Last updated: 2026-10-10
Chevrolet Blazer vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Reliability Compared
Chevrolet Blazer
Toyota Grand Highlander
Edging ahead on reliability, the Toyota Grand Highlander beats the Chevrolet Blazer, though both rate good. The deciding fact is severity: Blazer owners report transmission, steering, and brake failures, while Grand Highlander complaints center on hesitation and a slow airbag recall remedy.
How Do the Chevrolet Blazer and Toyota Grand Highlander Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Toyota Grand Highlander is more reliable than the Chevrolet Blazer, scoring 79/100 vs 76/100.
A slight edge goes to the Toyota Grand Highlander. Both land in the good range, so the gap is small. The deciding factor is what goes wrong. Blazer owners report transmission failures, cracked radiators, and brake faults linked to five crashes, and the model has 19 recalls across eight model years. Grand Highlander owners file more complaints per vehicle sold, mostly about hesitation and a slow airbag recall fix. It also has only three model years of history, so its record is still short.
Key Differences
- 1Toyota Grand Highlander has 9 fewer total recalls
- 2Chevrolet Blazer has 6.1 fewer complaints per 10k sold
- 3Toyota Grand Highlander scores 3 points higher in reliability
Category Scoreboard
Chevrolet Blazer vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Chevrolet Blazer | Toyota Grand Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 76/100 | 79/100 |
| Years Tracked | 8 | 3 |
| Total Recalls | 19 | 10 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 2.1 | 8.2 |
| Safety RatingNHTSA overall | 2026 NHTSA | 2026 NHTSA |
| Frontal | ||
| Side | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Year Wins | 1 (1 tied) | 1 (1 tied) |
What Are the Common Problems With the Chevrolet Blazer and Toyota Grand Highlander?
Hesitation leads the Grand Highlander reports: stuttering, a few seconds of no acceleration when pulling away, and one hybrid that went into limp mode on a highway. Its airbag complaints center on a recall where parts were not available for months. The Blazer's problems are heavier. Transmissions fail around 82,000 to 84,000 miles, radiators crack, and a faulty coolant temperature reading triggers steering assist warnings. Real power steering loss and brake failure also appear. The Blazer has crash-linked complaints in power train, electrical, steering, and brakes. The Grand Highlander has one, in air bags.
| Component | Chevrolet Blazer | Toyota Grand Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 0.3Very Low | 1.7Low |
| POWER TRAIN | 0.4Very Low | 1.4Low |
| AIR BAGS | —None | 1.1Low |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 0.4Very Low | 0.6Very Low |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | —None | 0.6Very Low |
| STEERING | 0.3Very Low | 0.2Very Low |
| STRUCTURE | —None | 0.5Very Low |
| SUSPENSION | —None | 0.4Very Low |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | —None | 0.4Very Low |
| ENGINE | 0.2Very Low | —None |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| TIRES | —None | —None |
| PARKING BRAKE | —None | —None |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | —None | —None |
Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.
How Does Chevrolet Blazer vs Toyota Grand Highlander Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Chevrolet Blazer | Toyota Grand Highlander | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 88/1000R / 0C | 88/1000R / 0C | Tie |
| 2025 | 77/1004R / 26C | 80/1003R / 33C | Toyota Grand Highlander |
| 2024 | 70/1006R / 99C | 69/1007R / 171C | Chevrolet Blazer |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer scored 70/100 and the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander scored 69/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Chevrolet Blazer vs the Toyota Grand Highlander?
Chevrolet Blazer vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Common Questions
- Is the Toyota Grand Highlander more reliable than the Chevrolet Blazer?
- Slightly, yes. Both rate good, but the Grand Highlander's complaints are less severe. The Blazer has reports of transmission replacement, power steering loss, and brake failure. The Grand Highlander has less history, only three model years, so its edge is narrow and could shift as more complaints come in.
- Which has more recalls, the Grand Highlander or the Blazer?
- The Blazer has more. Federal recall records show 19 across eight Blazer model years, against 10 across the three Grand Highlander model years. The Blazer has been on the road longer, so part of the gap is simply time. Check any VIN for open recalls before buying.
- Which has more owner complaints per vehicle sold?
- The Grand Highlander does. It has 8.2 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 2.1 for the Blazer. The Blazer's total is larger at 639 complaints, but it sold far more over a longer span. The Blazer's complaints are also more often about major failures.
- What are the main Chevrolet Blazer problems to watch for?
- Watch the cooling system, transmission, and brakes. Owners report cracked radiators, a stuck temperature gauge, and steering assist warnings tied to coolant faults. Transmission failures appear near 82,000 to 84,000 miles. Brake grinding can start under 1,000 miles, and five brake complaints are crash-linked.
- What is the biggest Toyota Grand Highlander problem?
- Power train hesitation is the biggest. Drivers describe stuttering, lurching, and a few seconds of no acceleration when pulling away. Dealers often cannot duplicate it, and a firmware update has not always fixed it. The airbag recall wait is the next most common complaint, with owners reporting months without parts.
Related Reliability Comparisons
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More Toyota Grand Highlander comparisons
Decided between Chevrolet Blazer and Toyota Grand Highlander? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Chevrolet Blazer and Toyota Grand Highlander
Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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