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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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
151,892 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.

2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #74

May 012015

Trailblazer

  • 160,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My gas gauge reads empty all the time even after a fill up. It never moves. Also I have replaced shocks and struts all the way around the vehical but every time you hit a bump in the road it shakes you from side to side really hard.

- Winchester, KY, USA

problem #73

Jan 282016

Trailblazer

  • 158,000 miles
I went to the gas station and filled up my tank. I started my car and the gauge was not at the fill line. The gauge just bounced up and down and then went below the empty mark making the chime go off and the car red "fuel is low". this was on a secondary city street.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #72

Oct 102009

Trailblazer

  • 115,000 miles
I purchased this truck brand new off the lot in May 2005. A few years after purchase the gas gauge stopped working, I attempted to search the web for recalls and there weren't any. Eventually it started working again on its own. So I didnt think anything else about it. Around 2009, or maybe later, it happened again. I then found out there was a way to get it replaced for free but it had stipulations. Less than 10 years old and under 100K miles. Well at the time it was 108K-115K miles and I was denied. I must admit I love my vehicle but to this day I have been fighting to get the pump replaced without having to pay for it as it was the companies fault. I calculate my miles based off the "trip" indicator on the dash. I know it seems silly, I mean it would be much easier to just invest, I'm a bit stubborn. So instead, when the thousands of people I know mention buying a car I just tell them dont buy a Chevy, even if they have amazing cars. Truth be told not one family member has a Chevy because of my incident and any new family members well they aren't allowed to have Chevy either. Thanks for listening, I'm sure it wont matter, either way but these blogs and complaint forums make me feel better. (my car was in motion when it stopped working, travelling from one state to another, on a major highway)

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #71

Dec 032015

Trailblazer

  • 165,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Fuel gauge is not working properly. I checked with dealer and the NHTSA website about this issue. The problem is that GM will not honor the service bulletin. According to GM I was mailed out a service notice on my vehicle in 2011 which I never received. # 10041526. I checked with the GMC dealer about this service bulletin and the they told me to bring my vehicle in for repairs. Well the dealer called and told me that my vehicle was out of the parameters for a cost free repair. I bought this vehicle brand new back and 2005 and I have kept up with the repairs and maintenance. The dealership I have this serviced at over the years never did any repairs on this service bulletin. I am a oif army veteran and I can not currently afford this $900 repair. I told customer service at Chevy about this and all they offered was a Chevy loyalty car. Really your kidding me?

- Ridgeville, SC, USA

problem #70

Apr 012015

Trailblazer

  • 50,000 miles
Fuel gage is not showing the fuel level, so it looks like its empty all the time automatic air bag passenger sensing system is malfunctioning and on windshield urethane bead may not have adhered to the body in certain areas during the cure process.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

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problem #69

Feb 102014

Trailblazer

  • 78,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. After refueling the vehicle, the fuel gauge failed to provide an accurate reading. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.

- Westminster, MD, USA

problem #68

Oct 152014

Trailblazer

  • 74,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Lights go out/dim while driving. No additional electrical items in use-heater, ac, gps, radio, cigarette lighter. Does not appear to be affected or caused by speed, acceleration, deceleration. Fule tank will sometimes register empty while mostly full. Do not notice problem during daylight driving.

- Fountain Hills, AZ, USA

problem #67

Nov 072014

Trailblazer

  • 110,000 miles
I noticed my battery guage quit. Then after starting my truck a few different times, the gas guage read differently. Then my speedometer wduld stick on 100 when I was doing approximatly 60. Then the speedometer would not work at all. There needs to be a recall on it. My friend has a 2005 also and her cluster pannel went out too. Its a $400 repair. This has happened to quite a few 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazers from what ive read online. Come on General Motors. You need to recall these models.

- Parkersburg, WV, USA

problem #66

Dec 012013

Trailblazer

  • 120,000 miles
Gas gauge registers empty regardless of amount of gasoline in tank.

- Russell, MA, USA

problem #65

Aug 032012

Trailblazer

  • 85,184 miles
This vehicle was knowingly sold with an existing failure to a warrantied part. The dealership failed to notify us, the prospective buyer about the failed part and has attempted to offer "hush money" to make their responsibility go away. The secondary air injection pump is known to be bad on the vehicle and the dealership refuses to repair it and just as stated offer hush money to make this problem go away. This type of behavior needs to stop and dealerships held responsible for their actions. A document with the information about the problem can be provided if needed to further investigation.

- Springfield, OH, USA

problem #64

Feb 052012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The fuel gauge does not work. The fuel gauge sets on empty regardless of how full the gas tank is.

- Martinsburg, WV, USA

problem #63

Feb 042009

Trailblazer

  • 76,000 miles
The fuel gauge stopped working in my vehicle and by the time the recall occurred in 2013, my vehicle has more than the limited mileage of 120,000 or less to pay for half the repair cost. The speedometer failed to work at all back in 2009 as well.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #62

Oct 282013

Trailblazer 4WD 6-cyl

  • miles
Everytime I fill up my truck my gas needle go to empty. Now it's stay on empty.. I had ran out of gas twice. The first time I ran out of gas I was in columbus, Ohio. I had an 1998 Blazer and I had to get an new fuel pump cause the gas gauge was in the fuel pump. Something need to be done about this.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #61

Dec 262013

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 97,000 miles
Vehicle fuel gauge stopped working when I turned off the vehicle.

- Dover, DE, USA

problem #60

Oct 312013

Trailblazer

  • 110,000 miles
We were driving on interstate 94 in North Dakota and we heard a pop. By the time we pulled over there were flames up to the window on the drivers door. We quickly got out. Vehicle is a total loss. This should not happen. Date of accident was 10/31/2014.

- Waterloo, WI, USA

problem #59

Apr 152013

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
Driving down man O war boulevard in lexington, ky - all of a sudden the gas gauge stopped working and went to empty. I called GM regarding this issue and they told me that they would not cover repairs for this defect. Since then I've ran out of gas with all 3 of my children in the car while moving at least 45 mph down the road causing cars behind me to slam on their brakes. This in my opinion is a safety issue. It was their mistake and Chevrolet should pay for the repairs to correct it.

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #58

Sep 012008

Trailblazer 4WD 6-cyl

  • miles
I purchased my SUV in August of 2008 about a month later after pumping gas I noticed the fuel gauge spinning uncontrollably. Due to the warranty I purchase carmax fixed the problem at that time not it is 5 years later and exact same things has happened as well as all the other gauges spinning. Shortly, after the fuel gauge went out I notice the speedometer and the accelerator gauges doing the same thing. I have had my SUV for 5 years and has constantly complained about the gauges spinning back and forth.

- Hammond, IN, USA

problem #57

Sep 012010

Trailblazer 4WD 6-cyl

  • 42,000 miles
My gas gauge had begun acting up. It would say empty even when filled. I would fill it up and the gauge would go to half then back up to full. I did not know for sure how much gas was in the vehicle. I was driving and the car stalled out because it ran out of gas even tho the gauge said full and I was rear ended.

- Kankakee, IL, USA

problem #56

Aug 292014

Trailblazer

  • 103,000 miles
I bought this car at the end of March of this year with under 100,000 miles. The first thing to go was the gas gauge, about 2 months after I bought the trail Blazer the needle went South. It actually hovers around 6 0 ' clock. Then a couple nights ago driving home I had the cruise control on, I took it with the hand button and looked down and the needle never moved, it was stuck at 65. It's been 3 days and the needle has moved but the wrong way, to the right going up 75, 80, 90, then back down to 65 and staying there. I have looked into replacing the gas gauge and I was told the entire dash would have to be done at a price of $1200, I should not have to do this, Chevrolet should be held responsible.

- Shingle Springs, CA, USA

problem #55

Jan 132014

Trailblazer

  • 95,000 miles
Cluster gauges are going out. The speedometer quick working a few years ago and is intermittent at best on a daily basis. It either indicates a lesser or greater speed than actual or just falls to point straight down. I have been using a mounted gps to indicate speed. Initial repair cost estimates were $500+ for the parts since they will only replace the entire gauge cluster. With labor, the estimate was in excess of $800. Fuel gauge is now inoperative or intermittent. When I fill the tank, the fuel gauge reads way past the full line. Having to rely of the fuel to empty and the fuel used computer information along with the trip meter to estimate fuel. Received another estimate for a mechanic to pull the gauge cluster and rebuild each individual gauge motor for an estimate of $500. Based upon the number similar complaints on this same thing, this appears to be a manufacturing defect that needs to be corrected by GM.

- Cibolo, TX, USA

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