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Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2021 Chevrolet Blazer

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 134 safety complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 7 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the seat belts.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 42 complaints, 31% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 36,000 miles, the median across the 25 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers March 2021 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

134 complaints on file

134

Complaints

6

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

7

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 49% year on year: 52 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 35 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 42 · 31%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 38 · 28%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 20 · 15%
SERVICE BRAKES 19 · 14%
POWER TRAIN 18 · 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 17 · 13%
STEERING 15 · 11%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 · 5%
TIRES 5 · 4%
SUSPENSION 4 · 3%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 · 2%
LANE DEPARTURE 3 · 2%
0 19 38

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 134.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 60.

64 48 32 16
21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Chevrolet BLAZER, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 14.7% 15.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

SEAT BELTS

20V811000 · December 23, 2020

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
The risk
If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.

General Motors, LLC · up to 470 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SUSPENSION

3 injured · crash · towed

Driving on straight road going speed limit. Heard a pop behind me like a tire pop. Car fish tailed uncontrollably and ended up crashing into a Ranch Fence on the right side of the road. 2 of my kids and myself had injuries. When we got off the vehicle witnesses and I saw A rear link broken which keeps the tires straight.

NHTSA complaint 11737304. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

1 injured · crash · towed · 24,000 miles

The contact owned a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated while driving 69-70 MPH, the steering wheel strongly pulled to the left side and into the roadway median. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle hit the median and bounced, facing incoming traffic. The contact slammed on the brakes and shifted into park (P). The air bags deployed. The contact was able to exit the vehicle with the assistance of bystanders. Emergency services arrived at the scene but the contact was not transported to the hospital at the time. The contact later received medical assistance and was informed she had sustained soreness on the neck, shoulders and bruises all over the

NHTSA complaint 11539220, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

1 injured · crash · towed

The Esc display came up then sutbality sensor show and my back wheel went right. My car flipped twice and then landed on the guardrail.

NHTSA complaint 11539221. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 36,463 miles

The contact owned a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, a 2012 Mazda CX-7, allegedly going at 70 MPH traveled through an intersection and crashed into her vehicle. The Mazda later crashed into another unknown vehicle. All the air bags deployed; however, the driver's side air bag exploded in her face. The air bag dust was in the vehicle. The contact was rendered unconscious due to the incident. All the warning lights illuminated after the crash. OnStar was activated and disabled the vehicle. There were unknown fluids leaking from the vehicle. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a severe brain injury, and medical

NHTSA complaint 11700607, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2021 Chevy blazer is leaking oil at 70,000 miles Chevy only recalled under special warranty for camshaft carrier it appears Chevy put in a glue for them seals that comes off unfortunately they don’t recall all blazers just some but I am having the same issue as that special warranty. It’s a safety concern because no oil in the car can blow up the engine .6500 to repair

NHTSA complaint 11767069. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Vehicle Information: 2021 Chevrolet Blazer 2.5L engine, VIN [XXX]. Odometer 118000 miles.Description of Incident: While operating the vehicle, the mechanical brake vacuum pump experienced a catastrophic internal failure. The drive gear housing shattered violently without warning, shearing off the end of the connecting engine camshaft. Because this was an instantaneous mechanical failure, the vehicles computer did not trigger any dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or safe mode protocols prior to the failure.Safety Hazards and Component Damage: First, the total destruction of the vacuum pump caused an immediate compromise to the brake booster vacuum lines, resulting in a sudden,

NHTSA complaint 11764895, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2021 Chevrolet Blazer has experienced repeated problems involving the cooling system and is now exhibiting recurring symptoms that concern me about the vehicle’s reliability and safety. In 2023, the vehicle required a radiator/cooling-system repair. In 2024, it again required radiator/cooling-system repair, which was performed under warranty. The vehicle is now experiencing an abnormal humming/clicking noise from under the hood. The problem initially occurred primarily after rain but has become increasingly frequent. When the noise occurs, the air-conditioning system stops cooling properly and blows warm air. The check-engine light has also illuminated intermittently. The exact component

NHTSA complaint 11764652, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

46,860 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that a technician identified a radiator leak during an emissions test after smelling an abnormal coolant odor. The technician confirmed that the coolant had leaked from the vehicle. Prior to the discovery by the technician, the contact’s husband observed white smoke coming from the engine. The fluid levels were checked and were normal at that time despite the smoke. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Steering Assist Reduced" was displayed on the instrument panel prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair with 15% goodwill assistance towards the cost. The

NHTSA complaint 11763020, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

towed · 68,400 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The husband was a mechanic and discovered the 350-amp fuse failure. The fuse was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 68,400.

NHTSA complaint 11761571. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2021 Chevrolet Blazer RS equipped with the 3.6L LGX V6 experienced catastrophic engine failure at approximately 90,200 miles. The vehicle had no prior warning. The dealer diagnosed the timing chain / lift/ cam damage. I am requesting investigation into whether this represents a safety or durability defect affecting other vehicles

NHTSA complaint 11759058. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Blazer

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 32 1 —
2024 47 1 —
2023 43 2 —
2022 51 1 —
2020 219 3 —
2019 186 2 —

Other 2021 Chevrolet models

Silverado 1500 829 Tahoe 453 Suburban 198 Trailblazer 193 Equinox 96 Malibu 89 Traverse 89 Silverado 2500 87

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst