What breaks most · 2002 to 2006 model years
Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended problems by year
Owners have filed 863 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended across model years 2002 to 2006. Three years stand out: 2003 for fuel system complaints, 2004 for electrical system complaints and 2006 for fuel system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2004, 2006
- Complaints on file
- 8632002 to 2006, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003313 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1813 fires · 29 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 64kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 13Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 3 | 3 | Fuel system (23) | |
| 313 | 7 | 3 | Fuel system (80) | |
| 261 | 6 | 1 | Electrical system (145) | |
| 189 | 2 | 6 | Fuel system (102) |
What fails on the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 26% |
80 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 25% |
77 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 16% |
49 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 8% |
25 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 7% |
23 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
20 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 5% |
16 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 4% |
13 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Ses light came on. Dealership had no apps brought to mechanic. Code was for fuel emission leak. Replace gas cap. Week later code ses came on again. Brought back to the mechanic, said fuel tank is cracked. Called chevy and was told there was a recall but not my VIN.....
-
Instrumental panel/ gage cluster. All gages continue to fail spiking all over the place prior to failing. Air bag light continues to blink on then off randomly
-
Fuel sensor failure, does not read true fuel tank level. Generally when full reads empty then as tank decreases gauge may read correct.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2004, 2006 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended. The 2003 alone has 313 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 80 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet TrailBlazer Extended complaints that include mileage is about 64,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.