2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER Complaints

PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY, LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OFF, A FEW MINUTES LATER SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD AND IT SMELLED LIKE BURNING PLASTIC. POPPED HOOD AND FUSE BLOCK AND RELAY WE SMOKING AND MELTING! GOT FIRE EXTINGUISHED AND PULLED THE HEAD LIGHT RELAY SWITCH, BUT IT HAD MELTED THROUGH THE BLOCK!!!! *TR

THE INDICATED VEHICLE IS MY WIFE'S. WE BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW ON 09/26/2001. SHE HAS NEVER TOWED ANYTHING AND HAS CITY AND HIGHWAY MILES. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, REAR TAILGATE STRAP, RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT, (3) SOLENOIDS, SPARE TIRE DROPDOWN AND DETERIORATED TRANSMISSION LINES. I HAVE REPAIRED ALL OF THE PREVIOUS OUT OF POCKET (EXCEPT FOR THE STRAP AND THE SPARE TIRE DROPDOWN). NOW, MY WIFE WAS ON THE WAY TO THE BICYCLE STORE IN HER TRUCK, WITH THE BICYCLE ON THE BACK. SHE WAS MAKING A TURN ONTO THE MAIN ROAD WHEN SHE HEARD GRINDING AND SQUEALING, AND THE SPEED DROPPED DRASTICALLY. LUCKILY, IT WAS AROUND 10AM WHEN THERE IS NOT MUCH TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD. READING NUMEROUS POSTS ON THIS WEBSITE, IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM EVERYONE HAS HAD, THE TRANSMISSION SUN SHELL, AND NO REVERSE. WITH 98911 MILES, I WAS ABOUT TO SPEND THE WEEKEND CHANGING THE FLUID IN THE TRANSMISSION TO KEEP IT TO SPEC. NOW, I'M LOOKING AT A VERY EXPENSIVE BILL OF WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD. $30 IS EASIER THAN $1200. AND, I'M A MANUFACTURING ENGINEER, SO I CHECK FLUIDS REGULARLY, EVEN THOUGH THE OIL CHANGE STATIONS CHECK THEM. SEEING THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THESE COMPONENTS, I THINK THAT GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD PRODUCE A RECALL. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. WE WILL BE CALLING THE DEALER THAT WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT WIRING INSIDE OF THE LENS ASSEMBLY OVER HEATS AND MELTS THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR GOING TO THE BULB AND THE INSULATION ON THE WIRING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH HEADLIGHTS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. HAD TO GO AND HAVE THE ELECTRICAL WIRING PLUS CONNECTOR REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND WAS NOT INSPECTED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS WORKING, I HAD DASH BOARD LIGHTS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ON A SIDE ROAD AND TRY TO DETERMINE FROM THE MANUAL IF IT WAS A FUSE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WHEN I STARTED IT AGAIN, THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THIS HAPPEN AGAIN 2 WEEKS LATER. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON LINE AS I FELT THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND FOUND THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH TRAILBLAZERS. I JUST SAW WHERE CORVETTE OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING A SIMILAR PROBLEM AND THAT THIS AGENCY WAS INVESTIGATING. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD INCLUDE OTHER CHEVROLET MODELS IN THIS INVESTIGATION. *TR

WE JUST LEFT THE HOUSE TO TAKE THE KIDS TO GET SO FOOD AND WE MADE IT LIKE FIFTY YARDS FROM THE HOUSE AND THE TRANNY MADE A POPPING SOUND AND SO WE STOPPED AND TRIED TO GO AND IT WONT MOVE EITHER WAY SO I PULL IT BACK TO THE HOUSE AND I START IT UP AND THE TRANNY IS WHINING AND I PUT IT IN REVERSE NOTHING HAPPENS SO I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT GOES FORWARD BUT WONT SHIFT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE FUEL OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT DETECT A FUEL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE A FUEL LEAK WAS DETECTED AFTER THE FUEL TANK WAS REMOVED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK MODULE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. ...UPDATED 04-03-13 *BF

WHEN DRIVING THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS AT ZERO. THIS OCCURRED WHEN I SLOWED AND THEN STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AFTER HAVING DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES (THE VEHICLE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE ABOUT TO TURN OFF SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED IT OFF). WHEN LOOKING AT THE INSTRUMENTATION PANEL I THEN NOTICED THE CHECK BATTERY LIGHT IS DIMLY ILLUMINATED (BATTERY IS 6 MO OLD) AND VARIOUS READINGS ARE OFF (RPG IS REGISTERING LOW AND ONE RPM INDICATOR STARTS AT 5 WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED ON). VARIOUS TRAILBLAZER FORUMS ARE INDICATING OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. TWO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS HAVE INDICATED THAT IT IS LIKELY AN INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER PROBLEM (AND INDICATE THEY HAVE GUIDANCE FROM GM TO RUN 2 CHECKS TO DETERMINE IF IT IS AN INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER PROBLEM). TWO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS HAVE IDENTIFIED IT AS AN INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE SEEN ON MANY 2002 TRAILBLAZERS. THE REPAIR COSTS RANGE AS HIGH AS $750. GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CAN ONLY STATE THIS IS NOT A RECALLED REPAIR (APPLIES TO LATER MODELS BUT NOT 2002); THEREFORE, IT IS THE CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY. MY GM FILE # IS [XXX]. GM DID ASK THAT I PAY $80 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS, WHILE ALSO SAYING THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. ADDING AN ADDITIONAL $80 TO COSTS OR PAYING A DEALERSHIP MORE MONEY THAN AN INDEPENDENT SHOP IS NOT PRACTICAL NOR AN ADDED EXPENSE I SHOULD ASSUME. MOST AMAZING IS THAT GM CAN GIVE DEALERSHIPS INSTRUCTIONS ON DIAGNOSING THIS PROBLEM, DEALERSHIPS ARE REPAIRING A FAR AMOUNT OF VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM, INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE MANY CUSTOMERS WHO PATRONIZE THEM, YET GM TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRECTING THIS KNOWN PROBLEM..THIS IS DANGEROUS, THE CAR CAN STALL ANYWHERE AND LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT WITHOUT CUSTOMERS HAVING ANY IDEA OF THE PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN DRIVING THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS AT ZERO. THIS OCCURRED WHEN I SLOWED AND THEN STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AFTER HAVING DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES (THE VEHICLE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE ABOUT TO TURN OFF SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED IT OFF). WHEN LOOKING AT THE INSTRUMENTATION PANEL I THEN NOTICED THE CHECK BATTERY LIGHT IS DIMLY ILLUMINATED (BATTERY IS 6 MO OLD) AND VARIOUS READINGS ARE OFF (RPG IS REGISTERING LOW AND ONE RPM INDICATOR STARTS AT 5 WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED ON). VARIOUS TRAILBLAZER FORUMS ARE INDICATING OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. TWO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS HAVE INDICATED THAT IT IS LIKELY AN INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER PROBLEM (AND INDICATE THEY HAVE GUIDANCE FROM GM TO RUN 2 CHECKS TO DETERMINE IF IT IS AN INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER PROBLEM). TWO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS HAVE IDENTIFIED IT AS AN INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE SEEN ON MANY 2002 TRAILBLAZERS. THE REPAIR COSTS RANGE AS HIGH AS $750. GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CAN ONLY STATE THIS IS NOT A RECALLED REPAIR (APPLIES TO LATER MODELS BUT NOT 2002); THEREFORE, IT IS THE CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY. MY GM FILE # IS [XXX]. GM DID ASK THAT I PAY $80 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS, WHILE ALSO SAYING THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. ADDING AN ADDITIONAL $80 TO COSTS OR PAYING A DEALERSHIP MORE MONEY THAN AN INDEPENDENT SHOP IS NOT PRACTICAL NOR AN ADDED EXPENSE I SHOULD ASSUME. MOST AMAZING IS THAT GM CAN GIVE DEALERSHIPS INSTRUCTIONS ON DIAGNOSING THIS PROBLEM, DEALERSHIPS ARE REPAIRING A FAR AMOUNT OF VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM, INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE MANY CUSTOMERS WHO PATRONIZE THEM, YET GM TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRECTING THIS KNOWN PROBLEM..THIS IS DANGEROUS, THE CAR CAN STALL ANYWHERE AND LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT WITHOUT CUSTOMERS HAVING ANY IDEA OF THE PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE TO PUT GAS IN SLOWLY. IF I SQUEEZE THE PUMP TRIGGER TO MUCH THE GAS SPITS BACK OUT AND ALL OVER ME. I ALSO HAVE TO HOLD THE PUMP TRIGGER UPSIDE DOWN. THE GAS LINE ON THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN APART AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. *TR