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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:
4 / 10
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,530 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 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Comments (Page 3 of 22)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #392

Apr 162010

Trailblazer

  • 70,000 miles

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

Fuel gauge not working.

- Brighton, IL, USA

problem #391

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 #390

Jan 012013

Trailblazer

  • 58,584 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn and the speedometer failed. In addition, the rear hatch lock failed causing the contact to be unable to unlock the rear hatch and the front rotors failed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the power steering pump and the front rotors. The speedometer and rear hatch were not repaired. The contact also stated that there was a strong abnormal odor present inside the vehicle and the engine warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,584.

- Por Arthur, TX, USA

problem #389

Jan 252016

Trailblazer

  • 120,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the vehicle's door power switch failed to function. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

- South San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #388

Jun 022014

Trailblazer

  • 75,000 miles
The gauge cluster, speakers and occasionally lights stop working at various times, the gauges either register completely maxed out, minimum or somewhere obviously wrong. Example fuel gauge way past full, oil pressure gauge reading 0, charge gauge maxed out tachometer completely off the scale and speedometer inoperable. Rear speakers work sometimes and bulbs in brake lights and tail lights keep blowing out. The gauges are of most concern as the true values of fuel level, oil pressure, battery voltage and engine temp are rarely accurate (or even close). The speed will not operate at times and occasionally if the vehicle is restarted the speedometer will correct itself. All these conditions create safety concerns on some level from running out of gas in a less than desirable location, driving at incorrect speeds, overheating engine without warning or engine problems. Losing a tail light not only creates a safety concern for traffic but creates issues with law enforcement as well. These conditions can happen at any time, driving, parked or idling but the key must be on to power the accessories. Type of driving (city, highway, etc, ) makes no difference.

- Spotsylvania, VA, USA

problem #387

Oct 012012

Trailblazer

  • 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, all the gauges on the instrument cluster failed. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

- Citrus Heights, CA, USA

problem #386

Oct 252015

Trailblazer

  • 150,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Blazer. While driving at approximately 30 mph, the low beam headlights were activated and illuminated intermittently. The instrument panel warning indicators also illuminated. In addition, the high beam headlights experienced the same failure when activated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The VIN was not available.

- Barker, NY, USA

problem #385

Sep 012015

Trailblazer

  • 152,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving at 60 mph, the headlights failed. The vehicle was able to restart and the headlights resumed to normal operation. The contact was advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V755000 (exterior lighting). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.

- South Beloit, IL, USA

problem #384

Aug 102015

Trailblazer

  • 108,000 miles
Fuel guage is not accurate. When the tank is full the guage registers empty.

- Whitney Point, NY, USA

problem #383

Sep 022013

Trailblazer

  • miles
I have lots of issues with my Trailblazer. Just today my A/C quit blowing. I've had enough so decided to research online. Glad I did because it seems that there really is a problem with these vehicles. First off I my gauges(all of them, including fuel gauge) started to act up. Sometimes they worked and other times they were way off or just hanging. The fuel gauge and speedometer no longer work at all. This all started years ago. I have just lived with it as I don't have the money to fix them. My headlights started going on and off at random about two years ago. Also something I have just lived with as I don't do too much night time driving. Now that my A/C is not blowing I will have to do something. I live in Florida, and am not going to allow my daughter and I to sweat everyday back and forth from work and school to home. This sucks!!! they really needs to recall the whole electrical system for these vehicles. This is a fire hazard due to the connections getting so hot they burn up.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #382

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 #381

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 #380

Apr 212015

Trailblazer

  • 182,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving approximately 45 mph, the driver side switch for the windows failed to operate. After the vehicle was powered off, the power lock switch was engaged and the windows closed but failed to operate again. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V248000 (electrical system, visibility). The failure mileage was 182,000.

- Palm Coast, FL, USA

problem #379

May 112015

Trailblazer

  • 178,300 miles
The airbags will show that they're not enabled even with a passenger sitting in the seat.then it would come on as being on but no passenger in seat. A lot of sensors have popped up in the electrical panel, on top of that the car kinda shut down on me and started going 10 miles per hour, as I was going out in traffic.

- Phenix City, AL, USA

problem #378

Mar 012015

Trailblazer

  • 135,000 miles
Dash controls and readings all go out. Speedometer does not show speed. Oil pressure gauge does not read correctly.

- Streator, IL, USA

problem #377

Mar 312015

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 160,107 miles
The headlights work then shut off. (on the way to work in a downpour, no less) dashboard lights partially working. (if I go over 40 mpg can't tell what my speed is) was working correctly for a couple of days now nothing. I checked for recalls and there are recalls for 2006-20xx (NHTSA 14V755000 ) just wondering, after finding on the internet, numerous 2005 owners with same problem, why this model wasn't included in the recalls? I would like to file a complaint on the potentially deadly problem of the 2005 Chevy Trailblazer that should be corrected and included in this recall. Thank you

- Bessemer, AL, USA

problem #376

Mar 112015

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 89,000 miles
While traveling about 15mph through a boat yard with my heater on high (5) I smelled a hot metallic odor, but thought it was just from some welding be done on a steel boat. Then my heater quit. I turned it down to 3 or 4 and it ran a little longer and quit completely. When I got home I checked on a Trailblazer website to find information and found that the blower resistor speed control unit was a common cause of this type failure. Upon removing this resistor pack I found the plastic plug connection on it had gotten so hot that it melted and fused the plug in the socket. When I did finally get it apart I found that one of the connector pins had burned completely off. Insulation on three or four wires had also been burned. Luckily there had been no major fire.

- Port Townsend, WA, USA

problem #375

Jul 112013

Trailblazer

  • miles
The engine light constantly comes on even after I had a tune up. I had diagnostics done and there is some type of fuel misfire. Two winters straight I have had issues with the power steering lines bursting and replaced 3 times. The speedometer malfunctions, most of the time it just stays at zero. If GM uses a lot of the same parts to make multiple models why has the 2005 Trailblazer not been recalled? I was told the GM Envoy has the same engine and other inner workings as my Trailblazer so why wouldn't their recalls apply to my vehicle especially if I may be having the same issues.

- Edgewood, MD, USA

problem #374

May 052011

Trailblazer 4WD 6-cyl

  • 68,525 miles
Drove to an appointment, when came out vehicle would not start. Called for tow. After approx. 30 mins. And before tow arrived, vehicle started. Was able to drive home and made appointment for service. Next day while driving to shop for service engine died while vehicle was moving. Managed to get off road and vehicle would not start. After a while it started and was able to get it to shop. Ignition switch replaced. Second incident occurred 6/1/2014. Had to have towed to shop. A second ignition switch replacement. Contacted Chevrolet to inquire why 2005 Trailblazer not included in ignition switch recalls and seek possible reimbursement of service costs for recurring problem and was told to contact NHTSA and report.

- Doylestown, PA, USA

problem #373

Jan 012015

Trailblazer

  • 98,000 miles
Multiple times while driving the headlights will malfunction and turn on and off, at random driving speeds under many different conditions. I continued to drive the Trailblazer even after this occurred. Just not as often. If the heater was on while driving and the headlights would short the heater would stop and then turn back on. The fan turns on at random, first it turns on when driving at random times. The fan will turn on at random times with a higher speed and sound. I have had the inspection completed multiple times with a mechanic re-assuring the issue although it has been happening frequently. The check engine light is on all the time due to computer error and is a $500 fix. This has all happened and been reported within the first year I bought the vehicle from kendal motors in lewiston Idaho. I find that the amount of work to fix this vehicle is overwhelming and to see that this vehicle was under 100.000 miles is financially distressing. I have already had the fuel pump portion removed and fixed twice, I had to purchase a locking cap. The stereo repeatedly jams with new cd's even.

- Coeurdalene, ID, USA

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