CarComplaints.com Notes: It would be ill-advised to blaze any trails with the 2004 Trailblazer. Its faulty fuel gauge could leave you stranded.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
67,256 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the speedometer, fuel level gauge, odometer and other instrument panel gauges failed. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and advised that the electrical module failed and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet trial Blazer. The contact stated that the instrument panel gauges would fail sporadically. The dealer inspected the vehicle and advised that the gauge cluster would need to be replaced. In addition, the dealer stated that because the failure was common in his year, make and model, they would replace the cluster with an updated gauge cluster. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 125,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.
The problem started in January, 2011, with the voltage gauge taking a few seconds to come up to full voltage, accompanied by dim vehicle lights, at start-up. On February 6, 2011, the temperature, and one other gauge, started moving erratically. The next day, February 7, all of the gauges pointed straight down (6 O'clock position). Research showed this is a common problem, across several model lines, but GM is selectively refusing to fix Trailblazers, under a recall. I verified this with the dealer. The battery was removed for three hours and a loaner battery installed. Gauges worked properly. A brand new battery was installed (again, after three hours with no battery installed) on February 10. As of February 28, the problem has not re-occurred, but research shows many instances of the problem re-occurring after the installation of a new battery.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While the driver was traveling 45 mph, she drove over a bump, the brakes failed to engage, she lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into a highway cement wall. The driver sustained facial injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer to be inspected. The contact also stated that the speedometer did not indicate the correct speed at which the vehicle was traveling and the air bag light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 96,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the instrument cluster failed and none of the gauges functioned. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the problem was common but offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 87,000.
- Green Acres, FL, USA
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At first the battery gauge went. 2 weeks later the temperature gauge and RPM gauge quit functioning properly. Another 2 weeks later the speedometer got stuck and now it reads improperly. The gas gauge has now gone. That was the last gauge to go. This is on a 2004 Chevrolet trail Blazer.
Instrument cluster failure on 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. Oil pressure and amps gauge malfunction. Mechanic quoted price $650 to replace cluster. Emissions failure paid dealer approximately $375 to replace emissions pump. Air conditioning mode motor actuator out; blower doesn't operate on high setting. Dealer quoted price $750 to fix air conditioner. Sporadic electrical issues-service engine soon light on-first time code read faulty thermostat cooling sensor, next it read faulty air mass sensor, another time it read faulty emissions sensor. Mechanic quoted price $40 per hour plus parts to isolate problem. A person could go broke before fixing possible problems, considering no accident occurred due to all these possibilities. Front suspension problems, hard to isolate. Paid mechanic $135 to replace right side inner tie rod end. Did not fix problem. Problem occurs when returning steering wheel from a right turn, front right side makes a single "pop" sound. Had to replace "burnt" headlight pigtails on front, and park light pigtail on right rear. Property damage is considered damage to vehicle due to the complaints listed.
Instrument cluster, specifically the tachometer has gone out. From my research its just a matter of time before the rest of my gauges go out. Dealer had quoted me $600 dollars for replacement of cluster panel. This is a common problem and needs to be addressed.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph the fuel displayed a half tank of gasoline; however, the fuel tank was empty causing the vehicle to shut off. The contact stated that at times the entire instrument cluster would malfunction. The dealer stated that the entire instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was fully aware of the instrument cluster failure but had not released a recall. The failure mileage was 82,400.
The instrument panel doesn't work. The speedometer works when it wants to. It will read that I'm going 120 mph when I'm not, currently it's stuck all the way up!
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the gauges on the instrument panel stopped working intermittently. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was sent and email but did not respond. The failure mileage was 86,000.
The tach and speedometer does not function properly on my 2004 Trailblazer. The speedometer occasionally works but 99% of the time tells me I'm going faster or slower than I am. I am currently using my gps, but as we all know with gps, it's not always available on moutains and it's not always 100% accurate so I basically guess how fast I am going when traveling through wv. I contacted GM dealer, no recalls that I am aware of but thousands of online post of this problem.
On 1/23/2011 I was on a trip, 77 miles from home, when my 2004 Chevy Trailblazer's instrument panel went crazy. I thought my engine would blow because the RPM gauge went off the charts, then wouldn't read anything. Then my speedometer did the same. I had no idea how fast I was going, on the interstate. I was worried, so I moved to the left lane, and stayed behind the slower traffic to be safe. When I got home, I stopped at my local Chevy dealership where I was told that almost every Trailblazer over 80,000 miles is having the same issues. The problem could be my instrument panel computer, or one of several bad modules. The can does not show any error code, so the cost to repair ranges from $600 to over $1500 depending on how long it takes your repair person to find the problem. After my diagnosis I was angry, I am tired of repairing items on this car. I went online to see if it was rare, or if anyone else had the problem, and an exact repair. On one website alone aboutautomobile.com I found over 1,300 Trailblazer owners with the same problem. After further research I have found almost 19,000 Trailblazer complaints about the same problem. I do believe that all Trailblazers will have this issue, and that GM should fix it, with a recall repair. I have sent complaints to GM, but no response has been given.
My speedometer failed and reads anything it wants. You can be doing 25mph and it will read 110mph or you can be doing 60mph and it will register 45mph. There are a million complaints on the internet about GM speedometers and other instrument clusters failing. I think this is a safety concern and should be investigated. GM is just passing the buck when you ask for help. Just go to google and ask for GM instrument cluster failure and count the complaints. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Instrument panel malfunctions. Speedometer and tachometer display inaccurate information. Speedometer will register 60 mph while at a red light. Tachometer does not go to zero even when engine is off.
I have seen across many websites that the instrument panel on the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazers malfunction. Well, our vehicle is having the same issue. My mechanic says he has seen several similar problems and says it will cost about $600 to repair. He suggested contacting Chevy, but I have seen that Chevy is not interested in resolving the problem. I figured if they are getting enough complaints to the ntsb, maybe they will recall the equipment and I can get it properly repaired.
GM is having an electrical issue on many 2004 vehicles resulting in gradual deterioration of instrument cluster performance. It starts with the speedometer failing, reading 120 mph while sitting at a red light. Then the fuel gauge, low fuel light will come on, then while driving to a fuel station it will slowly climb to 1/2 tank reading or more. Next is the tachometer, it will bounce from 2000 RPM to over 6000 RPM (red line) also while sitting at stop sign or parked in a parking space. Finally the oil and coolant temperature gauges read hot (past red line) at initial start up from sitting 12 hours in -3 degree weather. An online search has found numerous complaints of the same problem around the United States extending beyond the Trailblazer to other vehicles. This same issue was recalled on GM trucks but the other vehicles. The vehicle operator has no accurate idea of mph, RPM, oil or water temperature and battery charge. The average repair cost to replace the bad computer board is $500 to $1000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Fairfax, VA, USA