GM suspends sales of Chevy Blazer EV due to quality issues
General Motors has announced that sales of its 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV SUV have been temporarily suspended (beginning around Jan. 2, 2024) while the automaker works on resolving owner-reported software issues. It's an unfortunate setback for anyone looking for a practical, smooth-driving, American-made, all-electric SUV that has impressed us every time we've reviewed it, enough to make us recently crown it our SUV of the Year.
Here's Chevy's released statement regarding the stop-sale of the 2024 Blazer EV: "We are aware that a limited number of Blazer EV owners have experienced some software quality issues. To ensure our customers have a great experience with their vehicle, we are temporarily pausing sales of Blazer EVs. Our team is working quickly to roll out a fix, and owners will be contacted with further information on how to schedule their update. We apologize for the inconvenience."
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Additionally, Chad Lyons, the brand's communications director, told The Verge that owners would get more details soon: "Our team is working quickly to roll out a fix, and owners will be contacted with further information on how to schedule their update."
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GM claims the reported software issues are not directly related to its built-in Google programming on the infotainment system, nor its cross-brand Ultium platform of electric vehicle batteries, motors, and control systems. However, Edmunds reported a list of faults with its Blazer EV tester which mostly included brake, motor, battery, and body control systems issues (though those issues could be isolated to that single unit). Additionally, InsideEVs reports numerous issues with infotainment system crashes, as well as issues with charging infrastructure, as observed on its own test cars as well as by Ultium platform owners. It's unclear if any of these are related to each other, or the direct cause of the stop-sale.
Update, Feb. 22, 2024: An updated Edmunds report regarding their long-term Blazer EV tester confirms that a major software overhaul at the dealership was necessary to repair the vehicle's systems. The update also indicates that the rollout of the fix for the stop-sale on all Blazer EVs may be a few months away, but a GM spokesperson could not offer an exact timeline. It is said to be significantly sooner, but we'll see.