NHTSA Complaint #10167123 — 2001 CHEVROLET BLAZER

MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT OUR '01 CHEVY BLAZER USED IN 04/05. FROM THE START WE HAD A HARD TIME GETTING IT TO ENGAGE/DISENGAGE 4WD. THIS LAST WINTER MY WIFE, THE PRIMARY DRIVER, COMPLAINED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER WHILE COMING HOME ONE NIGHT AND THE WEEKNIGHTS FOLLOWING FOR A WEEK. I CHECKED IN THE MORNINGS IT WAS FINE. PRETTY SOON WE BOTH STARTED NOTICING THE GAS GAUGE BOUNCING AROUND LIKE IT WAS DANCING. MY WIFE THINKING SHE WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS WOULD PULL INTO THE FIRST GAS STATION. SHE WOULD FILL UP AND LEAVE THE STATION ONLY TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM THE PUMP. ONE MONTH LATER, HER AND OUR 3 SMALL CHILDREN GOT STRANDED WHEN THEY WENT IN TO CONVENIENCE STORE. A MINUTE LATER THE BLAZER HAD DIED AND THE KEY IN THE ON POSITION. REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER AND THEN THE FUEL PUMP ($350 JUST FOR THE PUMP!!!) THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE PUMP HAD FRIED IT. 04/06 THE ABS FAILED AND SHE ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN. 2 WEEKS LATER WE START HEARING THIS POPPING NOISE WHEN SLOWING/STOPPING AND ACCELERATING. 05/06 THE BATTERY DIED ON HER WITH NO WARNING. TRIED JUMPING IT AND IT WOULDN'T HOLD A CHARGE. GOT THAT REPLACED. THEN IN 08/06 WE DIDN'T DRIVE IT BECAUSE THE PLATES HAD EXPIRED AND WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THEM YET. FINALLY I DROVE IT ON 08/13/06 FOR 1 MLE TO THE STORE AND ON MY WAY BACK WHILE STOPPING AT THE STOP SIGN 2 BLKS FROM MY HOUSE, I HEARD THIS LOUD CLUNK NOISE AND THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED WHINNING. NOW THE THING WON'T MOVE. IT STARTS AND WHINES, BUT WON'T MOVE. TRANSMISSION IS SHOT AND IS GOING TO COST $1600 TO REPLACE WITH ME DOING THE WORK. AND SO NOW, LIKE 90% OF THE COUNTRY, I AM MAKING A VERY HIGH CAR PAYMENT EXCEPT MINE IS ON A CAR THAT I CAN NOT DRIVE. THIS AND OTHER WEB SITES ABOUT VEHICLE RECALLS PROVE THAT THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THESE VEHICLES AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS FOR SOME ONE TO DIE B/C OF THESE DEFECTS AND THEN U WILL BE SCRAMBLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS.*NM