Problems · by component
2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext engine and engine cooling problems
54 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext cite engine and engine cooling, 3% of all 1,703 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
54
3% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“WE WERE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 94 IN NORTH DAKOTA AND WE HEARD A POP. BY THE TIME WE PULLED OVER THERE WERE FLAMES UP TO THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS DOOR. WE QUICKLY GOT OUT. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. DATE OF ACCIDENT WAS 10/31/2014. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED FOR THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK, THE WATER PUMP, THE EVAPORATOR CORD, THE HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS (WHICH MELTED AND CAUSED THE LIGHT BULB TO FAIL), THE HUB ASSEMBLY, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER, THE MOTOR BLOWER RESISTOR WIRES, AND THE DOOR LOCKS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPEN OR CLOSE AND THE REAR HATCH LOCK SYSTEM AND INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILURES PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,875.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THREE YEARS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. THE WINDOW REGULATOR, BATTERY CABLE, TANK LEVEL SENSOR, CLUTCH FAN, SERPENTINE BELT, TIGHT OUTER TIE ROD, HOOD LATCH,WATER PUMP, WERE ALL REPLACED. ALSO, THE ROTORS WERE WARPED, DUE TO RUST BY CLIMATE, THE REAR BRAKES PADS WERE WORN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FRONT ROTORS WERE MACHINED. THERE WAS AN INTERMITTENT SURGE AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE BLOWING OUT. THE TAIL LIGHT CIRCUIT BOARD WAS REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DUE TO A FAULTY EMISSION VENT VALVE AND HOSE ASSEMBLY. THE ABS WAS ENGAGING, WHEN COMING TO A STOP. UPDATED 10/01/14”
“WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 CHEVYTRAILBLAZER IT JUST TURNED OFF WITHOUT WARNING, AS SOON AS IT DID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON(INSTRUMENT PANEL AND RADIO WERE STILL WORKING). I TRIED A FEW TIMES TO TURN IT BACK ON BUT IT FAILED TO RESTART. 15 MINUTES LATER IT RESTARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO MY WORKPLACE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, BY THE TIME I USED MY VEHICLE AGAIN(ABOUT 3HRS LATER) BOTH ENGINE LIGHTS HAD TURNED OFF. WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP TO SEE IF THEY COULD DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE TAKE IT TO A GM DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THERE WERE NUMEROUS CODES SHOWING UP ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP IN INDIO, CA (COACHELLA VALLEY BUICK GMC). THEY TOO SAID THAT NUMEROUS CODES WERE COMING UP BUT AFTER 1 1/2 DAYS WITH OUR VEHICLE THEY STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE TOOK IT IN TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND HE PERFORMED THE REPAIR THAT GMC STATED WAS NEEDED. UPON PICKING UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE REPAIR SHOP I DROVE HOME, AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE GARAGE IT TURNED OFF, A REPEAT OF THE SAME ISSUE WE WERE HAVING BEFORE REPLACING THE IGNITION SWITCH. SINCE THIS WAS…”
“THE BLOWER/FAN ON THE AIR CONDITIONER/HEATER STOPPED WORKING. IT FIRST BEGAN WITH #4 AND #5 ON THE FAN SELECTOR SWITCH NOT WORKING, BUT THEN IT STOPPED ALTOGETHER. AFTER DOING RESEARCH THIS BLOWER MOTOR PROBLEM IS VERY POPULAR AMONGST THESE VEHICLES. ALSO, THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE DASH HASN'T WORKED IN ABOUT 3 YEARS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS DUE TO THE FUEL SENSOR IN THE FUEL TANK. AGAIN, THIS IS VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITHIN THE TRAILBLAZER COMMUNITY. I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $774 FOR THE BLOWER MOTOR TO BE FIXED AND $600 FOR THE FUEL GAUGE TO BE FIXED. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY. IN ADDITION, THE HEADLIGHTS UNINTENDEDLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN ACTIVATED ON TWENTY SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER EIGHTS TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURES. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300. SM.”
Showing 6 of 54 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.