1990 Chevrolet Blazer: common problems

Owners of the 1990 Chevrolet Blazer filed 32 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 32
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
3 Seat belts 16% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
6 Seats 9% of all complaints
7 Suspension 6% of all complaints
8 Tires 6% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 8 complaints (25% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (16% of all).
Seat belts: 5 complaints (16% of all).
Electrical system: 4 complaints (13% of all).
Powertrain: 3 complaints (9% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

4.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
6.2 L · diesel · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: AWD, RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 32 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire8 · 25%
seat belts5 · 16%
brake failure3 · 9%
rust, corrosion3 · 9%
engine failure or replacement1 · 3%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 3%
unintended acceleration1 · 3%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 3%
warning lights, check engine1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	8	3
Engine and cooling	5	0
Seat belts	5	0
Electrical system	4	0
Powertrain	3	0
Seats	3	0
Suspension	2	0
Tires	2	1
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Visibility	2	0
Structure	1	0
Other	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Tire tread was off, and vehicle was traveling on the rim. Consumer's nine year old daughter was thrown from the vehicle.
Tires · crash · 2000-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #863879
While driving home in a heavy rain storm came to a stop at top of steep hill, getnly tepped the brakes, brakes failed to stop vehicle. Vehicle slid into the back of a truck, causing extensive damage.
Service brakes · crash · 1998-02-03 · NHTSA complaint #820690
15 mph when he pressed the brakes to slow down for vehicle in front making a turn, and the brakes failed. Consumer crashed into the car in front of him, then he was hit from behind during the same crash. There was drizzles of rain at time of incident. Consumer has experienced brake failure more than five times.
Service brakes · crash · 1997-10-29 · NHTSA complaint #817861
When applying the abs brakes, while going down a hill, the abs light came on and brakes failed to stop the vehicle, causing an accident.
Service brakes · crash · 1997-06-09 · NHTSA complaint #812889
Consumer pulled vehicle in driveway and there was black smoke coming from underneath hood and the dashboard. Fire department was called out to put fire out.
Electrical system · 2002-01-22 · NHTSA complaint #8002626
While driving the vehicle began to experience engine trouble, the driver pulled the vehicle over, the vehicle started smoking then became engulfed in flames (ohio traffic crash report). Nlm
Engine and cooling · 2001-04-06 · NHTSA complaint #560375
Possible engine failure resulted in engine fire (ohio traffic crash report).
Engine and cooling · 2001-04-06 · NHTSA complaint #560460
Seatbelt buckle jammed into seat handle recess and cannot extracate; believe this is design defect, buckle should be larger to avoid fitting into seat lock recess. Cannot use safety belt, cannot raise/lower seat.
Seat belts · 2000-09-05 · NHTSA complaint #729175

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19953
19965
19977
19981
19996
20006
20013
20021

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,635 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Blazer has 192 complaints (43 years in the data). This year has 32, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1990 Chevrolet Blazer?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, seat belts. Total complaints: 32. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (25%), seat belts (16%), brake failure (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 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 1990 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 1990 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.