Problems · by component
2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext engine and engine cooling problems
56 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext cite engine and engine cooling, 4% of all 1,357 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
56
4% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE...UPDATED 05/14/15 *BF”
“I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE AT A DEALERSHIP IN 2010. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE BUT IT STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS SHORTLY AFTER. THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS ALL MY GAUGES STOPPED WORKING EXCEPT MY SPEEDOMETER. IN 2012 I WAS DRIVING AND AT TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WITHIN A DAY APART, WHILE I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT OR GAS STATION, MY VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF. I TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE FREE TESTS DONE AND NOTHING WAS SHOWING UP AS ABNORMAL. AROUND 2013 MY VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A REAL HIGH PITCH SQUEALING SOUND DURING START UP AND WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK MY CAR INTO SINCE IT NEEDED A NEW WATER PUMP AND THEY SAID THAT THE HIGH PITCH SOUND COULD BE FIXED BUT WASN'T A SAFETY CONCERN. IN 2014 JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, AGAIN I WAS PULLING INTO A GAS STATION AND MY VEHICLE TURNED OFF. I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT BACK ON AND HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PULL INTO A SPOT BEFORE IT SHUT OFF AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WOULDN'T START MY KEYS WERE STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND IT COULD NOT BE JUMP STARTED. AFTER TAPING THE BATTERY THE KEYS CAME OUT OF THE IGNITION. IT STARTS NOW BUT NONE OF THE ELECTRICAL INSIDE THE VEHICLE WORKS. AT THIS POINT IT'S NOT DRIVABLE BECAUSE OF THE…”
“CAR FELT "STUCK" IN GEAR, WOULDN'T ACCELERATE, LOW ON TRANSMISSION FLUID. ADDED MORE FLUID, REPLACED SPEED SENSOR, CAMSHAFT & CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH RPMS GOING HIGH, CAR SLAMMING FROM ONE GEAR INTO ANOTHER. ALSO CANNOT RUN HEAT WHILE DRIVING, FAN DRAWS POWER & CAUSES ENGINE TO STALL OUT. CAR ALSO BURNING THROUGH GAS VERY QUICKLY. *TR”
“THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY FROM 7:45 PM, (AUGUST 10, 2011). I WAS AWAKENED AT APPROX. 3:55 AM ON 8-10-2011 BY HEARING A MUFFLED BOOM. AT 4:00 AM (AUG. 11, 2011) I HEARD A LOUD BANG TYPE NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY GOT UP AND WENT TO INVESTIGATE. I WENT OUTSIDE AND FOUND MY 2004 TRAILBLAZER (EXT) ON FIRE FROM THE ENGINE BAY AND JUST BEGINNING TO FLAME INSIDE THE VEHICLE'S PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AT THE DASHBOARD..IT ONLY TOOK MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS FULLY INVOLVED. THE FIRE BEGAN IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE FIRE MARSHALL REPORT IS STILL PENDING AND I WAS INFORMED IT WOULD TAKE 6 TO 8 WEEKS BEFORE IT WAS AVAILABLE. APPROX. TWO TO THREE MONTHS PRIOR, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR GARAGE TO FIX THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS (THEY HAD FAILED AND CHANGING THE BULBS WAS NO HELP. IT TURNED OUT THAT IT WAS A FAILED RELAY, WHICH WAS REPLACED. IT WAS A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY AS IT HAD GONE DEAD AND WOULD NOT TAKE A CHARGE. THE OLD BATTERY WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS OLD. THERE WERE NO OTHER BATTERY/HEADLIGHT ISSUES AFTER THESE REPAIRS. NO TOOLS OR OTHER PARTS WERE DROPPED INTO THE ENGINE BAY, OR LEFT IN THE BAY. I WAS AN AIRCRAFT…”
“THE EXT. MANIFOLD ON MY 2004 TRL BLAZER HAS A LEAK IN THE MAIFOLD BODY. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROX. 120000 MILES ON IT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM FOR MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT GM HAS NOT AS OF YET, ISSUED A RECALL. IT IS A COSTLY REPAIR, AS WELL AS A SAFETY CONCERN, GIVEN THAT THE EXHAUST FUMES CAN ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE OWNED MANY GM VEHICLES OVERTIME, AND NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. *TR”
“NOT SURE WHAT TO FILE THIS UNDER, SO I PUT IT UNDER UNKNOWN AND OTHER. ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. IT STAYED ON FOR A FEW DAYS THEN WENT OFF, A FEW DAYS LATER IT WAS BACK ON, THEN A FEW DAYS LATER WENT OFF, THEN IT CAME ON FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AND DO THE SAME THING, EVENTUALLY IT STAYED ON. TOOK IT TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY SAID THE GAS TANK HAD A CRACK IN IT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SAID IT WAS PROBABLY FROM THE GAS NOZZLE HITTING THE TANK WHEN FILLING IT UP. DON'T SEE HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE, WHEN IT IS ONLY ME OR MY HUSBAND FILLING IT UP & HOW HARD WOULD YOU HAVE TO HIT IT FOR IT TO CRACK? HAD IT REPLACED THE NEXT MONTH. NOW THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS DOING THE SAME THING. HAVEN'T TAKEN IT BACK IN YET. *TR”
Showing 6 of 56 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.