Chevrolet's new Blazer SUV in crisis: Charging failures and system glitches plague debut
1:25 PM EST, January 22, 2024
The Chevrolet Blazer was one of the most crucial launches of the American brand in 2023. This premium crossover was expected to demonstrate General Motors' prowess in competing with vehicles such as the Tesla Model X, Kia EV9, and the forthcoming Hyundai Ioniq 7.
On December 19, Kevin Williams, a journalist from "InsideEVs," shared his experience while testing the Blazer. A charging module failure left him stranded, and he had to call for help. The car test, initially planned to last a week, abruptly ended after just 28 hours.
Soon after, Edmunds, a renowned American company that reviews and sells cars, penned a comprehensive report on the Blazer. They had added the car to their fleet two months prior. A few days later, multiple systems started to fail, and a showroom inspection revealed as many as 23 errors, many of which were serious. The car has been in service for two weeks, and the problems are yet to be resolved.
After these two publications, other owners of the Blazer began to share their own stories with the "InsideEVs" editorial team. One owner's infotainment system failed five days after purchase. It took the shop two weeks to identify the problem source, only for an update to block the entire system. In this condition, the car is effectively useless and requires a new module.
Another Chevrolet Blazer owner also experienced issues with the infotainment system. Issues began to arise three days after purchase, and despite spending nearly four weeks at the service shop, the car was returned unrepaired, leaving the dealer baffled.
Is GM on the brink of a disaster? Initial steps have been taken
Drivers have also begun reporting similar charging problems to the portal, as experienced by the journalist. Worryingly, these issues aren't unique to the Blazer but extend to other models on the GM platform, including the Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV. GM now faces a potential PR crisis, adding to the year's previous issues.
Four days post the first publication, the corporation took action in response to the emerging issues. On December 23, 2023, GM indefinitely paused the sale of the Chevrolet Blazer. "InsideEVs" estimates that this move grounds around 1000 units prepared for sale.
GM has announced that it's seeking a solution, and assured that these issues aren't associated with their Ultium platform. If the platform turns out to be the root of these issues, the repercussions could be enormous. The Ultium platform, considered the pinnacle of GM's achievements, is aimed at leading Americans to dominate the electric car market. A fundamental platform issue would imply both a PR mishap and a financial impairment.
