 with reoccurring thermostat and radiator issues. I feel unsafe driving in my vehicle but still owe too much to even trade it in for something else. I've owned dozens of vehicles in my lifetime, used and new and keep them 8-10yrs and have never had to replace a thermostat and radiator. This vehicle is dangerous due to gm/chevy's cheap radiator model and thermostat which could overheat and catch fire.

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We are noticing the coolant meter seems to be stuck on c, the ac is not blowing cold and we are getting a message that action required steering assist is reduced, drive with caution. Today the brakes slammed on by themselves and almost sent my wife thru the windshield. Luckily she was in a clear area with no other cars around.

Car is displaying a “steering assist is reduced drive with caution” engine light is on and fan continues to run for 5-8 minutes after car is turned off. Was told by a mechanic it is a p0128 code, coolant thermostat. This is the third time it has happened in the last year. Other two times the codes cleared.

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

Engine temperature gauge is not working. Dash is displaying driver assist issue and steering intermittently locks up while moving. Air conditioning does not work and cooling fan is running at high speed. Thermostat and coolant temperature sensor need to be replaced. Such a high number of these vehicles are failing that I can’t even get factory parts.

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.

"steering assist reduced” warning message appears on dashboard display and temperature gauge stuck on cold on the dashboard display. I understand this such a common issue with the 2019 and 2020 Blazer that general motors has issued technical service bulletins but refuses to repair these vehicles for free. This is unacceptable! issue a mandatory recall therefore gm must perform the repairs for free.

Request for recall review – 2021 Chevrolet Blazer steering assist and cooling fan issue hello, I am writing to report a recurring issue with my 2021 Chevrolet Blazer and to request that this concern be reviewed for possible recall or warranty coverage. The vehicle frequently displays an “action required: steering assist is reduced. Drive with care” message while driving. Additionally, after shutting off the vehicle, the engine cooling fan continues to run for up to 20 minutes, as if the vehicle is overheating. This issue has occurred multiple times and raises concerns about potential problems with the steering assist system, cooling system, or electrical sensors. I’ve noticed that other Blazer owners have reported similar experiences online, which suggests this could be a broader issue. Could you please confirm whether there are any existing recalls, technical service bulletins (tsbs), or warranty programs addressing this condition? I would also appreciate guidance on the next steps for inspection or documentation. Vehicle information: year/model: 2021 Chevrolet Blazer.

While driving, the vehicle displayed a “service power steering” warning message, and shortly after, the steering became noticeably heavier and less responsive. The issue occurs intermittently but has worsened over time, creating a serious safety concern because loss of steering assist could occur at any speed. The dealer diagnosed the problem as a failure of the electronic power steering module and rack-and-pinion assembly, quoting an estimated repair cost of approximately $2,500. The vehicle has only around 56,000 miles and has been maintained as recommended. The dealer confirmed the issue but stated that general motors would not cover the repair under warranty or goodwill assistance. This defect poses a significant safety risk, as a sudden loss of power steering assist can make the vehicle difficult to control, especially during turns or emergency maneuvers. There were no accidents or injuries, but the potential for loss of control is high. The warning message and loss of assist can be reproduced and have been verified by the dealership. The vehicle has not been repaired yet, and the defective parts are available for inspection upon request.

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.

Was getting a steering assist reduced error code. Auto stop quit functioning and air conditioning stopped cooling. Engine sounded like a jet. P 0128 thermostat error code came up and had to be replaced. I see lots of similar complaints. Cost me $700.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that upon stopping at a red traffic light, the vehicle's auto start/stop system activated and turned the engine off. The warning message "brake system failure - esc- steering assistance reduced". The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway and turn the vehicle off. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure recurred. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 121,000.

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the lane keep assist feature steered the vehicle to the left while the vehicle was driving inside the lane. The lane keep assist warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle also experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle drove over a pothole. The contact also stated that the dealer had previously replaced the front-end bracket after another vehicle struck the front end while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied in a parking lot. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, escude Chevrolet of easley (5010 old easley bridge rd, easley, SC 29642), but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact was informed that the tires were the incorrect size for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,500.

Intermittent dash warning: "action required. Steering assist is reduced. Drive with care. " power steering is sluggish when this happens. Having this happen while driving could be dangerous. Only stays on for a few minutes then goes away. This started with only 10k miles and has been continuing for 2+ years. Based on what I've read online, this is a known issue with the thermostat and/or coolant temp sensor. Dealership refuses to fix it unless it's throwing a code while in the dealership. Of course, it never throws the code while at the dealership.

2021 Blazer message steering assist reduced esc needs attention 15,000 miles shoukd no way need rack n pinion . Steering reduced and is a hazard to drive.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn with a reduced steering message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat had failed, which caused the steering wheel to fail, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

The Blazer's check engine light came on and I had it scanned. The code was po128 indicating that the engine coolant temperature is consistently below the thermostat regulating temperature. We are also getting a message on the vehicle that states the steering assist is reduced, drive with care. The car is also blowing hot air when the ac is on, the temperature gauge is staying at the lowest setting and the fans are running full blast. This seems to be a very common problem with the Chevrolet Blazer.

Vehicle gives warning that steering assist is disabled. I should drive carefully. Also cooling fans run on high and temp gauge reads zero. P0128 I'd code given by computer. When code is cleared vehicle returns to normal operation. I read many, many people have this same problem with no clear correction. Many have replaced thermostat, temp sensors, and problem returns. Sounds like defective wiring to me and if it impacts steering should be an oem problem to remedy.

Temp gauge intermittently reads cold, no ac and engine cooling fan constantly blowing, dash warning re power steering, 40,000 miles, code po128, review of google indicates this is a common problem and likely needs a new thermostat and ect.