2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LS 4.2 Straight 6 from North America

Summary:

Great Truck

Faults:

4-Wheel Drive Light Stayed On.

Rear Defroster Wouldn't Turn On.

Rear Door Weather Strip Loosened Up.

Paint Bubble On Hood.

General Comments:

My wife loves the truck.

Runs beautifully and smoothly.

Dealer handled all problems quickly except paint. I'll be contacting Chevrolet for the paint issue. The dealer claims that the bubble is from bird droppings.

Interior cheap looking, but functional.

Interior could be a little quieter.

So far this is the best SUV I've ever owned. I previously owned an Explorer and a Blazer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th November, 2004

1st Oct 2009, 18:54

I have a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer as well, and was hand washing it this past weekend, getting it ready for winter putting a nice coat of wax on it, and found several places on my hood where the paint is bubbled. Find it real hard to believe bird droppings caused this since I never let my truck go more than a week or two between washings. Of course the truck is no longer under warranty so not sure what if anything I can do. Everything powered on the drivers side quit working about a month ago too. I really have liked this truck too, taken a lot of long trips with it.

2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LS 6 cylinder from North America

Summary:

A Dog of a Vehicle

Faults:

Paint on drivers door bubbling off.

Paint on rear driver side door bubbling off.

Paint on rear passenger side door bubbling off.

Front bumper had 14" long and 8" long scratches.

Rear bumper scratched.

Other various scratches for a total of 14.

3 doors had to be completely re-painted within 3 weeks of driving off the lot. Dealer claimed "moisture" was in the paint at the factory and that bubbles in the paint are normal.

I have to turn the wheel slightly left to go straight. The dealer claims it's fully aligned. I've driven other Trailblazers and they do the same thing, so this may be a characteristic of the vehicle.

Radiator loses fluid for an unexplainable reason.

The engine is very, very loud like a jet or 16-wheeler until I hit 40mph. It's stayed loud for as long as 15 minutes before (because I didn't hit 40mph in that timeframe). One dealer refused to even look at it saying it's normal. The dealer who sold it reprogrammed the computer. That didn't fix it. People on the street turn and look because it's so loud.

Half-dollar sized discoloration in the interior plastic in the cargo area. This was fixed with a heat gun by the dealer, but left the area a different texture.

General Comments:

Really, I don't expect a $29,500 vehicle to be perfect. However, despite the paint peeling off this brand new vehicle, the biggest concern is the very loud fan noise that started at about 2,500 miles. The fact the dealer refuses to work on it and fix it after I've made only 2 car payments is pretty frustrating. They said just this morning, "It's just a little fan noise. That's normal in this vehicle." No sir. This is *not* normal noise. And it didn't do it for 2 months after I bought it.

There's no way I'd ever buy another Chevrolet. Ever. I've called the service department for as much as 3 days in a row (multiple times) before getting a return call. They're also doing work and not providing me any documentation, so I have no evidence if I have to claim the lemon law or have a problem later.

Generally, I'm experiencing poor customer service and a mechanically inferior vehicle. Stay away from Trailblazer. I had an Explorer in the past and had relatively little trouble with it. That's what I may get next time.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th September, 2004

9th Nov 2004, 00:49

The problem is the electric fan clutch. We are having the odd problem with ours too. It usually happens when it is cold. And when it happens, there is SEVERELY reduced power. I mean this thing feels like 90 horsepower when the fan is stuck on full blast.

4th Apr 2005, 08:35

My 02 just hit 49,000 miles and my fan clutch is stuck... It sounds like I'm driving a diesel school bus. Time to take it in to get checked. At 40,000, the electrical switches on the drivers door went out completely. Luckily the door wiring harness at the hinges was loose (I unplugged it and reattached it- problem solved).