AI Damage2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT filed 261 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 261
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 56% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 3% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 145 complaints (56% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 37 complaints (14% of all).
- Powertrain: 17 complaints (7% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 16 complaints (6% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 13 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 261 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 145 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
"takata recall" I was recently in a car accident that was listed in the police report as a head on collision and not one airbag deployed. The impact as I was told was hard enough that the airbags should have deployed.
When had the crash which was very hard loud and scary the air bags didn't deploy nor did the air bags on the side of seat. The crash was very serious and the electrical system and powertrain to windows.
Hit a deer at 70 mph on I-70 in kansas. I hit it full force with the front end. Half of the deer went over, half the deer went under. Nothing left but guts. Front end on driver side depressed about a foot. Wife and I received whip lash, wife is worse. Baby was okay. The trailblazers front end was totaled.
The consumer lost control of the vehicle at 60 mph, going into a ditch, the seat belt did not secure the consumer, and the air bag did not deploy.
When driving the headlights all of a sudden just shut off. It is extremely scary at night. I found that I can however use the brights. They eventually come back on. This has been happening for years. I kept hoping for a recall and just found this site to report it. This has happen on city streets and highways.
My family was driving home on the freeway when the complete third taillight cover blew off. It appears that the adhesive that attaches the rear spoiler to the glass of lift gate has loosened due to a manufacturer defect.
Vehicle's reduced engine power light comes on, and vehicle loses power in dangerous places. Lost of problems consist of several parts having to do with acceleration. This problem happened suddenly, andnis a danger to himan safety because of it happening several times including o n the highway.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,562 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Trailblazer EXT has 216 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 261, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 261. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (9%), warning lights, check engine (8%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.