2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER Complaints

SUN GEAR FAILED IN TRANSMISSION PUT INTO REVERSE WENT 6"-12" LOUD CLUNK COULD DRIVE AHEAD IN LOW GEAR 2002 TRAILBLAZER HAD 43,000 MILES. DEALER FIXED UNDER WARRANTY NO CHARGE BY REPLACING SUN GEAR. *JB

I OWN A 2002 TRAILBLAZER AND BOUGHT IT NEW IN MAY 2002 AND PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY 5 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES. THE OTHER MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK MY CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT TO THE NEXT GEAR AUTOMATICALLY. THIS HAPPENED WITH NO WARNING. IT DID THIS THE WHOLE WAY TO WORK. I WAS CONCERNED AT THAT POINT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN I CAME OUT OF WORK TO LEAVE FOR THE DAY I NEEDED TO GET INTO REVERSE TO GET OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AND MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. AT THAT POINT I KNEW THERE WAS A REAL PROBLEM. I CHECKED MY TRANSMISSION FLUID AND IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN A LITTLE LOW SO I ADDED SOME FLUID AND THAT DID NOT MAKE DIFFERENCE. AT THIS TIME THE PERSON WHO WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF ME LEFT SO I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO DRIVE AND I DROVE CAREFULLY HOME. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED IF MY VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THEY CHECKED AND IT WAS NOT. I HAVE 58,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND MY WARRANTY WAS FOR 5 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES. SO AT THIS POINT I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE THEN TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER OR ANOTHER SHOP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I CHOSE TO TAKE IT TO AAMCO TRANSMISSIONS SINCE MY FAMILY HAS USED THEM PREVIOUSLY FOR OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE MECHANIC THERE TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD DO DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, A TEST DRIVE AND THEN CHECK TO MAKE SURE ALL CONNECTIONS ARE GOOD. WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS HE CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT MY PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSMISSION WAS DEFINITELY INTERNAL AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO REBUILD IT. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD NO 1 2 3 SHIFT AND NO REVERSE. ONCE THEY HAD TAKEN IT APART HE CALLED ME TO GIVE ME THE DAMAGE. THE COST OF THE REBUILD WITH SEVERAL PARTS NEEDING REPLACED THIS IS COSTING ME $2500. THESE ARE THE PARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, TORQUE CONVERTER, DRIVE SHAFT, TRANSFER CASE FLUID, STEEL PLATES, DRIVE SHELL, UPDATE PUMPS, REACTOR SHAFT, THRUST WASHER AND EPC SOLENOID. *JB

CAR STARTING MAKING A WHINNYING NOISE. I THEN TURNED AROUND AND TOOK TO CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES. THEIR INVESTIGATION FOUND IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION , ONLY 84,500 MILES). AT THIS POINT, I WILL HAVE TO AUTHORIZE THEM TO MAKE THE REPAIRS , APPROXIMATELY $2500. AFTER READING SEVERAL MESSAGE BOARDS, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT GM ADDRESSED ON THE 2003 MODEL. APPARENTLY, PART OF THE TRANSMISSION ON THE 2002 COULD NOT STAND THE HEAT. GM NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL, AND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT). *AK

THERMOSTATIC-CONTROLLED CLUTCH ON RADIATOR COOLING FAN WAS NOT DISENGAGING AND "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LAMP WAS LIGHTED. "ON-STAR" SERVICE PROBE CONFIRMED PROBLEM IN POWER TRAIN/COOLING SYSTEM. DEALER CONFIRMED DEFECTIVE COOLING FAN CLUTCH AND REPLACED FAN CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A SUV THAT RARELY SEES TRAVEL OFF OF PAVED ROADS. ALL SERVICE PERFORMED AT DEALERSHIP. COOLING FAN CLUTCH SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AT 57,520 MILES. "GOODWILL WARRANTY" COVERED MOST OF REPAIR EXPENSE. *JB

RIGHT FRONT OUTER SHAFT SEAL FAILURE. THIS IS A LIGHT TRUCK/SUV THAT SELDOM SEES USE OFF OF A PAVED ROAD. THE "RIGHT FRONT OUTER SHAFT SEAL" SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AT 57,326 MILES. "GOODWILL WARRANTY" COVERED PORTION OF REPLACEMENT COST.*JB

4 W/DR LIGHT GOES TO 4HI/ ALL WHEEL DR/4 LOW WITHOUT WARNING AT ANYTIME. THE COMPUTER MODE WAS REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AT THE MOMENT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ACTUALLY SHIFTING. ALSO HAD A LOUD JET SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE AS IF IT WAS LABORING AND HAD TO HAVE THE FAN CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REPLACED @ A COST OF OVER $800.00 . *JB

VEHICLE WAS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY TRANSMISSION FAILURE ( SUN SHELL SPLEEN THE WORKS). HAD AN INSPECTION AND HAD TO HAVE NEW SUN SHELL SPLEEN, RECONDITIONING OF TRANSMISSION. $ 3000.00 TO FIX, I SEE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE 2002 TRAILBLAZER. THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO, I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE FAILURE AND THEY E-MAILED ME AND THANK ME FOR THE E-MAIL. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAD 49,665 MILEAGE. I SHOULD HAVE SAVED THE PARTS THEY WERE IN VERY BAD SHAPE. THIS FAILURE WAS WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. *JB

I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE SLIPPING ON MY 2002 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE BUTTON AND REPLACED IT. I AM NOW HAVING ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN I START IT UP THE BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT STAYS ON. WHEN I PUT IT INTO GEAR THE ENGINE KEEPS WINDING UP AND WILL NOT SHIFT. I THEN HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF THEN START IT BACK UP. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ON A DAILY BASIS. *NM

BRAKES STARTED PULSATING WHEN APPLIED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A BRAKE INSPECTION. HIS EXPLANATION INDICATED A DESIGN FLAW WHICH CAUSES CORROSION OF THE ROTORS THAT IN TURN EATS THE PADS. EVEN WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN AT 40000 MILES THEY STILL REFUSED TO TREAT IT AS WARRANTY AND QUOTED $600 FOR THE REARS ALONE. I HAD THE FRONT ROTOR TURNED AND WILL HAVE THE REARS DONE BY MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. NO WONDER SALES ARE DOWN - NOBODY TRUST THE MANUFACTURERS ANYMORE MORE TO DO THE RIGHT THING, THEY ONLY TRUST THEM TO NOT LOSE MONEY ON A FAILURE. WHO LETS THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS KIND OF CONDUCT - WE DO. AS SOON AS MY GAS GUZZLER IS SAFE TO DRIVE AGAIN OUT COMES THE FOR SALE SIGN. *JB

WE OWN A 2002 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER 4WD WITH 57,000 MILES. ON THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT, A CLUNK WAS HEARD FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND THERE WAS NO REVERSE GEAR. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. AFTER INSPECTION AND ROAD TEST, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE "SUN SHELL SPLEEN" HAD STRIPPED AND THE SUN GEAR AND SUN SHELL DRUM HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A RECONDITIONING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS REPAIR CAME TO THE TUNE OF 2022 DOLLARS. OUR SERVICE MANAGER WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE FACTORY COVE HALF OF THE REPAIR AS A "GOODWILL GESTURE." I AM ALSO AN EMPLOYEE AT THE DEALER AND HAD ACCESS TO REPAIR INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CHEVROLET. APPARENTLY, THE MATERIAL THE ORIGINAL SUN SHELL WAS MADE OF WAS NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND PROLONGED HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT ARE FOUND IN THE TRANS. FOR THE 2003 MODEL YEAR AND LATER, GENERAL MOTORS MADE THE SUN SHELL OUT OF A "MORE HEAT RESISTANT MATERIAL" WHICH WILL "HOPEFULLY" PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM RECURRING. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO GENERAL MOTORS ADMITTING THAT THE ORIGINAL TRANS IN OUR VEHICLE WAS OF SUBSTANDARD QUALITY RIGHT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THIS PROBLEM HAS ERODED AWAY ANY CONFIDENCE WE HAVE IN GM AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF THE PROBLEM RECURRING IN A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD LEAD TO A LOSS OF CONTROL AND POSSIBLE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *JB