Shortly after joining the Army in 2001, I had come to the conclusion that I needed to focus on saving the money I was making and to become more a more responsible adult than I had been prior to joining. (For those who will ask, I joined the Army one month after graduating high school, two months after I legally became an adult.) I got rid of almost all of the clothing I had bought at Hot Topic, stopped pouring milk over Oreos in a cereal bowl and calling it “breakfast” and after a long, drawn-out argument with myself, came to the conclusion that the 1978 Chrysler LeBaron coupe that I had been driving daily for two years was a money pit. I needed to trade up to something that wasn’t older than I was, something that didn’t require an alignment every three months, something that could get out of it’s own way in traffic. I ended up trading it in on a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer two door that looked like a great fit. It had the V6, an automatic, and was that really nice dark blue color that GM was using. It was faster than the Lebaron by leaps and bounds, the mileage was a blessing, and it could haul stuff! Except from the word “go”, I had made a horrible decision. I didn’t even actually have the Blazer for the first month, because the fuel system had to be replaced in it’s entirety due to a sugar “accident”. Once I did get the Blazer, things were feast-and-famine, and just about every month the words “warranty work” were uttered: lights not working, sticking throttle, a water pump that committed seppuku…I got to know every rental car agency in the Fort Hood area that year. When I finally traded it in on a two-year-old Dodge Ram I could’ve hugged the salesman with tears in my eyes.
I’ve had more than a few arguments pop up when I explain to other people why I loathe this generation of Blazer and S-10. “You were just unlucky”, “You probably beat the shit out of yours”, and so on. So when Regular Car Reviews released their review of a 1999 Blazer, I had to watch and see if these perceptions I’ve ran with over the years were just simple prejudice or if I would be vindicated. And I’m glad to say that I’m not disappointed…sure, the Blazer in their video is a lot rougher than mine was (it’s also had thirteen more years of wear on it compared to my old truck) but there’s plenty of what I remember: the plasticky interior, the dashboard that had worse fit-and-finish than a Snap-Tite model car, the performance that was…well, solid, but unremarkable in any way. I’m evil when it comes to the memory of that blue lemon I owned. I hope it self-immolated in a used-car parking lot in the middle of the night when nobody was around. But does this review shine a positive light on the Blazer’s good traits? You tell me…
I feel your pain. We had a 94 that we bought brand new. Even though it was the last of the old square bodies, it was still a lemon. Only car I ever bought new and the worst car we ever had. It lived at the dealership. On the other hand, I’ve had multiple 2WD S10’s and they seem to be indestructible. Of course, I always try to buy a good stripped down model when I do. If it’s like most of the 90-00’s GM issues I’ve encountered, it’s probably all based in GM’s skimpy wiring harnesses and cheap electronics.
My ’95 GMC Jimmy caused me unending EGR problems right up to the day I gave it away and then they also had probs. otherwise OK
I’d originally wanted to advocate the old S10 platform. When I was a kid, my Dad daily drove an 86 S10 with the 2.6 V6 and a stick. Just a simple 4X4, no frills, plain white little boxy truck.
I loved that truck, and cried the day my folks donated it to Goodwill. Memory makes me want to say that it was perfectly reliable, but as I think about it, that’s far from true: just about everything that could break on that truck already had done so. It had electrical gremlins, it went through clutches like John Belushi doing lines of coke, and it was cooking towards its third motor by the time we traded it in. Three motors in twelve years isn’t really that great. Lord knows what horrors lurked in that stupid-complicated front end, waiting to spit out a CV axle or bushing at speed.
I’m the same age as the truck, and remember the second motor going in when I was about five or six, and we got rid of it when I was about twelve.
Six year lifespan on a motor? Really?
I think your convictions are true, Bryan.
Yeah, they were pretty abysmal. I’ve heard nothing but unending complaints about the 2.8Ls in these, which was funny because in FWD applications the 2.8L was a pretty tough, snotty little motor.
A local mechanic told me once he sees more of these in his shop than anything!!
I will have to respectfully disagree. Yes, I will concede there are known issues with these rigs. I’ve owned several of the Gen 2 S10s. Currently I have the 1994 ext-cab 2wd I bought new in the fall of 1993. Its a 4.3/4L60, apple red with no options really except AC. It has 150,000mi on it now and had taken a pretty good beating by me before I sold it to my brother-in-law. He then abused it and sold it to my father-in-law. He then gave it back to me. Its got roller-tip rockers, edelbrock intake, bunch of turbo-city TBI upgrades, headers, transGo shift-kit, lock-rite locker, etc. Only problem I’ve had with it was an alternator bearing and a fuel pump. I also have a 1997 4wd, 4dr Blazer with many parts off my former 2000 Jimmy under it. It too is not stock. Right now it has 230,000mi on the original drivetrain. I beat on it all the time. Yes, CVs don’t last long and that rings more true if you’ve lifted it. Mine rides on 31″ tires and has a rear locker and no rear sway bar. The ‘spider’ injection system can be a hassle, but I installed Delphi mini-injector spider and all has been well. Fuel pumps don’t seem to last in these and mine will get swapped again come spring. The 4.3 is tough as nails. The 4L60 will live if given proper consideration and maintenance. I drive my blazer like I’m on an autocross course and it does great for what it is. This is my third blazer-ish thing from this era and I rally like the size, durability, and utility. I see them all the time and the price for a replacement in decent shape isn’t bad at all. With the upgraded 2-piston calipers up front and rear discs (both from the Jimmy) this thing stops great. The vacuum mechanism for the front drive can be a pain that I lived with for a long time until I made my own cable-operated setup. We gave $2,650 for my current blazer when it had 160k on the clock and I believe we’ve gotten every last cent out of it and more. About the only thing that will cause me to get rid of this one is my need for a full-size rig. Might still keep it if I can.
Love/Hate relations with these. The 4wd ones eat front hubs like every 1-2 years. The rearend seems to oscillate over bumps at highway speeds. Engine oil cooler lines die. Other than those problems their pretty great little 4×4’s that have held up to abuse by my sisters.
In the fall of 2000, GM had a Zero percent interest for 60 month deal. That inspired
me to sell my ’95 Ranger and buy an S10 Extented Cab. Real basic 4Wd truck,
Rubber mat & manual windows. After a month I realized that the 3rd door was
on the wrong(drivers) side. What a pain when picking up small passengers (kids).
How about the manual passenger seat track that wouldn’t latch? Great fun shooting back & forth as the truck stopped & accelerated! Seat recliner handles that would twist off in your hand! I had a front hub & bearing assembly explode. The brake caliper was the only thing holding the wheel on. The failing engine oil cooler lines. The rear differential carrier bearings that failed at 30,000. A turning radius that was bigger than a full size Chevy 4WD. The 3rd door release handle
that breaks regularly. Ball joints that wouldn’t last 20k.
I suffered with this until I wasn’t “upside down” and sold it. When the warranty work was performed I would get a “Customer Satisfaction” survey card . I must admit that the dealer did their best to rectify the failures, so i would give them good scores, but would always indicate how unsatisfactory the vehicle was. I received a call form Chevrolet offering me a $500 voucher towards a new Chevy. I was really
reluctant to buy another new truck, so I found a ’97 K1500 regular cab short bed
to replace it. Other than the fuel mileage, a VASTLY superior truck. Buy a ’95-05
S10/S-Blazer? Don’t bother!
kids, as in more than one, in the back of a s-10 extended cab?… you weren’t much on seat belts or even seats for your kids…. especially since there is only one seat…
the s10 cost half what a new toyota cost… please, they are cheap trucks – to expect more is actually kind of funny…