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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:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,143 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 15 of 22)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #149

Nov 172010

Trailblazer

  • 62,120 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving 5-10 mph, the contact noticed that the fuel gauge did not function although he had just fueled the vehicle. The contact had to set the odometer to avoid running out of gas. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 62,120 and the current mileage was 62,185.

- Jeanette, PA, USA

problem #148

Oct 092010

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
Everytime I fill up my gauge won't register. It's frustrating. I transferred out of state and to have to refuel every 200 miles isn't right. I am paying my hard earned money for this vehicle. I could have gotten an older vehicle without this problem. I was told the float needs to be replaced. I just put in a new transmission at 76,000 miles. I have 86,000 on it now.

- Monroe, NC, USA

problem #147

Feb 102010

Trailblazer

  • 60,000 miles
No crash or injury, but am really afraid of something happening with my son in the SUV. My head lights flicker when I slow down and worried that one day they are going to shut off and not come back on. My gas gauge was the next thing that stopped working and now my speedometer is not working now. Just like others I thought that I was getting a quality vehicle, at least Toyota corrects their mistakes!!

- Madison , WI, USA

problem #146

Oct 152010

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 108,000 miles

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

Fuel level sensor on 2005 Trailblazer ext., quit working after filling tank.

- Kingman, AZ, USA

problem #145

Nov 012010

Trailblazer

  • 30,000 miles
Problem with 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer fuel system where the fuel gauge inaccurately reads empty. This is a major hazard as I never know how much gas is in the car and recently ran out of gas on a busy highway.

- Rochester, NY, USA

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problem #144

Jun 072010

Trailblazer

  • 90,000 miles
Roughly about 6/7/10 my fuel gage quit working and now on 11/2/10 my speedometer gauge started acting up and is not working. This has something to do with the instrument cluster panel being bad.

- Ashley, OH, USA

problem #143

May 202009

Trailblazer

  • 75,000 miles

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

The speedometer has stopped working. The gas gauge does not work. Also the fuses for the power plug ins continue to blow. These are safety hazards for my wife and kids while traveling alone.

- Puryear, TN, USA

problem #142

Oct 292010

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 57,189 miles
Fuel sending unit does not work. I have read that this is all too common for any kind of safety while driving this vehicle.

- Parma, OH, USA

problem #141

Oct 142010

Trailblazer

  • 69,000 miles
2005 Chevy Trailblazer-gas gauge stopped working accurately. Stays around 1/4 tank while driving. Low level indicator comes on when car is first started and then moves back up to 1/4 tank even though the tank may be full. Two weeks after noticing the gas gauge I also noticed my speedometer was not reading accurately. Noticed this when I was sitting at a stop light. While car was stopped speedometer said I was going 20 mph. After reading all the complaints regarding these same issues, I'm very disappointed that no one is doing anything about it. This is my first Chevy and im sure it will be my last. If its relevant mileage is approximately 69,000.

- Rock Island, IL, USA

problem #140

Dec 242009

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 26,000 miles
Purchased full tank of gas and the gauge goes to empty, which means the tank is shown to be on empty; unable to tell amount of gas in vehicle; other gauges work improperly, including radio knob which continues to turn endlessly, wires in radio pops; oil gauge on 60 or above.

- Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

problem #139

Oct 272010

Trailblazer

  • 76,000 miles

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

The gas gauge on my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer has stopped working. It gradually stopped registering the actual gas. After filling the gas, it register empty. As I drove, the gas would register as full. Eventually it stopped moving at all. This has been going on for a period of 6mos. I started filling the gas more often. After filling the gas, 2 days later, the vehicle shut off in the middle of the highway, causing a near traffic accident because there was no warning. Clearly, I wasn't out of gas. I had just fill the gas and became accustomed to how far I could drive before I needed to refill. This was very dangerous. It is obvious a defect in the gas gauge. I wasn't sure until now after visiting this site that I am not alone. The speedometer has also stopped working. I'm sure if it is registering the mileage I drive. Not knowing how fast I am driving is surely a safety issue. I visited my mechanic is was given an estimate of $500 to repair. Surely it shouldn't take a death to rectify this issue.

- Inglewood, CA, USA

problem #138

Aug 152010

Trailblazer

  • miles
I have a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer. I took the vehicle to the mechanic because the headlight and the fuel gauge where not working. The mechanic replaced the wiring for the headlight as it had melted. The fuel sensor was going to cost 700. So I did not have it repaired. This is a constant source of stress and worry for me as I may run out of fuel with my family on board. Since the sensor does not work I am leering of the fuel used option as well. The low fuel light is on the majority of the time even when the tank is full.

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #137

Oct 182010

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
The fuel sensor of our 2005 Chevy Trailblazer has stopped working. Fixing this will require removing the fuel tank and replacing the fuel pump.

- Olathe, KS, USA

problem #136

Jul 152010

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 68,250 miles
Just recently when I filled up my tank it would show the fuel gauge as empty and my light would come on. About 50 to 75 miles later it would level out to be correct, but I would also reset my miles just to make sure. Within the last 2 months it has completely stopped working. My gas light stays on all the time and I cannot get accurate mileage either. After resetting my mileage and driving I believed to have 75 miles left on my tank which was not true. It did not seem to be so much of a hassle until I broke down in the middle of town, because out of gas. It is extremely frustrating to learn it is a wide spread issue and that there has been no recall on this part yet. I am a mother of 4 children and for me to break down in the middle of town is a scary and uneasy thought. I rely on my vehicle to keep myself and family safe and this is something that is major that needs to be fixed. I have read other complaints and people who have fixed this issue themselves, but I believe since this is a large problem all over that it needs to be taken care of by GM.

- Everly, IA, USA

problem #135

Oct 012010

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
The gas gauge stopped working first followed buy the speedometer and then engine light goes off and on. I complained to GM was told this is natural wear and tear on the vehicle. I now have 110,000 miles on it but started soon after extended warranty ran out at 65,000 miles. I will have to continue driving with these defects don't have $550-$600 for each item. This is a safety hazard and something should be done about it.

- Hellertown, PA, USA

problem #134

Apr 102008

Trailblazer

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet trail Blazer. The contact stated that the fuel level gauge indicated that there was one quarter gasoline in the fuel tank yet the vehicle stalled due to there being no fuel in the vehicle. The dealer advised that the fuel sensor and fuel pump would need replacing. The dealer did not perform a diagnostic but advised that the failure was common and was aware of exactly what would remedy the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage 80,000.

- Royal Oak, MI, USA

problem #133

Aug 012010

Trailblazer

  • 77,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. After refueling he noticed the fuel gauge read empty. He began to drive and the fuel gauge began to display a fuel reading which was not accurate. The failure would recur when driving at any speed or while stopped. The vehicle was not taken to be examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. The failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

problem #132

Oct 012010

Trailblazer

  • miles
Filled the gas tank up, fuel light stayed on. Chevy Trailblazer 2005.

- Akron, OH, USA

problem #131

Jul 312010

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • 84,000 miles
During a road trip from Texas to Florida the fuel gauge in the 2005 Chevy Trailblazer dropped to empty. In addition there have been several instances of the car completely shutting off even though there was fuel in the tank due to the gauge as reading empty. The fuel gauge / fuel level sensor on the 2005 Chevy Trailblazer is defective. The gauge does not report the correct level of fuel in the tank and continuously shows empty even when the tank is completely full. This could lead to the vehicle stalling in locations such as highways that put the occupants in danger. Chevy informs that the fuel level sensor will need replaced inside the fuel tank. The cost of this repair is quoted between $800 and $1000. I feel that this is a safety issue that deserves action by the manufacture to have the issue corrected.

- Pearland, TX, USA

problem #130

Jul 152010

Trailblazer

  • 85,000 miles
2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer 2005 - instrument panel fuel indicator registers empty always. Fuel sensor does not work.

- Crystal Lake, IL, USA

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