2020 Chevrolet Blazer: What to check before buying

A "Shift to Park" warning appears with the lever already in park, and the engine will not shut off until the shifter is jiggled or cycled. Dealers replace the shifter assembly, often at the owner's expense because the 2020 model was left out of related bulletins. Two injury reports describe the vehicle rolling away after the driver stepped out. Transmission complaints include slipping, jolting, and getting stuck in first gear, from very low mileage to as late as 130,000 miles. Thermostat failures and stalling in traffic also appear.

A "Steering Assist Reduced" warning appears together with a temperature gauge stuck on cold, a check engine light, a cooling fan running at full speed, and air conditioning that blows warm. Some drivers feel stiff steering and struggle to hold a lane at highway speed. Dealers usually trace it to the thermostat or coolant temperature sensor, mostly between 55,000 and 70,000 miles. Several reports say the warning returns after those parts are replaced, and disconnecting the battery clears it only for a while.

A false "Shift to Park" message keeps the vehicle powered on after shutdown and can drain the battery. In one report the SUV rolled backward because it did not register park. The second large pattern is the coolant temperature fault: gauge pegged on cold, air conditioning and cooled seats quitting, fans running nonstop, and a steering assist warning. A battery disconnect clears it briefly. Less common reports describe the instrument cluster going black and the engine stalling at 45 mph, and the infotainment system repeatedly asking whether the vehicle is a demo.

Thermostat failure dominates, usually logged as code P0128 between 50,000 and 70,000 miles, with the temperature gauge stuck on cold and the steering assist warning. The part sits under the intake manifold, so labor is heavy, and repairs from about $600 to $1400 are reported. Some owners see the fault return within months. Radiator seam leaks show up at low mileage, one owner reports replacing the radiator three times, and another describes overheating and being stranded on the highway. Oil leaks from the camshaft housing gaskets and transmission seal leaks also recur.

A front wheel can lock up and fold into the wheel well at speed, stopping the vehicle abruptly. In one report this caused a crash with an injury at 1,300 miles. A dealer diagnosis in a similar case found a seized control arm ball joint that snapped the axle shaft, with $1,850 in mechanical repairs plus $2,000 in body damage. A separate report describes a loud clunk on the driver side over bumps. Only 3 complaints fall under this category.

The original Continental CrossContact LX Sport tires wear out early. Owners report tread near 2/32 at 18,000 miles and a wandering, unstable feel on dry roads at about 22,800 miles. Service departments describe the wear as unusual and recommend replacing all four tires. A voluntary Continental recall covered only certain mold dates, so most affected tires fall outside it. Owners also note the tires carry no treadlife warranty.

No deployment occurs in either of two serious crashes, both with injuries. One happened at about 50 mph. In the other, a semi-truck struck the SUV at about 65 mph, sending it spinning into the median after repeated driver-side impacts. Neither report includes a dealer finding on why the bags did not deploy. With only 2 complaints, no wider pattern is established, but both involve injured occupants.