Problems with 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. while driving various speeds, the front end of the vehicle vibrated. the vibration was more pronounced while the engine was idling. also, while ascending up a hill, the vehicle would not properly accelerate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failures. the mechanic replaced the motor mounts, control arms, and tension belt; however, the failures continued. the manufacturer and an unknown dealer were notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 177,000. the vin was invalid.

Flasher module, transmission leak evening after replacement, upper control arms goes out after replacement.

I've had to replace the transmission twice now i have in fact reported to gm asking if there was any recourse i may take and they simply flat out told me no! so i started hearing a noise and then the transmission started to not shift properly to the point you could not drive it. to me this i consider this a very unsafe condition because if it stopped moving altogether i'd be on the highway with the possibility of an accident occurring. i do have an invoice but no scanner, it did cost me 3k or better on both occasions to replace it. i'd like to know if there's anything i'm able to do to be reimbursed for any or all of the inconvenience i've concurred.

put vehicle in park and stayed in drive. shut vehicle off and put on park however still in drive and now will not start. since i work on vehicles i looked at transmission linkage and found cable came off transmission linkage. plastic clip broken. looked on line and found transmission shifter cable repair clip for $14.99. since it was special order i went to dealer and was told there is no repair kit and that they have plenty of shifter cables in stock $75.00 went ahead and ordered aftermarket part special order 2 days and today 3 days later was told out of stock and none available til december. coincidence or is this a common problem? i'm afraid someone will not know or realize vehicle still in drive when shifter moves to park and not moving shifter linkage at transmission. *tr

I was driving in the left lane on interstate highway 290 (youngman highway) at about 65 m.p.h. when smoke began wafting from the area where the steering column meets the dashboard. i took immediate evasive action, pulled onto and off the shoulder onto the grass, shut the engine off, ran to the barrier fence and watched to see if vehicle was going to burst into flames. after calling aaa, about ten minutes had elapsed without further smoke so i assumed i could drive to the next exit ramp at colvin blvd. (about 1,000 feet away) and off to a wendy's parking lot where i waited for a aaa flatbed truck. my suv was flatbed towed to my dealership, fuccillo chevrolet on grand island, where the problem was diagnosed as a faulty ignition switch, code number c0379. total cost of repair was$222.66. it would be nice to be reimbursed for this expense. though no visible fire was observed, the smoke was a clear sign of problem that was so hot it caused oxidation of material into visible smoke. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the transmission stopped and there was a sudden increase in engine rpms. the vehicle became stuck in drive and would not switch gears. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission failed. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. updated 10/24/2014*lj updated 4/16/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. while driving at 40 mph, the transmission shifted between drive and overdrive. the contact also stated there was a fuel odor when driving. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission shift kit and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Was driving on the highway to lansing when my check engine light came on and i lost all power and guage function.i began to hear a loud howling noise, pulled off at the exit went to the repair shop in portland, mi where my wheel hub exploded in their hand on the passenger side. the fan clutch has completely stopped working witch caused the vehicle to overheat, and loose all power and my 4 wheel drive locked right up and stopped working. this was extremely dangerous at a rate of 70 mph because the vehicle slowed all the way down to 25 and had no power. i have had so many issues with this vehicle that i am now checking for recalls to have the vehicle serviced completely.

The car takes off as if it doesn't want to allow shift change. it automatically changes on it's on. transmission starting to slip. *tr

Transmission cooler lines spring a small pin hole leak. leak directly under power steering pump. lines cause transmission to slip and have very hard time shifting into next gear. truck would almost red line. can cause internal damage to transmission if kept driving. truck has sat for 6 months now. can cause an accident if transmission loses to much fluid. *tr

I was at a drive thru pharmacy when my gear shifter cable (broke) and was stuck in park. it would not move. i had to get towed to my mechanic's garage, luckily about 1 mile down the road. prior to this happening, i had noticed the gear shifter very loose for atleast a year!! the mechanic told me there had been alot of people with the same issue on their chevrolets. the chevrolet parts dealer told my mechanic the same thing. there should be a recall on the defective gear shifter cable. i could have been at a major intersection when this happened. luckily, i was in a parking lot. *tr

The transmission shifter cable came off the lever connected to the transmission thus leaving me stuck in reverse during this recent event. i had to drive the car in reverse to park it safely out of the way of traffic. the problem resulted from a plastic bushing that connects the cable to the lever, see gm # 15785087. in my opinion this bushing was not designed to withstand the normal life of the car due to the degradation of the bushing which essentially snapped in two pieces and allowed the cable to dislodge from the transmission and leaving the driver stuck in whatever gear they happen to be in. luckily the car was able to be turned off after safely being removed from traffic. i had to tie wrap cable back to lever to place in the proper gear ie. park. gm should have designed a more rigid linkage connection with a safety pin to prevent this dislodging. the other issue is that the console has to be removed to replace the cable thus leaving the average owner stuck in having to take the car to the dealer and incur the cost upwards of $300.00 to replace it. *tr

We own a 2003 chevy trailblazer which keeps going into reduce power mode, i pulled the codes at various time and different parts, i replaced the crank, cam, and accelerator position sensors. i also replaced the fuel pressure regulator, fan clutch, starter, alternator, spark plugs and coil packs to avail. gm knows about this issue and refuse to address this issue. what will it take to get this issue address, lawsuit and or death. ashamed on you gm. this issue is an accident waiting to happen. *tr

Bought used from a dealer. had for 2 days when had first prob that was fixed got back after a week. ran great. drove for 1 day and ran good, stopped at a stop sign and went to pull onto main highway and wouldn't move forward. backed up fine but no forward. i finally got it to crawl forward. after a lil while it kicked back in and ran fine til i stopped again. finally i made it home and parked it. after they finally came and towed it and "fixed" it i had it and drove it for 1 day and had same problem. after it sat for a while it did go again. pulled into driveway and parked it. still waiting for it to be towed and "fixed" again and hopefully right this time. i have researched this problem and found it happens a lot. sounds like it might be the fan clutch or sun shell spline. not sure yet though. called mechanic that dealer had fix it and they only changed a valve in tranny they thought was bad. said they have about 3 more of them to check before they replace whole tranny. i hope more people research these vehicles and don't buy them. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 0 mph. the vehicle would regain speed after several minutes. the failure recurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was later towed to the dealer for diagnosis where they advised that they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 160,000. the vin was unavailable.

Automatic drive shift linkage disconnected due to failure of what appears to be a small plastic rivet that held the linkage components together. transmission could not be shifted out of drive, not even to neutral. could only stop car by coming to a complete stop with the brakes, turning off the ignition key, and then applying the emergency brake. called dealer and then tow truck. when the tower arrived, he looked at the make/model of the vehicle and as i described what had happened he said he knew what the problem was because he had picked up 6 of the same vehicle in the last 2-3 months for the same problem. when he checked, he was correct, the linkage had become disconnected due to a broken plastic rivet. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact merged to the shoulder and restarted the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, which confirmed that the sun shell gear was fractured and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000 and the current failure mileage was 152,265.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trail blazer. the contact was driving 45 mph when he noticed that the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis who stated that they needed to replace the fan clutch. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 84,000. updated 9/25/12 *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. the contact stated that erroneously, the vehicle was able to be shifted out of park without the key being in the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the vin was not included under nhtsa campaign id number: 03v075000 (power train:automatic transmission). the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the current mileage was 91,000. the failure mileage was 87,000.

My 2003 chevy trailblazer check engine light comes on accompanied by the low engine power light. the vehicle goes into limp mode. this is a safety feature that allows the computer to protect the engine from any damage should something go wrong. the only problem is that there is nothing wrong. this happens multiple times a day (6-8). changing sensors doesn't fix it. i believe it to be a problem with the 2003 chevy trailblazer computer. i have read many forums with hundreds of people that have this same problem. please look into it before it causes an accident or makes an emergency situation a fatal one. *tr

Driving from out of town and all of the sudden rps ran high and trans would not shift. it would catch finally and then slip out had to drive it in 1st gear. had it rebuilt lasted 1 yr and now back in shop! having it rebuilt again. very frustrated with this vehicle. i have had to replace just about everything on it at least once some things twice. very poor made vehicle. please look into the transmission problems. mechanic states it is a known fact that the transmissions in trailblazers overheat which causes these issues. how can gm sleep at night knowing they are charging 36,000.00 for a piece of junk! i have to work hard for my money and don't appreciate the way gm turns a deaf ear to their poor workmanship and design. i feel i should be compensated for the frustration! *tr

I bought my 2003 trailblazer ltz used about 6 weeks ago at 146,000 miles. today, it will not go over 45 mph. due to internal transmission hardware defects. no check engine light, or any warnings were displayed. the problem has been noted thousands of different times between different trailblazer owners and gm refuses to issue a recall on the faulty sunshell gears! so i'm left with a huge safety hazard caused by gm as well as having to pay for their mistake?? i work hard on a tight budget and i'm in the beginning of an 18 month payment structure for this vehicle and cannot afford the $2600 a gm dealership wants to fix an issue they created. so do i drive an unsafe and unreliable vehicle, or work 90 hours a week for the next 3 months to fix my new car?!? *tr

I had gone to a friends house with my boyfriend and our 10month old daughter the car was working great on 12-31-11 at around 5pm we parked the vehicle. on our way home at about 10:45pm we got on the road car drove fine we jumped on the fwy it was foggy and really hard to see we were on the 54 fwy in san diego approaching the 805 south there is a high on ramp we were going about 55 to 60 and all of a sudden i pushed on gas and lost all power to vehicle it sounded like i was in neutral and because it was up hill and curved very difficult to see us with just hazard lights on. i was praying thinking someone was going to take us out. every car would swerving around us and honking we finally pulled over to the side of the fwy off of the ramp and turned off car turned it back on and it gave us enough power to get to the street exit. once there again did the same and at that point we parked and left car on the side of the road after calling a friend to pick us up since we didn't want our baby out on the street that late and on new years. i have also had several other problems ac only works on 5 back passenger panel makes clicking noise when on and back ac works when it wants to. also rpm gauge doesn't function, car alarm is very faint when place on. i have 3 other children and 1 car and now don't know what to do since we depend on the car. we have had small problems with this car and about 5 to 6 months ago my car engine started knocking and had to be replaced however ac already wasn't working and neither was the rpm gauge. when we replaced the engine the car ran great had a lot of power and everything. this was the worst experience of my life and i thought we were going to die. *tr

Was making a lane change on perfect road conditions when the back end of the trailblazer started shaking uncontrollably. veered into the median and was about to drive into on coming traffic. cranked hard on the steering wheel to the right to avoid traffic and rolled the vehicle 4 times. *tr

I have bought many chevy vehicles but with all the problems im having with this truck im not sure i will purchase another. last year my transmission was giving me problems and there was a recall on it and my truck was not covered under the recall also same was with the tail lights. this year i am having problems with my wipers during rain storm i went to turn them on and nothing. i couldnt see so i had to pull over until the rain had let up(2hrs later). i am just speechless when it comes to these "recalls". it seems that myself nor anyone i know ever falls on these lists, you would think with all the money we are paying to purchase these vehicles that someone would want to make sure they keeep our business. *tr

2003 chevrolet trailblazer. consumer writes in regards to fuel tank and rust holes *tgw the consumer was informed the fuel tank was leaking, due to rust holes and pitting. there was also a defect with the filler tube. the consumer was informed the fuel pump would need to be replaced due to the other problems with the fuel system. also, the transmission cooling lines were replaced, due to a leak . *jb

No problems with my 2003 chevy trailblazer previously. went out to start it and it wouldn't go in reverse. needed new transmission at a cost of $4,000 dollars. my understanding is that this is a common problem with trailblazers but it has not been addressed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. the contact stated that while traveling 35 mph the vehicle came to a stop. the engine remained on, but the vehicle would not move. the contact tried moving the vehicle in reverse as well with and it failed to accelerate in either direction. the vehicle was towed to a transmission repair facility and the mechanic stated that the problem came from a bearing in the transfer case that was too small and it had began to wear down. the failure caused the transfer case to become stuck in the neutral position. the mechanic stated that this was a common problem with the vehicle. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage and current mileage was 38,000.

I am filing a complaint .and will continue to file complaints until all of the consumers issues have been addressed. i understand that gm is not willing to hold theirselfs liable for these issues ,but people spend pretty pennies out of pocket to purchase vehicles from these manufacturers to spend more money to pay for repairs after just a short while of owning these . i have researched issues i am having with my vehicle , and i am having all the above listed issues , and do not wish to spend large amounts of money to pay for these cost considering i am still paying for this vehicle . i just spoke with a representive about these complaints ,and have set up an appoinment to pay a dealership for diagnostics , but am hoping that i can get closure on these issues without paying big expenses. i hope everyone else will follow suit and keep inputting your complaints until they are resolved. my vehicle issues are the fan clutch needs replaced, my gas tank has been replaced already,just replaced my serpintine belt this morning, my exterior lights (brake/turn signal) have been replaced 3 times over two months, and engine light keeps coming on , something doesnt seem right underneath this vehicle either. i just feel like i am paying for a peice of junk on top of paying to keep the vehicle running. oh yea this vehicle has had to have thousands of dollars of body work done as well thanks to mother nature. i just hope they will be responsible enough to take on this responsibilty of theirs ,not ours. *tr

As i accelerated from a stopped position the vehicle became undrivable. the transmission had to be completely rebuilt. planetary failed as well as other broken parts. i still have the receipt from cottman's transmission for $3k. the transmission was warrantied for 3 yr. it has been 5, and the transmission has again failed. planetary again broken. vehicle now has 150,000 mi. i think it is absurd that there has been nothing done by nhtsa. no recalls, cost assistance, or even an investigation. considering the number of complaints, action should have been taken long ago. even gm admits problems in some of it's bulletins. why are you doing nothing about this.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer ltz. while driving at approximately 5-10 mph, the all wheel drive warning light illuminated. the dealer advised that the 4x4 actuator would need to be replaced. the claims adjuster for the contact's extended warranty adjustor advised that only the sensor would need to be replaced. the dealer did not agree. the dealer advised that the vehicle would not be safe to put on the road with only replacing the sensor and not the actual actuator. the approximate failure and current mileages were 67,064.

Transmission failed in reverse - required new transmission @ 150,840 miles.

I have a 2003 chevy trailblazer lt. a few weeks ago i found out my 4x4 was not working properly. after only driving my blazer 3 times, at highway speed (70), i heard a very loud knock in the front end shortly followed by continuous knocking and very quickly lost control of the brakes. due to circumstances being on my side i was able to get off of the highway and place the car in park and have it towed to the garage. upon review of the front end it was determined the front end differential literally blew apart. my trailblazer only has 84,000 miles and i now have to replace the whole front axle. most likely at a cost of at least $2,000.00. this repair includes the cost of an axle from a salvage yard...not a new one and entails at least 16 hours of labor. with review of articles posted to auto sites on the internet, this is a very wide spread issue with trailblazers. why is gm not stepping up to the plate and addressing these issues? i was lucky this morning. my mechanic does not know how i was not in a serious wreck seeing that this happened during morning rush hour. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. the contact stated while driving at speeds of 50 mph, there was an unusual grinding coming from the front end of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the front differential was replaced. the failure recurred within five months after repairs. the dealer advised the failure was due to the tires. the dealer would not make repairs under the vehicle warranty, stating the contact voided the warranty by installing used tires on the vehicle. the manufacturer was in agreement with the dealer. the failure mileage was 92,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

Transmission went out on 2003 chevy trailblazer lt. no warning lights came on to indicate that there was a problem with the vehicle. have to replace transmission. *tr

Sun shell, (housing) on transmission shredded into oil pan and radiator. was told the transmission literally exploded sending metal everywhere. checked on line posts and see it is very common on 2003 chevy trailblazer, (76000 miles). very dangerous. left me stranded on the expressway. no warning signs!! *tr

My 2003 trailblazer has gone to the shop now several times. the service engine light comes on and has a problems shifting into gear. i have taken my vehicle back to the dealership and it drives fine for a little while now i have the problem again. *tr

On 04-06-2009 at 10:30 am i was driving south on md rt. 4 . the transmission then slipped out of gear while decelerating. followed by a loud grinding noise, my rpm's raced and then slammed into gear almost causing a serious accident. *tr

Heard a popping sound near the center front of the suv. thereafter noticed some grinding going on when the suv was accelerating. took it a dealer to have look at the brakes. turned out to be the front axle assembly broke and got metal filings in the differential causing the transmission to slip. repair cost thirty-three hundred dollars. replaced the differential and front axle assembly. *tr

The 4wd does not work on the vehicle. this has happened numerous times since i have purchased the vehicle. the 4wd will all of sudden just stop working for no apparent reason, then will work again. the indicator says the vehicle is in 4wd, but the front tires are not locked in and acts as if it is in 2wd. the vehicle goes long periods of time with the 4wd working, then the 4wd just stops functioning. this, in my opinion, is extremely hazardous and is going to cause an accident. just this weekend i was in a very hilly area and we received some snow, my 4wd decided not to work and i was very nearly stuck several times. not to mention, causing a traffic hazard because my vehicle spun out at every intersection because i have no traction. i have taken the vehicle into the dealer and they insist nothing is wrong. i get the vehicle home and the 4wd still does not work. after doing some research on the internet a lot of consumers have this same problem. gm needs to recall their faulty 4wd system. these vehicles are an accident waiting to happen. *tr

2003 chevy trailblazer. transfer case needed to be replaced in 2006, @ 32,000 miles under warranty. transfer case needs to be replaced again 2009 @ 66,000 miles, warranty period over ,now its $2200.00 out my pocket. after researching this is a well known problem with these transfer cases. the bearing installed can not handle it. apparently gm has recently updated the bearing. gm will not recall these transfer cases. other gm vehicles have related issues with the transfer case. *tr

I bought a used 2003 chevy trailblazer 2 months ago, now i' having over $1500 worth of transmission work done to it! after coming downhill on a busy highway, as i started up, a noise came from under my feet. i lost power and every time i gave it gas, that noise returned. almost ran over by the heavy traffic speeding down the hill, was finally able to pull onto the dangerous shoulder. shop said shell broke apart and went into trans. shop said he has made a good living on these transmissions!!!...and replaces them with a much better, thicker, stronger "spline" in them. who has to get killed before they switch over to these better aftermarket pieces? *tr

2003 trailblazer that's been making a tapping noise for months when i turn it off but told there was no problem. told sometime exhaust system makes this innocent noise. now started the trailblazer and it sounds like a jet taking off then engine light came on. told by dealer that clutch fan broken and need to reprogram the computer at a cost of $900. after researching this issue, found hundreds of owners with the identical problem. requesting a recall!!! *tr

Fan clutch not working. i own a 2003 chevy trailblazer ls. i have looked into this problem through the internet and there are so many complaints about this problem. this should be a recall because i can understand several but not in the hundreds. there is a bad tapping noise and it's from the fan clutch going bad. it's very expensive to repair this problem. *tr

Transmission line leaking. cooling line rubbing on catalytic converter. transmission fluid leaking on converter. smoke could be seen. possible fire issue. transmission failure possible if fluid level too low. line was in contact with converter. remedy was to have all lines replaced so they were routed away from converter. *tr

The vehicle transfer case has failed twice. the first failure occurred at 33,377 miles. the dealer repaired the vehicle under the vehicle original warranty. the second failure occurred with 43,971 miles. (miles per each transfer case)the vehicle was idling rough and in 4wd. i selected the awd mode and the vehicle made a clunking sound but stopped idling rough. when i tried to put it back in 4wd it would not go into the 4wd mode. when i returned home i tried to put the vehicle in 4 low and it went into 4 low but would not come out of 4 low. the servicing dealer and gm claim the tc failure is because we live in a northern state and therefore use the awd and 4wd more than other regions. i spoke with another dealer and they claim gm is aware of this problem, but cannot fix it. the second dealer said they could repair the vehicle, but assured me that the tc would fail again. both dealer said they see these trailblazer tc failing all winter long. there were about 4 to 5 trailblazers in the service dept (not including ours) with broken transfer cases. *tr

2003 chevrolet trailblazer. *tr

I'd driven 60 miles to destination. 1/2 hour later went out to trailblazer. there was a large puddle of transmission fluid under the vehicle and a trail of drips leading up to it. mechanic determined the line rubbed on catalytic converter and wore a hole in it. the fluid sprayed all over under the vehicle. he said it was amazing there wasn't a fire because of how flammable it is and how hot the converter gets. it was down 4 quarts of fluid. he spliced out the worn line and used a coupler to fix it and move it away from the converter. *tr

Transmission will not shift into 3rd gear and has high rpms (3500-4000). *jb

Transmission failure at 68,000 miles on two wheel drive vehicle. stranded wife and kids on interstate in michigan. thank you to the michigan state police for helping! very dissatisfied with the whole gm brand. second suv owned and similar problems with both. this will be the last.... *jb