AI Damage1987 Chevrolet Blazer: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Chevrolet Blazer filed 30 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 30
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 17% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Seats 10% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 7% of all complaints
- Steering: 6 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 5 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seats: 3 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 5.7 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 6.2 L · diesel · 8 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: AWD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 30 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When involved in an accident, hit on driver's side behind the door where the gas tank is located, and truck caught on fire and burned totally.
Steering wheel locked up, causing accident. (new jersey state police report)
Left rear wheel came off car, causing accident. (ohio state police report)
The owner was in an accident and had his seat belt on, but during the accident, bolt came right out of the floor throwing passenger right out the truck.
6/8/05: $410 for plane tickets from minnesota to massachusetts. 6/18/05:$50 for a hotel room due to the vehicle not being able to be driven. The selling party would not return my calls and could not be reached. 7/5/05:ebay dispute about an item that is significantly not as described.
Fuel pump and level gauge is partially completed by using one of the metal pick-up tubes, which is crimped/fastened into a metal cover that is attached to the top of the fuel tank. The ground is then transferred to the chassis by way of a tab and wire affixed to the cover on the outside of the tank.
Consumer isable to pull the seat belt for more room due to seat belt slot being rusted. Dealer notified. Ts.
The right front tire separated and wrapped around the front axle of the vehicle, which caused consumer to lose control of the vehicle. Mr the passenger in the vehicle was injured.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,848 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Blazer has 192 complaints (43 years in the data). This year has 30, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
- Blazer 19834 sources
- Blazer 19849 sources
- Blazer 198529 sources
- Blazer 198619 sources
- Blazer 198840 sources
- Blazer 198938 sources
- Blazer 199032 sources
- Blazer 1991222 sources
- Blazer 1992278 sources
- Blazer 1993511 sources
- Blazer 1994620 sources
- Blazer 19951,224 sources
- Blazer 19961,153 sources
- Blazer 1997768 sources
- Blazer 1998716 sources
- Blazer 1999436 sources
- Blazer 2000589 sources
- Blazer 2001326 sources
- Blazer 2002246 sources
- Blazer 200377 sources
- Blazer 200450 sources
- Blazer 200515 sources
- Blazer 200619 sources
- Blazer 20079 sources
- Blazer 20085 sources
- Blazer 2019886 sources
- Blazer 20201,043 sources
- Blazer 2021954 sources
- Blazer 2022785 sources
- Blazer 2023619 sources
- Blazer 2024476 sources
- Blazer 2025221 sources
- Blazer 202667 sources
- Blazer 999916 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Chevrolet Blazer?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, seat belts, powertrain. Total complaints: 30. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (13%), steering or power steering problems (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Chevrolet Blazer?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1987 Chevrolet Blazer from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1987 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.