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2.2

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,623 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.

2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT electrical problems

electrical problem

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2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

Dec 012012

Trailblazer EXT 8-cyl

  • 65,000 miles

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

My instrument cluster panel started to malfunction but then reset itself. Now, none of the instrument panel works.

- Brick, NJ, USA

problem #21

Jul 092011

Trailblazer EXT

  • miles
After driving the vehicle like normal, stopped at a gas station and when it was restarted, the fuel gauge, oil pressure gauge, battery gauge, tachometer, pretty much the entire instrument panel stopped working then came back on. Also, instead of reading driver like it normally does, the panel was reading unknown driver. Then as we were driving down the interstate home, the speedometer went to 0 and would not come back up. After we got home, the next day the panel worked fine. This has occurred numerous time since the first incident in 2011. I have read multiple forums and posts online from others stating it is the instrument panel cluster that may be the problem and there was a recall on other Chevy makes but not the trailblazer. This is a very scary problem and should be covered by Chevy due to the numerous other trailblazer owners with the same issue.

- Portsmouth, VA, USA

problem #20

Mar 032012

Trailblazer EXT 6-cyl

  • 89,000 miles
Started the car and pulled out of my driveway was going 0-5 mph and the speedometer shot up to 40. Started driving down the road and it stayed stuck at 40, but I was doing 30mph. Pulled into the store 2 blocks up, shut the car off. When I turned it back on the car was registering 13 mph at a dead stop. Went back home, car sat overnight. Started it for work in the morning on Sunday and it was idling at 8 mph. Started driving to work and the speedometer was registering 60 mph, yet I was going with the flow of traffic on a city street that's speed limit was 45mph. Seems I need to keep turning off the car and turning it back on again in order for the speedometer to reset to a lower number (I.e. 3 or 8 mph at a dead stop, vs. 13 to 18 mph at a dead stop). Revved the engine to see what the response would be, tachometer registered increase, but the speedometer did not budge at all! I worry the day it will say I am doing 40 but I am actually doing 55 around a curve. The car is absolutely off limits to my 17 year old now. Funny thing is I preferred her driving the trailblazer for safety vs. Her little VW convertible. Not any more!! I do not see how Chevy claims this is not a safety issue!

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #19

Jan 172011

Trailblazer EXT 4WD 6-cyl

  • 108,750 miles

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

My 2003 Chevy trailblazer's speedometer just froze up. Sitting still, I am doing 90 mph. I tried disconnecting the negative battery terminal to reset it, but that did not work.

- West Lafayette, IN, USA

problem #18

Nov 162010

Trailblazer EXT 4WD 6-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
My 2003 trailblazer has a speedometer and tachometer that quit working most of the time. I contacted a GM dealer and was informed it would cost about $500 to repair. My cars inspections runs out soon and cant be inspected till this issue is repaired.

- Harrisville, PA, USA

problem #17

Oct 012010

Trailblazer EXT 4WD 6-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
Speedometer quit working properly. May read 90 at a dead stop, may read 30 when traveling at 70, may read 120 at 50. No proper way to judge speed, have been using gps for speed. With speedometer working improperly, other equipment in vehicle is working improperly also (I.e. computer components, emission components, etc.)

- Everett, WA, USA

problem #16

Sep 082010

Trailblazer EXT 6-cyl

  • miles

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

2003 Trailblazer ext lt speedometer not working, odometer working fine. Bought it used didn't work when I bought it. Looked up to see if there was a recall but all I seen was numerous complaints of the same situation but no recall.

- Booneville, MS, USA

problem #15

Aug 302009

Trailblazer EXT

  • 70 miles
2003 Chevy trailblazer speedometer and tach do not work properly. I have seen numerous complaints and GM has had a recall on this problem in numerous other vehicles but not this one.

- Defiance, OH, USA

problem #14

Mar 022010

Trailblazer EXT 6-cyl

  • 37,500 miles
Instrument cluster panel stops working. Gas gauge shows empty, battery light appears, oil gauge and other instruments start acting erratically. I had my 2003 Chevy trailblazer at the dealer several times. 1st time they replaced the alternator, next time I was told the battery was weak. I had the battery checked at another location and it tested fine. My instruments are not registering properly again. This is about the 4th time this has happened and I don't want to be stuck somewhere along the highway. I never know when this problem will restart.

- Festus, MO, USA

problem #13

Dec 052009

Trailblazer EXT

  • 99,000 miles
My Chevy trailblazer 2003 ext speedometer has broke. Apparently, there is an epidemic problem with trailblazers. GM has recalled all vehicles in this class except the trailblazer. Why"????????"

- Yaphank, NY, USA

problem #12

Aug 212009

Trailblazer EXT

  • 148,656 miles

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

I have a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer ext and the speedometer gauge quit working on me. I have done some research on this and find that many trailblazer owners have experienced similar problems. Apparently, Chevrolet had a recall program for dashboard gauge issues with other models but did not include the trailblazer as a covered modeled under this recall. Other trailblazer owners who have posted complaints or problems online have advised filing a complaint through the NHTSA to see if enough complaints can be lodged against Chevrolet to force a recall. It obviously is a very dangerous situation to have a defective speedometer. Sometimes mine works fine, other times it registers the wrong speed, and still other times it doesn't register a speed at all. If this is a common occurrence among trailblazer owners, then I would think that Chevrolet should cover it under their recall program along with the other models of Chevrolet trucks & cars that have experienced similar problems. Thank you.

- South Bend, IN, USA

problem #11

Jan 092009

Trailblazer EXT

  • 68,500 miles
I have a problem similar to many others. I have recently purchased a 2003 Chevrolet trailblazer. I have encountered a problem with the speedometer on this vehicle. The speedometer occassionally stops working entirely from time to time and other times, has a mind of it's own and decides to make a random number the zero mark and increase speed from that point. I know that this is a safety issue as there are times that I have no idea how fast I am traveling. I have since taken this matter to General Motors in an attempt to give them an opportunity to rectify an unsafe situation. In response, they asked me to take the vehicle into a certified GM dealer for a vehicle diagnostic and repair. I did just that. My vehicle was found to have a problem with the instrument cluster. The dealer was nice enough to inform me that there have been several related problems that GM has issued a recall for... unfortunately, I seem to have the only model in this vehicle class that is not covered in this recall. And GM was nice enough to offer to do absolutely nothing in my case... which includes not refunding the cost of the diagnostic that they requested in order to gather their information. In my disappointment, I have done some online research and come across several lawsuits against GM for this exact problem... some of which even include the trailblazer. My question is this: Do I have any other course of action" also, has there already been a complaint similar to this that may be of assistance to me"

- Paris, KY, USA

problem #10

Jan 252009

Trailblazer EXT

  • 75,245 miles
Speedometer sticking at high speeds andnot showing actual speed driving.

- Park Forest, IL, USA

problem #9

Jan 022009

Trailblazer EXT

  • 70,500 miles
Speedometer has become faulty. It may not register the correct speed of the vehicle.

- Ken, WA, USA

problem #8

Dec 222008

Trailblazer EXT

  • 62,228 miles
I noticed when the weather got colder/snow in December, my speedometer was reading around 60 mpg high speed when I was going about 20 mph. After turning my truck on and off a couple of times, it would reset to 0 mph. Another heavy snow day came and it happened again, and after I was exiting my car yesterday, the needle pointed South and when I started the truck it went backward to 120 mph. I called GM to find out if there were any recalls on this problem or any others and they said there were no recall for my vehicle at this time, which I know is untrue due to the gas leak recall. I called the GM service center and was told the same thing and this item is not covered. I searched the web and found a class action suit against GM for the same reason as mine www.lawcash.com/attorney/4913/general-motors-lawsuit.asp

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #7

Nov 242008

Trailblazer EXT

  • 88,000 miles
Speedometer freezes up and will not go back to 0. has happened 2 times in 6 weeks.

- San Bernardino, CA, USA

problem #6

Dec 142007

Trailblazer EXT 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles
The speedometer flutters around and sticks not showing my actual speed I am traveling.

- Richmond, KY, USA

problem #5

Jan 222008

Trailblazer EXT 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • 67,000 miles
I have a 2003 Chevy trailblazer. My instrument cluster has stopped working. My speedometer, and oil gauges do not work. Chevy currently has a recall on other models for this problem, but not the trailblazer. I feel Chevy need to take responsibility for all of their vehicles.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #4

Jul 242007

Trailblazer EXT 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 49,000 miles
We purchased our 2003 Trailblazer ext used this summer. It had about 50,000 miles on it. We've noticed that when we're on the road for over 2 hours at a time, the speedometer becomes dangerously unreliable. Most recently, my husband was pulled over for an unsafe low speed -- until the state policeman saw that the speedometer was registering 20 miles an hour with the car in park and the engine turned off. We have had multiple failures. Resetting is sometimes possible by continually restarting the car, but not always, and not with any reliability. By continually restarting I'm talking 30-50 restarts. The wear and tear on the starter therefore is unacceptable. This vehicle should be covered by the recall, but we've not been notified and when we've taken it to dealerships, we haven't even been notified of the recall. The problem has no other discernible pattern and has happened approximately 6 times in the 8 months we've had the car.

- Elizabeth City, NC, USA

problem #3

Feb 012008

Trailblazer EXT 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles
The speedometer on my 2003 Chevy trailblazer quit working. While driving the speedometer indicates the car is going 120+ mph. When parked it indicates the car is going 50+mph. This resulted in dangerous driving conditions throughout the weekend. I phoned the local battle creek Chevrolet dealership Monday (2/4) and was told that only certain GM vehicles were being repaired courtesy of GM and that at this time my vehicle did not qualify. On the internet I am seeing that this appears to be a common problem for other people who own the trailblazer.

- Richland, MI, USA

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