Your vehicle report
2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,081
- Received Jan 2004 to Aug 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Instrument cluster or speedometer fails361 complaints · 33% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline83 complaints · 7.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Headlights dim or fail at night79 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V198000On certain trucks and sport utility vehicles, the driver wishing to signal a turn by moving the directional signal lever, (up or down) may cause the front marker/turn lights and rear turn lights to flash in a manner similar to hazard warning, rather than flashing on the desired side only.
- Recall #04V527000On 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 56 crashes, 31 fires, 74 people injured, 4 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
- Rear door latch fails to open or close
- Frame rusts and corrodes through
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 40 |
| 2005 | 46 |
| 2006 | 42 |
| 2007 | 80 |
| 2008 | 119 |
| 2009 | 192 |
| 2010 | 185 |
| 2011 | 108 |
| 2012 | 52 |
| 2013 | 39 |
| 2014 | 51 |
| 2015 | 49 |
| 2016 | 26 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 17 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 1,081 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 361 | 33% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 83 | 7.7% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 79 | 7.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 38 | 3.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 26 | 2.4% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 24 | 2.2% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 23 | 2.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 21 | 1.9% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 20 | 1.8% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 14 | 1.3% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 13 | 1.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 13 | 1.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 13 | 1.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 11 | 1.0% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 10 | 0.9% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 9 | 0.8% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 9 | 0.8% | – | |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 8 | 0.7% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 7 | 0.7% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 0.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V198000May 5, 2005286,478 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: turn signal
On certain trucks and sport utility vehicles, the driver wishing to signal a turn by moving the directional signal lever, (up or down) may cause the front marker/turn lights and rear turn lights to flash in a manner similar to hazard warning, rather than flashing on the desired side only.
The driver may not be able to clearly signal their intentions to turn, change travel lanes, or potentially warn others of an impaired vehicle operating condition increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the suspect flasher modules with a new flasher module designed with sealed relays and more durable contact material inside of the relays free of charge. The recall began on august 4, 2005. Isuzu began mailing owner letters on august 4, 2005. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Gmc at 1-866-996-9463, Isuzu at 1-800-255-6727, Buick at 1-866-608-8080, and Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
NHTSA recall #04V527000November 1, 2004871,473 vehicles affected
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.
An inoperative brake lamp will not convey the driver's intention of stopping to drivers in following vehicles, and an inoperative rear turn signal lamp will not convey the driver's intention to turn to drivers in following vehicles. Both of these failures Can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the tail lamp/stop lamp assemblies, and if necessary, replace them. The recall began on november 22, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, Buick at 1-866-608-8080, or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN