Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 24 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Electronic throttle body? No throttle control, motor will only idle, turn ignition switch off, then restart it will run. Reduced Engine Power light comes on. Happens for no apparent reason. Very unsafe situation.
TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND THE HEATER CIRCUIT. *TR
ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN AND IDLING
TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES ARE CORRODED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE LEAKING FLUID AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 130000 MILES ON IT.
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4 -WHEEL DRIVE FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 101, NO. 110, NO. 114, NO. 225, NO. 209, & NO. 208. VECHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A LEFT -FRONT BRAKE PIPE WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SCORE AT A RANDOM LOCATION ALONG THE LENGHT OF THE PIPE AS THE RESULT OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. IF THE BRAKE PIPE PARTIALLY OR FULLY FRACTURED,BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL WOULD IMMEDIATELY INCREASE AND FRONT BRAKE PERFORMANCE WOULD BE REDUCED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKETS MAY FRACTURE. MISSING WELDS ON THE REAR FLOW PLAN THE CALIBRATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE CONTROL MODULE COULD CAUSE INSUFFICIENT HIGH SPEED GEAR ENGAGEMENT. THIS FRACTURE COULD RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM FROM THE FRAME SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A RANGE SHIFT COLLAR IN THE TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE THAT CONTAINS CRACKS.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE CAME LOSE AND THE CAR COULD NOT BE PLACED IN GEAR. IT WAS STUCK INTO PARK. THE PLASTIC CABLE CONNECTOR TO THE TRANSMISSION CRACKED, WHICH ALLOWED THE BALL TO COME OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION PREVENT THE CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE PUT INTO GEAR.
I WAS PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN WHEN MY VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF. I PRESSED THE BRAKE, PUT MY VEHICLE IN PARK, AND TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION. THEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE AS I NORMALLY WOULD, AND IT STARTED UP WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THIS WAS VERY DISCONCERTING AND SCARY. THIS HAPPENED IN A QUIET, RESIDENTIAL AREA, SO THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. I INTENDED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE CHECKED, BUT I NEVER DID. THIS WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THE INCIDENT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO MY ATTENTION BECAUSE OF A RECENT BUT DIFFERENT MECHANICAL FAILURE WITH MY VEHICLE. DURING MY INTERNET RESEARCH OF THE OTHER MECHANICAL PROBLEM, I CAME ACROSS RECALL INFORMATION FOR OTHER GM VEHICLES THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR SUDDENLY SHUTTING OFF WHILE IN DRIVE. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT FIND RECALL INFORMATION FOR MY MAKE/MODEL/YEAR, I AM FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF WHILE IT WAS IN DRIVE. SINCE I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE WHEN THIS OCCURRED, I WILL PLACE AN APPROXIMATE DATE IN THIS REPORT. I WAS "HOUSE SHOPPING" AT THE TIME, SO THE APPROXIMATE DATE WILL BE CLOSE.
I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE SHIFTER HANDLE MOVED FREELY BUT WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. MY VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN PARK. LUCKILY, THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN MY GARAGE AT LUNCHTIME HEADED BACK TO WORK. WHEN I SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE, I SAW THAT OTHER GM VEHICLES HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR A BROKEN SHIFTER CABLE. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND EXPLAINED MY PROBLEM, HE SAID THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A BROKEN SHIFTER CABLE AND THAT HE HAD TOWED OTHER TRAILBLAZERS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT THE VEHICLES HAD BEEN PART OF A RECALL YEARS AGO. I HAD NOT FOUND A RECALL FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE, BUT THAT OTHER GM VEHICLES HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THAT REASON IS WHY I AM FILING THIS REPORT. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE REPAIRED AND WILL UPLOAD THE REPAIR INVOICE.
WHEN I TURN 4WD ON, THE LIGHT GETS STUCK IN 4WD EVEN WHEN I TRY TO TURN IT OFF. I THINK MY CAR IS STUCK IN 4WD AT THIS POINT. *TR
ENGINE STARTED MISFIRING ON RANDOM CYLINDERS,MISFIRE DOES NOT STAY ON SAME CYLINDERS. HAS DRAMATIC LOSS OF POWER. DIAGNOSTIC CODE SAYS RANDOM MISFIRE. DRAMATICALLY DECREASED FUEL ECONOMY. BAD VIBRATION. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES DURING MISFIRE. DOES NOT HAVE A CONSTANT MISFIRE, IT COMES AND GOES. *TR
THREE TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE IN JANUARY 2012, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY DUE TO BEARING FAILURE. RECENTLY THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH HAS NOT EXHIBITED A LEAK, WAS VERY LOW ON FLUID, (3 QUARTS) AND THE FLUID WAS BURNED. THE TRANSMISSION NOW SLIPS AND IS CHANGING ERRATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY SERVICED AT BUFF WHELAN CHEVROLET IN STERLING HEIGHTS, MI. *TR
SHUT CAR OFF AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART KEY WOULD NOT TURN. STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT LOCKED AND IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. AN HOUR LATER RETURNED TO HAVE IT TOWED AND TRIED THE KEY AND VEHICLE STARTED. *TR
THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND OR THIRD INCIDENT WHERE THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION, BLAZER WAS IN PARK THE LIGHTS REMAINED ON SO DID THE RADIO ANYTHING THAT IS TYPICALLY ON DURING AUX, BUT THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LONG PROBLEM THAT LEAD TO ME TRADING OFF..THE KEY GETS STUCK YOU CAN NOT REMOVE IT CAUSED THE BATTERY TO GO BAD, IT WOULD BEGIN TO HAPPEN OFTEN THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WOULD COME ON, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT ABOVE 3RD GEAR, ALSO SHORTLY AFTER THE PURCHASE IN SEPT OF 2011 THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. THE BLAZER DIED 3 TIMES GAUGES ON DASH WOULD PERIODICLY STOP WORKING. MY SERVICE 4 WHEEL WOULD COME ON RANDOMLY THE KEY ISSUE WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM BUT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE OTHER THINGS WENT WRONG. WHEN THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK IN THE IGINTION AS STATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY IN THE BEGINNING THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ACT OUT ONCE YOU TOOK IT OUT OF PARK IT WAS NOTICEABLE BUT AS THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE IT STARTED HAPPENING DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY I NOTICED ONCE THAT I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE IT THROUGH 1-2-3 BUT NEVER GOT OUT OF 3. I SHOULD STATE THAT WHEN THE KEY WAS STUCK I WOULD HAVE TO MANUALLY SHIFT THROUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND THEN PUT IT INTO DRIVE OTHERWISE THE CAR HAD NO POWER BECAUSE IT WOULD BE STUCK IN THE HIGHER GEAR.TRIED TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP AS THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE DASH FOR THE 2003 MODEL AND THEY TOLD US IT WASNT A SAFETY PROBLEM I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW RANDOM LOSS OF POWER AND RANDOM CAR DYING IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE LIST OF GM RECALLS AND I HAVE NOT SEEN MUCH ABOUT THE TRAILBLAZERS, AND IT BOTHERS ME THAT I AM SURE THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES LIKE THE ONES THAT I HAD. ON ANOTHER NOTE TRANSMISSION RELATED MY NEIGHBORS JUST HAD TO GET RID OF THEIR TRAILBLAZER 2006 FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *JS
MY CHEVY TRAILBLAZER 2004 SLOWED DOWN TO 20MPH ON THE HIGHWAY I HAD A VERY HARD AN SCARY TIME PULLING OVER I GOT MY THROTTLE FIXED THAT COST ME 500.00 DOLLARS MY CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING IT WAS DOING ON THE HIGHWAY 20MPH AND AMP IDLES VERY HIGH WONT DROP DOWN TO 0 STAYS AT 20 OR ABOVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL NO ONE CAN FIND A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR ALL THEY WANT IS TO KEEP GUESSING WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO NO BECAUSE IT KEEPS GOING BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEM DOESN'T WANT TO GO IN GEAR AND DRIVE IT JUST LET YOU PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS AN DOES NOTHING. *TR
MY RIGHT SIDE BACK DOOR DOES NOT OPEN AND MY LEFT BACK DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE UNLESS I HIT THE LOCK FIRST. ALSO AS I AM DRIVING NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE WILL JUST KICK IN ON ITS OWN. NOW IT FEEL AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING. THIS TO ME IS A DANGER TO MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF> I ALSO FEEL THAT THESE ARE DEFECTS IN THIS VEHICLE AS I FEEL G.M SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER G.M AGAIN. SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS. *TR
TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE CORRODED AND BEGAN LEAKING NEXT TO EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE. LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION.
LEFT MY HOUSE AT 10:00 AM TO GET MY BLAZER SERVICED, THE SHOP WAS NOT OPEN - I DID MY ROUNDS AND WAS ABOUT FIVE MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE AT A RED LIGHT, PULLED AWAY FROM THE LIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION HEARD A LOUD POP AND BLAZE STALLED. GOOD THING THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER COMING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, TOWED TO SHOP AT 12:00 PM WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT TRANSMISSION WAS BURNT/BLOWN. I WENT FROM NEEDING A TUNE UP TO A MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM. JUST HAD BLAZE SERVICED 3 MONTHS PRIOR. *TR
TRANS LEAK FROM TRANS COOLER LINES. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 TRAILBLAZER I BOUGHT NEW IT ONLY HAS 31100 MILES ON IT AND IS IN GREAT CONDITION AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT ON IT ..THEIR ARE. MANY MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME THING... SOME WITH LESS MILES AND SOME WITH MORE...I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY 3000 DOLLARS FOR A FAULTY TRANSMISSION WHEN IT IS OBVIOUS IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH GM TRANSMISSIONS....AN INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE DONE I AM A HUSBAND A FATHER AND BOTH ME AND MY WIFE WORK FULL TIME BUT WE CAN NOT AFFORD THIS AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE CANT AND CHEVY WILL NOT STICK UP FOR THEIR VEHICLES,,,RECALLS MUST BE DONE SO THE WORKING CLASS CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT THIS VEHICLE I WILL LOSE MY JOB AND GM WILL GET RICHER AND RICHER TO BAD THEY DON'T MAKE CARS LIKE THEY USE TOO...ALL I DID WAS GET IN MY CAR START IT LET IT WARM UP AND WENT TO PUT IT IN REVERSE AND CLUNK AND JUST GRINDING THEIR MUST BE SOMETHING DONE I AM DOING RESEARCH IT LOOKS LIKE THIS TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN FAULTY SINCE THE 2002 TRAILBLAZER CAME OUT BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT YET.... *TR
THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO MY 2004 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER : I AM HAVING A WHINING NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN I TRY TO ENGAGE INTO 4WD THE SOUND WORSENS AND THERE IS A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT AS WELL THE WHINING ALMOST RESEMBLES A LOW SIREN SOUND. I AM ALSO HAVING A MAJOR MALFUNCTION WITH MY SPEEDOMETER SINCE THE WEATHER HAS GOTTEN COLDER??? I COULD ONLY BE MOVING 10MPH AND IT WILL REGISTER TO 120 OR EVEN SURPASS IT AND THEN GET STUCK, THE ONLY WAY TO UNSTICK IT IS TO SHUT THE CAR OFF AND KEEP RESTARTING IT UNTIL IT RESETS ITSELF BUT NOW IT IS STUCK AND WONT RESET, I WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS AND I ALL I FOUND OUT WAS THERE WERE TONS OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR TRAILBLAZERS AS I AM HAVING. THESE PROBLEMS ARE OCCURRING AT ALL DIFFERENT TIMES DURING THE LIFE OF THE CAR SOME PEOPLE HAVE THEM HAPPEN AROUND 30,000 MILES OR SOME 50 THOUSAND AND MYSELF THE SPEEDOMETER IS HAPPENING AROUND 72,000 MILES. THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMED TO START TO ACT UP ONCE THE WEATHER WAS COLDER. ITS A SHAME THEY WILL FIX THE LARGER SUV'S DUE TO A LAWSUIT BUT SINCE THIS IS A SMALLER SUV IT'S NOT COVERED. WE HAVE TRIED TO REPLACE THE WHEEL BEARINGS IN THE TRUCK FOR THE FRONT END NOISE TO ONLY FIND THE NOISE DID NOT DISAPPEAR AFTER READING MANY OF OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS IT SEEMS THIS COULD BE THE TRANSFER CASE ON THE TRUCK. I AM NOT GOING TO KEEP REPLACING PART AFTER PART TO ONLY FIND OUT ITS THE DRIVE TRAIN AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SHE THEN NOTICED A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE OIL CAP FOR THE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FAILED. THE CAP WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF $5 AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO NEVER PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE. ONE YEAR LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FAILED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $2,000. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DID NOT RECEIVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE FROM A DEALER, NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED TOWARDS THE REPAIR. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000.
I OWN A 2004 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER WITH 56K MILEAGE. IN DECEMBER 2008, THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. I WOULD BE AT STOP, AND THE NEEDLE SHOWED 80 MPH. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CLUSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED - BUT THEY NEEDED TO ORDER THE REPLACEMENT PART. I FINALLY GOT IT FIXED A WEEK LATER AND IT COST ME APPROXIMATELY $525. NOW, FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS, THE ENGINE HAD SUDDENLY SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THE "REDUCED POWER" & "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHTS CAME ON. BOTH TIMES, IT STARTED BACK UP AFTER I PARKED IT, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, AND RE-STARTED. BUT AFTER THE SECOND TIME, I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAD TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL REPLACED. COST ME APPROX $360. THESE TWO ISSUES ARE VERY CONCERNING WITH ME BECAUSE IF I WERE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEED (65MPH) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY (INSTEAD OF 30MPH AROUND TOWN), I COULD HAVE DIED FROM CONTACTS WITH OTHER VEHICLES BECAUSE MY VEHICLES STOPPED FUNCTIONING! *TR
THE REAR TIRES ON THE CONSUMER'S 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER WEAR OUT EVERY COUPLE THOUSAND MILES WHILE THE FRONT TIRES SHOW NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF WEAR. *NM IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A BENT DIFFERENTIAL. *JB
PURCHASED NEW TRAILBLAZER IN MAY 04. WHEN VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES ON IT, I STARTED GETTING A RATTLE OR LOUD BUZZ WHEN ACCELERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 PER HOURS JUST BEFORE THE VEHICLE SHIFTS. OCCASIONALLY, THE SHIFT IF JERKY. THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE WARM AND THE RATTLE OR BUZZ FIRST MANIFESTED ITSELF AFTER I TURNED RIGHT AND ACCELERATED FROM A STOP. WHEN WARM, THIS SOUND IS REPEATED ALMOST EVERY TIME I TURN RIGHT AND ACCELERATE. WHEN WARM IS ALSO OCCURS WHEN I JUST ACCELERATE FROM A FULL STOP. OCCASIONALLY, IT WILL ALSO OCCUR AFTER A TIGHT LEFT TURN. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE COMPUTER DID NOT SHOW ANYTHING WRONG. ON THE SECOND TRIP TO THE DEALER I REPORTED IT AGAIN. STILL NO FIX. THE NOISE IS VERY ANNOYING, BUT I CANNOT TELL THAT IT IS DOING DAMAGE. I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IF IT MADE THIS NOISE ON THE ROAD TEST. I AM ESTIMATING THE RATTLE OR BUZZ SOUND HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 75 TIME TO DATE. *NM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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