Pretty good power and fuel economy, Smooth ride, Comfortable seats and strong sound system, Nice size.

Horrible Reliability, Build quality, Dealer service & Residual value

1995 Blazer LT 4X4 4dr, all options. You should be aware that this has got to be one of the most poorly built, unreliable and generally awful SUV's on the market. My Blazer came fully loaded with Leather, push button 4X4, Upgraded sound, electric windows, seats, off road package, etc.

The first malfunctions and problems had the vehicle in for service within 2 weeks.

By 30,000 miles the vehicle had been recalled 5 times, most for major safety related issues. The vehicle had failed to start due to mechanical/electrical failures on 4 different occasions. By 60,000 miles Chevy added 2 more recalls. During the 6 years that I owned it, the vehicle has spent more than 30 days in the shop, had experienced failures of the push button 4X4 system, failed drivers side lumbar, windshild wiper controls, anti-lock brakes, rear washer pump, numerous, unresolvable electric glitches, replaced 3 defective oxygen and EGR valves, leaky drivers side door and seals, leaky rear right window seal. All of this on a truck that had every scheduled maintenance performed, was driven only on the highway in a southern climate and and the list goes on and on. I finally traded in the Blazer at 79,000 miles

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2000 Dodge Durango for 1 year, FLAWLESS, an outstanding SUV

Great turning radius. POWERFULL ENGINE. Starts within 1 second(never fails). Dependable. ease of steering

noises(sqeaks). not such a smooth ride. acceleration is very slow, (although the power is tremendous). play in the wheel. a/c not very powerfull

Overall this truck is a corker!! it has been in two wrecks and has only had a couple of somewhat expesive repairs (rear axel replaced, right lower baljoint,front right axel and idlerarm) and some body work was done (from the two wrecks) most of these repair probably would have had to happen if it had not gotten in the wrecks. The engine in this truck is almost imposible to damage even now and it has 189,000 miles on it. Every morning i get up and i have NEVER worried about weather or not my truck was going to crabk or if it was going to break or not. So far I have been lucky never to have been on the side of the road with this truck. I diagnose problems before they happen and it is alot less expesive. Take care of the vehicle(changing oil, check trans fluid, powersteering fluid, radiator fluid, and make suree differnetial fluid is full, try to locate all of the WARNING SENSORS AND MAKE SURE THEY WORK PROPERLY SO THEY WILL WARN U EFFICIANTLY WHEN SOMETHINGS WRONG)and the vehicle will take care of u.

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none

interior comfort

paint is peeling off, engine needs repairs by-monthly, brakes don't last long lots of little rattles transmission gets real shaky after 100,000 miles and when fixed it's never the same again.

Lots of interior room, but in the shop too many times. highly un-reliable,every day I wonder what will go wrong next. Has cost us a lot in repairs. Left my family stranded on a weekend get away. got screwed by the mechanic in that town because he knew we were stuck. I like the looks and interior of the new s-10's but Chevy will never get another dime out of me.

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mazda pick-up toyta MR2 I only had to change the oil in both of these never a prob. I will stick with Asian imports

The ride was smooth when it worked....

You need one loan to buy the car and another loan to fix it.

Bought the truck brand spanking new in October 1998. Had the differential rebuilt at approx 60000 KMS (that's about 27300 miles) and now at 72000 KMS I am spending $3500 Canadian on a new transmission. It begin with the engine light coming on after long highway runs. The gear shifts from 1st to 2nd (auto tranny) were "jerky" and the higher gear shifts occurred out of sinc. I am absolutely furious and astonished that Chevrolet will not/has not owned up to this common occurance. What ever happened to customer satisfaction? I have no more warranty and no recourse.

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Previously I have always owned Fords and have had no trouble.

Dependable, easy to drive.

Under powered (Chevy addressed this in the all new 2002 TrailBlazer)
Blan styling
Would of like a manual tranny option

Purchased new; Blazer 4x4 LS, now with 60K miles I've only had minor problems and have always had the scheduled maint. done. Orginal tires (Michelins), last almost 60K miles, and have done a lot of hauling with this truck. Always dependable - never broke down. Body still in excellent condition. I've has it for 4 years.

It LOOKS good. Thats IT.

Goes through batteries like water. Seat handles break, CD player breaks, sunroof jams constantly. Numerous brake replacements, heating and cooling problems from day one. Extensive underbody rust. Tire carrier pops off on bumps. This truck is possessed by demons. Thank God for AAA.

This is my third Blazer. We had a 1997, 1998 and a 2000. 1998 and 2000 still on the road (But the day is young) WARNING-these trucks are disposable! Expect to spend alot of time with your mechanic and finance his childs college education. Seemed like the truck fell apart as the warranty expired. Broken seat handles, broken sunroof, overheating CD player, serpentine belts, brakes, batteries, radiators, air conditioning. Now they tell me the AXLES are shot!! Funny, the toughest terrain this truck traverses is a HIGHWAY!! It's incredibly noisy, incredibly touchy and poorly put together. I had a Volvo 240 that lasted for 100K+ and was still going strong when I sold it, after 10 years for $3500!! I'll be lucky if I can drive these Blazers until they are paid off. NEVER AGAIN GM!!!

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1997 Blazer-fair
1998 Blazer-Know a good exorcist?
2000 Blazer-Shaping up to be as bad as the 1998. Already replaced the brakes!!!

This a work vehicle for me, so the truck gets used for function more so than common transportation.
-The main strength is the powerful Vortec 4.3 v-6 engine. My truck is consistently loaded with at least 250 lbs of camera gear..and always has enough grunt to move. I often have a passenger or 2 as well.
-The ON-road handling is impressive for an SUV, but there is sacrifice of ride quality.
- I do like it's exterior looks compared to the same year Explorer and Pthfinder and still looks ok after 4 hard years of use.
-The cloth seats I have are fairly comfy and supportive compared to my own personal vehicle.
-The cargo area is pretty spacious and accomadates my gear well...and the cargo is great.
-I like knowing I have a full steel frame under me if I am ever in an accident compared to some uni-body SUVs.
-Last and not least.....The Declo stereo system sounds pretty good for a Chevy...although it's the same basic ugly controls used since the early 80s. The 98 model got the NEW radio...la dee da..

OK...weaknesses a'plenty..
-My MAIN complaint is the poor quality interior plastics used and the 'mystery' rattle/squeak IN the dashboard. With my bare hands..I can take apart the dash panels. How cheap is that? The door panels scratch easy and dont look good after a short time.
-The 4wd system works marginal...and does not compare to the more sophisticated systems used in the Jeeps or Subarus. In 4-LOW...it has a powerful grunt...but the more commonly used 4-hi....really doesnt give me confidence. I work in all weather....and the snow capability of this vehicle lack.
-The turn radius is plain awful. My own Mercury Marquis can make a sharper turn on a street..and my old 91 Blazer also could out turn the 97 Blazer.
-The steering alignment never stays true for too long
-The albeit large and helpful side mirrors shake and vibrate at speeeds over 40mph...since it was new.
-The rear wiper crapped out after 2 years and now makes a nice snow collector.
-The latch hook on the rear flip window came loose after 1 year...and caused major wind leaks and security issues ( now fixed with liberal amounts of industrial adhesive )
-The paint quality is poor and chips easily
-The doors sag after 3 years usage..and end up flexing the front quarter panel at the seam.
-The transmission and rear diff....had problems around 50,000 miles..but luckily its a company vehicle..and I dont pay for repairs.
-The front windsheild defroster is one ported opening at the center of the dashboard...and one cold winter, the concentrated heat cracked the windshield in two. I guess that was a fluke.
-Luckily I have a console shifter in mine..but most have a loose fitting column shifter that obstructs the radio controls.
-The center caps or decorative Chevy emblem caps on the wheels fall off easily...( poor adhesive ) and you now show an ugly black wheel center.
-The lower plastic air dam area under the front bumper will NOT come clean after many washings.
-The ride is harsh and rough over common bumps
-The engine although strong...sucks gas down like water.
-The ABS brakes respond slow to panic stop on loose pavement. I often skid first...and MAYBE then the ABS kicks in.( And yes..I know how ABS works )
-The headlights dont seem any brighter when the "brights" are on...and are even worse in normal use. I am trying to get auxliary lighting mounted on
my vehicle. -The rear light lens would be great in the dessert...because they always seem to filled with water.
- I am sure there are more bad things...but I am tired now...oh wait..there is NO rear seat room for passengers.

My overall experience has been merely a satisfactory one..but not outstanding in any way. As mentioned..this is my work vehicle..and I dont pay for any of it....but I use it more than my own car at times. The 97 Blazer is a functional SUV ..but not for any real "off roading". I has served as a decent vehicle...but I would not buy one for my own. Chevy needs to step up the leve lof refinement in this line of SUV..and maybe include some of the current line Silverado technology and design into the little Blazer. We shall see.....

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The same year Explorer is a mild step up in quality...but the Ford engine is FAR weaker than the Chevrolet offering. The Jeep Grand Cherokee( of that 97 model year ) handles betters and has a far better 4wd system...but also lacks interior quality. The Nissan Pathfinder is a more capable vehicle( but also lacks a powerful engine for the 97 model year )....and has better materials used in and out.

Nice Body Style, Decent handling and comfortable.

Stay away from the 1996 and all Blazers!! GM doesn't care. I've replaced all parts on pulley system (some 3 times, rear main seal, complete A/C system, brakes (not just pads). All of this under 65,000 miles. A noise from the engine that has been fixed over 5 times that has never gone away. My ignition is going out too. Rated "do not buy" by Consumer Reports.

Please e-mail me if you are in the same boat on a 1996 Blazer. I would like to get a Class Action suit together. themoreaus@earthlink.net
I currently have 83,000+ plus on this blazer and first encountered problems around 20,000+ miles when I bought it used. I paid hard earned money for this vehicle; and have not been able to trade it in because even the Chevy dealer says it has no resale value (since 98) due to the poor ratings it's received. I am still trying to get GM to listen; but if enough of us come together maybe something can happen to rectify what has been done to us consumers. **P.S. Don't count on the 100,000 mile radiator fluid. Have your system checked. They found rust in mine and couldn't get it all out. The fluid breaks down and causes your engine to blow. Usually around 70,000 miles or so. Check the NHSA website for a more detailed listing of all the problems this model has incurred!!**

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I've owned a chevy,a ford and a chrysler. Never have I had the large amount of repairs like I've encountered with this 1996 Blazer. And they're ongoing still.

Great in snow. push botton 4 wheel drive very easy to use. pretty room and still nice looking.

bought in in feb. 2000, thank god I purchased a warranty as the engine went and I am getting a new one. These trucks are notorious for building up carbon real bad and must be tuned more than regularly. Plugs annoying to change. some sensor always seems to be going on it.

paid 8000.00 in feb. with 77,000 miles on it. Wouldnt buy a chevy truck again, going ford next time. Advice - pay up and buy a waaranty if you can. My truck is going the trade - in route in a few months.

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None

good handling, nice body style

gas guzzler, too fast for city traffic

350 LT1 with a belt driven Weilend supercharger (12 psi) 500hp nitrous system, Holley heads, Edlebrock cam and Edlebrock forged pistons, Crane 1.8 roller rockers, custom 3in dual exhaust (straight pipes), Borg-Warner 6-spd.[1200hp at rear wheels], 2 Recaro buckets in front (5 point belts), roll cage, Nakamachi faceplate w/ 5in color tv, four Rockford Fosgate 1100a1 amps with 4 Focal 15in Subwoofers, 2 Focal interior speakers powered by a Rockford Fosgate 800a4, Nintendo64,
Truck has matching Ski Natique with 454ci chevy with belt driven Weiland supercharger (8 psi), truck (along with boat) has a Bill's Paint Shop custom blue paint job with white racing stripes

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2000 Corvette (slow) i killed it in the 1/4 mile