YearToAvoid

2021 Chevrolet Blazer Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

83/100

#2 most-complained of 7 Blazer years

The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer has a complaint index of 83 and ranks 2nd worst of 7 model years, earning an 'Avoid' verdict. Owners logged 133 complaints, mostly Engine (44) and Electrical System (38) issues, with a median failure mileage of 36,000 for the model year overall.

Complaints
133
Recalls
1
Crashes / fires
6 / 1
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
23
21 city / 27 hwy

Top 2021 Chevrolet Blazer problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine44 (33%)
  2. Electrical System38 (29%)
  3. Brakes21 (16%)
  4. Other21 (16%)
  5. Fuel System18 (14%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain18 (14%)
  7. Steering15 (11%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (8%)
  9. Collision Avoidance & Cameras7 (5%)
  10. Lane Departure3 (2%)

What owners report

  • Steering wheel pulls strongly to one side at highway speed, sometimes leading to a median strike and airbag deployment.
  • Rear suspension link reportedly breaks, causing loss of control and fishtailing on straight roads.
  • Dashboard and instrument cluster go blank momentarily then reboot, hiding speed and turn signal indicators.
  • Vehicle stalls unexpectedly while driving at low speed with no warning lights, sometimes blocking traffic.
  • New brakes produce a loud grinding noise at very low mileage, occurring under 700 miles.
  • Electrical glitches appear together, including headlights switching beams on their own, hatch opening by itself, and AWD popping noises.
2021 Chevrolet Blazer complaints: complaints filed per month16Mar 2021Feb 2022Jul 2023May 2024Jan 2025Jul 2025Jan 2026Jul 2026
201 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2021 to Sep 2026; peak May 2025 (16).

2021 Chevrolet Blazer recalls

1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 20V811000Dec 23, 2020Seat Belts470 vehicles

    Seat belts:critical fasteners

    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.

    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.

    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.

2021 Chevrolet Blazer fuel economy and fuel cost

City
21 MPG
Highway
27 MPG
Combined
23 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2021 compared with other Blazer years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002019202020212022202320242025
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2019Good33186222
2020Avoid100219323
2021Avoid83133123
2022Best050123
2023Best1743223

All Chevrolet Blazer years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer reliable?
Compared to other Blazer model years, the 2021 ranks 2nd worst of 7 with a complaint index of 83 and an 'Avoid' verdict, driven mainly by Engine and Electrical System complaints.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer?
Engine complaints are the largest category, making up 33% (44 complaints) of all reported issues, followed by Electrical System complaints at 29% (38 complaints).
Does the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer have any recalls?
NHTSA lists one recall for the 2021 Blazer, campaign 20V811000, covering a seat belt bolt issue that GM addressed by replacing the suspect bolts free of charge.
How does the 2021 Blazer compare to other years?
The 2021 Blazer's complaint index of 83 is worse than 2019 (33), 2022 (0), 2023 (17), 2024 (67), and 2025 (50), but slightly better than 2020's index of 100.
What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer?
The 2021 Blazer gets an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined (21 city / 27 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.