1) no probs, but i think we did change coolant after we bought it
2) no ac issues, just had to refill it once or twice
3) no issues as far as i know
4) no issues
5) had to replace once because it was leaking in 110k miles
6) only repairs were idler arm, ball joints, and radiator
7) have replaced thermostat once
another thing we did was the gas gauge went out but that was installed free because it was a recall
this is all in the 110,000 miles that we had it, until it was wrecked

 

How much was the idler arm and ball joints and radiator to replace?

 

Your just going to scare yourself outa buying it. let your mechanic guy look it over. until then id say stop worrying. with my truck i could tell that alota that stuff went wrong before and was fixed. so like I already have aftermarket balljoints for instance (allot less work to change out). its a good truck, if its a good truck. let your mech look it over dont buy a lemon! gl, hope it helps!

 

Okay, thanks for the advice =P

The guy still hasn't run it through the Wisconsin Safety Checks that have to be run on it by some inspector, and still hasn't fixed the ABS yet.

I think he's taking his time because of my interest, and the fact that I refuse to take out a loan for it

I'll keep you all updated.

 

The thermostat is under the gooseneck, the gooseneck is the metal fitting at the end of the upper radiator hoes bolted to the intake manifold, unless you have a 6 or 4 cylinder, then the gooseneck is usually bolted either to the engine head or the block. If you have a V6 the nominal thermostat opening temp should be around 180-195 degF, 195 is preferred in most Chevy trucks, but check the manual.
What it is is the little $2.50 part that opens when the engine reaches the proper temp and closes when the engine is below the proper temp, a Thermostat, is one of the most IMPORTANT parts of the vehicle, if its goes bad you overheat and ruin the engine in ANY vehicle.

 

The problems you have listed show up on most cars that are going on 14 years old. I have a 1996 blazer and love it with 120,000 miles. I purchased it back in 2000 for my son to use in College. When he was finished I just kept it and have tinkered with it everyday.

As most blazer owners can tell you, preventive maintenance is the key issue on most cars but as an owner of a blazer I must also tell you that at 14 years old and on any given day, a variety of things may " pop " up. If you are handy and have a place to work on it ,most items can be fixed, some easily, some not so easily.

Main things I would look for and ask the salesman
1 what code was read out by his mechanic that made the light go on, if he does not know, tell him to find out.
2 Was the lower intake mainfold gasket every changed out. Open the hood and look at the far back two corners of the engine block where the lower ( metal ) intake mainfold meets the heads. If you see the slightest bit of crud and wetness there, the gaskets need to be changed.
3 Have the remote oil filter lines and device that holds the filter ever been changed. Again, look at it, this time from under the immediate front of the car. If the front differential and everything around it has a dark still shiny gooey gump around it, they need to be changed.
4 if its 4WD. Make sure it all works. Start out in 2WD, then when you come to a stop, put it in 4WD lo, you should hear an actual sound of the system kicking in, drive it a short distance like that and stopping and making some sharp turns in a parking lot , going very slow of course. Any weirdo sounds or if it feels like someone just grabbed the entire front end and held it back, there is a problem.

Now after that, switch it to 4WD Hi and get back on the road and keep it under 45 MPH, if you hear no unusual groans or moans or whine from the front end, its usually OK.
5 A Bazzillion other things I would take a month and a half to list. These are great cars but they do require constant care for little things. Just being honest.