Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, brakes, and engine. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2023Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2023 Chevrolet Blazer: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2023's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | AWD, FWD | 24–25 mpg |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD, FWD | 21–22 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Chevrolet Blazer, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The 9-speed transmission shudders, won't shift out of first gear, or slips into neutral and stops pulling. Usually no warning light comes on. Several failures happen early, around 5,500 to 6,500 miles, and some cars need more than one replacement under warranty. Losing drive in the middle of a turn is a real crash risk. Repairs often wait weeks or months for back-ordered parts, including valve bodies. Two filings are about recall 23V172000, where the recall part was not yet available. One of those two filings is for a Tahoe.
On wet, slippery snow, the ABS clicks only at the front wheels. The fronts slide while the rear wheels seem to roll with little braking, even at town speeds of 20 to 25 mph. Dealers find nothing wrong. Two filings are crash-related. In one, a half-shaft separates from the transmission and the vehicle rolls away while in park. The other, which involves an injury, describes a brake pedal sinking to the floor, but it concerns a 2013 model.
Stalling is the main problem. The engine cuts out while stopped or at highway speed, sometimes right after refueling. In one case the vehicle came to a complete stop mid-turn at about 100 miles. Dealers often can't find a cause, though one traced it to a valve in the gas tank. A sudden stall in traffic raises the risk of being rear-ended. Other filings describe an oil leak at the camshaft carrier seal and shaking on acceleration, which owners blame on the transmission.
The driver-side headlight dims or shows a dark shadow at night. Owners say they can see only about 30 feet ahead, and the problem returns even after the headlamp is replaced. Dealers often can't reproduce it. Separately, the power liftgate closes on its own while cargo is being loaded. One report describes an eye injury at about 6,000 miles.
Automatic emergency braking activates with nothing ahead and brings the car to a hard stop. Left turns at intersections are a common trigger. The red windshield alert flashes, then the brakes lock. The system also reacts to parked cars on residential streets, and some cars jerk when pulling away afterward. A sudden stop in a clear lane can get the car rear-ended. Dealers say the system works as intended and make no repair.
Lane Keep Assist steers the car toward the edge of the lane while it is driving straight in the lane, and power steering assist can cut out. In one case this started after the car hit a pothole. Other filings under this heading describe the car refusing to go into drive or reverse, hesitating on acceleration, and stalling with the ABS light and several dashboard warnings on. One shop blamed a wheel speed sensor, and that car waited over two months for parts.
The high beams fail to dim for oncoming or leading traffic or flicker on and off, even with the automatic setting turned off. The doors lock and unlock on their own, and interior lights switch on and off. A dealer traced that to a line under the front of the car that was not soldered at the factory. A faulty thermostat also makes the cooling fan run as if the engine were overheating.
Excerpts from complaints Blazer owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
The driver-side half-shaft disengaged from the transmission. This caused a roll away of the vehicle when it is thought to be securely in "park" gear cuasing a frontal colisión.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2023 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 7 Blazer years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2023 is the fifth model year of the Blazer's third generation (2019–2023).
Recall repairs are free at any Chevrolet dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT6, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Blazer, Traverse, and 2022-2023 Cadillac XT5 vehicles. The transmission may have been built with an incorrect sun gear, which can result in the driver-side half-shaft disengaging from the transmission.
Risk: A half-shaft disengaging from the transmission can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the sun gears, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2023. The remedy is expected to become available August 31, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GMC's number for this recall is N222389310.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Blazer and Traverse vehicles. The left-side half-shaft assemblies may be missing a retaining ring.
Risk: A missing retaining ring on the half-shaft can cause half-shaft inner joint separation, resulting in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left-side half-shaft assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222390180.
Cars shoppers compare with the Chevrolet Blazer, with their own 2023 checklists.
2023 owner complaints, side by side
