Chevrolet Trailblazer Problems by Year
NHTSA has 7,154 owner complaints and 29 safety recalls on file for the Chevrolet Trailblazer, across 18 model years (1999–2026). The 2005 model year has the most complaints (1,466). The most reported problem area overall is electrical system.
Chevrolet Trailblazer years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Trailblazer year: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2021. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2005 Trailblazer: 1,466 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2002 Trailblazer: 1,149 complaints, 12 recalls
- 2006 Trailblazer: 1,108 complaints, 8 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2014 Trailblazer: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 1999 Trailblazer: 4 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2026 Trailblazer: 11 complaints, 1 recall
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Chevrolet Trailblazer problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 2,355 | 16 | 30 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 1,401 | 9 | 5 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 761 | 13 | 4 |
| Power Train problems | 714 | 18 | 24 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 383 | 12 | 4 |
| Air Bags problems | 382 | 14 | 250 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 354 | 13 | 13 |
| Visibility problems | 348 | 8 | 4 |
| Fuel System, Other problems | 287 | 6 | 1 |
| Engine problems | 255 | 15 | 9 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 204 | 13 | 16 |
| Structure problems | 196 | 14 | 11 |
| Steering problems | 180 | 14 | 26 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 140 | 13 | 27 |
| Service Brakes problems | 133 | 17 | 17 |
| Seat Belts problems | 119 | 11 | 21 |
| Suspension problems | 119 | 10 | 10 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 108 | 11 | 1 |
| Equipment problems | 102 | 10 | 2 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 75 | 8 | 3 |
| Tires | 75 | 11 | 7 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 56 | 9 | 2 |
| Seats | 49 | 7 | 2 |
| Wheels | 35 | 8 | 5 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 32 | 7 | 7 |
| Interior Lighting | 20 | 5 | 1 |
| Traction Control System | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Child Seat | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Lane Departure | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Back Over Prevention | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Insert, Padding | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Chevrolet Trailblazer problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2008: electrical system (65)
- 2007: fuel system, gasoline (215) · electrical system (200) · exterior lighting (151) · visibility (64) · fuel/propulsion system (58)
- 2006: fuel system, gasoline (437) · electrical system (251) · fuel system, other (113) · exterior lighting (112) · fuel/propulsion system (76) · visibility/wiper (52) · visibility (51) · power train (50)
- 2005: electrical system (617) · fuel system, gasoline (435) · exterior lighting (140) · fuel/propulsion system (95) · fuel system, other (95) · vehicle speed control (76) · air bags (70) · power train (51)
- 2004: electrical system (627) · exterior lighting (101) · fuel system, gasoline (93) · power train (62)
- 2003: electrical system (285) · fuel system, gasoline (114) · power train (103) · exterior lighting (77) · engine and engine cooling (65) · visibility (64) · air bags (57) · fuel/propulsion system (55)
- 2002: power train (310) · electrical system (181) · engine and engine cooling (143) · exterior lighting (143) · air bags (102) · fuel system, gasoline (101) · visibility (100)
All Chevrolet Trailblazer model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Trailblazer | 11 | 1 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2025 Trailblazer | 25 | 1 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Trailblazer | 33 | 1 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Trailblazer | 71 | 0 | 5★ | Engine | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Trailblazer | 111 | 1 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | More complaints than other years |
| 2021 Trailblazer | 195 | 4 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2014 Trailblazer | 1 | 0 | — | Engine | |
| 2009 Trailblazer | 27 | 0 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Trailblazer | 193 | 0 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Trailblazer | 732 | 5 | — | Fuel System, Gasoline | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Trailblazer | 1,108 | 8 | — | Fuel System, Gasoline | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Trailblazer | 1,466 | 2 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Trailblazer | 1,081 | 2 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Trailblazer | 901 | 8 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Trailblazer | 1,149 | 12 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2001 Trailblazer | 20 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2000 Trailblazer | 26 | 0 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1999 Trailblazer | 4 | 0 | — | Power Train |
More from Chevrolet: all Chevrolet models · Chevrolet VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Trailblazer years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2002 (1,149), 2003 (901), 2004 (1,081), 2005 (1,466), 2006 (1,108), 2007 (732), 2008 (193), 2021 (195) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Trailblazer year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Chevrolet Trailblazer?
Electrical System, with 2,355 complaints across 16 model years.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Trailblazer have?
29 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.