2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 8, 2026 · 1,108 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Trailblazer years
Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 18 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 1,108 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. That ranks 3rd out of 18 Trailblazer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (437 complaints, 39%), typically at around 58,000 miles. Complaints mention 29 crashes, 59 fires, 40 injuries. There are 8 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.

Chevrolet Trailblazer
2002-2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer photographed in Marshall Hall, Maryland , USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Fuel System, Gasoline437 · ~58,000 mi
Electrical System251 · ~89,000 mi
Fuel System, Other113 · ~55,000 mi
Exterior Lighting112 · ~111,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System76 · ~80,000 mi
Visibility/wiper52 · ~103,000 mi
Visibility51 · ~95,000 mi
Power Train50 · ~70,500 mi
Engine43 · ~120,000 mi
Air Bags31 · ~65,500 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Fuel System, Gasoline problems43739%58,000“fuel gauge” (54%)$1,200
Electrical System problems25123%89,000“side window” (10%)$630
Fuel System, Other problems11310%55,000“fuel gauge” (51%)$1,200
Exterior Lighting problems11210%111,000“low beam” (28%)—
Fuel/propulsion System problems767%80,000“fuel gauge” (50%)$1,250
Visibility/wiper problems525%103,000“windshield wipers” (38%)—
Visibility problems515%95,000“side window” (24%)—
Power Train problems505%70,500“1st 2nd” (10%)—
Engine434%120,000——
Air Bags313%65,500——
Steering262%90,000——
Structure262%63,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling242%56,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)232%86,000——
Unknown or Other192%99,140——
Vehicle Speed Control172%72,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic131%50,000——
Service Brakes121%101,500——
Suspension121%60,000——
Latches/locks/linkages111%95,000——
Equipment71%52,000——
Seat Belts61%58,000——
Seats50%155,000——
Tires50%22,000——
Traction Control System40%55,000——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility20%132,000——
Parking Brake20%47,268——
Wheels20%77,107——
Service Brakes, Electric10%52,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2011, with 259 complaints
2006: 520062007: 162008: 3620082009: 962010: 16420102011: 2592592012: 17420122013: 582014: 7820142015: 942016: 4120162017: 222018: 1720182019: 182020: 1020202021: 62022: 720222023: 42024: 120242025: 12026: 12026

n = 1,108 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer recalls (8)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Visibility:power window devices and controlsSep 24, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V599000 · 9,932 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer and GMC Envoy vehicles, and 2006 GMC Envoy XL and Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT vehicles. Fluid may enter into the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board, causing window switches to become inoperative. Previously, the affected vehicles may have had their master power window switch module treated with a protective coating, instead of having it replaced.

Risk: The protective coating may not eliminate the risk that the circuit board could short and result in a fire, even while the vehicle is unattended.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new driver's door switch module, free of charge. The recall began on November 2, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15700.

Exterior lighting:headlightsAug 14, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V519000 · 429,170 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlamp driver module (HDM) may overheat and fail, causing the headlamps and daytime running lights to not illuminate.

Risk: Headlamps that do not illuminate reduce the driver's ability to see the roadway and reduce the vehicle's visibility to oncoming vehicles, both of which increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14291.

Visibility:power window devices and controlsJul 2, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V404000 · 184,611 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. A short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. The short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire.

Risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the part number on the door module, and install a new door module if necessary, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. An interim letter was mailed to owners in August 2014. A second owner letter will be mailed when parts are available. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-955-9007 (SAAB), and 1-800-255-6727 (Isuzu). GM's number for this recall is 14309. NOTE: This recall provides a new remedy for all vehicles covered by recall 13V-248. Vehicles whose modules were modified but not replaced as part of the previous recall remedy must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign.

Visibility:power window devices and controls; electrical systemJun 13, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V248000 · 193,652 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. A short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. The short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire.

Risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.

Fix: Owners will be contacted and dealers will test the driver's door module. If the module is functioning properly, a protective coating will be applied. If the module is not functioning properly, it will be replaced. These repairs will be done free of charge. GM will notify Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC owners, Isuzu and Saab will contact their respective owners. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463, Isuzu owners at 1-800-255-6727, and Saab owners at 1-800-955-9007. GM's campaign number is 12180. This recall is an expansion of recall 12V-406.

Visibility:power window devices and controls; electrical systemAug 16, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V406000 · 278,174 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, SAAB 9-7x, and Isuzu Ascender vehicles, originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Fluid may enter the driver's door module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. A short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. The short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire.

Risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.

Fix: Parts for this recall are expected to available in March 2013. GM will notify Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC owners when parts are available. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. Isuzu owners will be notified by Isuzu Motors when parts are available. Owners may contact Isuzu customer service at 1-800-255-6727. SAAB owners will be notified by SAAB Cars North America when parts are available and for inquiries, owners may call SAAB customer service at 1-800-955-9007.

Air bags:frontalOct 31, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V417000 · 794 vehicles

Problem: Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.

Risk: If the passenger sensing system malfunctions, the front air bag on the passenger side may be disabled when it should be enabled, or enabled when it should be disabled. In either case, in the event of a crash that requires air bag deployment, a front passenger's level of injury may be increased.

Fix: Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (gm) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in gm's letter to owners. The recall began on november 6, 2006. Owners should contact gm at 1-877-477-1022 to begin the process of repurchasing their vehicle.

Equipment:other:labelsDec 7, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V552000 · 32,068 vehicles

Problem: Certain trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were shipped with tire and loading information labels listing an inacccurate vehicle capacity weight.

Risk: A misprinted label could lead to improper vehicle loading specifications or tire inflation which could result in a tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Owners will be provided with corrected labels and installation instructions. At the customer's option, a dealer can install the label for them. The recall began on march 31, 2006. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, hummer at 1-800-732-5493, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, or isuzu at 1-800-255-6727.

Steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connectionsOct 5, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V455000 · 123,592 vehicles

Problem: Certain passenger vehicles may have been built with a power steering hose that is not to specification. Under extreme steering maneuvers, such as turning the steering wheel fully to the left or right while braking, the hose may fracture and leak fluid.

Risk: If this were to occur, power steering assist would be lost and increased steering effort would be required. On vehicles equipped with hydro-boost power brakes, it could also result in loss of power brake assist and increased braking effort would be required. If the power steering fluid spray were to spray onto hot engine parts, an engine compartment fire could occur.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the power steering hose(s) for two suspect date codes and replace them if required. The recall will begin on october 14, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, isuzu at 1-800-255-6727, or hummer at 1-800-732-5493.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Loss of Headlights (RQ17002) — opened Apr 24, 2017, closed Mar 29, 2021.
  • Driver's Master Power Window Switch (EA12004) — opened Jun 11, 2012, closed Jun 21, 2013, led to recall 12V406000.
  • Driver's Master Power Window Switch (PE12003) — opened Feb 9, 2012, closed Jun 11, 2012.
  • Fuel Level Gauge System Failure (DP10001) — opened Jan 7, 2010, closed May 23, 2011.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle jerked and vibrated abnormally. In addition, the thermostat temperature gauge increased, and the vehicle…

Power Train · received Sep 8, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11762845

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change by an independent mechanic, the contact was informed that the frame was rust on the vehicle was rusted. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…

Structure · received Nov 5, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11697682

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V248000 (Electrical System, Visibility). The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was running or while driving at various speeds, the passenger's window switch was…

Electrical System · received Sep 10, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11613711

The headlamps have quit working when driving at night but will come back on later. This has happened several times. I found GM recall number 14291 that is supposed to include 2006 Chevy Trailblazers and pertains to this problem. The local dealership told us that our vehicle has a vin number that is…

Exterior Lighting · received Sep 25, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11546344

Just need a recall sheet for shipping vehicle.

Exterior Lighting · received May 28, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11524243

Other Chevrolet Trailblazer years

← 2005 Trailblazer · 2007 Trailblazer →

See all Chevrolet Trailblazer problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer?

Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, electrical system, fuel system, other problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 437 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer?

Yes, 8 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Trailblazer model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.