Problems · by component

2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext power train problems

79 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext cite power train, 6% of all 1,357 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
79
6% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Electronic throttle body? No throttle control, motor will only idle, turn ignition switch off, then restart it will run. Reduced Engine Power light comes on. Happens for no apparent reason. Very unsafe situation.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 6, 2022Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11446505
“CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4 -WHEEL DRIVE FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 101, NO. 110, NO. 114, NO. 225, NO. 209, & NO. 208. VECHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A LEFT -FRONT BRAKE PIPE WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SCORE AT A RANDOM LOCATION ALONG THE LENGHT OF THE PIPE AS THE RESULT OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. IF THE BRAKE PIPE PARTIALLY OR FULLY FRACTURED,BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL WOULD IMMEDIATELY INCREASE AND FRONT BRAKE PERFORMANCE WOULD BE REDUCED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKETS MAY FRACTURE. MISSING WELDS ON THE REAR FLOW PLAN THE CALIBRATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE CONTROL MODULE COULD CAUSE INSUFFICIENT HIGH SPEED GEAR ENGAGEMENT. THIS FRACTURE COULD RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM FROM THE FRAME SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A RANGE SHIFT COLLAR IN THE TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE THAT CONTAINS CRACKS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 17, 2017Suspension, Power trainODI 11034190
“AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE CAME LOSE AND THE CAR COULD NOT BE PLACED IN GEAR. IT WAS STUCK INTO PARK. THE PLASTIC CABLE CONNECTOR TO THE TRANSMISSION CRACKED, WHICH ALLOWED THE BALL TO COME OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION PREVENT THE CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE PUT INTO GEAR.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 26, 2017Power trainODI 10956998
“AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN IT TRIES TO SHIFT INTO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR, I READ THAT THERE WAS A REPORT ON THIS HAPPENING BUT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL AS FAR AS I KNOW, I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WHO SAYS THEY NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAPER WORK FROM GM ABOUT DOING REPAIRS. MY QUESTION IS WILL GM REPAIR THIS CONDITION AT NO COST TO ME?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 17, 2017Power trainODI 10955188
“I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE SHIFTER HANDLE MOVED FREELY BUT WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. MY VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN PARK. LUCKILY, THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN MY GARAGE AT LUNCHTIME HEADED BACK TO WORK. WHEN I SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE, I SAW THAT OTHER GM VEHICLES HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR A BROKEN SHIFTER CABLE. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND EXPLAINED MY PROBLEM, HE SAID THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A BROKEN SHIFTER CABLE AND THAT HE HAD TOWED OTHER TRAILBLAZERS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT THE VEHICLES HAD BEEN PART OF A RECALL YEARS AGO. I HAD NOT FOUND A RECALL FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE, BUT THAT OTHER GM VEHICLES HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THAT REASON IS WHY I AM FILING THIS REPORT. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE REPAIRED AND WILL UPLOAD THE REPAIR INVOICE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 4, 2015Power trainODI 10779604
“I WAS PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN WHEN MY VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF. I PRESSED THE BRAKE, PUT MY VEHICLE IN PARK, AND TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION. THEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE AS I NORMALLY WOULD, AND IT STARTED UP WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THIS WAS VERY DISCONCERTING AND SCARY. THIS HAPPENED IN A QUIET, RESIDENTIAL AREA, SO THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. I INTENDED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE CHECKED, BUT I NEVER DID. THIS WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THE INCIDENT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO MY ATTENTION BECAUSE OF A RECENT BUT DIFFERENT MECHANICAL FAILURE WITH MY VEHICLE. DURING MY INTERNET RESEARCH OF THE OTHER MECHANICAL PROBLEM, I CAME ACROSS RECALL INFORMATION FOR OTHER GM VEHICLES THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR SUDDENLY SHUTTING OFF WHILE IN DRIVE. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT FIND RECALL INFORMATION FOR MY MAKE/MODEL/YEAR, I AM FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF WHILE IT WAS IN DRIVE. SINCE I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE WHEN THIS OCCURRED, I WILL PLACE AN APPROXIMATE DATE IN THIS REPORT. I WAS "HOUSE SHOPPING" AT THE TIME, SO THE APPROXIMATE DATE WILL BE CLOSE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 4, 2015Power trainODI 10779606

Showing 6 of 79 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.