10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 3 / 11
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 6 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 67,256 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Instrument cluster fails to operate properly. The speedometer stopped working first, then battery, gas, and temperature gauges failed to work properly. Finally, there is no odometer reading or gear indicator showing on cluster.
- Orangeville, PA, USA
Speedometer and tachometer stopped working.
- Denver, CO, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the instrument panel gauges were providing faulty readings. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not the repaired. The failure mileage was 79,000 and the current mileage was 119,000.
- Folsom, CA, USA
Instrument panel failure, ran out of gas on a busy four lane highway during morning rush hour. I was in the left hand lane and was unable to move to the shoulder. I now became a major traffic problem until some nice citizen helped me push the truck out of harms way, having to stop both lanes of traffic so I could cross. Had I a working gas gauge I feel this would not have happened, none of the instruments in the vehicle work, Chevy has recalled other models of this year with the same problems, but not the Trailblazer. Why?
- Lakeland, FL, USA
2004 Chevy Trailblazer gauge panel stopped working. Oil temp, water temp, fuel, and volts. RPM and speedometer still ok but have heard numerous complaints on this very issue. Cost to fix this issue is very expensive and not acceptable.
- Mooresville, NC, USA
My instrument panel on my 2004 Trailblazer is slowly not functioning. It started off with my tachometer and now my gas gauge is not working. My vehicle has not been neglected and is serviced when needed. The gauges are not working now on a daily basis. I have yet to replace the part due to cost and also because many people are having the same issue that I am having.
- Mount Juliet, TN, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact was driving 50 miles per hour when the instrument panel started to register faulty readings to the following mileage, rpms, oil check light, and battery. The failure was not related to the instrument panel lighting, but the vehicle registered false readings. While driving 50 miles per hour the instrument panel indicated the speed was 110 mph. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer, and the manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 117,000. The current mileage was 120,868.
- Philadelphia, PA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the entire instrument panel was reading inaccurately. The dealer was not made aware of the failure, but the manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 39,000 and the current mileage was 47,000. The VIN was unavailable.
- Cleveland, OH, USA
On June 23, 2011, I cranked my 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer lt and the gauges (speedometer, tachometer, etc.) began to fluctuate at a rapid speed. The SUV cut off and I attempted to crank it again. The same thing happened again while I was driving the car. The speedometer went to zero as I was driving 70 miles per hour on the highway. I slowed down, but I had no idea how fast nor slow I was going. I pulled off of the highway, turned the SUV off and restarted it. The speedometer went to 70 miles per hour while it was parked. The speedometer stayed at 70 mph as I made my way back to the highway. I have read several, literally hundreds, of similar situations online about Chevy Trailblazers. I researched and found there are no recalls regarding this malfunction. The first time my gauges fluctuated was about 3 years after I purchased the SUV. I turned the vehicle off, restarted it and had no more problems, so I thought it may have been a glitch and thought nothing else about it. After reading other consumers' concerns about the problem, I discovered most of them had problems with their speedometers during the second year after the SUV was purchased. It's a very dangerous situation when one cannot gauge his or her speed while driving because the speedometer stops working all of a sudden. It's dangerous at crosswalks, schools zones, and every road and highway we travel on. Consumers have complained to their Chevrolet service mechanics and customer service, but many are told the part has to be replaced or the entire console has to be replaced and reprogrammed. I am persuaded that there is a problem with the electrical system which has an adverse effect on the speedometer. Hopefully this matter can be resolved without any tragic endings.
- Greensboro, NC, USA
Oil gauge on instrument panel stopped working in October 2010. In May 2011 now the tachometer and speedometer stopped working. I have read of many complaints on 2003 Trailblazer having this problem. I am experiencing the same issue and yet no recall. How is the speedometer malfunctioning not considered a safety recall when this appears to be consistent in Chevy Trailblazers?
- De Soto, KS, USA
Dash cluster: Tachometer failed a 62,000, speedometer at 120,000, now the gas gauge is acting up. If 2005-2007 are bad need to add 2004.
- Tryon, NC, USA
2004 Chevy Trailblazer instrument cluster not working properly, speedometer oil pressure gauge. First oil pressure went to 0 then the speedometer went crazy was doing 50 and it just went to over a 100.
- Fullerton, CA, USA
I own a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer lt. The gauges on the instrument panel have begun to read intermittently. First, the gas gauge would read 1/4 tank and I ran out of gas with my 2 year old grandson in the car on the interstate. I have aaa, but was 30 miles from the nearest provider, therefore we were stranded for 2 hours. Now the speedometer is will show that I am going 90 miles an hour when in fact I am only going 30 or 40. Next my oil gauge and temp gauge are reading up and down, giving me false readings that could be a true reading and the engine overheat or freeze up. I researched this issue and see that there are many similar.
- Wewahitchka, FL, USA
The gauge bank on the vehicle is malfunctioning. The gauges point in all different directions and the speedometer quits working halfway through a drive. I spoke to my mechanic. He says he has already repaired a few at about $600 for the repair. I checked online and found several other owners expressing the same problem. I contacted Chevy and they say there is not recall notice so they are not going to repair the (common) problem!
- Henderson, NV, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the speedometer failed without warning. The contact performed a diagnostic and the failure was located at the stepper motor. The contact replaced the stepper motor. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 46,550. Updated 06/01/11 updated 06/02/11
- Sunbury, PA, USA
04 Trailblazer instrument cluster (speedometer) works intermittently multiple times.
- Toledo, OH, USA
At about 65,000 miles my tachometer started to read improper, later my gauges began to read improper. This doesn't happen all the time. But you can't trust them. You never know how fast you are going, if you have fuel, if your engine is overheating, if battery is charging, if I have oil pressure. I am on disibilty and can't afford the several hundered dollars it will cost to repair. I have found from a few sources this is a common problem. I just talked to GM, I was told that if I had it repaired to keep my reciepts. But there is no recall on the 04 Trailblazer only on full size vehicles. So if I spent more money on an other venicle GM would fix it and make it safe. I feel it is unsafe for myself or my wife.
- Colfax, CA, USA
2004 Chevy Trailblazer all gauges, tachometer, speedometer, battery, fuel, have failed one at a time starting with tachometer not operating at all, to speedometer sporadic for several months, now currently stuck at over 120mph. Have contacted dealer about problem and they say it is a very common problem in this model, there has been no recall for this issue and would be approx. $1500 to repair. Why is GM not concerned with this issue? this is definitely a safety issue to be driving at unknown speeds with an unknown fuel level, etc.---- absolutely absurd!!!
- Sapulp, OK, USA
The 2004 Trailblazer has a malfunction in the RPM and speedometer gauge. This is apparently a defect that GM should acknowledge and be held accountable for.
- Virginia Beach, VA, USA
- Columbus, OH, USA