Produced at the Ramos Arizpe Assembly Plant in Mexico alongside the Equinox EV, the Blazer EV was first recalled in December 2023 for door strikers that may fracture. The second recall followed in May 2024 over rear electric motors with insufficiently insulated wires. More recently, GM issued recall number three for a manufacturing defect that could result in the right front lower control arm fracturing while driving.
The first year of production is never easy, especially if you remember that BEV3 is a relatively new platform. Be that as it may, remember that BEV3 rolled out in 2022 for the 2023 model year in the plusher Cadillac Lyriq. On the other hand, the suspect control arms were not manufactured by General Motors but rather Asia-Pacific Light Alloy Technology Co.
Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that said manufacturer is based in China, a place where quality control for all things automotive isn't as important as the competitive advantage offered by cheap labor. In early 2024, the supplier contained a number of control links after identifying an issue with the metal from which it's made. Specifically, contaminated metal resulted in control arms that are susceptible to cracking.
Although containment efforts were initiated, a shipment was not successfully contained. The problem was escalated to the safety boffins at General Motors via Speak Up For Safety on April 22, the program implemented by GM during the deadly ignition switch recalls from a decade ago.
A resulting product investigation determined that 83 vehicles may have been produced with suspect control arms, namely Blazer EV electric sport utility vehicles produced in the period from April 9 through April 11. Chevrolet dealers have been instructed to inspect and replace the right front lower control link as necessary, free of charge.
Photo: Chevrolet
Owners, meanwhile, will be informed about said recall on August 13 at the earliest via first-class mail. Alternatively, owners can enter the 17-character VIN on GM's website or the NHTSA's portal. The identification numbers should start with 3 for Mexico. Had it been a Missouri-produced Colorado pickup truck, make that 1.
GM isn't aware of any incidents associated with this defect, and replacement links are said to be produced outside the suspect manufacturing window. Of course, replacement arms come from the very same Asia-Pacific Light Alloy Technology Co. Founded by Jiangsu Asia-Pacific Light Alloy Technology Co. in 2008, the supplier specializes in aluminum goodies that include – as far as the automotive sector is concerned – precision aluminum tubes, micro-porous flat tubes, extruded profiles, suspension and brake system components, guide rails, and so forth.
Revealed with much pomp in July 2022, the mid-sized crossover was described by certain outlets as being a direct rival to the Tesla Model Y, which it's not. Featuring a 121.8-inch wheelbase versus 113.8 inches for the Model Y, the Blazer EV comes in three distinct flavors.
Customers are presently offered the LT at $48,800 before taxes and options, followed by the RS at $53,200 from the outset. Final pricing for the performance-oriented SS isn't available, but GM is targeting $65,995 plus $1,395 destination charge. The SS is the punchiest of the lot, packing 557 horsepower and tremendous peak torque. Driving range, however, favors the Blazer EV RS RWD at 324 miles (521 kilometers) combined.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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