no report yet
Exterior lighting: turn signal
Risk. THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CLEARLY SIGNAL THEIR INTENTIONS TO TURN, CHANGE TRAVEL LANES, OR POTENTIALLY WARN OTHERS OF AN IMPAIRED VEHICLE OPERATING…
2003 Chevrolet TrailblazerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 901 owner complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 8 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 1, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer has problems
901 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
285Electrical system15 crash/fire/injury
114Fuel system, gasoline2 crash/fire/injury
103Power train6 crash/fire/injury
77Exterior lighting4 crash/fire/injury
65Engine and engine cooling
64Visibility
57Air bags
55Fuel/propulsion system
43Structure
24022 other systems29 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 285 | 15 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 114 | 2 |
| Power train | 103 | 6 |
| Exterior lighting | 77 | 4 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 65 | 2 |
| Visibility | 64 | 1 |
| Air bags | 57 | 47 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 55 | 3 |
| Structure | 43 | 5 |
| 22 other systems | 240 | 29 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
8 recalls
2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Exterior lighting: brake lights
Risk. AN INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMP WILL NOT CONVEY THE DRIVER'S INTENTION OF STOPPING TO DRIVERS IN FOLLOWING VEHICLES, AND AN INOPERATIVE REAR TURN SIGNAL LAMP WILL…
no report yet
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
Risk. DEPENDING ON THE OCCURRENCE AND WEATHER SITUATION, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Other: owners/service/other manual
Risk. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Show 4 more recalls
no report yet
Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. IF BRAKING PERFORMANCE IS REDUCED, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
no report yet
Power train: automatic transmission
Risk. THESE OVERRIDES ARE NOT PERMITTED UNLESS THE VEHICLE HAS A LOCKING STEERING COLUMN.
no report yet
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN REDUCED CAPABILITY OF THE AIR BAG TO PROTECT THE DRIVER.
no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE AIR BAG CUSHION WOULD NOT INFLATE FULLY, REDUCING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BAG TO PROTECT…
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
80kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 243 electrical system complaints. 63% were reported before 100,000 miles.
29under 30k miles152under 100k miles91100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Electrical system
28 owners mentioned a cost$525median
Middle half: $398 – $700
Fuel system, gasoline
17 owners mentioned a cost$1,200median
Middle half: $763 – $1,500
Power train
9 owners mentioned a cost$2,000median
Middle half: $900 – $2,200
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other Trailblazer year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Trailblazer median. How we score
'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'14'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer safety ratings
2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
8 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, and the recalls they led to.
- WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURELed to recall 04V-046
- BRAKE LAMP FAILURELed to recall 04V-527
- FUEL PUMP MODULE LEAKS GASOLINENo recall
- WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURENo recall
- FUEL SPILLAGE DURING REFUELINGNo recall
- BRAKE LAMP FAILURENo recall
- FUEL PUMP MODULE LEAKS GASOLINENo recall
- Loss of HeadlightsNo recall
In owners' words
What Trailblazer owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Transmission doesn’t have 3rd or 4th gear. Vehicle was smoking under hood. Found out after buying it it has flood damage. Mechanic said there was water in the transmission when inspected. Vehicle needs catylic converter sensor and vehicle has bad ground wire. Seller didn’t inform me of any of these…
WIRE HARNESS COATING FALLING APART ALMOST CAUGHT MY TRUCK ON FIRE GOT PICTURES AND IT TRIGGERS THE BRAKE LIGHT TO STAY ON
NOTHING HAS HAPPENING YET TRYING TO GET THE RECALLS FIXED HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GO ABOUT IT SO STARTED HERE, PLEASE TELL ME IF NOT ALLOWED OR WHERE I CAN GET THE INFORMATION
Own a 2003 Trailblazer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.