Problems with 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer POWER TRAIN

When switching from 4 wheel to 2 wheel drive the transmission would occasionally disengage causing the vehicle to roll when parked, or disengage while driving. *tr

My 2002 chevy trailblazer is having problems with the 4 wheel drive system. about a year ago when my vehicle was still under warranty i had a problem with my 4-wd system, the dash said service 4 wheel drive. i took it to the dealership and they plug it in to the computer and said they recalibrated the system because it was a computer error not equipment failure. on dec 5 of 07 the roads were snowy so i put my vehicle into 4 wd, but the 4 wd did not engage and i slid off the road and almost ended up in a ditch. after that incident the service 4 wheel drive light came on again, on dec 6 of 07, i took my vehicle in for service, and now my vehicle is out of warranty, this time the dealership said my 4-wd actuator was shorted out, my bill came to $838.07. i contacted seven of my friends who have the same make and model, a couple with newer models, and they all except two of them, have had the same problem with the actuator shorting out. i then contacted gm corporate office on this matter and ask for assistance in paying for this repair due to faulty equipment and i said there is no reason for this part to go bad with 70,000 miles on a 2002 trailblazer, they told me that due to my year of vehicle and miles there was nothing they would do for me. i told them there are other cases in the area with this same problem and i asked them to investigate this because it needs to be a recall, or find out what the problem is and fix it before other newer models are sent out with the same problem, and somebody actually gets hurt because of equipment failure. gm stated there is nothing they will do with this unless it turns out to be an actual recall. so here i am making a complaint and asking for help. this needs to be investigated and solved before somebody is seriously hurt due to gm equipment failure!!! please help!!!! *tr

My 2002 chevy trailblazer has had multiple drive train/transmission failures. it currently has 99000 miles on it and has been in for transmission complaints/work on 5 separate occasions. the last occasion being nov. 28, 2007 at which time the car would roll backward while in park. upon removing the transmission pan metal shavings were found. currently this vehicle is at the dealership awaiting service/ call back from general motors corporation customer care as to whether they will cover failure due to the warranty of 5 year was up 8/31/07, with some transmission parts warranted from repair at 90,000 miles. however, the chevy service garage cannot guarantee that it is the previously repaired parts failure, therefore cannot guarantee coverage under warranty. i have 2 small children that are with me daily in this vehicle, i have had to have it towed due to transmission failure twice and now the vehicle rolls out of park. these aforementioned facts make me fear for the safety of myself and my family in this vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet trailblazer. while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact heard a loud noise underneath the vehicle. upon arriving home, he discovered that he could not shift into reverse. chevrolet has not been notified. the current and failure mileages were 53,673. updated 12/12/07

Jan/feb 2007. switched trailblazer into 4 wheel drive high for first time since purchase (april 2006), and would not transfer into 4 wheel drive. took to local gm dealer, replaced control module, cost around $700. october 24, 2007 while trailblazer was in park and running the vehicle changed from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive low. the switch was still in the 2 wheel drive position. the vehicle would not change back into 2 wheel drive at all. i took the vehicle to the gm dealer and they replaced the encoder motor. november 20, 2007. left vehical running while in park. went into a family members house,then returned to vehicle and began to back out of driveway. as i was backing up, the vehicle stopped, as if i had backed into an object (ie, another car), i pulled forward back into the driveway, and looked around, saw nothing, and was going into the house to get a flashlight when they noticed that yet again, the trailblazer had changed into 4 wheel drive again. this time i was able to get the vehicle back into 2 wheel drive, and drive the vehicle home. i have made an appointment to have the 4 wheel drive system checked again. total cost for repairs to 4 wheel drive system january to date is more than $1200. *tr

I was driving down the road (fortunately in a 25 mph zone) when the transmission made a loud clunk then whine, after which the engine revved and i lost any ability to change gears. after stopping the car, i found only the reverse was not working - the other gears will shift over 3000 rpm. i have been told it is a faulty sunshell gear in the transmission. *jb

I had several instances of the engine revving up before the vehicle would shift. these were usually when the engine was cold so i assumed that was the problem. however 5 days ago the transmission went out. the engine revved really loud, the tach number went way up, suddenly the vehicle clunked & jerked into gear it then made a whining noise & when i got home (drove it real slow & not far from home) there was no reverse. chevrolet says there is not a problem with these transmissions & they have not received very many complaints on this problem. my transmission repair shop told me this is the third one in 3 weeks with the exact same problem. chevrolet is refusing to do anything about this. there are numerous web sites full of postings of people with the same problem. *tr

Had the same fan clutch problem i have read about frequently. revs really loud with loss of power. had the fan clutch replaced, at my expense within the past year. now i notice that it seems to be starting to rev really loud again.....i'm really frustrated with how these car manufacturers handle problems with their products. *tr

My wife heard a clunk when driving. she asked me to drive the vehicle the next day and the transmission failed. *tr

Fan clutch in 2002 chevy trailblazer went bad. *tr

Transmission has failed at 55,000 miles, not driving car but was about to run errands. have had to replace power steering block, alternator, starter, tail lights, instrument panel, radio and electric on a car that is just over 5 years old. the instrument panel, power steering block and transmission are all not under warranty. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet trailblazer. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard a loud pop coming from the engine compartment. he stopped and turned off the vehicle. the vehicle was unable to be restarted. there were no warning indicator lights present. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that a new transmission was needed. the current and failure mileages were 53,600.

Needed new transmission for 2002 chevy trail blazer. only had 61,000 miles. cost $2,650. *tr

I purchased a 2002 chevy trailblazer the transmission went out at 15053 miles with previous owner 2-3 shift solenoid in transmission replaced. the transmission went out with me at 33431 miles, still under factory warranty. dealership found shell stripped out reaction carrier teeth broke replaced all clutches replaced 2/4 band. at 83029 miles transmission went out with me again. vehicle is now out of warranty. dealership found reaction sun gear stripped inside reaction sun shell. replaced sun gear and shell & o/h transmission. i called gm customer service and asked them to replace the entire transmission because i felt something was causing these parts to keep going bad and this is the 3rd time. i felt there could be one part that came from the factory in this transmission as a defect. gm agreed to pay parts if i paid labor to replace parts not replace complete transmission. this cost me $840.00. now it is 119000 miles and transmission gone again. i called gm to explain to them that this is the 4th time and i requested a new transmission and a refund of my $840.00 from last time because for some reason this transmission has a pattern of going out at approximately every 30 to 40000 miles. gm would not assist me with any assistance. the diagnostic this time shows would not shift out of 1st but to determine what parts were bad it would have to be broken down. i was hoping gm would assist me in this matter but i seem to get no where. i hope you can help! *tr

Loud noise in transmission this after 30,000 miles on a totally rebuilt transmission of my 2002 chevy trailblazer.

2002 chevy trailblazer fan clutch motor needs to be replaced. problems automatic shifting. a well known issue with this year. read and know of owners of the same vehicle with same problems...my truck at the time this became defective was at 65,000 miles. *tr

Pulling onto the highway, when transmission popped and began to whine. reverse gear lost and stuck in 1st gear. took to dealer where diagnosis was failed (stripped) reaction sun shell. fortunately vehicle was traveling at low speed. concerned that failure could have occurred on the highway at greater speed. this vehicle was never used for towing or subjected to any abuse whatsoever. this is a common failure in the 2002 models built during a certain time period. dealer gave some cost concession on transmission replacement, but unwilling to admit component weakness. called gm customer assistance line with no additional support. *tr

I have a chevy trailblazer ltz 2002,"bought it brand new" excellent condition 75,000. i had a transmission flush done at 50,000 miles as requested. i get oil changes done every 3,000 miles. on august 5th 2007 i noticed transmission fluid splattered all over the under carriage of my vehicle and the back window. took the car to a my mechanic who recommended i take the car to transmission specialist "amoco"so i did. need my transmission rebuilt, fluid leaking out of air port in transmission, the drums defective. *tr

Went to get gas for my 2002 chevy trailblazer and we i finished and i started my car i put it in reverse and heard a loud clunk noise and then the truck would not go into reverse. then i put it in drive and heard a lot of grinding. i called gmc and they know the trailblazer has a defective transmission and now that i call them with my problem they tell me that i just need to get a gm diagnostics test. done and it just another way for them to get money out of people. *jb

As my wife was pulling out of an intersection the trailblazer may a loud sound and then started making a loud whining sound that got louder as she drove and had no power and would not shift and then lost reverse. i contacted gm after i found that several people have had the same problem they told me to take it to a gm garage and have it diagnosed and they would be in contact with me they finally told me that they could not help me because 1st i did not buy from a gm dealership, 2 i did not have my service and maintanance done by a gm garage and 3 because i was a second owner of the trailblazer. so intern i had to pay $2730.27 to get the transmission replaced. *tr

I have a 2002 trailblazer. the transmission has failed twice since i bought it. the first time it was at 26,990 miles and the second time it was at 61,062 miles. both times the transmission failed it was without any warning while i was driving it. the transmission would not move from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd unless i took my foot off of the gas. in both instances i also lost reverse. the first time it happened i was lucky because it was under warranty. the second time it happened it was 2 months and 1,000 miles after my extended warranty expired. the dealership quoted $2,038 to fix it (not replace it) but offered me a 10% discount. i didn't have a choice because i needed my vehicle. since then i have found that this is a frequent problem that gm is aware of however they will not make a recall. what are my options? this is definitely a safety concern as there is no warning when the transmission fails. *tr

Chevrolet 02 trailblazer transmission failure.*ak

2002 chevy trailblazer transmission failure. i was driving vehicle, stopped at a stop sign and when attempting to drive, vehicle wouldn't move. i only had a 1st and 2nd gear, no reverse, drive, or 3rd gear at all. i have researched this issue and found hundreds of similar complaints, some were near serious consequences. public consensus seems to be that gm is aware of the problems (due to hundreds of phone call complaints) but refuses to recall transmissions until nhtsa forces them to. gm has been offering a 30% rebate on the repair costs, which exceeded $2,000.00 i haven't yet spoken to gm, but am sure to get the "run around". i have to have the vehicle towed to a repair shop today. *tr

Transmission made a loud squelling noise as i began to accelerate, then would not go into gear smoothly (between 30 and 40 miles per hour) after that. i later tried to put the car in reverse, and i had no reverse.*ak

Tl*- the contact stated that while having the 2002 chevrolet trailblazer parked in the incline driveway with the emergency brake engaged the vehicle rolled from the park position and crashed into the house. this failure happened to the contact's vehicle twice. the first time on january 29, 2007 , and the second time was on march 17, 2007. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and felt that the vehicle should be cover under nhtsa recall campaign id number: 01v334000 for the power train: transfer case (4-wheel drive), but the dealer stated that the vehicle did not fall under the recall. the current and failure mileage were both 40,000. *ak

I own a 2002 chevy trailblazer lt. at 56,000 miles i had to have the transmission rebuilt. then on march 12 2007 i took my car into the dealership to get the four wheel drive switch fixed because it was stuck in auto 4x4 after spending very close to a $1,000. we are now having the same problem again. front wheels stuck in awd while the rear wheels are stuck in 2wd. *tr

I was pulling a trailer with a 2002 chevy trailblazer and it switched into 4 lo on its own causing me to loose control of the vehicle. i have had this problem with the 4 wheel drive for over a year. i have been turned away by gm and gm dealerships when i brought the problem to their attention. *jb

Transmission failure. *jb

I recently purchased a 2002 chevy trailblazer, and it's about 86,000 miles on it. at about 100,000 my transmission went. i did some research, and found out that there were many people who owned this same vehicle who had the same exact problem. i also learned that this piece that is used in the transmission called the sun shield has been the problem for a lot of people. the transmission specialist that fixed my vehicle told me that this sun shield is a faulty, and a lot of gm, and chevy owners have problems with it. there is a huge amount of people out there that are having this same problem with the same 2002 chevy trailblazer. i was driving on the highway, and suddenly felt that something was wrong. i am just happy that i pulled over when i did, because there was a lot of traffic that day. i was very scared, because i was alone in this car, and also i did not want to be hit from behind when i was pulling over to the shoulder of the highway. i called the gm dealer, and they said that they could do nothing for me. even when i explained to them what had happended, and that this had happened to a lot of other people. i was told that my car was not under warranty, and this was not one of the many recalls that this truck has. i then had to fix this truck myself, and it cost me 2,300. the sun shield was replaced by something called the beast which i was told would be very very durable unlike the gm sun shield part. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet trail blazer. while driving 10 mph including making left and right turns the 4 wheel drive engaged and became difficult to steer the vehicle. the contact attempted to accelerate and was unable to due to the 4 wheel drive. the warning indicator 4 wheel drive light was illuminated and remained on until the engine was turned off. the current and failure mileage were 57,610.

This will be the third time i have had my trailblazer to the dealer for the same problem. when driving, the car will shift itself between 2hi and 4 hi. also, after utilizing the selector on two occasions the car got stuck in neutral and had to be towed. after being treated like an ignorant woman who doesn't know how to operate the controls i am finally changing dealers. maybe they should read this and see that apparently i am not the only person having these problems. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet trailblazer. on january 17, 2007, the contact heard a loud boom and the transmission failed while driving 10 mph. he then coasted the vehicle at 5 mph to the nearest shop. the mechanic stated that the actuator fell from the transmission and the entire transmission failed. the contact was also informed that all four tires were rotted and needed to be replaced. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 28,000 and failure mileage was 22,900. the consumer stated wants to gm to pay the cost of repairs for the defects in the vehicle, however consumer is stating not responsible for defect the part provided is not the same part stated in the recall. updated 06/08/07 *tr

Service 4wd light came on after numerous attempts to change the transfer case from awd to 4wd. dealer telling me that its a motor sensor that encodes the transfer to shift. this is the second repair on the same part. i would like this part recalled and to be reimbursed money for repairing it myself. *nm

2002 chevy trailblazer, slips out of gear, 1,2,3,4. and slams back while in operation. consulted dealer, dealer said no recalls available. this happened 3x's. we stopped driving vehicle. on second incident a qualified individual said that there are issues in the transmission. dealer still said no bulletins on this vehicle at large. dealer stated that i take the vehicle to the vendor in which they do business with for inspection. vendor who is repairing vehicle claims a clip or spring slipped out somewhere destroyed come major parts and also the casing. i have asked vendor to hold all parts. so far this episode is very costly. *jb

Transmission slips out of gear while in operation in all gears. on previous complaint i stated that repair was costly. at this point tech. says that small "o" ring clip did $2,000.00 in damage to sun gear,shell, and major drive gears and casing as well. this vehicle only has 51k mi. on it. we believe there was a situation of defective this vehicle was sold as a certified used at top dollar. parts according to the tech. *jb

Tl* - the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet trailblazer. the transmission was slipping gears. the contact stated that he had the original transmission replaced at 8000 mile by an authorized dealer, and now was experiencing the same difficulty with the gears slipping down speeds ,and the transmission not engaging. the contact said that this happened often at 45 mph, and the weather has not been a factor. the contact stated that instrument panel lights turned off for a day on 1-3-07, and when the instrument panel lights turned back on the air bag light stayed on. he has had the vehicle fixed three times for the instrument panel lights turning on and off. *ak

My 2002 trailblazer has had issues with the fan clutch. it revs very high and there is a noticeable power loss with acceleration. reading posts on message boards i have noticed that this problem seems to be a trend and that is the reason i have made this post. i can only hope that others will do the same and that there will be a safety recall. *tr

2002 trailblazer transmission has failed twice . first failure was at 38,000 miles and second failure is at 83000 miles. the failures happened both times at the exact same location as i was entering a major highway from a stop sign. purchased a new transmission at 38,000 miles costing over $1300 dollars to get a new transmission vs. a rebuilt one. i believe gm know there is a problem with this vehicle however , fail to fix the problem. i am afraid this vehicle will result in harm or death to my family if the transmission keep going out this way. *jb

Tl* - while driving the contact stated that vehicle seemed to shift into neutral and he couldn't get it to go faster than 25 mph. the contact has had the transmission repaired once before. *ak the consumer stated the transmission failed twice. updated 02/27/07. *jb

At 34000 miles 4 wheel drive transfer case failed and the rear differential had to be replaced, still under warranty. at 70000 miles both repairs are needed again along with others- sway bar worn, short in headlights (previously repaired), interior lights shorting. dealership quoted around $3000 to fix everything. nothing they can do about any of the problems. so the vehicle is without 4 wld and often only has 1 working headlight. *nm

Transmission failed in 2002 trailblazer on 12/21 with 93,000 miles while traveling with family on christmas weekend. left stranded on highway and had to be towed. will not go in reverse and will not go into second gear. mechanic said gm parts are inferior and he will replace with aftermarket which will be much better. transmission should last much longer than this. i have had vehicle with 250,000 miles on the odometer and not had transmission problems. gm should admit there is a problem and recall this transmission. *jb

Automatic transmission failure. will not shift into 3rd. when attempting to shift from 2nd to 3rd, it goes into neutral and engine races. *jb

While driving my 2002 chevy trailblazer, i heard a loud chunk in the transmission and then a whining noise and loss of power. there is no reverse and the transmission slips when going through the gears, it finally engages but takes some foot work. *nm

2002 trailblazer lt has 69 thousand miles now, auto trans came out sun gear was told it cost 3 thousand to fix made a fuss cost 1 thousand but the real bad thing going on is it will go into 4wd by its self and has been doing this off and on,, i don't drive it anymore until i can figure what the dealer is gonna do with it or gm, while going down the rd it will do this and a loud noise will follow could lose control,,also when backing it seems to be in a bind sometimes,,this auto isn't safe to be on the rd.. *nm

I was driving my car home when the car would no longer accelerate. all it would do is make a loud whining noise when the gas pedal was pushed. with less than 70,000 miles on the car and regular maintenance, there should not be an issue with the transmission. i nearly had a wreck just trying to get off the exit ramp and to the nearest auto shop. *jb

Summary: -2002 trailblazer lt 2wd -transmission failure at 78,000 miles -near accident with two children in car ages 2 and 7 -major repair cost -significant safety problem -multiple listings of identical failures (sun shell/ reaction gear) planetary system. -reportedly known defective and (under designed) part. this will be the nhtsa's responsibility to investigate and sort out. -some reports of a "silent recall" however never acknowledged with my conversations -no warning of oncoming failure -owners manual doesn't recommend any transmission service until 100,000 miles -never towed anything -wife driven/ garage kept -significant engineering accomplishments in transmissions have been made in the past decade with materials and lubricants. there is absolutely no reason a tranny should fall apart on an automobile towing or not under 100,000 miles especially if your following the manufacturers maintenance recommendations. -gm covered 30% after lengthy time. -technician described failure as: "when we see these problems its almost always what we call the sun-shell grenades" now, since you limit your description to 2000 characters which doesn't allow a complete description i will leave you with the summary and give you the location of the full report which i hope you take the time to review because of the safety problem. http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx?14@@.ef15323/221 thanks for your consideration. *nm

i just purchased this 2002 trailblazer sept 30 2006.. it was november 22, 2006- the 4 wheel drive indicator lights were blinking when i put it in reverse. the onstar lights were on. the seat belt lights were on. later the next day, my father got in my vehicle to move it, when the brake sensor came on and wouldn't go off. he didn't use the emergency brake. my father called apple chevy in west york pa to see what they could do. the 24th they called and said the vehicle needed a e.b.c.m. ( electronic brake control module ). i have a 9 month old son. i get to go pay for the bill, and it costs 930. 25 for a vehicle that wasn't that old. it does have 144, 000 + miles but it was well maintained or so i thought. they did a car fax and it was clean. or so i thought. apple chevy in west york wouldn't help with any cost repairs. they said when you get an as is vehicle, its your problem. well after 4 vehicles that my dad bought from them, we are no longer customers. me being a hot head, my dad told me to not say nothing and be nice. i kept my comments to a low roar. i called the general manager and he said an as is sale is what it is. i got no satisfaction. but a comment i said to him was- what if it was your wife and son what would you do? he said i wouldn't buy an as is vehicle. i basically asked if he wanted some lemonade from the vehicle i just got. i said well i must have sucker written on my head and that next time warn me about getting more ky for the screwing i just received. he basically said sorry i feel that way. we could bring it back and get something different from them. but i basically said no and hung up. still the radio malfunctions, the 4 wheel drive may work sometimes, the vehicle acted like it was in neutral. then after being towed, it acts fine. so at present, it sits in my parents garage not driven with $ i still pay for insurance and payments. i did hear a grinding from the shifter when putting it into drive. ...

I bought a 2002 trailblazer lzt on 8/5/06 from carmax. vehicle had been doing fine until 11/14/06. i was pulling out on the road making a left hand turn and it just slipped into neutral on it's own and left me stranded in the middle of the road with a fed ex truck barreling towards me. i shifted the car into neutral and switched it over to the 4wd and it went into gear. i had the car towed to the carmax where i purchased it from and they found a service bulletin on this vehicle for this same problem although when taken to a transmission shop they can find no evident problems with the car. i have looked up this vehicle on my car stats.com and was horrified to find hundreds of complaints on this vehicle. gm needs to do something about this problem before people get seriously hurt or killed! i am absolutely terrified to take my (2) children with me anywhere until this problem is fixed. *nm

Planetary gear in transmission - no signs of failure until i lost second gear, forth gear and reverse. i do not pull or tow anything and the car only has 56000 miles. the more i read about this gear the more i am disappointed. *nm

2002 trailblazer with approx. 34,000 miles; purchased new. as i was driving. there was a loud, violent clunk from under the car. i was able to coast around a corner and into the right lane of another street. after waiting for over an hour for a tow truck, i was forced to drive the car (slowly) about 1/4 mile into a large parking lot. the entire time i was driving, there was a loud whining noise. when i tried to back up the car, there was no reverse gear. the tow truck driver took me and the car to a chevrolet dealer. the service person called me a short time later to say the sun shield was broken, and repairs would be a minimum of $1800, possibly more if additional problems were found once the transmission was pulled. even though there are only 34,000 miles on the car, he advised that it was 1-1/2 years past the time portion of the warranty. my car is still at the dealership until i can do more research into the apparently widespread problem with this car. *nm