2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LT review from North America

The transmission failed at 20,000 miles, and was repaired under warranty. The sun gear broke.

The transmission failed again at 35,000 and was again repaired under warranty. The same part failed again, although at that point I had never towed with the vehicle. They replaced the sun gear with a redesigned gear per the manufacturer's service bulletin. The dealer didn't have the new design in stock, but ordered it and paid for overnight delivery to get my vehicle fixed right. Since that repair, I have logged more than 100,000 miles, including towing a very heavy trailer over mountains and the transmission has worked perfectly.

The outside temperature sensor failed at 24,000 miles, causing the air conditioner to stop functioning. The failed outside temperature sensor was reading -20 when it was actually 98 outside. The A/C would not come on when the unit thought it was -20. The sensor was replaced under warranty and the A/C unit has been functioning perfectly ever since.

This vehicle has been extremely dependable, has never once left me stranded in 7 years and 138,000 miles.

The vehicle is comfortable, quiet, and has many luxury features that are hard to find on other makes. For example, full function power leather seats on both the driver and passenger sides, including power lumbar support.

The vehicle gets reasonable mileage for a 4WD SUV. I get 17 MPG in town and 21 MPG on the highway. I got 15 MPG while towing a heavy trailer through the mountains.

The vehicle has never used any oil, and I've never had an oil leak. I change it every 4000 to 5000 miles, and use Quaker State 5W30.

The vehicle's engine runs smooth and has adequate power. I have only changed the spark plugs once at 100,000 miles.

The cost of maintenance has been low. Oil and filter changes, transmission fluid and filter changes, a few light bulbs, wiper blades, tires, brakes have been the only maintenance expenses.

I've been pleased with tire life, especially for a 4WD vehicle. I am on my third set of tires at 138,000 miles, getting more than 50,000 miles per set. I do rotate the tires as per recommended maintenance schedule, and I buy a good quality tire (Bridgestone HL), but have only had two front end alignments in the life of the vehicle, so it holds alignment well, and is easy on tires.

The passenger and cargo areas are well designed and very useful from hauling lawn and garden supplies to taking a trip. I love the hidden compartment under the rear mat. They even thought of things like being able to access the jack when the rear seats are folded down and the cargo area is loaded without needing to unload.