How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer have?

NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer model year. Whether one car had the recall work done depends on that car, so check its VIN with NHTSA.

1995: 1,418 owner complaints, Pass

Our take: worth a look. Owners filed more complaints than in a typical year of this model, not enough to mark it down.

Year verdict

Worthy

1.4× a typical year

More owner complaints than a typical year, not enough to mark it down. Still get it inspected.

Confidence: Medium

Close to the Maybe line, so a few complaints either way could tip it.

NHTSA did not answer for 9 years, so this may change.

Past 100,000 miles

Locked

How this year held up past 100,000 miles.

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How the dial was counted

Year verdict: Typical year: 437 complaints, the median of 8 nearby years. Each counted over its first 8 years from January 1997; this one had 652.

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Odometer check

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WhipWorthy sticker

1998 Chevrolet Blazer

Complaints782From owners
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Recalls3On file
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NHTSA did not answer just now, so we cannot show crash ratings. Try again in a minute. You can also check it on their site.
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MPG16 to 18Combined, EPA
Loading fuel economy

Complaints are unverified owner reports, not adjusted for how many were sold.

Compare this car Every Blazer year

Car report

Park this car in My Garage and see its recalls at a glance.Car Hunt Pass or Pro

Value signals

We do not price cars.

These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.

Costly problem zones ahead at your miles come with a Car Hunt Pass or Pro. See plans
Fuel: $3,550 to $4,000 a year.The EPA’s estimate for 15,000 miles a year, 55% in town, at its fuel prices. Each version
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
Have the VIN? Check it is this car, and see its open recalls at NHTSA.
VIN
On the dash at the base of the windshield, or on the driver’s door sticker.

What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.

Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.

The full record

Tap to open

What owners complain about

782 complaints; the part named most is the windows, wipers and visibility

Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Jan 21, 1998 to Oct 25, 2020. 20% name a part that is usually costly to fix.

Owners reported 51 crashes, 15 fires, 43 injuries and 13 deaths in these complaints.

Windows, wipers and visibility264 · 34%
Seats84 · 11%
Electrical76 · 10%

What one owner wrote about the windows, wipers and visibility

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph in the rain, the windshield wipers failed without warning. The vehicle was merged to the shoulder of the road where the windshield wipers could be activated after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was unable to be…

Filed Dec 9, 2015NHTSA complaint 108093441 of 18 owner quotes

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15 more parts, and 18 owner quotes

Every part owners name for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer, with their own words about what went wrong. Usually costly to fix among them: Engine, Transmission and drivetrain, Body and frame.

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SourceOwner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer. NHTSA, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Seller kit

Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points

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Walk up to the seller ready

Questions to ask the seller of a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.

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Write your offer

A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email

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Send the seller a fair offer

Type the asking price and your own offer for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.

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Car Hunt Pass: $15 once for 30 days, a launch price. It never renews. Full refund if you ask within 7 days.

When problems show up

Too few complaints give a mileage

Too few complaints mention a mileage to show a pattern. 51 complaints of 782 gave one, and a part needs at least 15.

SourceMileage from owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer. NHTSA, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Will it outlast the loan?

The month of your loan each problem zone lands in

Not enough owner complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer mention a mileage to lay against a loan. Have a mechanic look it over all the same.

Recalls

3 recalls on file

Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.

Lights
Aug 11, 2000 · Recall 00V220000
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the daytime running lights built with a candela value greater than 3,000 cannot be mounted higher than 864mm above the road surface.
What can happen
These vehicles do not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 108.
The fix
Dealers will install a revised wiring harness that changes the drl's from high beam to low beam drl's, and install new long-life low beam bulbs.
Suspension
Mar 9, 1998 · Recall 98V053000
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle equipped with 4-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive. One or both of the attaching nuts for the right-hand lower control arm are under torqued. This can allow the attachment bolt to loosen and subsequent break resulting in separation of the lower control arm from the frame.
What can happen
This condition can result in a loss of vehicle control.
The fix
Dealers will inspect and retighten the right-hand lower control arm nuts to the proper torque specification.
Brakes
Nov 24, 1997 · Recall 97V218000
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. A fatigue fracture of the rear axle right-hand brake pipe can occur causing a slow brake fluid leak resulting in a soft brake pedal. If the brake pipe breaks, the driver would experience a sudden drop in the brake pedal, the instrument panel brake light would illuminate, and there would be a loss of rear brake performance.
What can happen
Partial loss of braking at a time when minimum stopping distance was required could result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pipe.

SourceRecalls listed by NHTSA for the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer. NHTSA, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Crash ratings

NHTSA did not answer

NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight. The tests changed for 2011 models, so these stars do not line up with newer ones.

NHTSA did not answer just now, so we cannot show crash ratings for this car. Try again in a minute. You can also check it on their site.

Fuel economy

16 to 18 mpg combined, across 5 versions

The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in. Figures for 2007 and older use the EPA's 2008 method, so they may be lower than the original sticker.

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Blazer 2WD · Rear wheel drive · Regular gas
City
14 mpg
Highway
20 mpg
Combined
16 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$4,000
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Blazer 2WD · Rear wheel drive · Regular gas
City
16 mpg
Highway
21 mpg
Combined
18 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$3,550
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Blazer 4WD · 4 wheel or all wheel drive · Regular gas
City
14 mpg
Highway
19 mpg
Combined
16 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$4,000
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Blazer 4WD · 4 wheel or all wheel drive · Regular gas
City
14 mpg
Highway
19 mpg
Combined
16 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$4,000
This one on fueleconomy.gov

Show 1 more version

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L
Blazer AWD · 4 wheel or all wheel drive · Regular gas
City
14 mpg
Highway
19 mpg
Combined
16 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$4,000
This one on fueleconomy.gov

SourceEPA fuel economy data, fueleconomy.gov. EPA, checked Nov 3, 2026.

True cost to own

The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years

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What it really costs to own

What the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.

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Every year of the Blazer

13 Worthy, 3 Maybe, 4 Pass, of 22 years on file

Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.

Best and worst years of the Blazer

NHTSA did not answer for 17 years, so the chart may be missing some.

SourceNHTSA owner complaints and recalls for the Blazer. NHTSA, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Before you buy this one

5 checks, with a close look at the windows, wipers and visibility

Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.

Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 3 recalls on file. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the windows, wipers and visibility. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look at the windows, wipers and visibility first.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.
On the test drive, pay attention to the windows, wipers and visibility.
Run the wipers, washers, defrost and every window.

Going to see it? Take the checklist52 checks with the bad signs to look for, saved on your phone.

Check this exact car

The verdict is about the model year. These checks are about the one in front of you. Most are free or a few dollars.

VIN for these checks

Copy it, then paste it into each check. Nothing is sent until you open one.

Official checks on this VIN

Open recallsFree
NHTSA
Safety recalls on this VIN that are not fixed yet, from the last 15 years.
A recall already fixed does not show.
Check recalls at NHTSAnhtsa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Theft and total lossFree
NICB VINCheck
Whether an insurer reported it stolen and not found, or wrote it off as a total loss.
Only insurer records. Five checks a day.
Open NICB VINChecknicb.org (opens in a new tab)
Title brandsA few dollars
NMVTIS, the federal title system
Salvage, flood, junk and rebuilt brands from any state, and the last miles on the title.
No repairs, service or recalls. Sold by approved sellers listed on the site.
See the approved sellersvehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov (opens in a new tab)
Title statusVaries by state
The state motor vehicle office
Whether the title is branded in that state and, where the state offers it, whether a lender still has a lien.
It will not name the owner. Each state asks its own way, and some only by mail. Ask to see the seller’s title too.
Find your state’s officeusa.gov (opens in a new tab)

What a paid report adds

A history report such as Carfax or AutoCheck pulls in more of the car’s past than these checks can:

Crashes and damage reported by police, insurers or shops, even when it was fixed.
Service visits that shops reported, with the miles each time.
How many owners, for how long, and the states it was registered in.
Whether it was a rental, fleet or lease car, when that was reported.

It only knows what was reported to it. A clean report is not proof of a clean car. Ask the seller first: many dealers hand one over for free.

Red flags in a history

Salvage title
Usually an insurer called it a total loss. In most states it cannot be driven on the road until it is rebuilt and inspected.
Rebuilt title
A salvage car that was fixed and passed a state check. It can be fine, but it is worth less, can be harder to insure, and needs a careful inspection.
Flood damage
Water can ruin wiring and sensors months later. Be wary of a flood brand that vanished after a move to another state.
Lemon or maker buyback
The maker bought it back over a defect it could not fix. Ask what the defect was and how it was fixed.
Odometer rollback
A mileage reading lower than an earlier one, or a title marked not actual miles.
Many owners, fast
Three owners in two years can mean a problem each one passed along.
Gaps in the records
Years with no service or registration. Ask why: it may have sat, been off the road, or been rebuilt.

Title words and rules differ by state. Not legal advice.

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection
Have a mechanic you choose, not the seller, put it on a lift and look it over before you pay.
Insurance quote
Get a quote on this exact car before you sign. Ask your own insurer and one or two others.

Model year	Owner complaints	Verdict
1995	1418	Pass
1996	1280	Pass
1997	826	Maybe
1998	782	Worthy
1999	453	Worthy
2000	626	Maybe
2001	339	Worthy
2002	259	Worthy
2003	104	Worthy
2004	50	Worthy
2005	15	Worthy
2006	19	Worthy
2007	9	Worthy
2008	5	Not judged
2019	189	Worthy
2020	224	Worthy
2021	141	Worthy
2022	55	Worthy
2023	44	Maybe
2024	53	Pass
2025	35	Pass
2026	1	Not judged

The verdict on the 1998 Chevrolet Blazer

Value signals

What owners complain about

Seller kit

Write your offer

When problems show up

Will it outlast the loan?

Recalls

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Suspension

What can happen

The fix

Brakes

What can happen

The fix

Crash ratings

Fuel economy

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

True cost to own

Every year of the Blazer

Before you buy this one

Check this exact car

Official checks on this VIN

What a paid report adds

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection

Insurance quote

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Suspension

What can happen

The fix

Brakes

What can happen

The fix

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 4.3 L