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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:
3 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 11
Average Mileage:
53,851 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.

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Comments (Page 20 of 22)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #54

Jun 242009

Trailblazer

  • 60,000 miles

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

2006 Chevy Trailblazer fuel gauge always read empty.

- Lewisville, TX, USA

problem #53

Sep 012009

Trailblazer

  • 45,000 miles
At about 45K miles my 2006 Chevy Trailblazer gas gauge has started to malfunction. I have read up on this issue and it seems to be a very common problem with GM SUVS and trucks. The cost of fixing this is usually between $600-$1200 dollars. How can GM sit around and let thousands of customers go through this (all happening around 50K miles) without doing a recall?

- Nutter Fort, WV, USA

problem #52

Nov 162008

Trailblazer

  • 38,000 miles
2006 Trailblazer lt fuel gauge no longer worked at 38000 miles dealer would not comment if there were lots of issues but doing some research it appears that about 400 people have complained.

- Auburn Hills, MI, USA

problem #51

Aug 012009

Trailblazer

  • 60,000 miles

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

2006 Chevy Trailblazer. Fuel gauge does not function properly. GM is aware of the issue but has not issued a recall. When fill up vehicle it reads empty at first after using some gas it registers (in beginning). Now it barely works at all. I have to use the trip odometer to measure approx gas remaining.

- Smithfield, RI, USA

problem #50

Sep 162009

Trailblazer

  • 29,990 miles
Fuel gauge doesn't work after fill up, car can run out of gas leaving people in peril.

- San Rafael, CA, USA

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problem #49

Jul 122009

Trailblazer

  • 51,000 miles
Fuel gauge no longer reads tank capacity after 50K miles.

- Chambersburg, PA, USA

problem #48

Aug 012009

Trailblazer

  • 74,000 miles

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

I have a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. Every time I fill up with gas, the gas gauge fluctuates and the empty light stays on. I have searched the internet and there are literally hundreds of people with this problem. My Trailblazer has about 75,000 miles and it and has been having this problem for about a month. GM needs to fix these fuel gauges, etc. Since it only happens when the car is out of warranty! they are aware of the problem and choose to do nothing! please help the consumers!

- Madison, TN, USA

problem #47

Mar 152009

Trailblazer

  • 58,000 miles
Fuel gauge has stopped working completely. I was advised it was due T too much sulfur in the gas however feel it's poorly protected wires. If this has voltage to it and it is exposed is it a fire hazard?

- Murrells Inlet, SC, USA

problem #46

Jun 142009

Trailblazer

  • 22,000 miles
2006 Chevy Trailblazer. Fuel level indicator malfunction. Fuel gauge shows "empty" and light appears and sound goes off indicating that tank is empty. Driver never knows if there is fuel or not which can lead to a highway breakdown. There is only 22,000 miles on the vehicle. Problem is ongoing.

- Freeport, NY, USA

problem #45

Jul 232009

Trailblazer

  • miles
My 2006 Trailblazer ls 4WD gas gauge has begun to malfunction after just 57K miles. When I filled up the gas on 7/23/2009, the gas gauge registered it to be empty and a warning light appeared.

- Littleton, CO, USA

problem #44

Feb 152009

Trailblazer

  • 58,000 miles

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

My 2006 chevorlet Trailblazer's gas gauge is defective. He dealer says that the sending unit is corroded. I undrstand that there have been many such failure in this vehicle and other chevorlet products.

- Colver, PA, USA

problem #43

Dec 052008

Trailblazer

  • 35,000 miles
The gas gauge on my 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer will not work. Without the fuel gauge, it is possible for me to run out of gas at an inappropriate time and cause an accident. Nothing has been done to properly repair the vehicle since the cost is over $800 for a three year old car.

- Amherst , NY, USA

problem #42

Jun 022009

Trailblazer

  • 32,900 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. Whenever fuel was added to the fuel tank, the "empty fuel" indicator would appear on the fuel gauge. The failure occurred at any fuel level capacity and without warning. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection and they stated that the sending unit failed. Currently, the vehicle is being repaired. The failure mileage was 32,900 and current mileage was 33,493.

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #41

Jul 012009

Trailblazer

  • 48,400 miles
On my 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, the fuel gauge is now stuck on empty, even after a tank fill-up. There are numerous Trailblazer owners who have posted identical issues on online blogs. The dealership will charge $800 for the repair, which includes dropping the fuel tank. With so many instances of this, GM should issue a recall. If Trailblazer owners with stuck fuel gauges are not diligent on their fuel usage and don't have the means to pay $800 for a repair, they could end up stuck somewhere, out of gas which is a safety/liability issue in my view.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #40

Apr 012009

Trailblazer

  • 40,000 miles
Fuel gauge will not work correctly and is on empty even though it was full of gasoline. The gauge is not working now at all and use tripometer to monitor mileage. Why, because the dealership wants over $900 to repair and I don't have the money. How many complaints does your office need to receive before a recall is done by the manufacturer? this is dangerous and very expensive and there is no reason a car with 40,000 miles on it to have this happen.

- Parker, CO, USA

problem #39

Jun 202009

Trailblazer

  • 58,000 miles
Fuel gauge read empty after filling up the gas tank. Continued to read empty while driving. Then it reads full then back to 1/2 tank. It reads all over the place. So now I have to go by mileage instead of the fuel gauge. My mileage is at 58,000 miles on a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer. Please look into this!!!! there is many many complaints about this same thing happening. Thank you.

- Oak Hills , CA, USA

problem #38

Mar 202008

Trailblazer 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,500 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving 10 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from the driver's side door panel. He pulled over and turned off the vehicle, which caused it to stop smoking. A mechanic stated that the control fuse box caught fire. The contact took his vehicle to the dealer, but they did not have the necessary parts for the repair. In addition, the contact was experiencing fuel gauge issues. When he filled up the vehicle with gasoline, the gauge indicated that it was empty. The failure mileage was 47,500. Updated 07/28/09 updated 07/30/09.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #37

May 012009

Trailblazer

  • 70,000 miles
My 2006 Trailblazer is out of warranty and the fuel reads empty when you fill it up, I have seen numerous amount of Trailblazers with this same problem. Why does GM not stand behind it, its truly a defect to have so many with the same problem.

- Commerce, GA, USA

problem #36

Mar 012009

Trailblazer

  • 65,000 miles
Around 65,000 miles, my 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer gas gauge suddenly stopped working, only reading as empty and turning on the yellow gas light. This also caused my check engine light to turn on. Upon taking my car for inspection, my car was failed, because the check engine light was due to a bad fuel sensor in my car and the charge to have it repaired is around $900. Upon doing research about this part I found that many other people have had this exact problem around the same mileage as when my problem began. Due to this problem I must now track my mileage in order to know when to fill up, and because I cannot afford the repairs, I cannot pass my state inspection. I feel this problem should be issued as a recall by GM.

- Menomonee Falls, WI, USA

problem #35

May 222009

Trailblazer

  • 53,745 miles
On Friday, May 22, 2009, I had my 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer serviced at the classic Chevrolet dealership in grapevine for replacement of the fuel tank sensor (which appears to be a manufacturer defect as well). At approximately 6:00 P.M., I picked up my vehicle at the dealership. When my daughter and I got into the vehicle, the air conditioning was set to the highest fan setting with the temperature set to 60 degrees. I reduced the fan setting to 'auto' and raised the temperature setting to approximately 70 degrees. Less than five minutes and approximately one (1) mile from the dealership, the rear glass window of the vehicle spontaneously exploded. At the time of the incident, I was traveling approximately 15 ' 20 miles per hour and there was not a vehicle in front or behind me. The noise and mess scared my daughter in the back seat and luckily, the glass did land on her. I immediately pulled over the vehicle to examine the damage and check the street for any objects that may have caused the damage. Upon finding none, I returned to the dealership prior to there closing at 6:30 P.M. upon return to the dealership, the service technician offered to provide a quote the next morning for replacement of the glass, and could not provide any possible reason for the incident. Upon leaving the dealership, I returned to the scene of the incident in order to examine the area more closely for a possible clue to the reason for this occurrence. After examining the street, the shoulder of the street and surrounding area closely, there was no evidence of the glass shattering from an external object. Pieces of glass were on the street and surrounding areas up to twenty feet from the location of the incident. The next morning, I removed items stored in the rear of the vehicle and removed the broken glass, piece by piece. There was not a single object in the vehicle that could have caused the window explosion. This has occurred in other GM vehicles over the years.

- Grapevine, TX, USA

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