U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Chevrolet TRAILBLAZER problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

1,149 owner complaints analyzed

12 distinct recall campaigns

65,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 762 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 163 of 1,149 complaints (14.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	207	18.0%
Braking behavior	171	14.9%
Electrical and battery issues	92	8.0%
Fuel system concerns	75	6.5%
Engine operation	62	5.4%
Steering behavior	54	4.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

163

Electrical System

120

Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive)

Air Bags

Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights

Fuel System, Gasoline

Power Train

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	163
Electrical System	120
Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive)	66
Air Bags	65
Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights	65
Fuel System, Gasoline	52
Power Train	47
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	44

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 163; Electrical System: 120; Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive): 66; Air Bags: 65; Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights: 65; Fuel System, Gasoline: 52; Power Train: 47; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 44

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

137

25,000 to 49,999

142

50,000 to 74,999

161

75,000 to 99,999

124

100,000 to 149,999

125

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 137; 25,000 to 49,999: 142; 50,000 to 74,999: 161; 75,000 to 99,999: 124; 100,000 to 149,999: 125; 150,000 and above: 73

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (161). 387 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2001

2002

116

2003

173

2004

136

2005

127

2006

2007

104

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2025

2001: 4; 2002: 116; 2003: 173; 2004: 136; 2005: 127; 2006: 85; 2007: 104; 2008: 80; 2009: 60; 2010: 52; 2011: 41; 2012: 25; 2013: 20; 2014: 35; 2015: 27; 2016: 18; 2017: 16; 2018: 9; 2019: 9; 2020: 3; 2021: 7; 2022: 1; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 207 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 171 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 92 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10000084 · 2002-12-15 (December 15, 2002)

VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE 6 TIMES. VEHICLE PURCHASED IN OCT 01. FIRST INSTANCE WAS JAN 2002. WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROX 65-70 MPH IN A4WD. VEHICLE SHIFTED DOWN INTO 4LO CAUSING LOSS OF POWER & CONTROL. SERVICE 4WD LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF 4WD UNTIL IT HAD BEEN PARKED & SHUT OFF. MODE SWITCH ON DASH WAS REPLACED FOLLOWING INCIDENT. ONE WEEK LATER, VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO 4HI WHILE DRIVING IN 2HI. MODE SWITCH WAS AGAIN REPLACED. AUGUST 2002, PROBLEMS WERE AGAIN EXPERIENCED AS 4HI AND 4LO LIGHTS WOULD FLASH SIMULTANEOUSLY. DEA…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000084 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001311 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN PARKING WITH ENGINE ON, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE IN ANOTHER GEAR ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER IS AFRAID TRANSMISSION MAY BY DESTROYED. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001311 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000316 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)

LOOSE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK. DRIVER'S SEAT BACK HAS OVER 2 INCHES OF BACK AND FORTH MOVEMENT AND MAKES A "CLUNKING NOISE" UPON ACCELERATION / DECELERATION. WHEN DECELERATING, THE SEAT BACK MOVES FORWARD CAUSING THE DRIVER'S TORSO TO ALSO MOVE FORWARD. THIS CAUSES THE DRIVER TO PUT EXCESSIVE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH CAUSES EXCEPTIONALLY HARD, FAST, AND UNCONTROLLED STOPS. SINCE THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS PART OF THE SEAT BACK, THIS MAY ALSO CAUSE THE DRIVER NOT TO BE PROPERLY RETAINED TO THE SEAT IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. DEALER WAS NOT…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000316 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000667 · 2003-01-01 (January 1, 2003)

FIRST LET ME TELL YOU THAT WE ARE DIE HARD CHEVY CUSTOMERS. WE STILL OWN MY '82 CHEVY SILVERADO PICK UP AND IT'S RUNNING FINE. LAST MAY WE TRADED IN OUR LITTLE '97 CAVALIER THAT WE HAD TAKEN ON NUMEROUS TRIPS AND PRETTY MUCH TROUBLE FREE THE FIVE YEARS WE OWNED HER. THEN WE BOUGHT THE '02 TRAIL BLAZER. HAVEN'T GONE ON TOO MANY TRIPS WITH HIM YET, BUT EXCEPT FOR ONE PERFORMANCE FLAW THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IS CAUSING US CONCERN WE LIKE THE CAR SO FAR. THE CONCERN COMES WHEN WE HAVE TO BRAKE SUDDENLY TO AVOID A HAZARD IN THE ROAD. THE …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10000667 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10011073 · 2003-03-26 (March 26, 2003)

2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER WITH 21,000 MILES. BOUGHT IN AUGUST 2001. HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE 10 TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. LATEST PROBLEM IS STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS OR AFTER STOPPING. HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS FOR THIS PROBLEM 4 TIMES, AND PROBLEM RECURRED TODAY. WENT OUT TO START CAR AND IT WAS DEAD. JUST PICKED IT UP FROM THE REPAIR SHOP YESTERDAY. HAS BEEN TOWED THREE TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. SERVICE SHOP HAS REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER, REPLACED BATTERY, IGNITION SWITCH, AND TCM (COMPUTER MODULE), AND PCM/VCM (OTHER COMPUTER M…

Owner-reported narrative. 21,393 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011073 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016380 · 2003-04-22 (April 22, 2003)

BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW 7.5 MONTHS AGO AND HAS ABOUT 8000 MILES. FOUND THE FUSES GOOD AND THE LIGHT BULB FILAMENTS GOOD. WHILE CHECKING THE LIGHT BULBS, I DISCOVERED THAT MOVING THEM SLIGHTLY IN THE OUT DIRECTION, THE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON. UPON EXAMINATION, IT APPEARS THE METAL CONNECTION TABS WITHIN LIGHT SOCKET AND/OR THE BULB WIRE- TYPE CONNECTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY HEAT. THERE IS SOME DISCOLORATION ON BOTH. ALTHOUGH THE BULBS ARE NOT BURNED OUT, THEY WILL NOT WORK WHEN FULLY …

Owner-reported narrative. 7,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10016380 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000436 · 2002-12-31 (December 31, 2002)

AFTER NOTICING A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE AND DISCOVERING A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE UNDER THE FUEL TANK, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE FUEL TANK HAD A SPLIT IN THE TANK WHERE THE FILLER NECK JOINS THE TANK. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000436 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014059 · 2003-04-07 (April 7, 2003)

4 WHEEL DRIVE FAILURE LIGHT ON DASH BOARD AND "4 WHEEL DRIVE FULL" AND "4 WHEEL DRIVE LOW" LIGHT KEEP FLASHING AND WHEN I PLACED TRUCK IN PARK AND SHUT OFF TRUCK, IT LUNGED BACKWARD. GAS TANK WOULDN'T TAKE GAS AND THE LAST TIME IT SPIT GAS OUT AND OUT ONTO PAVEMENT. BRAKES DON'T SEEM TO STOP VERY WELL AND I NOW HAVE A PULSATING FEELING UNDER MY FOOT WHEN I BRAKE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 5,643 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014059 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002768 · 2003-01-16 (January 16, 2003)

ENGINE STALL - TRUCK STALLED AND ALL LIGHTING AND COMPONENTS WENT DEAD WHILE SLOW TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. THE TRUCK COULD NOT BE RE-STARTED. AFTER 10 MINUTES, THE TRUCK STARTED AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ON. SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO START THE TRUCK FAILED RESULTING IN IT BEING TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE ONE OF THE COMPUTERS IN THE TRUCK AND IT HAS BEEN FINE EVER SINCE. I HEARD ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION FOR THE ENVOY AND BRAVADA BUT NOT THE TRAILBLAZER. MY TRUCK IS A TRAILBLAZER AND DID EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS …

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002768 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001704 · 2002-12-31 (December 31, 2002)

THE ENGINE MADE A RUMBLING/CLICKING SOUND, SHUT OFF SUDDENLY, THE POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT, AND THE POWER BRAKES FAILED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 11,040 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001704 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005425 · 2003-02-06 (February 6, 2003)

THE POWER STEERING WAS DISABLED AND WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER VEHICLE. WE TOOK IT TO OUR SERVICE PERSON WHO CONTACTED A GM DEALER, EWALD OF OCONOMOWOC, WI. THEY TOLD US TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP THEPOWER STEERING RETURNED TO USE.

Owner-reported narrative. 46,523 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005425 at NHTSA ↗