1996 Chevrolet Blazer Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 149 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 73,250 miles. The words owners use most often: “ball joints” (41% of reports).
- 149suspension complaints
- 73,250median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 27%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ball joints: mentioned in 61 of 149 complaints (41%)
- Upper lower: mentioned in 16 of 149 complaints (11%)
- Joint broke: mentioned in 12 of 149 complaints (8%)
- Idler arm: mentioned in 8 of 149 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 22 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 149 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 6 an injury.
Chevrolet Blazer suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Blazer | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Blazer | 1 | 2% | 46,831 |
| 2022 Blazer | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Blazer | 4 | 3% | 34,980 |
| 2020 Blazer | 4 | 2% | 1,300 |
| 2004 Blazer | 6 | 12% | 27,323 |
| 2003 Blazer | 4 | 5% | 36,000 |
| 2002 Blazer | 16 | 7% | 48,000 |
| 2001 Blazer | 40 | 12% | 56,218 |
| 2000 Blazer | 100 | 17% | 45,310 |
| 1999 Blazer | 72 | 17% | 63,000 |
| 1998 Blazer | 60 | 8% | 63,000 |
| 1997 Blazer | 105 | 14% | 82,000 |
| 1996 Blazer | 149 | 13% | 73,250 |
| 1995 Blazer | 35 | 3% | 94,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. Failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion.
Risk: This can result in impaired steering or steering loss, or a partial or complete collapse of the front suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace both upper ball joints. Owner notification began september 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Right side upper ball joint separation. *tr
1996 chevrolet blazer right rear tire came off vehicle while driving on the ohio turnpike. *kb the right rear tire fell off, due to bad bearings. Ohio traffic report# 10-0020-89 updated letter 04/29/10 *bf
The front tires are worn, and i have been told that i need upper and lower ball joints. I have had these replaced in the past. This is a continual repair and getting costly. I called gm and they told me there was a recall but because of the time that has past that it is no longer covered. I am in…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Chevrolet Blazers have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 149 owner complaints about suspension for the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer (13% of the 1,153 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer suspension?
Yes: 1 safety recall list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 73,250 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer?
The most frequent phrase is “ball joints”, in 61 of 149 complaints, followed by “upper lower” (16).
Other 1996 Chevrolet Blazer problems
See all 1996 Chevrolet Blazer problems or suspension problems across all Blazer years.