Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 863 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT (2002–2006) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 313. Across all years, the part named most often is fuel system (287 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Trailblazer EXT years →
All Trailblazer EXT model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 189 | 56,500 | 6 | 168 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 261 | 63,000 | 1 | 118 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 313 | 68,250 | 3 | 107 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 100 | 64,000 | 3 | 85 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Fuel system287 33%
- Electrical system277 31%
- Transmission and drivetrain92 10%
- Exterior lighting57 6.5%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)52 5.9%
- Engine cooling50 5.7%
- Body and structure41 4.7%
- Latches, locks and linkages24 2.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2004: “Automatic transmission slips when it tries to shift into 3rd or 4th gear, I read that there was a report on this happening but there was not a recall as far as I know, I recently purchased this vehicle from the original owner who says they never received any paper work from GM about doing repairs. My question is will GM repair this condition at no cost to me?”
NHTSA complaint #10955188, filed 2017-02, 136,000 miles2006: “I am having this issue, for a few weeks now, the key gets locked in the ignition switch, will not turn off, it drain the battery the first day, now I have to disconnect battery, then when it finally locked it did not want to start, I could not start the vehicle for almost two days, and I cannot afford to take it to a mechanic right now.”
NHTSA complaint #10693122, filed 2015-03, 150,000 miles2003: “The electronic throttle module to PCM communication error comes up and the vehicle starts the warm up process and then dies in the process of warm up procedures. I guess my question to you is how can I fix this or does a deal need to fix it or is there a recall on this issue?”
NHTSA complaint #11019931, filed 2017-08, 199,263 milesOther Chevrolet models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology