2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER Complaints

I HAVE A TRAIL BLAZER,CHEVROLET 2003 FOR WHICH I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE BUSHINGS/LINKS OVER 6-7 TIMES. THE PART IN REFERENCE IS MADE IN A MATERIAL "CALAMINE"??? WHICH IS NOT A METAL AND BREAKS EASILY. THERE IS NOT A CAMPAIGN ON THAT PART, YET I KNOW SEVERAL TRAIL BLAZER OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE LINKS IN THE REAR SUSPENSION CAME OUT IN IRON OR SOME TYPE OF METAL. I AM TOTALLY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS NOT LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING HOME AFTER DROPPING MY SON OFF AT WORK ON I-95. I WAS TRAVELING BETWEEN 65 AND 70 MPH AND PASSING A SEMI WHEN MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND WITH NO PRIOR WARNING SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF MY CAR AND ABLE TO DRIVE IT THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. ON MONDAY I DROVE MY VEHICLE AS INSTRUCTED TO THE MJ SULLIVANS, THE DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I BOUGHT THE TRAILBLAZER, FOR SERVICE. I WAS THEN NOTIFIED THAT THE STATOR SUPPORT BUSHINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE CHEAPER TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. INTERESTINGLY, THE NEW TRANSMISSION COMES WITH A 10YR/100K MILE WARRANTY AND MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 69000 MILES OF HIGHWAY MILES. ASKED THE SERVICE ENGINEER ABOUT HOW UNUSUAL THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS AND THEY TOLD ME HIGHLY CONSIDERING THE WEAR ON OTHER PARTS IN THE TRANSMISSION. WE DO NOT TOW OR HAVE HILLS IN OUR AREA AND FOR THE MOST PART ONLY TRAVEL ON THE HIGHWAY SO I WOULD NOT SUSPECT THAT WE WOULD BE PUTTING A HIGH LEVEL OF WEAR AND TEAR ON IT. WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED ODOMETER WAS INTERMITTENTLY INACCURATE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TURNING A CORNER OR DRIVING OVER A BUMP HEARD A LOUD NOISE. IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH METAL WAS RUBBING TOGETHER. THIS HAPPENED WHEN SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE LOT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY REPLACED THE FRONT SUSPENSION SWAY BAR AND FRONT CONTROL ARM SIX TIMES, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED EVERY SIX MONTHS OR 3,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005. *NM

SUBJECT:REDUCED POWER PROBLEM WITH TRAILBLAZER COMMENTS: I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD CHEVY TRAILBLAZER THAT HAS ON THREE OCCASIONS HAD A DRAMATIC LOSS OF POWER AND A REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT COMES ON AND LOSES ALL ACCELERATION. TWICE THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, AND I FEARED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY TODDLER, AS MY CAR SLOWED FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH AN ELECTRONIC SENSOR TO THE ACCELERATOR. I HAVE TRIED TO RAISE THIS WITH CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO BLATANTLY DISREGARDED MY SAFETY CONCERNS AND TOLD ME THAT MY CONCERNS WOULD GO NO FURTHER UP THAN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK LEVEL AND THEY COULD OFFER ME NO ASSISTANCE. BASED ON MY RESEARCH, THIS IS A DOCUMENTED MANUFACTURING DEFECT, HOWEVER, GM REFUSES TO RECALL ANY CARS AND CLAIMS THAT THE BULLETIN DOCUMENTING THE PROBLEM ONLY SERVES TO ASSIST DEALERS IN THE REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL TRAILBLAZER OWNERS, AND BELIEVE THAT CHEVY AND GM NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR IGNORING THIS DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. FROM NHTSA WEB SITE. *NM

VEHICLE WHEN PLACED IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, DOES NOT ENGAGE FRONT WHEELS AND IN FACT DOES REMAIN IN ONLY TWO-WHEEL DRIVE. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE ON SNOWY ROADS PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VEHICLE CAN BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *JB

HEARD LOTS OF NOISES. AT 51,225 MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES FOUND VEHICLE NEEDED: (1) DIFFERENTIAL COVER GASKET (2) PINION SHAFT SEAL (3) EXTENSION HOUSING SEAL (4) THERMAL FAN CLUTCH COST: $1,800 LEFT ALONE, FAILED SEALS AND GASKET WILL CAUSE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, FAILED FAN CLUTCH WILL CAUSE ENGINE SEIZING, FIRE. *NM

DOUBLE FAILURE OF 4-WHEEL DRIVE INDICATORS. 4-WHEEL DRIVE FAILED BUT THE "SERVICE LIGHT" DID NOT APPEAR ON THE DASH AND THE LED LIGHT ON THE 2WD/AWD/4-HI/4-LO SWITCH DID NOT DISPLAY CORRECTLY. BECAUSE WE WERE UNAWARE THAT BOTH INDICATORS WERE NOT WORKING AND THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS NOT WORKING WE ATTEMPTED TO GO OVER A MOUNTAIN PASS DURING SNOW CONDITIONS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS WORKING CORRECTLY. I WAS BRINGING MY MOTHER HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL AFTER A HEART PROCEDURE. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING CAREFULLY, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DID BEGIN TO LOSE CONTROL, BUT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS. WE WERE FORCED TO TURN AROUND AND TAKE ANOTHER ROUTE, WHICH DOUBLED THE LENGTH OF OUR DRIVE. THIS NORMALLY WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM EXCEPT FOR MY MOTHER'S CONDITION. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A SMALL CRACK ALONG THE NECK OF THE GAS TANK ALLOWING VISIBLE LEAKAGE WHEN FILLING UP WITH GASOLINE OR WHILE DRIVING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THERE WAS A LEAK ON THE FILLER PIPE OF THE GASOLINE STORAGE TANK ASSEMBLY. DUE TO THE MILEAGE THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER DID HOWEVER OFFER COST ASSISTANCE BY SPLITTING THE REPAIR COST. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK UPDATED 11/30/2005 - *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED SOMETIMES THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM EITHER THE OUTSIDE OR THE INSIDE. SHE STARTED HAVING THIS PROBLEM IN 3-04. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, MAINLY TO THE BACK DOORS AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE DEALER ORIGINALLY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY, THEY WERE SAYING THE DOORS WERE STICKING BECAUSE SHE DID NOT BRING THE CAR IN AND HAD THE DOORS LUBRICATED. SHE DENIED THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. *AK