Faults:
Most of the problems with this truck were age and abuse related. My dad put close to 18,000 miles a year on this truck before I got it, and did not maintain it to the best of his ability.
Brake master cylinder failed at 92,000 miles. 18,000 miles a year of steep uphill driving on 18 year old brake lines were the cause of this. My dad drove it for two weeks, only filling it a little before and after work.
Water pump failed at 78,000 miles, but was not a major fault or defect. The car was 16 years old with the original coolant, hoses, and water pump.
AC needed to be recharged every year due to a leak that I could never find.
Wheel bearings were worn out, causing the rear-end of the truck to shake sometimes over 58 mph.
Heater core blew when thermostat stuck at 106,000 miles. My dad put in a thermostat for the wrong car, and it got stuck on a hot summer day.
Ignition lock was worn and did not need a key to start it. I thought it was great, since it saved me a lot of money on a remote starter, nor did I have to turn the truck off to open the tailgate.
Vacuum leak caused 4 wheel drive not to engage/disengage. Line broke from rust and my stupidity.
This Blazer was too easy to break into, especially if you live in the city. It was broken into twice; once for the truck, the second time for a Pioneer head unit.
Starter went at 96,000 miles. Not an easy job, since the 4 wheel drive system was very much in the way.
Leaks a little oil (half a quart every 4 months) from the rear main seal; barely noticeable, but drips onto exhaust sometimes.
General Comments:
This was my first car when I turned 16, and I loved it.
My dad drove it for seven years before I drove it, and it never left him stranded once. He bought it from a family who had it garage kept with 51,000 miles on it, so maintenance and rust were minimal.
This truck was bone stock, not lifted, not beefed up, and was tougher than 85% of the trucks/SUV out there.
Chevy was not kidding with their advertising, claiming the Blazer was "built like a rock". It drove through 4 blizzards, 2 floods, mud, and in over 100 degree temperatures.
The floods my dad and I drove through had water up to the hood of the truck, and it simply kept going with 4 wheel drive on of course.
It was slow since it had the underpowered 2.8 liter V6, but sure sounded mean as hell driving down the street. It was a challenge to maintain speed, even with your foot to the floor up hills or small grades. However, it didn't have a problem doing 75+ once I installed a better set of Michelin tires though.
The 4 wheel drive system is excellent in these trucks. It was impossible to make it slip, and it would climb/drive through anything you could thing of.
For a 19 year old SUV and my first truck, it looked cool as heck. Midnight Black with a black deer killer bar, fog lights, and a killer black-flame decal in the rear window. Imports feared for their life when they saw this coming down the street.
This truck would refuse to die, and never left me stranded. The parts are extremely cheap for this truck, and can be found anywhere. Not to mention you can fix almost anything yourself on this truck with the simple set of tools, electrical tape, and twist ties.
Interior rattled along with the rear window a little, but that's why I bought a CD player for it.
The mileage was low on this truck, only 135,000 when I sold it, but the wear was above normal due to the thousands of harsh short trips it drove.
You never had to worry about keeping this truck clean, since it had no carpets and a vinyl interior.
Gas mileage was exceptionally good for an SUV; about 24 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highway. Sometimes it would be lower or higher, it all depends how you drive.
I still regret selling this truck, and wish I could buy it back to this day. It needed a lot of work, and stupidly I bought a 93 Eagle Talon. The Talon now resides under a cover in my backyard with a blown engine, after I invested close to 3 grand just to fix everything else you could think of.
My suggestion, if you need a great winter beater or off-road warrior, find of these and you will not regret it. If you don't like the 2.8, an engine swap with most Chevy engines out there is very easy. Or you can buy a 88 or newer one with the 4.3 liter engine; just as good.
A good site to check out if you own a Blazer or S10 of any year is www.s-series.org. It is a very helpful site, and is useful for modifying or simply maintaining your truck.
4th Oct 2005, 11:17
All of this stuff about the '86 is true. I own an '86 Blazer sport and it has never failed me once. I've taken it off roadding in snow that came up to the hubcaps and I never got stuck at all. My truck own dirt and snow covered roads, and it has the original suspension. So I say, "Long live the '86's."