Problems with 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer POWER TRAIN

Fan clutch not properly working on wife's 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. *tr

I started to do a 3 point turn and when i went to put my vehicle in reverse, there was a loud clunk and i no longer had reverse and would make an awful sound when i tried. i could drive it forward, but it wouldn't shift out of low gear, driving the rpms way up. had to have it towed. took it to a gm dealership and they gave me the choice of a rebuild or replacing the transmission. i chose to replace because it would have a longer warranty. the warranty on this was 36000 miles... it had 42800. currently conversing with gm to try and get them to cover some of the expense. *jb

Transmission failure. i own a 2003 trailblazer and have had numerous problems with it. they have replaced 4 fan clutches, 3 computers, transmission just had its 2nd overhaul and numerous other little items. this vehicle only has 66,400 miles on it and i bought it brand new. *jb

2003 chevy trailblazer transmission failure at 52000 miles. *nm

2003 chevy trailblazer with 34100 miles service engines light comes on, i take it to the dealer who fixes it and recommend i have the transmission and another regular maintenance completed that cost me over 400.00 dollars. two weeks later i have to take it back becasue the speedometer went past 115 miles while sitting still, a week later the transmission starts stalling while going forward and the engine fan is running constantly even on start up. checked the fluid i had none in the transmission. yet it was suppose to have been filled when maintenance was done. took it back to the dealer it is no longer under warranty and just under a hundred miles later my 2003 chevy trailblazer which is 3 years old. there is a problem with the transmission in the chevy trailblazer and i am not the only one experiencing this. something needs to be done. help. *nm

Well maintained 2003 trailblazer transmission had to be replaced due to 80,000 mileage. therefore, a defective design must have lead to this occurrence. we paid over $3,000 for a gm rebuilt transmission with a 3 year and 100,000 mile warranty. thus with this type of warranty, the manufacturer must have been aware the initial product was defective. *jb

Vehicle was bought brand new from gm dealer on oct 31, 2002. vehicle has 71,770 miles on it. was driving less than 6 miles to work in the morning and gave it gas and felt something break. forward gears had little power and had a high wining sound to them. had no reverse gear. had to have vehicle towed. dealer diagnosed it over the phone. dealer opened the transmission and found the reaction sun shell in the transmission stripped. dealer stated they have repaired these before, it was common occurrence in gm vehicles due to poor quality of metal used in transmission. dealer had to tear apart transmission, remove drive shafts, transfer case, install new sun shell, related seals, and bearings. gm refuses to acknowledge any problems and refuses to reimburse cost of repairs. total cost of repairs was $1079.45. not known if old parts are available. *jb

Transmission leak discovered. excessive wear to u-joint. both problems repaired in 8/2006. now i have rattling noise when shifting from 2wd to awd. rattles when placed in awd.*ak

We have a 2003 trailblazer and very early on after purchasing the vehicle, we started having transmission problems. we have had it worked on numerous times and the last time at our cost. now almost a year after paying to have the transmission's repaired at a chevrolet dealer, the same problems have arisen again. *jb

2003 trailblazer fuel line and fuel pump rusted and began to leak fuel. *ts the fuel pump had to be replaced at a cost of 800.00 dollars. the filler neck was leaking at the fuel tank. the front pinion axle seal was leaking and the front stabilizer links were replaced. *jb

Transmission problems with 2003 chevy trailblazer. first occurrence brought into service department, tests were run, and they test drove, and found nothing wrong. approx. 2wks later brought vehicle back in for same problem, ran tests and test drove, found nothing wrong, they called me, two days later and i asked them to hold it over and check again, they found a transmission problem, had to rebuild engine. 11 days later i received my car after the repairs. same day that i received my car, experienced same transmission problems. also i have taken my car in two other times for the fan clutch breaking. *nm

Purchased 2003 trailblazer in october 2003. had problems shifting into 4wd in winter 2003-04. when switching into and 4-wd, lights would flash and it would remain in 2-wd. service 4wd light came on soon after. brought it to the dealer who could not replicate problem. this happened later the same year and also the following year, each time the dealer could not find a problem. this past weekend while on vacation, a parking valet for some odd reason, switched the car into 4-wd low. car will not come out of 4-wd low. had to leave at dealer 150 miles from home and rent a car to get home. i am waiting until after the 4th of july holiday for them to look at car and figure out problem. *nm

2003 chevrolet trailblazer. front differential gasket according to gm certified mechanic has an expected life expectancy of less than 45,000 miles. gasket starts to leak and can ruin front differential. normal for this to happen. *nm

Transmission just failed on our 03 tblazer because of the sun shell spline. tires had to be replaced at only 45,000 miles (normal driving conditions). *nm

2003 chevy trailblazer with 57,000 miles failed to shift from second gear up could only drive in first and second gear. stranded two hours from home. transmission needs to be rebuilt. *nm

Drove car to a friends. had to park in the mud. came out later to find that the 4wd was not functioning at all. no lights no attempt to switch into awd, 4 hi, or 4 lo. would not like to be out in snow and find out that 4wd does not work on a rear-wheel drive car. could cause an accident. *jb

Second time to dealer with transmission problems, had to be rebuilt, only 26,578 mi on it, never towed anything. brought back 3rd time 1/3/07 now out of warranty, transmission fried needing replacement. local aamco very familiar with trailblazer transmission problems claims the sun gear reaction shell is junk and not powerful enough for reverse. chevy continues to use this part. transmission problems reported all over the internet. *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

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer on september 12, 2005 at 25612 miles who determined the rotors were rusted and needed to be turned. the vehicle was returned to the dealership on june 5, 2006 for a 30000 mile check up and again the dealership determined the rotors needed to be turned. the dealership has admitted the front and rear rotors need to be replaced. based on the contact's understanding the manufacturer will not allow the dealership to replace the rotors under warranty. the contact alerted the manufacturer and a complaint was filed case # 1-414411237. the left front axle seal was replaced. updated 06/19/06. *jb

The transmission on my 2003 trailblazer stopped working while driving out of my driveway and onto the highway. all gears including neutral grind gears when engaged. the car could not be driven and needed to be towed to the transmission shop. this cas has never been towed or plowed and rarely uses 4 wheel drive (winters only). it now has 39k miles and out of warranty, however, i now realize that there has been many transmission problems like mine in earlier year models as well as the 2003. i would like this organization to investigate the possible flaw in gm's transmission used in these vehicles. thank you.

2003 chevrolet trailblazer transmission failure (at 75,000 miles) on highway $2000 repair required - full transmission overhaul

Chevrolet trailblazer 2003 automatic, having problem shifting. *bf the consumer stated the vehicle hesitated for 5 seconds, then slowly accelerated to the speed the consumer needed. the battery died due to a module problem. *jb

I took my 2002 trailblazer to the dealership in dec. because the 4 wheel drive was not operating (i hadn't needed to use it in months) the wasn't any service light on the vehicle when i took it in. magically, when i left the dealership the "service 4wd light" was on. after they charged me an 80.00 diagnostic fee i was told i need a new transfer case module that would cost $400.00. i haven't had time to take the car in over the holidays. today when my husband was driving the car he had shut it off and just for kicks put it in 4 wheel high and it worked!! however, he was driving down the road and tried to turn the car into a gas station and it shuttered and did not want to turn. he did get it into a parking spot, put the vehicle in park and shut it off. after the vehicle was off it lunged forward about 4 feet. i called gm immediately when he came home and they said they would contact me dealership and the best they could do is pay for half of the repair!! all i can say that i thank god that there was not another car or person in front of my car when it mysteriously jumped 4 feet forward. i have noticed on the website that there are a lot of complaints about this control module-it is just an accident waiting to happen. also, when i called the dealership to make an appointment (im afraid to drive the car) they said the soonest they could take me was on tuesday( 4 days from now)-even after i had explained the whole situation. *jb

Dt: 2003 chevrolet trailblazer. the contact stated that the stabilizer links keeps coming loose. the vehicle has been taken to the dealership where she purchased vehicle 5 times. they replaced the stabilizer links 5 times. the problem recurred. took the vehicle to another dealership, and they also replaced the stabilizer links. the vehicle shook, and shimmied. the contact was unable to control the vehicle while turning a corner. the vehicle shook while driving down a hill and there was also noise at that time. this problem started on december 22, 2004. the vehicle is currently working correctly. there was a loud humming noise coming from the transmission. it was shifting correctly. the contact to it to a dealership , and they test drove vehicle. they state the transmission mechanic was on vacation and it would have to be brought in at a later time. the contact called another dealership, and they will inspect the vehicle. *ak updated 2/13/2006 - *nm

Gm t-body 4 wheel drive vehicles 2002 > loss of control during 4-wheel drive conditions. transfer case shifting in and out with out warning, causing a slide and spin out condition. have been in touch with gm and was tolds condition is normal. they blame the driver is driving too fast for conditions. other vehicles have not lost control under the same conditions and speed. *ak

Gear shift knob continually loosens; reported to dealer and they said they fixed it, however, the problem continues to happen. when it is real loose it makes it hard to shift into gear and the possibility of not getting the vehicle into "park"

This vehicle was purchased new in jun 2003. while still under warranty, various recalls were issued for steering, brake lights and rear hatch locking/handle assembly. since then, the vehicle has been a lemon. power steering pump replaced twice (first one i paid for, second independent and very reliable mechanic shop paid). next the engine cooling fan bearing had to be replaced. later, the transmission had to be rebuilt. i also had to get the computer checked and reset to avoid surging engine rpm and resultant speed deviations. reaching a point of frustration as never before, i wrote gm asking for consideration repairing the transmission and received no response. i know they received the email since i had a "receipt requested" feature activated in my office computer. i sent a second email stating i was aware of the email receipt and that i expected a response. no such luck. all these problems manifested themselves well before the 100,000 miles were reached. now at approximately 132,000 miles, i had to replace the exhaust manifold due to a crack, the vehicle has lost power on two occasions, the entire dashboard has gone to zero and back to normal several times and the latest is an engine noise that my very reliable, 6 year auto service provider has told be is related to the timing belt assembly/mount points and as it gets louder, the engine will be getting ready to fail. so, i read all these complaints today and felt like i could have summarized everyone's complaints and concerns. i am an accident investigator and have no doubt that this vehicle will go down in history as one of the most unreliable and dangerous cars ever built. shame the feds have not taken the extra steps to remedy the issues after so many complaints yet, they went after top selling toyota at a time when the american made cars were barely able to stay afloat. wonder? *tr

1st problem (exact date unknown, winter 2003-2004): the "check 4wd" light came on. the dealership's service dept said gm had no repair for this problem and that it was common in trailblazers, and they simply reset the fuse. then (may 2004): vehicle started making a growling noise. we took it in and the mechanics said that one of the bearings was bad, and they replaced the bearing and rebuilt the transfer case. a month later (june) we had the same problem. that time, all of the bearings and the oil pump were "scored." nobody suggested a reason for this. the transfer case was rebuilt again. now (6 weeks later) the front differential is leaking oil from at least two locations and is currently being rebuilt. i have been told by the service dept that the reason is likely that "either it was put together wrong at the factory or the seal was bad to start with." it seems to us that the entire 4wd capability of this vehicle is compromised. we live in the country where the roads don't get plowed with any regularity, and with winter coming, i am going to need the 4wd, but i'm afraid to use it. i already spun out once last winter because they told me not to drive the car in a4wd because it's bad for the car, so i was driving in 2wd when i unexpectedly lost traction and did a 360 and almost wound up in the ditch. even without snow, i am not confident that this car will get me "from here to there" without a problem. *jb

While driving consumer noticed that service four wheel drive indicator was flashing. technician upgraded computer, and replaced transfer case. *ak

While driving, the consumer noticed that the four wheel drive indicator light flashed intermittently. the dealership serviced the vehicle, upgraded the computer system and replaced the transfer case. *ak *sc *jb

While driving consumer noticed that 4-wheel drive indicator light flashed intermittently. dealership serviced vehicle, but could not duplicate the problem. *ak

When backing out of a driveway on a 50 degree incline vehicle rolled forward. as a result, vehicle crashed into a fence. dealer stated transmission malfunctioned. *ak

We've noticed a vibrating sound after 2-5 minutes from starting our '03 blazer from cold start. it tends to increase after we've driven it for a while. i've noticed while i'm waiting to pick my wife up that this irritating sound and vibration intensifies. whatever it is, it's not normal. fter taking the vehicle to our dealer and providing them with the below nhtsa bulletin, we hoped to get our vehilcle fixed.*ak nhtsa no: 282674 bulletin no: 061903 bulletin date: june 2003 unusual vibration felt at idle or at very low rpm during parking lot manuevers. also residence noise accompanying the vibration. gms engineering dept at the dealer returned our t-blazer informing us that it is normal. i don't believe they did a thorough job in locating & fixing the problem. the engineering dept recommended the service dept test an '04 trailblazer. their response was that it was normal like the '03. before picking up my vehicle, i tested the warmed up '04 t-blazer & didn't hear the same sound i hear in my vehicle. i don't understand how this vibrating sound can be normal when the following gm service website link ... http://service.gm.com/gmtechlink/images/issues/apr03/tlapr03e.html#story16 refers to the following solution to the problem? exhaust boom or vibration vehicles with the 4.2l l6 engine may exhibit a boom or vibration coming from the exhaust, at or near idle. the following may help reduce the vibration. unbolt the downpipe from the exhaust manifold outlet and replace the donut seal. when you tighten the downpipe to the manifold, have a second technician hold the rear end of the downpipe so the two exhaust hangers stay centered in the rubber bushing holes. keeping the rods centered in the bushing holes makes a noticeable improvement. - thanks to gm technical assistance what can be done in order for this problem to be fixed?

While putting the trailblazer into any gear it makes grinding noise in rear. while driving to the dealer the rear of the blazer was all over the road. it felt like the rear wheels where going to fall off. while still many miles away from dealer for service the back axial locked up making me loose control. this was at 25 mph. thank goodness i did not take the highway. i don_x0019_t want to know what would have happened at 65 mph. i had to have towed to dealer from there. i was told that a bearing breaking caused this. however first i was accused of having the vehicle 4 wheeling.*ak

Complaint received via e-mail." i would like to share the defects discovered on my vehicle since i purchased this on october 2003. few months i drove my trailblazer, i was stuck at the airport because it won't start and i brought it to the dealership for repair which lasted for 3 days. they told me it was just a case of low battery power. i was not in agreement with their reason. i wrote gm headquarters demanding an exchange or replacement of the truck. they declined my request, instead they offered me an extended warranty. the following year, i was driving at around 25 mph, when i changed gear all of a sudden the gear shifter came loose and practically detached it's linkage. i panicked and slowly pulled over to the side of the road. the dealer repaired the shifter for free. then just this month i was driving on the freeway at around 50 mph, i noticed the rpm was between 7-8 and the engine revved hard, but there was no power. the speed remained constant even when i pressed the gas pedal fully. i brought the vehicle to the dealership and they found out that the transmission is defective and they replaced it under warranty. the total mileage driven as of this time is 30,000 miles." *jb

When shifting from revese to drive low rpms and almost stalls. *ak

The accelerator pedal position sensor failed causing loss of power to the vehicle. the vehicle would only accelerate to 10mph and almost caused an accident. i also had/have numerous other problems with the vehicle.*ak

When disengaging the 4-wheel drive vehicle jumped forward hitting a parked vehicle. *ak

Purchased a new 2003 chevy trailblazer and 3 days later delivery the check 4wd light came on for service.we were in maine at the time and had it looked at by a chevy dealer there & they assumed it was an electrical malfunctionwith a code so all they did was reset the computer (or s we were told) a few days later the transmission downshifted hard. the dealer recommended that we drive it awhile. it did the same noise on & off for a few months & they still couldn't find anything wrong. much later on after my frustration with the dealership. i started to get a loud clunking sound in the front end noticeably on the right side of the vehicle. dealer said it was the plastic cowling in the front that was rattling. after taking it to an independent repair shop they discovered that the transmission end bearing out of the front axel is n/g & it needs to be rebuilt. this is not acceptable,especially after all the complaints of this transmission on the gm trucks. why has there not been a recall on this is beyond me. *tr

I purchased a 2003 chevy trailblazer lt ext (4 miles on the odometer) on september 9, 2003 from fisher bros. chevrolet in mahopac, ny. i had the truck for exactly two weeks and started have acceleration problems. i would stop at a traffic light or stop sign or even behind a stopping school bus and the car would not move when stepping on the gas pedal. i brought the car in for service on september 23, 2003 and they had it for service until september 30, 2003. they said it was the transmission and they found out from chevy that a bulletin with this problem had not yet been released. they ordered the parts and gave me back the car on 9/30/03. i drove it for less than 24 hours and it happened again. i brought the car back for service on 10/2/03. this time they claimed it was electrical - again relating to the transmission. the fixed a few values and things. had the car in from 10/2/03 to 10/7/03. got the car home for again less than 24 hours and it happened again. brought the car back on 10/9/03 (2021miles on the odometer) and the car has been there ever since. when i last spoke to the service manager they said they had to put a whole new transmission in the car. i thought a brand new car would already have a "new transmission". they ordered a 2004 transmission to put into the car. this was the last i heard on 10/14/03.

Owned 03 trailblazer for 4 months and has given me electrical & mechanical problems. i had one problem since i first bought this vehicle and now i have 13 things that are a danger to me and my family. ac turns on by itself whether car is off or on. ac has turned on while i was driving frightening the hell out of me causing me to almost lose control of the wheel. ac ,engine lacks horse power,hand brake,hazard lights,lights turn off, mirrors move by themselves, car boggs as if it wants to turn off, while driving steering wheel moves by itself, gas gauge has read low fuel when gas is full. i am terrified the car will give out with my child and i in it.i have tried to have vehicle repaired numerous times and still dealer can't seem to duplicate the problem. the vehicle is a hazard to me and my family and to all those who own one. need the problem to be fixed before any tragedies occur. *ak

'03 trailblazer has been back to the dealership 7 times for the same problem, the 4 wheel drive engages by itself at 55 to 60mph, the truck jerks and it flashes from 4 wheel to 2 wheel drive, they have reset codes, changed switches and it still is doing the same thing. it has this problem at all speeds, it just is very noticable at higher speeds, the way the truck jerks..i have filed with the bbb.

Upon starting the vehicle, the service 4-wd indicator light in the console area lights up, and the setting selector light does not work. the selection switch does not light up. the vehicle is new and has only 750 miles. when the dealer was contacted, i was told the service department could not look at the problem for 10 days. additionally, i was informed that while the vehicle is probably safe to drive until they (the dealer) could assess the problem, the four wheel drive would not be working! having just been in an accident in another vehicle that was totaled, it does not give me a sense of security driving a vehicle that is not operating properly.*ak

While driving, unexpectedly the 4-wheel drive light went off. when this occurred, it rendered the 4 wheel drive inoperative. this was caused by a failure in the tcm module. the dealership reprogrammed the tcm module, but the problem recurred. several tsb bulletins were issued on this problem. *ak *scc *jb

8 times to dlr with same problem, this time worse. times prior were torque converter fault codes, also not allowing cruise to engage. high rpm's and will not shift into overdrive. lunging on first and second gear when accelerating from a stop. dealer just replaced transmission (21,000 miles) and now won't shift at all. purchased 6 months ago. 2003 chevy trailblazer ext 4x4. *la

2003 chevrolet trail blazer 2wd 4 spd automatic transmission experience roll back while on incline after vehicle has reached normal operating conditions. while on incline in the process of removing foot from brake to accelerate vehicle will roll back! contacted dealer and they said it was normal for that vehicle? *nlm

Upon cranking the vehicle the service 4wd indicator light in the gauge console area lights up, while at the same time the selector light for which setting the transfer case is in goes out. the selector switch is in the 2wd setting and there will be no amber light indicating it. you can switch the selector to awd or 4wd or back to 2wd and no indicator light. sometimes it can me "fixed" by turning the vehicle off and restarting the engine. *nlm

2003 chevrolet trailblazer plagued with defects. (nar) *ph transmission, air conditioner, suspension, and rear windshield not working properly. *cb

My 11-month old 2003 chevrolet trailblazer has had multiple quality problems, twice affecting my safety. most of the problems have been electrical in nature. the 4wd has become inoperable numerous times, once while driving in snow. in another incident during a severe thunderstorm at night the air conditioner (a/c) failed and i was unable to defrost my windshield in order to see. after one dealer failed to diagnose the 4wd problem, another dealer replaced my ignition switch because the technician said i had no power at all going to the "rear grid." i continue to have intermittent electrical problems, including near stalling at a traffic light, and ongoing 4wd failures. the car also has very jerky motion when in 4wd reverse, of course, when the 4wd is working at all. the dealer told me that was normal and now i see there is a service bulletin on the problem. *la

Problem with 4x4 shift indicator not registering transfer case position. *ak