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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 5 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #14

Feb 012012

Trailblazer

  • 41,038 miles

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

I went to gas station and filled up my gas tank. When I left the gas station, my fuel light was on showing my gas tank was empty. Over the next several months, the gas gage would go up and down and not show the correct amount of gas. Now, it always shows empty with the gas light on. This is an issue not knowing how much gas I have at any time.

- Blacklick, OH, USA

problem #13

Sep 212012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Fuel sensor does not work ! after filling gas tank completely, fuel gauge still reads empty. Gauge can sometimes read up to half, then drops to a quarter, then just drops to empty whenever it pleases. Also, sometimes the speedometer acts very "twitchy". I have read multiple complaints online about these same exact issues and feel that a full recall is absolutely necessary.

- Moravia, NY, USA

problem #12

Aug 222012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 118,000 miles
Gas gauge was reading inaccurately resulting in car stall. Also, speedometer is not functioning correctly - will start out anywhere from 5 mph to 45 mpg over from standstill.

- Clarkston, WA, USA

problem #11

Sep 022012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 113,000 miles

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

My fuel gauge is not accurate sometimes. It says there is fuel when there is not.

- Granite City, IL, USA

problem #10

Aug 172010

Trailblazer

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the fuel gauge always read empty although the fuel tank was completely full. The dealer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 156,000.

- Holman, WI, USA

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problem #9

May 252012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
After filling up my 2005 Trailblazer, my gas needle went to empty and the light came on. The next morning my gas gauge was on full but then it started moving intermittently and has not stopped since. I am never sure how much gas I have and do not have the money to pay for repairs. After reading all the complaints from other people who also have a 2005 Trailblazer, it seems there should be a recall from GM. They are offering a "deal" as they call it where they will replace the fuel sensor if you have less than 120,000 miles but you still half to pay for half of the repair and GM will pay the other half. This is not a "deal", it should be covered by GM at 100%!

- Moncks Corner, SC, USA

problem #8

Dec 032011

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 37,000 miles

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

Gas gauge stopped working then would operate intermittently although incorrectly. Researched this issue on the internet and found that this was a common problem for 2005 Trailblazers. Contacted dealership and found there is a special "secret" policy covering this problem. I have included the response from the service department: "I hope you are having a great day. I do see that your vehicle does fall under the special policy 10054 which extends the warranty with a 50/50 split until 3/30/2016 or 120,000 miles on the fuel level sensor. If the issue you are experiencing is being caused by the sensor GM would pay for half the repair and you would be responsible for the other 50% of the cost which your portion would be around $200-$250. We would have to diagnose the issue first but if the cause is the sensor covered by the special policy you would only owe the aforementioned 50% of the repair. If you would like to set an appointment you can either reply to this email or call us direct at 414-425-7180. If you should have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to let me know." They want $99 for a diagnosis to determine if I qualify for a 50/50 split on repairs for their design problem. This is a ripoff.

- Greendale, WI, USA

problem #7

Jan 012011

Trailblazer

  • 65,000 miles
The fuel gauge does not work. This seems to be a very common problem, and GM's only remedy is to screw over consumers by making them pay for a known defective part out of pocket. This should be recalled and fixed at GM's expense, or they should at least offer a discount. Their $800 estimate is silly.

- Pulaski, WI, USA

problem #6

Dec 192011

Trailblazer

  • 50,000 miles
The Trailblazer stalled while in traffic. The car's gas gauge did not report the correct amount of fuel in the tank. The gauge went out permanently a short time later.

- Whitefish Bay, WI, USA

problem #5

Jun 012012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
While driving on the highway the other day my gas gauge in my 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer showed that my gas tank was in between half and quarter tank of gas. I was going approx 60-65 mph on the highway and the vehicle stalls due to being out of gas!!!! I get it towed to a gas station and fill it up when I start my car now it shows that there is no gas in the car when I just filled the tank. This is a major problem as I had my young child in the vehicle with me when the stall on the highway occurred. Not a happy person these days!!

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #4

May 122010

Trailblazer

  • 35,240 miles

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

Fuel gauge quit working and sometimes it would work and now has stopped all together.

- Bloomington, IN, USA

problem #3

May 212012

Trailblazer

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that after refueling, the fuel gauge reading began working erratically and would not display an accurate fuel level reading. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. The manufacturer issued a special coverage program that covered half of the repair expenses for the replacement of the fuel sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

- Asheville, NC, USA

problem #2

May 312012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 80,350 miles
Fuel gauge was showing low fuel level, I filled up the tank and the gauge went to empty and said fuel level low warning.

- Calhoun, KY, USA

problem #1

Mar 022012

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 71,000 miles
Both the speedometer and gas gauge quit working. In doing research, this appears to be a problem with alot of other owners of this vehicle; this should be a recall. This could be a very dangerous combination with the speedometer not working and if fuel runs out on a busy highway for example. I was just quoted over $880 to fix and declined due to the cost.

- Frisco, TX, USA

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