CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2002-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer is known for many things, but perhaps it is most famous for its faulty fuel gauge.
This gauge flip-flops more than a politician during election season. Some report that the gauge says "empty" after a fill-up, while others report the gauge says "full" when they're running on fumes. Either way, there's one thing everyone seems to agree on: the darn thing is just wrong.
Following hundreds of complaints and a few accidents allegedly caused by the malfunction, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into the issue in May 2011. Unfortunately for frustrated owners, no recall has been announced.
8.0
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$500
Average Mileage:
68,300 miles
Total Complaints:
225 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (123 reports)
replace fuel level sensor (78 reports)
replace fuel pump (15 reports)
parts should be recalled (4 reports)
drop out fuel tank and check coil postition (3 reports)
Trailblazer Fuel Gauge Fix - This page talks about why this problem is so common on Trailblazers and how there's actually 2 different problems you can be having, how to tell which problem you've actually got.
Trailblazer Fuel Gauge Site - This page talks about the 2 most common reasons this happens to Trailblazers and how to tell exactly what yours is doing and get it fixed.
If You Have A Problem With Your 2005 Trailblazer Fuel Sensor, Go Here! - Since this seems to be a common issue, be sure to visit the recall information for the Government. If we band together, maybe they will make Chevy look at this flaw of their vehicle.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
Problem Solved - Read the indented section. GM is calling this a "speciel extended warantee" for vehicles of this year/model. Take your TB to your local Chevrolet dealer with your VIN if you have under 100k miles and you will qualify.
Gm To Help With Gas Gauge Repair Cost On 2005-2007 SUVS - This web site gives you the date a letter was to be sent out from GM and it also states that GM is to pay for 1/2 of the cost to replace this faulty part, even if your are no longer in warranty and the problem occurs with in 10yrs and 120,000 miles of when the vehicle was origionally place in service, which ever comes first
Find a good Chevrolet mechanic
Search for Car Problems
2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Comments (Page 2 of 12)
it really sucks to have to keep track of mileage.they will only cover half the cost to fix it when they need to cover 100% of the bill. After all, it is their faulty parts that have caused this problem...
I recently found out that GM will pay for 50% OF THE COST TO REPAIR. I THINK THEY SHOULD PAY THE TOTAL COST as this isn't something that was due from wear & tear. It was faulty pretty much from the start.
If it wasn't one problem it was another. Once I fixed something then something else went wrong. I can not get a break. I thought this was a good purchase but as soon as it went out of warranty everything is going wrong. I ran out of gas going down a steep hill in the middle of rush hour traffic. Thank goodness there was a gas station near by. And still the gas gauge light is not coming on. I ran out of gas on the way home in the middle of the night in lonely country road. Pretty scary seeing how there is a prison down the road. frommy house.
GM paid for 1/2 the repair as long as I took it to the dealer. I think it's sad that I had to pay for any of it as it is a known issue. How can this not be a recall?
Chevy is offering to pay half of repair if diagnostics shows it to be the fuel sensor. Based on the number of complaints on line I feel that they should cover the total cost of the repair.
This just stopped working on me one day.. I have to reset the gallons used to see how much further i can drive. This is so ridiculous! I get so frustrated especially when i forget to reset the dash when i stop for gas and then have no idea how far i can do. I have a friend with the same year and same problem, should def be recalled!
We own a Chevy Trailblazer and we noticed the gas gauge would move from full to empty without notice. We were not sure what was happening. I found out that a letter was sent to some owners concerning this matter and when I called to get information on it, I was told Chevrolet would not pay for this recall and that we would have to pay 1/2 of the cost. Chevrolet should pay for the entire cost because this is a manufacturer error and not an error on the customers behalf. We will never purchase another Chevrolet if they do not care for their customers enough to admit this error is on their part and having the customer to have to come out of their pockets for something that is truly not the customer's fault. How can Chevrolet be so inconsiderate????? Something needs to be done to make them responsible and hold them accountable.
Fuel gauge does not work. Got letter where Chev. would pay half but still I have to pay out $300.00. It is not right!!!!!!! Chev should pay to fix the issue. This is the second Blazer we have bought over the years and the other one gave us trouble also. I really like it but now I know how stupid it was to think they are better made now.
This is very annoying that this is a factory problem and we have to meet them half way in fixing it. The dealers asked me to pay 400 dollars out of pocket ridiculous! It makes me nervous each time am driving because I could put in 80 dollars of gas but the gauge goes fully to empty I don't know when it is going to stall on me. I need a free recall ticket. I don't want to pay to fix it.
tHE FUEL GAUGE TOOK ABOUT A WEEK or more TO GO COMPLETELY OUT. It would float irratically, then go to full when it wasn't, then it would drop out to enmpty after I had put some gasoline into it. Then for a bit, it hovered between 1/4 and empty, then finally went to empty. Dieffenbach Chevrolet told me it would cost about $700- $800 to replace.
What is so bad is that I had just gotten my speedometer fixed a few months before at a cost of over $500. If I had/ could have (but I got a ticket while it was going out) waited to have both fixed, the total woukld be less than $600. Now I have my tank filled b4 the resttable od reaches 300 miles and I reset the odometer. I've had people, mostly mechanics, tell me I'd better get some gas, that the light was on. I did find out that if I drove it humanely, it got decent gas mileage and that it will get almost 400 miles per tank.
This situation stinks! No recall? The dealer was deifinitely aware of the problem. I had this "fixed" a year ago at a cost of $600 and the gauge again is not working. What a pain!
having the same problem as the others: at first the fuel gauge jumped from full to empty then maybe half full then empty then full then empty. Now it just stays on empty with the stupid light on. I have to use my mileage to figure out my gas mileage. I know i can go at least 270 miles to fill up. i don't push it after that. so every week i have to fill up hit my mileage button to reset it to zero. its a pain in the ass cause i live in the country and u don't want to run out of gas out there. Sometimes i don't have the money to fill back up either so then I'm just guessing. i called the dealership to see if there was a recall on it they said they would pay 1/2 and i pay 1/2. my half is 140.00 + tax. but y should i have to pay for it when its their problem to begin with? Seeing all the other complaints on this i cant believe they haven't done a recall notice yet. They DO have one on the pickups cause they are having the same problems.
chevy knows the parts are bad. they should fix the problem and keep the chevy owners happy,which in turn, this would turn into more people willing to buy a chevy or gm product, because you are backing your product. that's why the other auto makers are getting your bisness your not getting,cause of your bogus or bull you give them when the problem is brought to you to fix. i will never buy another chevy again.
I got a letter from Chevy in Oct 2011 saying that the 2005 TB was having problems with the gas gauge reading empty even when the car was not empty. I thought, wow, I got lucky, havent had a problem! Low and behold one week later it started! ONE WEEK! Amazing! I am so pissed that they said they would only pay for half but that I had until Oct 2012 to have it repaired and a certified GM dealer or they would not even cover half. My husband has been out of work and we cant afford to have it fixed. It is total BS that they will only pay for half. Seems the quotes I get from the "certified dealers" are double what my regular mechanic would charge! So they really arent paying for anything. Just jacking up the price to make you "think" you are only paying half. Now the damn engine light came on. I have read here that it may be due to this problem! But that is for another post GRRRRR I used to be an american car person myself. Always hac Ford or Chevy. Daughter bought first foreign car in the family and LOVES it. Guess I am switching too!
Chevy knows it's a defective sensor - Granted, they are offering to pay half of the cost of replacing the sensor - I say BIG DEAL!! Why they are only willing to pay half? They should have put a more reliable sensor system in from the start. This fluctuating gas gauge has been such a royal inconvenience. They should pick up the entire cost if they want to keep consumers happy and create repeat buyers.
I purchased my car brand new and had no problems until the fuel gauge decided to die! I believe GM should take care of this cost because I have not met another Trailblazer owner that has not had this problem. I definitely will NEVER purchase another Chevy or GM product again!
we haven't had any problems with the car till now. my husband told me before christmas that the gas gauge had been acting up. so the date i selected is the date i actually saw it not work. we were at gas station and he fills it up (figures in his head about how much to fill up ) and gas gauge showed below empty. and was that way after driving around awhile. and goes up and down. we don't have money to have it repaired. it needs to be
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
NEED A RECALL ON THIS!!!!!!!
PAIN IN THE @#$% WHEN GETTING FUEL
DON'T MAKE EM LIKE THEY USED TO AND CHEVY USE TO BACK UP AND FIX EVERYTHING!!
- lesc, Shalimar, FL, US