Chevrolet Trailblazer Visibility Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 348 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 348 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the Chevrolet Trailblazer across 8 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (100). The words owners use most often: “windshield wipers” (17% of reports).

What owners describe

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

  • Windshield wipers: mentioned in 59 of 348 complaints (17%)
  • Window switch: mentioned in 39 of 348 complaints (11%)
  • Driver side door: mentioned in 22 of 348 complaints (6%)
  • Wiper washer: mentioned in 19 of 348 complaints (5%)

How much does it cost to fix?

Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the Chevrolet Trailblazer at $550, and half of them between $420 and $670.

Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2012), 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 visibility problems happen?

Based on 253 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles20 · 8%
10k–25k miles14 · 6%
25k–50k miles45 · 18%
50k–75k miles57 · 23%
75k–100k miles50 · 20%
100k–150k miles54 · 21%
150k+ miles13 · 5%

How serious are the reports?

Of 348 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 32 a fire, 5 an injury.

Chevrolet Trailblazer visibility complaints by model year

Peak: 2002, with 100 complaints
2002: 10020021002003: 642003642004: 282004282005: 352005352006: 512006512007: 642007642008: 5200852022: 120221

n = 348 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearVisibility complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2022 Trailblazer11%40,000
2008 Trailblazer53%50,000
2007 Trailblazer649%75,000
2006 Trailblazer515%95,000
2005 Trailblazer352%79,438
2004 Trailblazer283%56,650
2003 Trailblazer647%64,000
2002 Trailblazer1009%45,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2012, with 74 complaints
2001: 120012002: 132003: 3520032004: 142005: 3220052006: 212007: 1920072008: 192009: 1420092010: 182011: 2520112012: 74742013: 2420132014: 172015: 820152016: 42017: 320172018: 22019: 120192023: 12024: 220242025: 1

n = 348 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (6)

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

Model years: 2006, 2007

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.

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

Model years: 2006, 2007

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

Model years: 2006, 2007

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

Model years: 2006, 2007

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.

Visibility:windshieldFeb 3, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V035000 · 17,815 vehicles

Model years: 2005

Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 212, 'windshield mounting.' the windshield urethane bead may not have adhered to the body in certain areas during the cure process.

Risk: If a crash occurs, the windshield may not be retained, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Fix: Dealers will replace the windshield free of charge. The recall began on march 10, 2005. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Visibility:windshield wiper/washerFeb 4, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V046000 · 581,394 vehicles

Model years: 2002, 2003

Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles have windshield wiper systems that will not turn on, cease operation while in use, fail to turn off/on by themselves (moisture sensitive wiper system), or have continuous windshield washer pump operation because the presence of water within the wiper modules can either cause a short circuit or can lead to the corrosion of components within the module.

Risk: Depending on the occurrence and weather situation, driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will cover the windshield wiper module vent hole with a patch. Also, the wiper motor, circuit board, and electrical connector will be inspected to signs of water intrusion and/or corrosion and be replaced as required. The recall began july 6, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

What owners report

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

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield wipers activated unintendedly, and the washer fluid was continuously sprayed on the windshield. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular…

Received Nov 24, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11701214

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact was informed by a mobile Safelite technician that there were minor spider web cracks on the windshield. The windshield was replaced by Safelite. Additionally, the contact stated that…

Received Nov 19, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11626113

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…

Received Sep 10, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11613711

The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the driver's side power master window switch had failed and failed to roll up the windows. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had caused a significant amount of water to leak into the…

Received Jul 24, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11534180

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet trailblazer. The contact stated that the sun roof did not close completely. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per a technical service bulletin regarding the sun roof in october of 2010 by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer and dealer were…

Received Jul 30, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11240635
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 Chevrolet Trailblazers have visibility problems?

No. NHTSA has 348 owner complaints about visibility for the Chevrolet Trailblazer. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Trailblazer visibility?

Yes: 6 safety recalls list visibility. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the Chevrolet Trailblazer?

Owners report a typical cost of $550 (half paid between $420 and $670), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.

What do owners say about visibility problems on the Chevrolet Trailblazer?

The most frequent phrase is “windshield wipers”, in 59 of 348 complaints, followed by “window switch” (39).

Other Chevrolet Trailblazer problems

See all Chevrolet Trailblazer problems.