2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT Complaints

WHILE DRIVING, MY SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED BY BOTH A GM DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. I WAS TOLD THE ENTIRE "CLUSTER" WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE ARE MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS AND THAT THERE IS A 2-3 WEEK DELAY IN GETTING THE PART SHIPPED. I WAS ALSO TOLD IT WOULD COST ABOUT $400 TO GET IT FIXED. MY CAR IS A 2003 AND HAS ABOUT 81,000 MILES ON IT. A SPEEDOMETER IS NOT LIKE AN ALIGNMENT, WEAR AND TEAR ITEM, OR NEGLECT OF HAVING IT SERVICED. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE OF SPEED, THE INABILITY TO GET THE PART IN A TIMELY MANNER AND THE UNWILLINGNESS OF GM TO COVER THE REPAIR. *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 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

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

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

THE LEFT REAR DOOR FAILS TO LATCH CLOSE. THE ONLY WAY I FOUND TO KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED IS TO OPERATE THE INSIDE DOOR RELEASE LEVER MANY (30-80 TIMES) AND TRY CLOSING THE DOOR EVER SO OFTEN. IT APPEARS THAT THE DOOR FAILS TO LATCH MOST OFTEN WHEN IT HASN'T BEEN USED FOR A COUPLE WEEKS. I HAVE SPRAYED LUBRICATING OIL/SOLUTION INTO THE LATCHING MECHANISM SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME THE PROBLEM WILL GO AWAY FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND THEN IT FAILS TO LATCH AGAIN. I INTEND ON BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY CAN DO ANYTHING. *JB

THE GAS TANK HAD A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AS THE WELD ON THE TANK CRACKED AND WAS LEAKING. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TRAIL BLAZER. SAFETY DEFECT IN TURN SIGNALS. RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GENERAL MOTORS, THEN CONTACT RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE MADE CALL AFTER CALL TO HER LOCAL DEALER, AND THEY HAVE NOT CALLED HER BACK .INCIDENT DATE WAS JUNE OR JULY 2004. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND GOING ON A TRIP THE CONTACT NOTICED BLINKERS COMING ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. NO CRASH . NO POLICE REPORT TAKEN. NO INJURY REPORTED. *AK

MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN THE CRAIN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FOR THE TRANSMISSION, LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO CRAIN ON SEPTEMBER 26, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY GONE. OF COURSE, THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $2,000.00 WHICH I FEEL THAT I SHOULDN'T BE OUT OF POCKET FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE I REPEATEDLY TOOK THE VEHICLE IN BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WASN'T SHIFTING PROPER. OF COURSE, THEY SENT ME ON MY WAY AND STATED THAT THERE WASN'T A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE SERVICE ADVISOR PULLED ALL OF MY SERVICE TICKETS THAT SHOWED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR THE TRANSMISSION....THEY THEN AGREED TO SPLIT THE AMOUNT WITH ME; HOWEVER, I FEEL AS THOUGH I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SPLIT THE COST BECAUSE I MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO CRAIN'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO THIS LAST VISIT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *NM