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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.

9.3

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$7,840
Average Mileage:
105,900 miles
Total Complaints:
11 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. report to NHTSA to recall airbag (6 reports)
  2. not sure (4 reports)
  3. they had to replace parts of the front end and the whole fen (1 reports)
2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Comments

problem #11

Aug 152016

Trailblazer LT V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 237,000 miles

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

click to see larger images

airbags did not deploy in frontal impact airbags did not deploy in frontal impact airbags did not deploy in frontal impact airbags did not deploy in frontal impact

Headed to work and driver failed to yield when making a left hand turn and crashed into the front left corner of my vehicle. I thought damage was pretty significant and was wondering why the airbags did not deploy. The officer was surprised they didn't deploy due to the amount of damage the other car caused. I'm fortunate I did not have any serious injuries other than a bump on my forehead and a slight cut from hitting the visor and garage door opener. I decided to Google this issue and it frightens me to find a forum where others have also had the same incident. I'm still waiting on the adjuster to come look at my car, not sure if they will total or repair, but after reading these complaints I'm hoping they total it.

- Nicholas O., canton, GA, US

problem #10

Jun 162016

Trailblazer LS V6, 3.2L ?

  • Automatic transmission
  • 168,000 miles

On Sat, 6-16-16, I was trying to get to Lake Tillery- my left shoulder healing from surgery to repair 2 broken bones, also dislocated. The surgery was 2 weeks to the day and my arm was 80% mobile, except I could only take it just over the bottom half of the steering wheel, maybe 200 degrees. But I had been driving 4, 5 days at this point and every day was getting better and my arm getting looser.

My young daughter had our other daughter's small dog cramped up in the front floor with a large bag of snacks. Then she decided that Tiger was thirsty right then. I told her to wait, that there was no where to place the water container, that the dog couldn't even move, to wait til we got somewhere we could pull off so we could move the bag, unless she could move it then to the seat right behind her. She hadn't been very obedient all morning/ day about anything, so she reaches down grabs the bag and puts it right on the hump in the back. Well, that cooked my goose; so I reached back, got the bag with my good arm and placed it where I had told her, but I felt us (b4 seeing us) going off the road. When I looked up, I was headed straight into a culvert, so I turned the wheel left pretty hard and was gonna turn back right, BUT the back wheel hit the culvert HARD. The whole rear of my Trail Blazer was knocked airborne and when it landed, we were perpendicular to the road; we shot across the road like a bullet toward a line of large Cedar trees spaced about 8, 9 feet apart. Then I had to fight the wheel, because the right rear wheel was demolished and was causing a terrible side-to-side sway. I managed to get the front thru without a head-on with one, but the left side hit one of the cedars and threw the vehicle HARD into the cedar on the right; really tearing the right door up and back. That was 3 REALLY hard licks my Trail Blazer received within 5-10 seconds and should have deployed the airbags, but, once again, DID NOT!!!!!

- capnrichard, Hamlet, NC, US

problem #9

Dec 212012

Trailblazer SLT 4.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 96,300 miles

click to see larger images

airbags did not deploy in frontal impact

On 12-21-2012 I had a head-on collision. My Trailblazer hit a concrete barrier head on and the air bags did not deploy. The officer, hospital, family and friends do not understand why. I was doing over 60mph and hit black ice which is was sent my car head on. If my air bag would have deployed I most likely would not have seriously injured. My vehicle was totaled as the impact was so severe that the damages were not repairable. I have a broken arm and shattered ball joint in my shoulder. I have a long recovery ahead of me with months of physical therapy. I also am facing a surgery on Wednesday January 23, 2013 for other complications resulting from this accident. I may never have complete use of my arm again and my life has changed drastically. I am having to take time off of work and my life in general has had to be altered. The expense for my medical is stressful and the overall mental strain this is taking on me. I am very concerned as I am hearing this has happened to others, this is a serious issue and there needs to be a recall. They do not understand how I am even here but we are blessed that I am. I will continue to fight for answers not only in my situation but for others and also to hopefully prevent future issues for anyone. I loved my Trailblazer, but now I am so devastated that my air bag did not save me from being seriously injured like I was. Functioning with only one arm weighs heavily on my mental state. PLEASE enforce a recall on these air bags- save the lives of many consumers. I was lucky to walk away with severe injuries, someone may lose their life if this type of impact should occur again.

- pullins, Blacklick, OH, US

problem #8

Feb 252012

Trailblazer LS V6, 3.2L ?

  • Automatic transmission
  • 128,000 miles

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

click to see larger images

airbags did not deploy in frontal impact airbags did not deploy in frontal impact airbags did not deploy in frontal impact

I've been saviung the best (worst) 2 for last. I hit that deer at about 40-45 MPH and knocked it about 100 ft thru the air, across the road into the ditch on the nother side. I got off the road (had to pull up a good ways because of the drop=off on the right side. It never dawned on me about the air bag(s) til the Trooper (asked me if I got hurt by the air bag. I told him it didn't deploy and he said that wasn't good. It took him 30 mins to get there and I was walking back to my car from the deer when he drove up. I was asked that 3, 4 more times while telling about hitting the deer.

This malfunctiuon really concerns me because what if the deer had caused me to run off the road in those woods of large trees; That could have been the end of me.

I was in another accident 2 months later that I consider a good bit worse; the same result.

I've already filed another complaint about the air bags not deploying. I was hit on 4-21-12 on the left front side by a car running the red light. She hit me about 40-45 MPH, burying her car in the front left of my 05 Trail Blazer. My air bag(s) failed to deploy (again). If they had come out, I wouldn't have been injured as badly had the air bags deployed. I was injured on my left side- from the mid ribs to my hip. My knee hit pretty hard and I have a ligament that's still swollen and hurts when I turn my left leg a certain way. (I know- quit turning it that way; I try) My back was also snatched out of joint/ place (don't know how else to describe it). I had a really large bruise on my left side for more than a week. My back still hurts me more than ever and I have to go to the chiropractor's/ doctor's offices 2, 3 times a week. The reason I don't go 3 times a week is because I'm hurting so badly I don't feel like driving the 16 mi. round trip. I have to be hurting pretty awful to miss (sometimes twice a week) going to the chiro because he usually makes it feel some better, although it seems to still be temporary.

If I had hit a car or tree head-on going faster than (maybe as fast as ) the car hit me, and the air bags failed, it could have been fatal.

Something needs to be done. I guess I'll start with the BBB.

- capnrichard, Hamlet, NC, US

problem #7

Apr 212012

Trailblazer LS V6, 3.2L ?

  • Automatic transmission
  • 132,500 miles

I had to wait for my light to turn green. I noticed 2 cars stopped to my left when I pulled off. My brother-in -law yelled something, I turned my head away him and by the time I could get my head straight ahead, a blur caught my eye to the left, and bang, crash at the same time. The young lady was trying to go thru the lane farthest from me that was open under a RED light. She didn't even put on brakes, that I remember. The wreck was so bad, I was injured on my left side and, at the time, thought I had broken a couple ribs and my hip bone, at first. My B-I-L hurt his hand and my lil grand-daughter in the back got a mark on her side and back from the seat belt. the front left. I rode to the hospital in the ambulance. My B-I-L and g'daughter rode with my wife home. And I must thank God that none of us weren't hurt any worse. I had just started to turn left, so I/we were hit from my wife. For almost a week, we thought the other driver had no insurance because we heard from no one. They had not reported the accident to their insurance co. When we got the Police report about a week later, we found out the young lady was driving her uncle's car(as best as we can figure), with no license, but the uncle had insurance on the car. This wreck was pretty serious; neither car could be driven off. WHAT really got to me was that NO AIR BAGS deployed once again. That really surprised some of the onlookers and I believe it was one of the policemen who said, "I'm really surprised the air bags did not go off!" Again, if it was a little worse, all 3 of us could have been killed. My grand-daughter could have been thrown loose from the seat-belt and thrown thru the windshield, and killed instantly. Being this was the 2nd time they failed, I’m really concerned if they will work if/when REALLY needed. If mine had worked that day, my back wouldn’t have been snatched (probably) and I may not have had to get that awful bruise on my left side- the size of a cantelope; it also bruised my liver. I have seriously considered hiring an attorney, but I’m already going to the Dr. and chiropractor 2, 3 times a week- just enough to mess up my days/ week. Maybe I should start with the BBB. Well I guess I've stated how seriously I consider this air bag malfunction. And this complaint about the worst and most grievous incident, I saved until the last. Thank you. God Bless.

Update from Jun 22, 2016: I must have missed a complaint. This makes 4 crashes (3 where my Trail Blazer had to be kept at the repair shop for more than a couple of days; the last 3) my vehicle has been in, starting at about 60,000 miles, where a deer just tore down the side of the 05 TB taking my driver's side mirror off and treating the rest as if it was a rutting buck, before it ran off. It got hurt because I hit it at the front corner at about 20 MPH and there was blood on the road where I had stopped and where it had run off. This deer then fought my truck all the way down the side with his horns and feet. The second accident was also where I hit a deer, but I didn't see it til it was too late, and thank God it was small to medium size. I hit it head on, with the brakes on pretty hard that might've slowed me from 55 to about 40- 45 MPH. I knocked that deer 100 feet or a little more in the air, up and across the street into the ditch. By the time I stopped, I was almost right across from the animal. I got out and went to check on it. It was fighting for breath. I watched it a couple of minutes as its breathing slowed, but went to my TB to check on it. The front end was pretty messed up- hood bent in some, grill busted, the plastic fender damaged and hanging loose. I had a flashlight, but where the deer landed was a street light so I could see pretty well. I had called the NC HP while looking at the deer. If I had known it was gonna take the HP so long (45 mins) to get there, and if I had had a big cooler, I would have field dressed him because I knew it was too warm to leave it out much longer. After about 15 mins, the deer was still fighting, barely for some breath, so I went and got my revolver off the dash and went back to the deer- I'd decided to give it 5 more mins, then I was gonna put it down. Instead, I got a small bucket from the back and got some water from right below the deer, leaned his head down and slipped the bucket up over its mouth, nose. It quit breathing in less than a minute. So, it wasn't really breathing, more like reflexes. It didn't kick, jerk its head, or fight in any way, so I put the gun back on the dash, so the Trooper could see it right away. When the trooper got ther, he told me that he was on his 3rd deer collision of the night and he had to put the last one down. I told him what I had done, and that I was ready to shoot it, but didn't want to. So.. he just gave me a copy of his report (no ticket); asked why the airbags didn't deploy. I just answered, 'I have no idea, must be something wrong with them'. I thanked him for coming out; he had another call to go to, told me, 'probably another deer collision!!' Oh yeah, he looked at the damage, told me he thought I could drive it til I got home, (I was about 2 miles from our gated RV resort place (large permanent placed camper w/large deck over halfway around it, w/ a great view of Lake Tillery), and 50 miles from home. I drove it the next couple of days but it didn't drive right and the front just rattled and banged along. Crash #3- I was sitting at the front of a short line behind a stop light. My brother-in-law was in the passenger seat, my 8, 9 year old, then, was in the back seat. We were on our way home from church. I watched the light turn green. I had noticed 2, maybe 3 cars stopped in the lane closest to me; one was a large pickup, I believe, so my sight to the lane on the other side was impaired. I pulled off rather easily because I had to turn left in the nearest lane heading east on 74. My BIL kinda yelled something that made me look at him, he made a gesture at the road, so I turned my head back to the road just in time to see a blur of a car on the farther lane heading west running the stop light. She didn't even try to stop that I could tell. I was already in my turning position. She hit me from the from and left sides HARD. Just from the impact, I figured that my TrailBlazer was totalled. I injured my left side, thought I had broken a couple of ribs and where my hip had hit the door so hard, thought I had injured my hip bone(for the first 45 - an hour). My BIL hurt his hand, but told EMS he was OK. My lil g'daughter got bruise marks from the seat belt. I'm so thankful that bthe collision didn't happen a split second later- I may have been killed; everyone else would have gotten hurt worse. For about a week, we thought we were going to have to depend on our insurance because none of the other riders in the other car could speak English and they had parked wayyyyy down the road like they were trying to hide- I believe if their car was capable, they would have left the scene- they acted like illegals. We found out later that she, the driver, had no license, but it was her uncle's car and he had insurance. This was my 3rd collision, my 2nd that I really feel like the air bags should have come out. This is a serious infraction of what the air bags re what they are supposed to protect you from. I guess I need to log out and update to my latest and last with the TrailBlazer I was so fond of. They had to replace some major parts of the front end, have 3 different people line-up the front-end, replace all the parts of the left front fender section, and the wheel section on in to the engine. Plus replace the AC compressor. Then some.

- capnrichard, Hamlet, NC, US

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problem #6

Apr 282011

Trailblazer LS I6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 89,000 miles

My husband swerved to avoid hitting a deer. His vehicle went down a steep slope and hit a tree head-on. The air-bags on his Chevy TrailBlazer did not deploy! He was wearing his seatbelt and avoided serious injury, but it could have been much worse. Chevy should be doing something about this airbag problem on their TrailBlazers!!

- Linda M., Saint Joseph, MN, US

problem #5

Apr 292010

Trailblazer LT

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

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

I was in an accident, a vehicle pulled out in front of me. I was driving approximately 30 -35 miles per hour when I hit the other vehicle. My trailblazer was totaled. My front end was smashed nearly all the way up to the windshield. My airbag didn't deploy. If I hadn't had my seatbelt on I would have went through the windshield. I still hurt my shoulder really bad and probably wouldn't have hurt it as bad if the airbag had of deployed. Chevrolet should be responsible for these airbags not deploying. When we purchase a vehicle we feel we are safe when one of the features of the vehicle is the airbag. This is obviously a problem for this model and Chevrolet should stand behind their vehicles and compensate the customers that have been hurt from their manufactured default.

- shirl, Otto, NC, US

problem #4

Dec 242009

Trailblazer LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

click to see larger images

airbags did not deploy in frontal impact

xmas eve my mother and my two grandchildren and myself hit a power pole breaking the pole in half. the airbags didnt deploy. my mother received over sixty stitches in her head. the fire dept was shocked that the air bags didnt deploy. the trailblazer was totaled and chevrelet didnt respond to my complaint. i was told because there was no death involved that there was nothing i could do. go figure,

- Sherry S., Lillian, AL, US

problem #3

Apr 202009

Trailblazer ES V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 49,000 miles

My wife could have been killed. A truck pulled out in front of her. She T boned the truck. The airbags on the Trailblazer did not deploy. The bumper was laying 30 yards away. How in the world could this happen with a front end collision? She is bruised from left to right. Has severe neck and back pain. This is inexcusable.

- Ricardo R., Hessmer, LA, US

problem #2

Oct 072007

(reported on)

Trailblazer LS V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

I just had a frontal impact accident on the interstate. The front of the car crushed about 40 inches. The car is totaled and the engine ended up on the ground. Guess what... My airbag didn't deploy. Chevy makes very thorough airbags-they don't deploy no matter what. Thanks chevy for my messed up face.

- MUSTAFA L., METAIRIE, LA, US

problem #1

Nov 302006

(reported on)

Trailblazer

  • Automatic transmission
  • 45,000 miles

The accident was not a high speed impact but was approx 30-35 mph frontal impact. I was wearing seatbelt but still hit side window with my head and no Air bag deployed. I truck was totaled so bought an 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. Please see 2006 Trailblazer similar story more devastating result

- Mark C., Plano, TX, US

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