2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,608 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 84/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 68,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2000, 2008–2009, 2021–2022.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all Trailblazer years
What owners report
“Speedometer gauge, fuel gauge, temp. Guage not working. Only the rpm and temp gauge working at this time.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Trailblazer
“Rusted fuel lines- garage checked strong fuel smell and discovered rusted fuel filler and lines”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Trailblazer
“Transmission oil cooler lines are corroded to the point where they are leaking fluid and the vehicle only has 130000 miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Trailblazer
“Instrument cluster is very faulty. At times when it is hot outside the battery and oil pressure gauge won't function properly. The rpm gauge went out at only 36,000 miles. I just went over 70,000 miles recently and now the speedometer will not work. As a matter of fact the only gauge that has…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Trailblazer
“2004 chevy trailblazer keeps getting cam position sensor fault. Causing check engine light to come on. Seems to be a common problem with this model. We have replaced this part three to four times on our truck. Truck began to run rough engine knocked and had reduced power.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Trailblazer
“I was driving and a girl pulled out from a stop sign and hit my passenger side front of my trailblazer. Her airbags deployed immediately, meanwhile mine didn't deploy. My husband saved my face by throwing his arm over me!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Trailblazer
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,285 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 69,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 47,000 and 96,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE DRIVER WISHING TO SIGNAL A TURN BY MOVING THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL LEVER, (UP OR DOWN) MAY CAUSE THE FRONT MARKER/TURN LIGHTS AND REAR TURN LIGHTS TO FLASH IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO HAZARD WARNING, RATHER THAN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT FLASHER MODULES WITH A NEW FLASHER MODULE DESIGNED WITH SEALED RELAYS AND MORE DURABLE CONTACT MATERIAL INSIDE OF THE RELAYS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON…
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, VIBRATION AND HEAT MAY CAUSE THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP BULB TO LOOSEN IN ITS SOCKET. IF THIS OCCURS, THE BULB MAY FLICKER AND EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP ASSEMBLIES, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OLDSMOBILE AT…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V527000.
Technical service bulletins
712 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 Trailblazer TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer reliable?
The 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer drew 1,608 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 84/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer are electrical (911 complaints), fuel system (177), and transmission & drivetrain (82).
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems around 69,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 47,000 and 96,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.