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.
6.3
fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
$370
Average Mileage:
71,800 miles
Total Complaints:
21 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (12 reports)
replace factory radio (5 reports)
replace stereo and wait for something else to short out (4 reports)
EVERY TIME I PUT THE RADIO ON THERE IS A LOT OF STATIC COMING FROM THE REAR SPEAKERS. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WHEN THE SUV IS COLD, AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, MINE HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. I TOOK IT TO GET IT FIXED AND WAS TOLD IT COULDN'T BE FIXED AND THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR SUV. ALSO, I CAN'T USE THE CD PLAYER BECAUSE IT WON'T OPEN AND IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET IT OPENED IT WON'T LET YOU OPEN IT TO GET THE CD OUT OF IT. EJECTION DOESN'T WORK.
I have the same problem with my stereo speakers and was informed by Chevy that it was the speakers, best to replace them. My CD player was stuck but I corrected this by pulling the fuse and putting it back in. No luck tracking down the speaker culprit...
Had taken in to Chevy dealer and their unsure of the origin of the static/ hissing and crackling noise. We are starting to think it is coming from the steering column where the key goes into. Due it engages several electrical items. Still completely unsure.
It started when the speakers on the left side of the vehicle stopped working. Then a few months later the speakers on the right. But thats when i noticed that the tweeters for both sides was still working. The speakers will occasionally just start working and then stop just as quickly as they started. I wondered if it would be worth it to replace the stereo because it seemed to be a problem with the speaker wiring as opposed to a problem with the head unit itself. if anyone has found the simple solution to this issue please let me know.
The cost for this was a sore finger from TAPPING SO HARD!!! But it did work. I was at a stop light one night tapping to the beat of my ONE speaker that was working and I saw the radio lights flicker.So I tapped a bit harder a few more times and they came back on and stayed on for the rest of my ride home. Of course they were off the next day but now I know that the lights are NOT BURNT OUT. But all that still doesn't get me any closer to what the problem is.
I have a 2005 Trailblazer as well and have had nothing but problems with it. The first was when the 4WD knob broke off. Then the fuel gauge stopped working. I also have a wiring problem that causes interference between the speakers and the accelerator (I hear a high pitched whizzing noise when I press on the accelerator). In the fall of 2009 the speedometer started malfunctioning like the problems that other posters have had. In the past year the oil gauge has now stopped working. The most recent defect in this glorified hunk of metal is a crack in the exhaust manifold. I will never purchase another GM product due to the number of problems and lack of customer support from the company. I cannot say that I am surprised that the company has gone bankrupt.
The speakers on the pass side back r either fine or not on at all. The pass side front either work fine or r so quiet u cant tell they r even on till u turn the balance to the r side. You could b driving and all of a sudden they will all be working fine or even get in and start driving and they r fine from the start, then they cut out. It doesnt flicker on and of like its a loose wire or bad conection. I took the dash apart and the door panels and messed with the wires when it was on but nothing changed. Then when it wasnt being touched it all came on. When all this started my drivers side climate controle light went out. then the 3,4,5,6 buttons lights for preset chan went out also. I also have a prob with my gas gauge but i can deal with that for now by paying attention to the miles i drive vs how much gas i put in. The other things I cant get around without being fixed.
This trailblazer has been nothing but a pain in my.......
Anyway the fuel gauge quit working, the cd player quit working, the driver side mirror stopped working, replaced bad fuel cap, replaced catalytic converter, and we have replaced the hydraulic lifts for the trunk lid three times already all with less than 55,000 miles!!!! Oh yeah, Chevy thanks for your generous 3yr/36,000 mile warranty. Useless!! Good call on your part. I don't want the financial burden of this car either.
We will never and I mean NEVER buy another Chevy product as long as we live!!!
The CD player in my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer won't eject the CD. It still plays it, but malfunctions every time I hit the eject button. Problem #4 in less than two years with this lemon.I will never buy a Chevy again; we are now officially a Ford family!
The lighted buttons on the stereo burn out. Never tried to repair. There was one out when we got the thing but now more. Just another item on the long list of crap going wrong with this lemon. Not only the stereo but other lights on the cluster. Never another Chevy or GM product.
on top of the fuel system prob. i have had. now the cd player quit working. Chevy wants more to fix it than a new cd player cost at our local stereo store. Chevy get your S---- together. don't you care what kind of cars you put out here to public.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
left and right speaker, door chimes shorts out
This problem happened about a month after buying this used vehicle, the lot where I bought it would not fix, says it was not under limited warranty.
- Angela G., Winston Salem, NC, US