1986 Chevrolet Blazer problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Chevrolet Blazer. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1986 Chevrolet Blazer vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 26% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 16% |
| Tires | 3 | 16% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 11% |
| Steering | 2 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While pulling into the entrance lane of a toll booth at 25 mph, unit 1 applied the brakes, however, the brakes failed. Unit 1 then turned the vehicle to the left to avoid hitting unit 2 which was stopped at the toll booth. Unit 1 went onto the curb and concrete barrier. It then hit unit 2 in the left rear and then hit…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 28, 2002
“Tire lost all tread tearing up the side of my vehicle at the same time. *ak( dot number: tire size: 235/70/r15 )”
Tires · filed Aug 30, 2000
“Water in engine oil, the cause I have heard is a failed head gasket. I would like to know if chevrolet has had a recall on this problem.. This happens when the engine overheats, cracking the head gasket. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jan 30, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR AXLE SHAFT
Engineering Analysis EA89003 · opened Nov 7, 1988 · closed Aug 24, 1990
- REAR AXLE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE88047 · opened Apr 19, 1988 · closed Nov 7, 1988
Technical service bulletins
3 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1986 Chevrolet Blazer.
Water leak at the a/c recirculation door (install new hood hinge seal). *tw
GM561204 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1995
End gate latch rattle (install revised striker). *tw
GM161514 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1995
Front door side glass binding/track disengagement. *tw
9310A343 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1993
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Chevrolet Blazer in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1986 Chevrolet Blazer?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.