2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe a "shift to park" message that appears after the vehicle is already in park, which can prevent the car from fully shutting off and in some cases leaves accessory power on. Complaints also cover exhaust flange bolts that corrode and let the muffler or exhaust drop while driving, rough or delayed transmission behavior, and occasional brake and steering warnings. Reports come from both low-mileage vehicles and ones past 60,000 miles.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Shift-to-park message and vehicle won't shut off

   • 65 complaints (58%)
   • median 45,500 mi at 3.2 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $656 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe shutting the vehicle off in park and getting a "Shift to Park" message with a chime, even though the dash and shifter both read park. Getting the vehicle to power down often takes repeated on-off cycles or wiggling the shifter through the gears, and some report the radio, lights and instrument panel staying on and draining the battery. Several dealers diagnosed the shifter assembly or park switch and quoted a replacement; owners report parts were on back order and that their vehicle was not covered by any recall or program for this. Reported across a wide mileage range, from vehicles around 14,000 miles to over 140,000, and described as intermittent at first and then more frequent.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Before buying, park the vehicle, shut it off and confirm it powers down cleanly without a chime or message; repeat a few times. Ask whether the shifter assembly or park switch has been replaced and keep written records of any related repair.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Shift Park issue - I bought the car 10 days ago and now start to have an issue when I park the car, put the car in the parking mode and turn off. The car doesn’t turn off as the message shift park is on. I need to turn on again, move, go back, change for drive and park and finally allow me to turn it off. I read it’s a common issue in 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazers.”

   NHTSA complaint #11570639, filed 2024-02

   “When putting vehicle in park and turning the car off, getting message to place vehicle in park and car dinging. This started about 2 weeks ago and was intermittent, now it's every time I put the car in park and takes me about 5 minutes of turning the car on and off, placing in park before it finally registers the vehicle is in park.”

   NHTSA complaint #11614773, filed 2024-09
2. 2
   Engine

   Exhaust flange bolts rust and exhaust drops

   • 10 complaints (9%)
   • typically at 4.0 yrs old
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the bolts or studs joining the exhaust sections shearing off due to corrosion, letting the muffler or rear exhaust drop and drag, sometimes at highway speed. Because the fasteners are welded in, several were told the whole catalytic converter or muffler assembly had to be replaced rather than just the bolts. Some reports describe the front exhaust leaking at the same joint. Reported from roughly 2 to 3 years of age, in some cases around 30,000 to 65,000 miles, and often noted after winter or in rust-prone conditions.

   What to check: Look under the vehicle at the exhaust flange and hanger joints for heavy rust, missing bolts or a sagging muffler, and listen for exhaust leaks or rattles on a cold start. Have a shop inspect the flange area on a lift before purchase, especially on vehicles from snowy regions.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving down the highway when the 3 bolts holding the exhaust under the car broke off. My exhaust was dragging down the highway until I could safely get pulled over. The bolts are welded in of course so you can’t just put new bolts in you have to replace the whole catalytic converter, which is a pain to do unless you take it to the dealer and pay $2000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11754629, filed 2026-08

   “The exhaust system and muffler fell off the bottom of my vehicle. The bolts holding the exhaust together failed and broke which led to this. This is a common failure with the newer trailblazer that GM is failing to acknowledge. There have been multiple reports of this. I had my vehicle inspected by Webb Chevy in oak Lawn IL and all the mechanic could say is “they don’t make them like they used to” which means they know this problem exists. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11723133, filed 2026-03
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake warnings, soft or sticking pedal

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the brake, ABS and traction-control lights coming on together, sometimes with shaking at highway speed and a pedal that felt firm but slow to respond. Dealers in these cases replaced a brake control module and applied a software update. Other complaints describe the pedal going to the floor without stopping the vehicle, a pedal that stuck down, and loud squealing that returned after cleaning. Reported from under 10,000 miles up to very high mileage, with several cases in the 15,000 to 45,000 mile range.

   What to check: Ask for the service history on the brake control module and any brake-related software updates, and test the pedal feel and braking on a quiet road, watching for warning lights during the drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I called the dealership when my car had less than 10,000 miles complaining of the brakes squealing very loudly almost sounding like grinding I took the car in they said the brakes were just dirty they cleaned them the very next day the brakes were making the same noise I call them again they say next time I come in for oil change they will look at them I go in they say they are dirty to drive fast on the interstate and stop really fast and it will loosen the dirt. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11538752, filed 2023-08

   “The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to come to a complete stop. After the failure, the Service ESC and Service Power Steering messages were displayed. The contact stated that months later, upon starting the vehicle, the Shift to Park message was displayed and the vehicle failed to recognize that the shifter was still in park(P). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11555103, filed 2023-11, 15,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Rough or delayed shifting and loss of power

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe harsh or delayed shifts, shuddering while accelerating, and in some cases the engine dropping into a reduced-power mode at highway speed or on grades. A few owners report jerking and hesitation when changing gears, with dealers pointing to a transmission issue; others describe repeated repair attempts without a lasting fix. Several mention an intermittent loss of acceleration that made merging or holding speed difficult. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 50,000 miles, with some cases at much lower mileage.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car on a highway on-ramp and up a grade to check for hesitation, harsh shifts or a reduced-power message, and ask whether any transmission repair or relearn has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The cruise control system intermittently fails to engage indicating an error with the system. After several random occasions it was finally determined that the issue is related to the brake pedal sensor not determining that the brake pedal has been fully released. It requires having to manually pull the brake pedal up to properly set the sensor to allow the cruise control system to engage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11706947, filed 2025-12

   “Vehicle experiences intermittent loss of acceleration at highway speeds. While driving at highway speed or going uphill, up ramp, down hill, down ramp the engine loses power and enters reduce power mode, making it difficult or impossible to maintain speed or safely merge with traffic. The issue is unpredictable and has occurred despite prior repair attempts. Vehicle is covered under a GM special turbo warranty for a known defect. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11708955, filed 2026-01
5. 5
   Forward collision avoidance

   Forward collision alerts and automatic braking

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 18,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2025

   Complaints describe the forward collision system warning of a reduced or unavailable system, and in some cases braking the vehicle hard on an open highway with adaptive cruise engaged. Owners also report the system activating with no obstacle present. Dealers were contacted in several cases but the vehicles were not always diagnosed or repaired. Typically reported between about 35,000 and 40,000 miles, often at highway speeds with cruise control on.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that no forward-camera or driver-assist warning is showing, and ask whether the front camera or its software has been replaced or updated. A test drive on a highway with cruise control can reveal unexpected alerts or braking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On April 13, 2025, around 5:00 PM, while driving, a warning appeared on my dashboard: “Forward Collision System Reduced.” Not knowing the full meaning but understanding it could pose a safety risk, I immediately contacted the dealership the next day. I informed them it was urgent, but no one followed up. Days later, I called again and was told to bring the vehicle in. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11673580, filed 2025-07

   “Noise only when cold at front tire passenger side Nosie at front tire passenger side while steering. Check engine lite code PO299 Turbocharger/supercharger underboost-engine power is reduced. Replaced tire at 24600 miles. While driving at 65 mph, the forward collision avoidance system activated, and the car stopped at 65 mph. It happened 5 times that car fully stopped, and numerus time I get forward collision activated but then nothing happens. Imagine on freeway from 65 to 0 brakes by itself. Hard shifting and body shaking while accelerating. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11604427, filed 2024-07

Buying note. This model year draws a steady stream of complaints about the shifter not registering park and about corroded exhaust fasteners, so verify both before buying and get any related repairs documented. Checking the brake and driver-assist system histories and confirming warranty or special coverage status will help set expectations for ownership.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.