My main gripe is that most of the common issues with them span across too many build years. You would think GM would have got the problems solved. It is sad that a 2002 blazer would still have the same problems that a 1996 blazer would have. After 6 years the problem should have been corrected.

 

Planned obsolescence? It's tough to keep selling vehicles if the ones you do build last for 25 years. It's ok, it makes for a whole bunch of really cheap Blazers with minor issues that you can pick up cheap.

blah, blah blah:
I had a 1991 S10 with a 2.8L years ago. While it was still under warranty, I destroyed 1-2 shift fork and 1-2 syncros. Of course they wouldn't warranty it, it was apparent the kid(me) had beat it hard. The timing chain was also starting to clatter(kid beat it real hard), and again they revoked warranty citing abuse. A 350 and a TH350 from a '72 Chevelle fixed both problems, while still under warranty.

 

My take is - They're cheap, fairly simple, old suv's that have most likely been neglected by previous owners. They have some common issues that are easy fixes if you're handy, and if you're not... you come onto the internet and complain about them (giving a bad rep).

There are TONS of 2nd gens still on the road where i live, easily outnumber any other brand of suv from the 90's-2000's time frame.

IMO Chevy trucks will always be my choice because of their power trains... Front ends, not so much haha.

 

[QUOTE=Diaita;610457]Planned obsolescence? It's tough to keep selling vehicles if the ones you do build last for 25 years. It's ok, it makes for a whole bunch of really cheap Blazers with minor issues that you can pick up cheap.

Yeah I guess but other than owning GM's I tend to buy toyota's and while they aren't excluded from problems, it has been my experience that any problems they have typically only spanned 1 to 3 model years although the tacoma and tundra frame rot issue spanned many years. The biggest GM issue I can think of is the heavy doors with the crappy door hinges and that one spans decades on dang near every GM product.

 

The last owner neglected the ol girl, so far Ive dropped in a new radiator, alternator, and tensioner. I have a hesitation issue I blame on negligence but its almost unnoticable if you dont drive it every day.

But Im not on here bitchin an moanin about this part sucks and that part is a pain in the you know what. Only the people that simply neglect a basic companion to our regular lives have anything bad to say about em!

 

I must be the minority. I address maintenance as needed, actually take care of the truck, love the particular options mine has (heated leather & moonroof FTW), like that it's a GM truck (kind of partial to GM trucks, but not limited to them), but that all being said it's still just a hard-on-wallet old Blazer. I guess I don't get how people think the anemic 4.3 is 'powerful' or 'ample'. 195/200hp in my book is NOT an ample number for a 4x4 SUV, even when it was new off the line.. but maybe that's just me. I personally think it needs another 70hp to even be considered 'sufficient'. At 200hp.. they're a pooch, and a thirsty pooch at that. Needs more LS!

They're obviously like mentioned, hard on intake gaskets (just had to go through that finally), fuel pumps (not yet here), oil leaks (cooler lines for sure), and are tough on suspension components. My particular unit chewed the sun shell up by 79k and was never towed with since I've owned it (bought with about 23k on it), really??

In the end I like the truck overall, but if was in the position to upgrade.. the little blue TrailBlazer would be down the road. I'm pretty vested in it now though.. prolly have to run it into the ground.. which the motor will run forever and bleed us dry at the pumps until the body falls off. I had an instructor with one that I recently heard that he got almost 500k out of it before it needed more money put into it than it was worth (not sure what all it needed but I'd have to guess a trans for sure). Supposedly he didn't have to put a lot into it along the way though.. maybe why it needed so much at the end, IDK. But either way, that's a chunk of miles on one!

Lol, the shop I go to ALWAYS has at least 1 Blazer in the lot there to be worked on... sometimes as many as 3. I come in and say "Got another sh*tbox to add to your lot collection" and they laugh. Mine is always the nicest 'sh*tbox' S10 in the lot though. They don't mind working on my old junk

 

im at a new place now. only had like 2 come in within the last few months so i dont see them a lot here. at my other job yep same thing, there would be days where we would have 3 s10s in the shop at the same time.

 

I agree 200 hp isnt a lot. But the 4.3 is a truck engine not a high horse car motor. What it does have and is more important for a truck is torque, 260 ft/lb. Its not particularly fast at the top end but can haul weight in a full size 1500, so with that in mind i think it is ample in the midsize blazer. Like you said it could use some extra horse but most engines out there arnt running near there potential. I keep that in mind and dont expect it to be setting any 1/4 mile records but it can take anything i through in the back.

 

Locally I think it's a "it's a dime a dozen truck, who cares" mentality is the norm and nobody takes care of them outside what is needed to keep it street legal. All their 'common' issues seem more prominent due to the fact there are 4000 S-series trucks for every 1 comparable marketed size/style truck and the fact the non-enthusiast just complains "boo hoo I needed ball joints and can't figure out how to avoid potholes".

Personally outside the initial "make it run and safe" build (and not including unneeded stuff that was wanted) it has been more dependable than the Toyota 4runner it replaced (an issue prone 2nd gen with the 3.slow) but it hasn't had the same lifetime in my possession yet, though still has let down.

 

Locally, its hard to find one that is in good shape, especially a first gen. There have been more times than I can count where people have came up to the truck to say how nice it is... in the summer. In the winter is dirty as hell haha!

but, I am not sure why they get such a bad rep. They are not the best designed vehicles in the world. But if you take care of them, they can be extremely reliable.