CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT · model year

2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT

406 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003CHEVROLETTRAILBLAZER EXT carries 406 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 7 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 TRAILBLAZER EXT is electrical system with 52 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline (36) and power train:automatic transmission (29). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2003 TRAILBLAZER EXT, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

406
Complaints
8
Crashes
7
Fires
11
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

406 filings

Crashes Reported

8 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM52
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE36
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION29
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL22
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY15
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP13
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP11
EXTERIOR LIGHTING10
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS9
POWER TRAIN8
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
UNKNOWN OR OTHER7
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES7
STRUCTURE:BODY7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM7

Recalls (3)

05V49400027/10/2005

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A REAR SIDE CLOSURE LATCH THAT MAY NOT LATCH OR UNLATCH DUE TO CORROSION CAUSED BY ROAD SPLASH, SUCH AS WATER AND ROAD SALT. THESE VEHICLES WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, M

04V04600004/02/2004

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

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

04V52700001/11/2004

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, VIBRATION AND HEAT MAY CAUSE THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP BULB TO LOOSEN IN ITS SOCKET. IF THIS OCCURS, THE BULB MAY FLICKER AND EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Recent Complaints

20190320FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING NEAR THE BOTTOM REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE CHECK VALVE WAS FRACTURED. JOE LUNGHAMER CHEVROLET (475 SUMMIT DR, WATERFORD TWP, MI 48328, 1-(248) 683-7100) WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO BE DIAGNOSED AND THERE WAS NO FUEL SYSTEM RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED EXTENDED WARRANTY CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14423, BUT THEY HAD NOT PROVIDED A RECALL REMEDY TO PREVENT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

20181204SERVICE BRAKES

THE ABS LIGHT HAS COME ON AND THEN IT WOULD WORK SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHER TIMES. NOW IT NEVER WORKS. NOW THAT ITS WINTER I'M SLIDING AT STOP SIGNS THAT AREN'T EVEN THAT SLIPPERY. THE ACTUATORS IN THE HEATING AND COOLING ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ALL SUMMER I HAD HEAT BLOWING ALL THE TIME AND SUDDENLY THERE WOULD BE NOTHING. NOW IT'S COLD AIR ALL THE TIME. MAKES MY WINDOWS FOG UP AND NOT DEFROST. I HAVE DONE THE RESET PROCEDURE AND HEAR THINGS MOVING BUT IT DOESN'T FIX IT. THE BLOWER IN THE BALL SEAT AND THIRD ROW IS HIT OR MISS FOR EVEN WORKING AT ALL.

Mileage: 120,600

20181204VISIBILITY/WIPER

THE ABS LIGHT HAS COME ON AND THEN IT WOULD WORK SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHER TIMES. NOW IT NEVER WORKS. NOW THAT ITS WINTER I'M SLIDING AT STOP SIGNS THAT AREN'T EVEN THAT SLIPPERY. THE ACTUATORS IN THE HEATING AND COOLING ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ALL SUMMER I HAD HEAT BLOWING ALL THE TIME AND SUDDENLY THERE WOULD BE NOTHING. NOW IT'S COLD AIR ALL THE TIME. MAKES MY WINDOWS FOG UP AND NOT DEFROST. I HAVE DONE THE RESET PROCEDURE AND HEAR THINGS MOVING BUT IT DOESN'T FIX IT. THE BLOWER IN THE BALL SEAT AND THIRD ROW IS HIT OR MISS FOR EVEN WORKING AT ALL.

Mileage: 120,600

20181011FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

HAS A BAD GAS SMELL LEAKING GAS SOMEWHERE

Mileage: 194,000

20180530FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ONE BY ONE THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING OUT AND NOT WORKING. FIRST THE CAR WOULD NOT START ALL THE TIME WITH THE KEY, THEN THE A/C STOPED WORKING, NEXT WAS THE FUEL PUMP, THEN THE INJECTORS. I CHECKED EVERYTHING IT COULD BE. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY KIDS DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY CAR JUST DIED LOST POWER STEERING SO IT WAS HARD TO GET OFF THE ROAD FAST. I GOT IT STARTED AND WAS DRIVING AND IT DID IT AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY GET IT HOME WHEN IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE FOUND OUT THIS CAR HAS ISSUES WITH THE FUSE BOX ITSELF UNDER THE HOOD. I OPENED IT UP JUST TO FIND THE WORDING THAT CONNECTED THE PINS WAS BROKEN IN NUMEROUS PLACES AND HAD STARTED TO BURN UP IN THE BOX.

Mileage: 177,000

20180223ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHEN DRIVING FOR 30 TO 45 MINS ALL THE INSTRUMENTS ON DASH START STICKING AND READING WRONG INFORMATION. IN THE PICTURE MY CAR IS PARKED .

Mileage: 140,443

20180223VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN DRIVING FOR 30 TO 45 MINS ALL THE INSTRUMENTS ON DASH START STICKING AND READING WRONG INFORMATION. IN THE PICTURE MY CAR IS PARKED .

Mileage: 140,443

20171013ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SPEEDOMETER IS ERRATIC OFTEN SHOWING FALSE SPEED OR GOES TO ZERO.ALL MOVING SPEEDS HIGHWAY OR STREETS.

Mileage: 108,321

20170827ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE TO PCM COMMUNICATION ERROR COMES UP AND THE VEHICLE STARTS THE WARM UP PROCESS AND THEN DIES IN THE PROCESS OF WARM UP PROCEDURES. I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW CAN I FIX THIS OR DOES A DEAL NEED TO FIX IT OR IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE?

Mileage: 199,263

20170724POWER TRAIN

DRIVING DOWN ROAD ON THE WAY TO HOSPITAL AND TRAILBLAZER MADE A LOUD CLUNK. THEN STARTED MAKING A WHIRRING NOISE. FINISHED DRIVING SLOWLY TO HOSPITAL AS NOT TO MESS ANYTHING ELSE UP. PULLED IN AND PARKED. GOT READY TO LEAVE HOSPITAL AND HAD NO REVERSE ONLY FOWARD.

Mileage: 150,000

20170501ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION I HAD TO UNSCREW AND REMOVE THE BOTTOM OF MY STEERING TO PUSH THE BUTTON ALSO ALL OF MY INSTRUMENT GAUGE DO NOT WORK INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER AND ALL GAUGES SO I NEVER KNOW MY TEMPERATURE OR FUEL LEVEL, OIL PRESSURE THEY ALL ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY MY SPEEDOMETER ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES. ALSO MY ENGINE IS RUNNY ROUGH AND I HEAR A VIBRATION AND TICKING. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS AND I'M GETTING CODE SAYING THERES A LEAK IN THE FUEL EVAP SYSTEM. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND EVERYONE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 2003 TRAILBLAZERS. WHY ISN'T CHEVROLET RECALLING THESE PROBLEMS ITS FUSTRATING THEY WANT SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS I CANNOT AFFORD

Mileage: 80,000

20170501POWER TRAIN

MY KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION I HAD TO UNSCREW AND REMOVE THE BOTTOM OF MY STEERING TO PUSH THE BUTTON ALSO ALL OF MY INSTRUMENT GAUGE DO NOT WORK INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER AND ALL GAUGES SO I NEVER KNOW MY TEMPERATURE OR FUEL LEVEL, OIL PRESSURE THEY ALL ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY MY SPEEDOMETER ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES. ALSO MY ENGINE IS RUNNY ROUGH AND I HEAR A VIBRATION AND TICKING. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS AND I'M GETTING CODE SAYING THERES A LEAK IN THE FUEL EVAP SYSTEM. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND EVERYONE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 2003 TRAILBLAZERS. WHY ISN'T CHEVROLET RECALLING THESE PROBLEMS ITS FUSTRATING THEY WANT SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS I CANNOT AFFORD

Mileage: 80,000

20170225ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

LOW BEAMS INTERMENTLY GO OFF AND ON ! EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS CRACKED CAUSING A LEAK ! ALL DASH GAUGES BUT FUEL GAUGE DONT WORK !

Mileage: 120,000

20170225ENGINE

LOW BEAMS INTERMENTLY GO OFF AND ON ! EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS CRACKED CAUSING A LEAK ! ALL DASH GAUGES BUT FUEL GAUGE DONT WORK !

Mileage: 120,000

20170225EXTERIOR LIGHTING

LOW BEAMS INTERMENTLY GO OFF AND ON ! EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS CRACKED CAUSING A LEAK ! ALL DASH GAUGES BUT FUEL GAUGE DONT WORK !

Mileage: 120,000

20160703ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

NONE OF MY GAGES WORK AND A LOT OF MY DASH LIGHTS ARE ON. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE. MY SPEEDOMETER AND RPM GAGES WORK BUT NOTHING ELSE DOES. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS BUT THEY WOULD ALWAYS GO BACK ON. BUT NOW IT HAS BEEN OFF FOR A WEEK WITHOUT GOING BACK TO NORMAL. TWICE LAST WEEK THE RADIO AND THE POWER WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING PARKED ALL THE TIME AND IT DOESNT GO BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SO I HAVE NO CLUE WHY THERE ISN'T A RECALL. IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE MY TRAILBLAZER UNTIL THESE THINGS ARE FIXED. I WORK AT A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS EITHER. GM NEEDS TO PUT OUT A RECALL TO GET THIS FIXED ASAP.

Mileage: 184,000

20160330ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE GAS GAUGE STARTED MESSING UP/NOT READING RIGHT ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. NOW NEITHER ONE WILL WORK AT ALL. THIS STARTED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND QUIT WORKING ALL TOGETHER ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO. I HEARD THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO ALOT OF TRAILBLAZERS. THIS STARTED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.

20151220POWER TRAIN

I HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL TWICE IN 10 MONTHS. I BOUGHT NEW PARTS FOR IT NOT USED THAT WERE REDONE TO GET RID OF THE PROBLEMS IT HAD NOW IT HAS GONE AGAIN. THIS TIME I HAVEN'T EVEN USED THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE YET SINCE THE LAST REPAIR. I HAVE RESEARCH IT AND I NOTICED A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

20150916FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND THERE WAS A STRONG GAS ODOR. GAS HAD ALSO PREVIOUSLY SPILLED OUT WHEN FUELUNG.

Mileage: 155,000

20150916ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND THERE WAS A STRONG GAS ODOR. GAS HAD ALSO PREVIOUSLY SPILLED OUT WHEN FUELUNG.

Mileage: 155,000

Compare 2003CHEVROLETTRAILBLAZER EXT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT have?
The 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT has 406 NHTSA complaints, 8 crashes, 7 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT?
Yes, the 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT?
The most-complained component for the 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 52 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.