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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:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
99,918 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 brakes problems

brakes problem

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2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Comments

problem #14

Sep 192012

Trailblazer

  • miles

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

I have a 2005 TB ls, and it's a pos. As soon as I drove off the lot I've had nothing but issues. My brakes pulsate, go to the floor, get stiff as a board, basically they don't work. I have to pump the brakes quickly in an effort to avoid a crash. I filled the gas tank to full, huge mistake. The moment I did that the check engine light has flashed and sporadic idling. It has a loud whine under the hood, front turn signals and hazard flasher randomly stopped working. Car will die if I run the A/C for more then 15 mins. It will pull to either side when I apply my brakes. I have always kept up with proper maintenance, tune up, etc. This is absolutely terrible, that so many have the same [xxx] issues and yet Chevy will not recognize/take responsibility for their obvious flaws and lack of mechanical knowledge..I just want out of this [xxx] lease and a replacement car!!! parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Akron, OH, USA

problem #13

Jan 312018

Trailblazer

  • 135,000 miles
This vehicle has had constant braking issues. From continual rotor replacements to regular pad replacements. The brake pedal has never been constant with regard to pressure and has always been"soft" when coming to a stop. The last 25 feet or so there is a vibration, hum, and when finally stopped, the pedal sinks another 1/2 inch or so like it sighs of relief. This makes it difficult to judge appropriate braking distances and lacks confidence in emergency situations. We took it to grossman Chevrolet where it was purchased in old saybrook ct. We were told theres nothing wrong and our driving style is to blame.that we were braking too hard and causing the rotors to warp. There is a fault in the ABS sensor system and GM has done nothing to assist owners. It is a known issue. This must be recalled or repaired at GM expense. I will not pay a stealership any more money to fix an issue that is an engineering fault.

- Chester, CT, USA

problem #12

Feb 022017

Trailblazer

  • 105,000 miles
I bought this car used in 2009. It had about 60000 miles on it. 1) the first problem I had with it was a burnout of the hac blower plug, that part of the wiring harness had to be cut out and replaced wth a completely new plug( both halves) and rewired in for a cost of 125.oo and 3 hours of labour. I looked this up on the internet very common problem 2) rider side door control panel stopped working with strong odor of burnt plastic. Again looked up and found there was a recall, but only 2006 vehicles 3)brakes burn out of rotors only on rightside- left side rotors were fine, brake job with replacement of 2 left rotors I front piston amd all 8 pads $650. Failure occurred while driving on city street 4) failure of ignition switch with erratic electrical function of running lights, radio and dashboard instrumentation. Happened on the road early twilight very dangerous had to get a local toll for $75 all of these failures have made me very wary of driving this vehicle. They occurred at various times over last 4year some have been repaired as noted above. Presently waiting for igniton system repair.

- Port St Lucie, FM, USA

problem #11

Jan 032015

Trailblazer

  • 120,846 miles

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

The anti-lock brake system in my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer ls at times does not work. When I apply my brake the brake makes a noise sounding like grinding, not catching or holding, slips and goes to the floor. I have to rapidly act with swiftness within a short time to reapply my brakes in hopes they work. The brakes sometimes fail on bumpy roads, going over railroad tracks, coming to a stop at low speed, even on smooth roadways, at times entering on-ramps, and turning corners. I have been going over GM's expanded recalls to fix the problem with truck and SUV's brakes the date I saw was 12/23/2005. Can I get help with this problem"?"

- Ocean, NJ, USA

problem #10

Mar 122016

Trailblazer

  • 178,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled afterwards. After approximately two minutes, the vehicle started normally. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and the diagnosis was that the ABS sensor, the oxygen sensor, the brake pads, the cluster module and the fuel sender lever had to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000. The VIN was not available.

- Mt Washington, KY, USA

problem #9

Sep 122014

Trailblazer

  • 136,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle failed to stop when the brakes were engaged. As a result, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact mentioned that the rear seat belts that were restraining two children became unbuckled and ejected the children from their child safety seats. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.

- New Berlingille, PA, USA

problem #8

Aug 052014

Trailblazer

  • 89,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While parking, the vehicle stalled and the ABS and service brake system warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #7

Jul 092012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving approximately 25 mph, the brakes failed. The failure occurred intermittently for three years. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000. The window regulator, battery cable, tank level sensor, clutch fan, serpentine belt, tight outer tie rod, hood latch, water pump, were all replaced. Also, the rotors were warped, due to rust by climate, the rear brakes pads were worn and had to be replaced. The front rotors were machined. There was an intermittent surge after accelerating from a stop. There was a squealing noise coming from the brakes. The passenger side brake lights were blowing out. The tail light circuit board was replaced. The check engine light illuminated, due to a faulty emission vent valve and hose assembly. The ABS was engaging, when coming to a stop. Updated 10/01/14

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #6

Jul 232012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 76,000 miles
Leaving parking lot (& wanting to turn onto road) I applied my 2005 Trailblazer ext brakes. My foot & pedal went to floor with no brake at all. Thankfully no cars & going slow enough or I would have hit them. Instead of stopping at end of parking lot, I found myself entering road & seeing trees on other side of road coming up quickly. I grabbed the emergency brake lever. Scared me to death!!! vehicle then taken to repair shop. Shop owner report = hole rubbed in brake line close to driver firewall separating engine from seat area. He further said "been in business for 30+ years and had never seen this before. Seems like a huge design flaw." Rubbing on another line & pinhole there now - which would explain why my A/C was not working on driver side, but working on the pass side. How many other people had an accident" have another (")... if GM has known about a problem for yrs on several models: Very well documented on internet by hundreds (if not thousands of owners) - why won't NHTSA make GM do something" problem = speed gauge, oil pressure gauge, & radio all of a sudden stop working one day. Then some days they all work, some days only 1 work, some days 2 work??? an equipment malfunction or computer glitch? happened about 75K miles on both my auto & my dad's 2005 Chevy pickup. I live in SE, he lives in ne. Two areas of us; yet each dealership wanted about $600 to fix it. Called GM: No help available!! searched internet for repair fix, & noticed tons of unhappy owners w/ same problem: GM would not help them pay for this problem - even though it's their equipment problem. Clearly it is a safety issue: No one can tell how fast actually going & led to many accidents & speeding tickets I'm sure! time NHTSA steps in don't you think" then have the brake/ac line rubbing issue - clearly a safety issue & I hope you do something! I still have the brake line.

- Collierville, TN, USA

problem #5

Mar 032014

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 82,000 miles
Brakes lines have severe corrosion and are leaking fluid and will all have to be replaced.

- Charlton, MA, USA

problem #4

Jan 232013

Trailblazer

  • 120,000 miles

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

My gas gauge has stayed on empty for a month or so with the gas light on. I have not had the money to fix it and I put gas in it the night before the incident happened. I was driving home from a family members house a few blocks away from my house and my 2005 Trailblazer died and everything locked up on me. The brakes would not work what so ever. And I just had brand new brakes put on a couple months ago and my steering wheel locked up. My vehicle would not stop. It kept going. I am so happy that I didn't have my three small children with me. It took me three turns onto three different streets before it finally stopped. It was very hard to turn. And my back wheels were making a horrible noise and smelled really bad when I got out. I always keep a gas can in the back in case I ever run out of gas due to the gauge not working. And mind you I have only had this vehicle a year. GM should have to pay to get this fixed. This is very dangerous. Thankfully someone was watching over me and there was no other cars headed toward me. It was on a main roads that has a 45 mile an hour speed limit. I will never buy a Chevy again.

- Salem, IL, USA

problem #3

Jan 272012

Trailblazer

  • 105,000 miles
, I was approaching a line of cars stopped for a red light. The weather was clear and I was decelerating and moving at approximately 20 mph. As I began to apply the brakes, they failed catastrophically. The brake pedal hit the floor, with no resistance, and I ran into the back of a stopped pickup truck?.watching it all unfold before my eyes while my foot frantically pumped the brake pedal, which hit the floor with each attempt. Although it was a front end collision, the airbags did not deploy.

- Taylor Lake Village, TX, USA

problem #2

Sep 202012

Trailblazer

  • 108,000 miles
Note: This is the second catastrophic brake failure for this vehicle on September 204, 2012, while on a trip from houston tx to winona mn, I was driving down a ranch road and came to a stop to let a passenger get out and open a gate. I drove through the open gate and put the Trailblazer in park while waiting for the gate to be closed and the passenger to get back in the vehicle. I then went to apply the brakes in order to move the transmission from park to drive and, once again, the braking system failed catastrophically, and the brake pedal went to the floor. A mechanic was called out and, he too pumped the brake pedal, which hit the floor with no resistance of any kind. There were three eyewitnesses to this catastrophic failure. This mechanic replaced the master cylinder and found out that I am not the only 05 Trailblazer owner who has suffered through catastrophic brake failure events. A listing of investigations is given on this website: www.faqs.org/car/Chevrolet-Trailblazer-2005/service-brakes/.

- Taylor Lake Village, TX, USA

problem #1

Aug 032012

Trailblazer

  • 82,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet trail Blazer. The contact was driving 30 mph when she applied the brakes but the vehicle would not stop. The contact utilized the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis who stated that the flexible braided line would need replacing. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The failure and the current mileage was 82,000. The VIN was not available.

- Collierville , TN, USA

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