Problems · by component

1996 Chevrolet Blazer seat belts problems

28 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer cite seat belts, 2% of all 1,161 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
28
2% of all complaints
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
14
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the seat belts

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2004, MY HUSBAND, MOTHER, 8 YEAR OLD SON, 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, AND 1 YEAR OLD SON, WERE STRANDED IN THE EMERGENCY LANE ON I-66 EAST IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA WITH A BROKEN FUEL PUMP. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK THEY WERE HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER WHO WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MPH. THE BLAZER FLIPPED ONTO ITS SIDE AND SKIDDED A GREAT DISTANCE, BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THE BACK SEAT, AND THE FRONT SEAT BROKE AND SANDWICHED HER IN BETWEEN THE TWO. SHE BROKE HER JAW WHEN SHE WAS SLAMMED INTO THE SMALL HANDLE ABOVE THE REAR RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. SHE ALSO SUFFERED A BROKEN WRIST AND BROKEN ARM WHEN SHE WAS THROWN INTO THE DOOR. WHEN THE BACK SEAT BROKE IT CAUSED HER TO HIT THE HEADSET OF THE BROKEN FRONT SEAT WHICH IN TURN CAUSED SOME OF HER TEETH TO GO THROUGH HER BOTTOM LIP. MY MOTHER WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS INJURED WHEN THE ROOF DID NOT HOLD UP IN THE CRASH AND SUFFERED THANKFULLY WHAT WAS CLASSIFIED AS "MINOR" INJURIES, BUT COULD HAVE VERY WELL BEEN MAJOR INJURIES BECAUSE THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE FROM FRONT TO BACK DID NOT HOLD UP IN THE ACCIDENT. I DO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 19, 2004Fuel system, gasoline, Seat belts, Structure, SeatsCrash reportedODI 10104101
“I HAVE A 1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER.THREE OF THE SEATBELTS ARE MALFUNCTIONING. THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT BUCKLE QUIT WORKING.THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ALSO QUIT WORKING. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 2, 2004Seat beltsODI 10074698
“FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. DRIVER REAR FAILED TO RELEASE ENOUGH TO BE USED. PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT BELT KEPT LOCKING UP WITHOUT PASSENGER USING IT. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 1, 2001Seat beltsODI 889586
“REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT BUCKLE BROKE INTO PIECES;, LEAVING CONSUMER WITHOUT ANY RETRAINT. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFOMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL97V096001, AND ANY REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2000Seat beltsODI 864599
“CONSUMER PLOWED INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN CONSUMER DURING IMPACT CAUSING HER HEAD TO HIT THE REARVIEW MIRROR, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING ACCIDENT, CONSUMER RECIEVED SEVERE WHIPLASH. NLM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 20, 2000Air bags, Seat beltsODI 784043
“I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON MAY 6, 1999. I HAD A VEHICLE PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME GOING ABOUT 65 MPH. I ENDED UP T- BONING HIM ON HIS DRIVER SIDE. MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, MY SEATBELT DID NOT HOLD ME IN POSITION TO WHERE I HIT THE REARVEIW MIRROR WITH MY FOREHEAD AND BROKE IT. THE ROAD SURFACE WAS WET BECAUSE IT HAD RAINED EARLIER. THE BOY IN THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AN OLDER MODEL S-10 BLAZER THE IMPACT THROW HIM TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF HIS VEHICLE. HE SUBSTAINED MINOR INJURIES WHILE AM SUFFERING FROM SEVERE WHIPLASH, BACK-ACHES, HEAD-ACHES AND NUMBNESS. I STRONGLY FEEL WITH THE IMPACT I TOOK THE AIR BAG SHOULD"VE DEPLOYED AND THE SEAT BELT SHOULD"VE HELD ME IN PLACE AND BRAKES WOULD"VE SLOWED ME DOWN SOONER. IN THE POLICE REPORT IT IS MARKED NO FOR SAFETY DEVICE ON BUT IT WAS ON BECAUSE I REMEMBER HAVING TO REACH MY CELL PHONE TO CALL FOR HELPBUT AT THAT TIME IT HAD LOCKED ME IN AND I HAD TO RELEASE THE LEVER TO MOVE TO WHERE THE CELL PHONE HAD FALLING. I CALLED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TALKED TO DAN MACK WHO INVESTIGATED THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID HE AGREED WITH ME BECAUSE I WOULD"VE SUBSTAINED MORE INJURIES. AS OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE POLICE REPORT WAS…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 17, 2000Service brakes, hydraulic, Air bags, Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 717440

Showing 6 of 28 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Seat belts

Free remedy

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 60/40 FRONT BENCH SEATS AND EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL LOCKING RECLINER BUCKET SEATS. THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE DRIVER'S AND/OR PASSENGER'S SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT.

Seat beltsReported Jun 12, 1997NHTSA 97V096001
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.