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.
8.0
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$500
Average Mileage:
68,300 miles
Total Complaints:
225 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (123 reports)
replace fuel level sensor (78 reports)
replace fuel pump (15 reports)
parts should be recalled (4 reports)
drop out fuel tank and check coil postition (3 reports)
Trailblazer Fuel Gauge Fix - This page talks about why this problem is so common on Trailblazers and how there's actually 2 different problems you can be having, how to tell which problem you've actually got.
Trailblazer Fuel Gauge Site - This page talks about the 2 most common reasons this happens to Trailblazers and how to tell exactly what yours is doing and get it fixed.
If You Have A Problem With Your 2005 Trailblazer Fuel Sensor, Go Here! - Since this seems to be a common issue, be sure to visit the recall information for the Government. If we band together, maybe they will make Chevy look at this flaw of their vehicle.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
Problem Solved - Read the indented section. GM is calling this a "speciel extended warantee" for vehicles of this year/model. Take your TB to your local Chevrolet dealer with your VIN if you have under 100k miles and you will qualify.
Gm To Help With Gas Gauge Repair Cost On 2005-2007 SUVS - This web site gives you the date a letter was to be sent out from GM and it also states that GM is to pay for 1/2 of the cost to replace this faulty part, even if your are no longer in warranty and the problem occurs with in 10yrs and 120,000 miles of when the vehicle was origionally place in service, which ever comes first
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2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Comments (Page 10 of 12)
I've been dealing with this issue for almost a year and the source of the problem is a bad fuel sensor inside the fuel tank. I'll need to drop the gas tank to access and replace the part which is a real pain, but the part is only $70 - $100 depending on where you go. To have a garage replace it will cost over $500 I'm sure.
Since the fuel gauge problem is not technically a safety issue, there will not be a recall but you might try pleading with your local Chevy dealer...
Also, no need to hate on American cars and trucks. EVERY car has its problem areas, at least Chevys' frequent problems aren't transmission or engine related.
This sucks, but you all have already said it...can't afford to fix it so I will track it...quite embarrassing when your friends climb in and constantly tell you your out of gas...nope just my shitake car.
This has become a problem for me, the gas hand oes to empty when i fill up, after driving it eventually moves ups to full but it is inaccurate all the time . My best friend had a 2006 trailblazer that gave them the same problems immediate after warranty just like myself. Chevy shouldnt do this to customers because they loose more business
this way I will consider another make next time.@ 50,000 miles its absolute bullshit they should be liable
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE GAS GUAGE GAS QUIT WORKING. FIRST TIME IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY! CHEVROLET NEEDS TO DO A QUIXK RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE ENOUGH OF US WHO HAVE IT. FOR WHAT WE PAY IN CAR NOTES EACH MONTH WE SHOULD'T HAVE TO SPEND EQUAL AMOUNTS OR MORE, DEPENDING HOW FAR U TRAVEL TO WORK, ON UNECESSARY EXTRA GAS. I TOO HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE MILES EACH TIME I FILL UP. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND INCONVENIENT.
- P D.,
Brookhaven, SMS, US
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I fueled up the truck and the gauge has worked since. After searching the internet this seems to be a common problem. I will also being sending a letter to Chevrolet and NHTSA in reference to this problem. If enough people complain I hope Chevrolet will issues a recall. If not I personally will sue Chevrolet due to the number of complaints and nothing being done.
Yes I think this is really sad, I bought me a 2005 Chevy trailblazer and when we got it just thought it was out of gas, so we stopped to fill it up and went on our way home and the gas gauge never moved and the light stays on! I think this really sucks because it needs to be recalled there are to many of these problems of these out there and what's the use of have a new suv with a gas gauge problem that and it sucks having to watch the miles! I think they need to stand strong and fix the things that goes wrong with the suv or any cars that there are more than one person with the same thing wrong!!!!
I know I can just pay for the suv let alone spend 500-800 dollars on it to fix it! Is there anything we can do?
My husband is in the military. My children's father is in Missouri which is a 22 hour drive from el paso texas which is where we are currently stationed. We got the car serviced right before our trip and right after it got out of the service station the gas gauge stopped working. We had to stop every 2 to 2 1/2 hours to fill our tank up to make sure that we did not run out of gas on our 22 hour journey back to missouri to drop the kids off with their dad. The car is not that old and it is pretty sad that chevy is going to put in a product that doesn't work and make the consumers pay an incredible amount to fix it.
I don’t know how fast I am going or how much gas I need. Why no recall on this?
I won’t by a FORD so I went to Chevy – these American auto makers don’t want my return business. What’s going on with Chevy & Ford? The condition of our U.S automobile, the service problems, the cost and the unwillingness to satisfy customers, what Mr. Ford would think of today’s issues? Why are Chevy & Ford so greedy at the expense of losing customers to Honda, Nissan and Mercedes? Here’s your fix action Chevy and Ford. Make a great car, stand behind it, for $20,000.00 or under and cover it for up to 100,000 miles at no cost to your customers. When they need a new car and hand down one to their kids. Just maybe you’ll get your customer base back. You won’t need so many sale gimmicks to push what we all know is currently rubbish. Start listening to your customers again I love the USA!
The fuel light in my Trailblazer stays on even after filling the tank. If so many people have the same problem...why hasn't there been a recall? At least $500 to repair is horrible. I refuse to pay it. I just fill up gas every 275-300 miles.
I was on my way to a funeral in West Virginia, when I stopped for gas. I filled the truck up and the gauge stopped working. I thought it just had a brain fart and needed a minute to sit. We go and eat... come back a half hour later and it's still doing the same thing. Get to the funeral and the truck sits for an hour and a half or so, start it up and it works fine and has been ever since. WTF?
It is awful that we have to track the amount of fuel that we have by keeping track of the mileage since the Fuel Gauge quit working. At least some can say that the fuel gauge does work at times but I have to say it has not worked for a very long time. The dinging noise that it makes showing absolutely no fuel just reminds me of how much Chevrolet does not know how to make a reliable vehicle. We've have been told that it may be some cluster that must be replaced and how convenient that it quit working soon after our warranty was up! Why if there are so many complaints about the same issues is Chevy not willing to come forward and add another recall to the list that should already be in place? Will I buy another Chevy? Absolutely not!!!!
I guess I am not alone. I stopped and filled my tank today and when I started my car it said I had no gas. The whole way home from the gas station the gauge went up and down, The light would come on and ding...again and again.
What a pain to never know how much gas you have. Heck I can barely keep up when the gauge does work. This is not something I will be able to afford to fix on my own....RECALL please.
I bought my trailblazer new in 2005 it was September 1st and I thought a purchase a great deal � boy was I wrong�. It worked fine for 5 months and then the first problem hit. The fuel sensor was acting screwy. It was covered under the manf. warranty so of course they fixed it with no problems asked. Then about 3 weeks later the ignition switch went out I took it back and again they put their meaty claws on it. That lasted about a week before it left me stranded in the heart of Los Angeles on a business conference. I called the dealer and mentioned lemon law and boy were they quick to arrange a pick up and rental. Then things went okay for about 2 years and then the fuel sensor started acting up a again. This time when I took it in they said that my extended warranty did not cover it and it would cost about $520.00 dollars. From that point on I knew I would never buy Chevy Again. My advise to everyone is don�t buy a car from Chevy they do not stand behind there products.
Again another complaint about our other Chevy. Same thing with the gas gauge. We fill the tank and it shows empty. We gage the mileage on this one too. Not happy with how this seems to be just floated over. We spend thousands of dollars to keep our family safe and now we have to spend more to fix what we thought was already good. It would be really nice, now after hearing so many others with the same problem, if there would be a recall on this. Help us for once!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I've been dealing with this issue for almost a year and the source of the problem is a bad fuel sensor inside the fuel tank. I'll need to drop the gas tank to access and replace the part which is a real pain, but the part is only $70 - $100 depending on where you go. To have a garage replace it will cost over $500 I'm sure.
Since the fuel gauge problem is not technically a safety issue, there will not be a recall but you might try pleading with your local Chevy dealer...
Also, no need to hate on American cars and trucks. EVERY car has its problem areas, at least Chevys' frequent problems aren't transmission or engine related.
- Robert M., San Jose, CA, US