1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER Suspensionfrontcontrol Armlower Ball Joint Problems

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V200000 PRODUCT CAMPAIGN BULLETIN NO: 01048 AFTER NEARLY LOSING CONTROL ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I DECIDED TO HAVE THE FRONT END CHECKED. THE FRONT BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACED. I FURTHER LEARNED OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED REFERENCES HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP IN ANKENY WAS UNHELPFUL, RUDE, AND BASICALLY TOLD ME THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY WORK REGARDLESS OF BULLETINS, ETC... EACH DAY THE VEHICLE IS HARDER TO HANDLE AND A MECHANIC FRIEND ADVISED WILL START TO CAUSE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WITH SUSPENSION. WHY DO WE HAVE POLICIES BOTH GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE WHEN DEALERSHIPS TOTALLY DISREGARD ALL THE RULES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE AND KNOW OF MANY OTHERS THAT DEALERSHIPS LEFT IN DIRE STRAITS. THIS IS A PROBLEM I WOULD LIKE ADDRESSED FOR THE GOOD OF ALL. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE BALL JOINTS SEPARATED AND BROKE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. WAS TOLD SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY. HOWEVER, CONSUMER FOUND OUT THROUGH THE MANUFACTURER THAT HER VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED THE DEALER TO LET THEM KNOW THAT CONSUMER WAS INCLUDED, AND THEY NEED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN THE SHOP. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR AN EXAMINATION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT.*AK

UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED. *AK

I OWN A 1996 CHEVY BLAZER I HAVE SEEN RECALLS ON THE UPPER BALL JOINTS BUT THIS VEHICLE WEARS THE BALL JOINTS OUT WAY MORE THAN A REGULAR VEHICLE SHOULD I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THIS IS THE SIXTH SET OF BALL JOINTS THAT WERE PUT ON AND I DON'T THINK I SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO KEEP PAYING FOR THESE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. *LA

BALL JOINT SEPARATED AND CONTROL ARM NEED TO BE REPLACED. *LA

UPON MAKING A RIGHT TURN WHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY FRONT WHEELS TURNED INWARD AND FELL OFF. THE UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURELY, CAUSING THE FAILURE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS SNAPPED, WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE SPINNING AROUND AND ALMOST IMPACTING A TREE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE UPPER BALL JOINTS, BUT NOT FOR THE LOWER.*AK

LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE/ RIGHT & LEFT SIDE IDLER. ALSO IDLER ARM & PITMAN ARM LOOSE. *MR *SCC *JB

MY 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER DID NOT PASS A STATE INSPECTION DUE TO CORROSION OF THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND AS WELL THAT THE IDLER ARM,. THE FRONT STEERING AND SUSPENSION MUST BE REPLACED. UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH 1996 BLAZER'S AND A RECALL WAS ISSUED. I DID CONTACT CHEVROLET AND SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THE RECALL,HOWEVER, AFTER PROVIDING MY VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER, I WAS TOLD THAT MY BLAZER DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. I FEEL THAT THIS IS INAPPROPRIATE. IF MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM DISCRIBED IN THE RECALL, THEN IT SHOULD QUALIFY FOR THE REMEDY. *AK

BOTH UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS NOT COVERED UNDER GMC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN 011-49 OR RECALL 01048 FOR THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, BECAUSE IT ONLY REFERRED TO THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. *AK. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED, DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. *JB

STEERING PROBLEMS SINCE VEHICLE ACQUIRED. REPORTED TO DEALER IN 2001, RESPONSE "UNABLE TO REPLICATE CUSTOMER CONCERN." WENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHEN PROBLEM PERSISTED (2002). UPPER BALL JOINT REPLACED UNDER RECALL. RETURNED TO DEALER BECAUSE ALIGNMENT NOT COMPLETED, ADVISED THAT LOWER BALL JOINT ALSO BAD AND NOT COVERED BY RECALL BUT WAS IN SIMILAR CONDITION AS UPPER. DID NOT ALIGN AT THAT TIME EITHER. ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH GM, THEY DECLINED TO REPLACE, REPAIR OR FURTHER INVESTIGATE (REF# 1-78000118). *NLM

WHILE RECALL REPAIRS ON UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE DONE, MECHANIC NOTICED LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT AS WELL.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE UPPER BALL JOINTS, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V200000. THE MECHANIC HAD COMMENTED TO CONSUMER, PRIOR TO BRINGING THE VEHICLE IN THAT IT WAS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE DEFECTIVE UPPER BALL JOINTS WOULD NOT DESTROY THE LOWER BALL JOINTS, WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE UPPER BALL JOINT RECALL REPAIR, CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH WOULD BE AT THE CONSUMERS EXPENSE.*YD

PRIOR TO RECALL, CONSUMER HAD THE LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED DUE TO THEM BEING LOOSE, WHEN CONSUMER FIRST HAD THEM REPLACED SHE WAS INFORMED BY MANUFACTURER THERE WAS NO RECALL. *YH

WHILE AT AN INSPECTION STATION LOWER BALL JOINTS MALFUNCTIONED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY REPLACED LOWER BALL JOINTS. *AK ALTHOUGH THERE IS A RECALL FOR REPLACING THE UPPER BALL JOINTS - 01V200000 - THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE, CONSUMER ALSO RECEIVED LETTER FROM GM REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF UPPER BALL JOINTS. *TT

STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSER AND UNRESPONSIVE THAN NORMAL. DRIVER THEN RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER 01V200000 CONCERNING BALL JOINTS. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, AND VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED.*AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD REPLACED THE BALL JOINTS IF THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 8 YEASR OLD OR IF THE MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*YD

NHTSA RECALL 01V20000/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 01048; GOT NOTICE ABOUT UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS MALFUNCTIONING. DEALER ONLY REPAIRED UPPER CONTROL ARM. DEALER ALSO ADMITTED THAT LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER IS UPSET THAT BALL JOINTS FAILED SO SOON. *TT

LOWER BALL JOINTS COMPONENTS ARE VERY BAD. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CHEVROLET REGARDING A PROGRAM TO REPLACE UPPER BALL JOINTS, BUT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL.*AK

DEFECTIVE TOP AND BOTTOM BALL JOINTS.

PRIOR TO RECALL, CONSUMER HAD THE LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED DUE TO THEM BEING LOOSE, WHEN CONSUMER FIRST HAD THEM REPLACED SHE WAS INFORMED BY MANUFACTURER THERE WAS NO RECALL. *YH

RECALL #01V2000000 CONCERNING LOWER BALL JOINT BOOT. CONSUMER FEELS THAT THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN RECALL. *AK UPPER BALL JOINT BROKE, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND CUTTING WHEEL INTO PIECES, THE OTHER UPPER AND BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WEAK. *SLC

STEERING STARTED GETTING TIGHT, HAD TO JERK IT TO STEER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT LOWER BALL JOINTS AND IDLER ARM WERE BAD. CONSUMER REPLACED BALL JOINTS, AND THEY ONLY LASTED FOR 38000 MILES. THEY SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN THAT.*AK

EA99022, PASSENGER SIDE BALL JOINT BROKE WHILE DRIVING CAUSING A CRASH. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE BALL JOINTS. COMMON PROBLEM. *AK *SLC CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *SLC

BOTH O2 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED (AT SEPERATE TIME IN PAST 4 MONTHS). UPPER/LOWER BALL JOINTS ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP (DESANTIS CHEVROLET) SHOULD HAVE NEVER PASSED INSPECTION IN APRIL. HAVE HAD PROBLEM WITH ABS SINCE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. FIRST RECALL DID NOTHING TO FIX PROBLEM. ABS CAN'T TELL DIFFERENCE FROM WET & DRY PAVEMENT. ABS WILL KICK IN WHEN SLOWING DOWN ON GRAVEL AT 20MPH, BUT NOT AT FASTER SPEEDS ON WET PAVEMENT.

1) THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO WANDER AS IF IT WERE MISALIGNED. 2) FRONT DIFFERENTIAL BEARING ON THE 4X4 POWERTRAIN FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF 4X4 ENGAGEMENT.

1&2) LOWER LEFT BALL JOINT AND IDLER ARM HAVE BEEN REPLACED, LOWER RIGHT BALL JOINT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF WEAR AND WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 3) 4X4 ELECTRIC SHIFT JUST FAILED LAST WEEK. PRELIMINARY TROUBLESHOOTING INDICATES A #2 FAILURE CODE WHICH POINT TO EITHER THE ENCODER/SHIFT MOTOR ASSEMBLY OR THE TRANSFER CASE CONTROL MODULE (TCCM). 4) THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM. WHENEVER THE GAS GAUGE INDICATES 1/8 TANK OR LESS AND THE VEHICLE STANDS FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS IT IS DIFFICULT TO START. IT TAKES 4-5 TRIES AND REQUIRES THAT THE GAS PEDAL BE PRESSED ABOUT 1/2 TRAVEL IN ORDER TO START. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR WITH A NEARLY EMPTY GAS TANK, DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. YET, THE DAY BEFORE THE HARD STARTING PROBLEM OCCURED AT LEAST 6 TIMES. *AK

ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS FAILED CAUSING STEERING TO BE OFF, VEHICLE TO WANDER AND DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS. NLM