Total Complaints
306 filings
CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT · model year
306 NHTSA complaints, 10 crash reports, and 1 recall campaign listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2004CHEVROLETTRAILBLAZER EXT carries 306 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 10 crashes, 6 fires, 25 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2004 TRAILBLAZER EXT is electrical system with 97 filings, followed by electrical system: instrument cluster/panel (50) and fuel system, gasoline (24). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2004 TRAILBLAZER EXT, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
306 filings
Crashes Reported
10 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 97 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 50 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 24 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 11 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 10 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 9 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 6 |
| EQUIPMENT | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 5 |
| STEERING | 5 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | 5 |
| AIR BAGS | 5 |
| ENGINE | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN | 4 |
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.
"TAKATA RECALL" I WAS RECENTLY IN A CAR ACCIDENT THAT WAS LISTED IN THE POLICE REPORT AS A HEAD ON COLLISION AND NOT ONE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE IMPACT AS I WAS TOLD WAS HARD ENOUGH THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED.
Mileage: 197,000
RUSTED FUEL LINES- GARAGE CHECKED STRONG FUEL SMELL AND DISCOVERED RUSTED FUEL FILLER AND LINES
Mileage: 171,000
PART # 19120564 RUBS ON TAILGATE WHEN OPENING . DOES SECURE PROPERLY. EVENTUALLY, FLEW OFF WHILE DRIVING.
WHEN DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS ALL OF A SUDDEN JUST SHUT OFF. IT IS EXTREMELY SCARY AT NIGHT. I FOUND THAT I CAN HOWEVER USE THE BRIGHTS. THEY EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS. I KEPT HOPING FOR A RECALL AND JUST FOUND THIS SITE TO REPORT IT. THIS HAS HAPPEN ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. IT HAS HAPPENED WHEN THERE ARE STREET LIGHTS AND VEHICLE LIGHTS AND WHEN IT IS PITCH BLACK. THE 1ST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY CHILD IN THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY.
Mileage: 40,000
MY FAMILY WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE COMPLETE THIRD TAILLIGHT COVER BLEW OFF. IT APPEARS THAT THE ADHESIVE THAT ATTACHES THE REAR SPOILER TO THE GLASS OF LIFT GATE HAS LOOSENED DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.
Mileage: 105,000
INSTRUMENTAL PANEL/ GAGE CLUSTER. ALL GAGES CONTINUE TO FAIL SPIKING ALL OVER THE PLACE PRIOR TO FAILING. AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO BLINK ON THEN OFF RANDOMLY
Mileage: 157,000
INSTRUMENTAL PANEL/ GAGE CLUSTER. ALL GAGES CONTINUE TO FAIL SPIKING ALL OVER THE PLACE PRIOR TO FAILING. AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO BLINK ON THEN OFF RANDOMLY
Mileage: 157,000
CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD
Mileage: 143,000
STALLS - I HAVE TAKEN THIS TRAILBLAZER INTO THE DEALER FOR THIS STALLING PROBLEM AND I AM TOLD NO PROBLEM FOUND. VEHICLE STALLS AFTER COMING TO A STOP OR WHEN MOVING SLOWLY. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT.
Mileage: 12,000
FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING ALONE WITH ALL THE OTHER GAUGES AND TURNING SIGNAL NOT WORKING
VEHICLE'S REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT COMES ON, AND VEHICLE LOSES POWER IN DANGEROUS PLACES. LOST OF PROBLEMS CONSIST OF SEVERAL PARTS HAVING TO DO WITH ACCELERATION. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED SUDDENLY, ANDNIS A DANGER TO HIMAN SAFETY BECAUSE OF IT HAPPENING SEVERAL TIMES INCLUDING O N THE HIGHWAY.
Mileage: 162,525
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN IT TRIES TO SHIFT INTO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR, I READ THAT THERE WAS A REPORT ON THIS HAPPENING BUT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL AS FAR AS I KNOW, I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WHO SAYS THEY NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAPER WORK FROM GM ABOUT DOING REPAIRS. MY QUESTION IS WILL GM REPAIR THIS CONDITION AT NO COST TO ME?
Mileage: 136,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT. WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE MOISTURE SENSITIVE WIPER SYSTEM DID NOT DETECT MOISTURE. AS A RESULT, THE WIPERS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION AND OPERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V046000 (VISIBILITY/WPIER). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO OPERATE. IN ADDITION, THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, AND FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Mileage: 98,000
SPEEDODOMETER AND RPM CLUSTERS MALFUNCTIONS,WHY
Mileage: 32
THE INLET CHECK VALVE IS FRACTURED AND CHEVY WILL NOT DO ANY REPAIRS DUE TO THE MILEAGE BEING OVER 150000
Mileage: 190,000
MY FUEL TANK HAS A HOLE IN IT. I HAVE FILED A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA AND ALSO WITH GM. AN NHTSA WORKER HELPED ME A LOT AND WHEN I CALLED GM AND CHEVY BACK I WAS TOLD SEVERAL TIMES SOMEONE WOULD GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME. I HAVE TRIED TO GET IT FIXED BUT NO ONE IS ABLE TO HELP. I HAVE TRIED MANY PLACES FOR USED FUEL TANKS BUT EVERYONE SAYS THAT THE ENVOYS AND TRAILBLAZERS THAT THEY HAVE ALL HAVE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. I CANNOT GET ANY HELP FROM GM OR CHEVY.
THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES CORRODED AND CAUSED A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE GOING DOWN INTERSTATE 86. WHEN THE FLUID LEAKED OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES, IT SPRAYED ALL OVER THE EXHAUST PIPES, WHICH CAUSED A SEVERE FIRE HAZARD. DUE TO THE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID, IT CASED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION INTERNALS. *TR
Mileage: 114,000
STARTING ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO MY 2004 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER EXT HAS REEKED OF UNSPENT GASOLINE, AND THIS SMELL CONSUMES THE ENTIRE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS SMALL LEAK BELOW RESERVOIR WHICH APPEARS TO BE LEAKING UNSPENT FUEL. CHEVY OFFERED A "SPECIAL COVERAGE" TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE (CORROSION ON TOP OF FUEL TANK RESERVOIR), HOWEVER IT ONLY COVERS VEHICLES UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE AND UNDER 120K MILES. MY VEHICLE IS UNDER THAT MILEAGE, HOWEVER THIS REPAIR WILL NOT BE COVERED DUE TO AGE OF VEHICLE (MINE WAS ASSEMBLED IN MARCH). THIS ISSUE IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN, AS ANY SMALL SPARK COULD CAUSE THIS VEHICLE TO IGNITE. I CANNOT CONTINUE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE, AND FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED BEFORE IT CAUSES CATASTROPHIC LOSS (EITHER BUILDING OR PERSONAL). *TR
Mileage: 111,000
STARTING ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO MY 2004 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER EXT HAS REEKED OF UNSPENT GASOLINE, AND THIS SMELL CONSUMES THE ENTIRE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS SMALL LEAK BELOW RESERVOIR WHICH APPEARS TO BE LEAKING UNSPENT FUEL. CHEVY OFFERED A "SPECIAL COVERAGE" TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE (CORROSION ON TOP OF FUEL TANK RESERVOIR), HOWEVER IT ONLY COVERS VEHICLES UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE AND UNDER 120K MILES. MY VEHICLE IS UNDER THAT MILEAGE, HOWEVER THIS REPAIR WILL NOT BE COVERED DUE TO AGE OF VEHICLE (MINE WAS ASSEMBLED IN MARCH). THIS ISSUE IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN, AS ANY SMALL SPARK COULD CAUSE THIS VEHICLE TO IGNITE. I CANNOT CONTINUE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE, AND FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED BEFORE IT CAUSES CATASTROPHIC LOSS (EITHER BUILDING OR PERSONAL). *TR
Mileage: 111,000
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.