2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer Fuel/propulsion System Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 8, 2026 · 76 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “fuel gauge” (50% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Fuel gauge: mentioned in 38 of 76 complaints (50%)
  • Ran gas: mentioned in 6 of 76 complaints (8%)
  • Tank full: mentioned in 6 of 76 complaints (8%)
  • Know much: mentioned in 5 of 76 complaints (7%)

How much does it cost to fix?

Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical fuel/propulsion system repair on the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer at $1,250, and half of them between $720 and $1,250.

Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2017), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.

At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems happen?

Based on 65 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles1 · 2%
10k–25k miles1 · 2%
25k–50k miles3 · 5%
50k–75k miles23 · 35%
75k–100k miles20 · 31%
100k–150k miles14 · 22%
150k+ miles3 · 5%

How serious are the reports?

Of 76 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury.

Chevrolet Trailblazer fuel/propulsion system complaints by model year

Peak: 2005, with 95 complaints
2000: 2200022002: 232002232003: 552003552004: 432004432005: 952005952006: 762006762007: 582007582008: 5200852009: 1200912021: 172021172022: 5202252023: 320233

n = 383 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearFuel/propulsion System complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2023 Trailblazer34%—
2022 Trailblazer55%—
2021 Trailblazer179%—
2009 Trailblazer14%104,000
2008 Trailblazer53%76,000
2007 Trailblazer588%82,660
2006 Trailblazer767%80,000
2005 Trailblazer956%94,000
2004 Trailblazer434%116,500
2003 Trailblazer556%140,000
2002 Trailblazer232%143,767
2000 Trailblazer28%91,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2012, with 30 complaints
2012: 302012302013: 132013132014: 112014112015: 122015122016: 4201642017: 2201722018: 1201812019: 2201922022: 120221

n = 76 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (0)

No safety recall lists fuel/propulsion system for the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

Driving vehicle turn it off turn back on drive somewhere and turn it off and go swimming for an hour came back go to go start it and would not start I believe it's the anti-theft system as we replaced the ignition switch and the ignition cylinder but my illumination selector for my gear selector…

Received May 19, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11465236

Fuel gauge consistently showed "empty" and external lights were always very dim. Lack of awareness of fuel status led to breakdown on heavily trafficked road and dim hazard lights contributed to poor visibility and a fatal accident.

Received Nov 21, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11281608

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet trailblazer. After fuel was added to the vehicle, the fuel gauge failed to display the correct fuel level and the low fuel warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of…

Received Aug 30, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11252405
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.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazers have fuel/propulsion system problems?

No. NHTSA has 76 owner complaints about fuel/propulsion system for the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer (7% of the 1,108 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer fuel/propulsion system?

No recall currently lists fuel/propulsion system for this vehicle.

At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems start?

The median reported mileage is 80,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

How much does it cost to fix fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer?

Owners report a typical cost of $1,250 (half paid between $720 and $1,250), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.

What do owners say about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer?

The most frequent phrase is “fuel gauge”, in 38 of 76 complaints, followed by “ran gas” (6).

Other 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems

See all 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems or fuel/propulsion system problems across all Trailblazer years.