IllustrationTRAILBLAZER 2005 FUEL GAUGE FAILURE, SPEEDOMETER INTERMITTENT FAILURE, VEHICLE LUNGES AT IDOL OR SHUTS OFF APPROACHING STOP/BRAKE. ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENT. BEEN TO REPAIR AND INTERMITTENT PROBLEM NOT IDENTIFIED. FUEL SYSTEM FLUSHED. SPEEDOMETER ISSUE SAME. FUEL GAUGE CURRENTLY NOT WORKING PROPERLY, UNRELIABLE. *TR
2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Trailblazer years
Owner complaints for the 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer are substantially higher than the model-year median of 87.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Trailblazer years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
950–25K
18325–50K
37350–75K
28875–100K
224100–150K
57150K+
1,220 reports with mileage · 246 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 617 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 435 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 140 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
59 crash reports25 fire reports41 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
617 reportsELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS. THE HEADLIGHTS AND ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RANDOMLY DIMS AND GOES BACK TO NORMAL. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE. IT ALSO HAS A CHRONIC CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT WILL NOT RESET AND THE FUEL GAUGE HAS QUIT WORKING. *TR
SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES, HEADLIGHT BURNED OUT AND FRIED THE WIRES, AIR CONDITIONING HAS NOT WORKED FOR 4 YEARS, CD PLAYER DOES NOT WORK, WINDING NOISE (FIXED ONCE WHEN VEHICLE WAS 1 YEAR OLD) WHEN DRIVING. *TR
2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL YEARS, GM WANTS $600 TO REPLACE CLUSTER. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS BEEN RECALLED ON EVERY OTHER GM VEHICLE THAT USES THIS CLUSTER. *TR
MY 2005 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AT THIS MOMENT DUE TO MALFUNCTION IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL. FIRST MY GAS GAUGE WENT OUT 3 MONTHS AGO AND NOW MY SPEEDOMETER IS BROKEN - SHOWS I AM GOING 60 WHEN I AM AT A STOP OR IT MAY GO DOWN TO 30 AT TIMES. IT WILL COST $500 FOR THE CLUSTER AND $550 FOR THE FUEL SENSOR. …
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MY 2005 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AT THIS MOMENT DUE TO MALFUNCTION IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL. FIRST MY GAS GAUGE WENT OUT 3 MONTHS AGO AND NOW MY SPEEDOMETER IS BROKEN - SHOWS I AM GOING 60 WHEN I AM AT A STOP OR IT MAY GO DOWN TO 30 AT TIMES. IT WILL COST $500 FOR THE CLUSTER AND $550 FOR THE FUEL SENSOR. I CALLED GM TO SEE IF THEY WILL PAY FOR REPAIRS BUT HAVE NOT HEARD A RESPONSE YET. *TR
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER HAS CEASED TO WORK CORRECTLY. THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER WORKS AT ALL AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAGE HAS FAILED AS WELL. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE AND THE PROBLEM IS CONTINUOUS, NOT INTERMITTENT. THE DEALER HAS SAID THAT CORRECTION IS BY REPLACEMENT OF THE WHOL…
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THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER HAS CEASED TO WORK CORRECTLY. THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER WORKS AT ALL AND THE OIL PRESSURE GAGE HAS FAILED AS WELL. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE AND THE PROBLEM IS CONTINUOUS, NOT INTERMITTENT. THE DEALER HAS SAID THAT CORRECTION IS BY REPLACEMENT OF THE WHOLE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER UNIT. *TR
CONTROL CLUSTER FAILURE FOR A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER, SPEEDOMETER WORKS ABOUT 15% OF THE TIME. *TR
I HAVE A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER THAT HAS A DASHBOARD CLUSTER FAILURE. MY SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGES DO NOT WORK. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST I AM GOING AND HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE LEFT IN MY TANK. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR OVER A MONTH. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FROM ANGRY OWNERS DESCRIBING SPEEDING …
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I HAVE A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER THAT HAS A DASHBOARD CLUSTER FAILURE. MY SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGES DO NOT WORK. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST I AM GOING AND HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE LEFT IN MY TANK. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR OVER A MONTH. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FROM ANGRY OWNERS DESCRIBING SPEEDING TICKETS, RUNNING OUT OF GAS, ODOMETER FAILING, DASHBOARD LIGHTS DIMMING AND WARNING LIGHTS APPEARING. GM IS FAILING TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS DEFECT AND DEALERSHIPS ARE CHARGING $550 TO $650 FOR REPAIRS. *TR
I OWN A 2005 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER WITH 76,000 MILES ON IT. THE GAS GAUGE AND SPEEDOMETER STARTED MESSING UP ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT STOPPED WORKING AND STARTED BACK ON ITS OWN. WELL NOW A YEAR LATER THE GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK AND THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS WHEN IT WANTS. AFTER FURTHER STUDY INTO THE PROBLEM MY MECHANIC SAYS ITS THE INSTRU…
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I OWN A 2005 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER WITH 76,000 MILES ON IT. THE GAS GAUGE AND SPEEDOMETER STARTED MESSING UP ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT STOPPED WORKING AND STARTED BACK ON ITS OWN. WELL NOW A YEAR LATER THE GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK AND THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS WHEN IT WANTS. AFTER FURTHER STUDY INTO THE PROBLEM MY MECHANIC SAYS ITS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. SO I GO ONLINE TO TRY AND FIND ONE AND INSTEAD I FIND THAT ITS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THOUSANDS OF TRAILBLAZER OWNERS. I CALL GM TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE AND WAS TOLD SINCE OUT OF WARRANTY TO BAD. I THINK THAT WITH AS MANY COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE READ AND KNOW ABOUT THIS IS A MATTER THAT GM SHOULD RESOLVE. THEY RECALLED THE SAME CLUSTER THAT WAS PUT IN THE HIGHER PRICED VEHICLES BUT WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP US OUT. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS SINCE THIS IS MY WIFE AND KIDS CAR. I DON'T FEEL SAFE WITH THEM RIDING AROUND WITHOUT KNOWING HOW FAST THEY ARE GOING OR HOW MUCH GAS THEY HAVE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER LS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED A SPEED OF 120 MPH; ALTHOUGH SHE WAS DRIVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER (AS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER LS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED A SPEED OF 120 MPH; ALTHOUGH SHE WAS DRIVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER (AS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR EXPENSES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,369.
Official recalls
206V417000 · Air Bags:frontal
Oct 31, 2006
CERTAIN VEHICLES ORIGINALLY BUILT WITH CLOTH SEATS THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC AIR BAG PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM AND LATER REUPHOLSTERED WITH AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT COVER KITS ARE INVOLVED. TESTING HAS INDICATED THAT THE AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT COVERS CAN CAUSE THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, THE FRONT AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MAY BE DISABLED WHEN IT SHOULD BE ENABLED, OR ENABLED WHEN IT SHOULD BE DISABLED. IN EITHER CASE, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH THAT REQUIRES AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, A FRONT PASSENGER'S LEVEL OF INJURY MAY BE INCREASED.
Remedy: BECAUSE A REPLACEMENT LEATHER SEAT COVER THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM IS NOT AVAILABLE, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) WILL REPURCHASE THESE VEHICLES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS STATED IN GM'S LETTER TO OWNERS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2006. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT GM AT 1-877-477-1022 TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REPURCHASING THEIR VEHICLE.
05V035000 · Visibility:windshield
Feb 3, 2005
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 212, 'WINDSHIELD MOUNTING.' THE WINDSHIELD URETHANE BEAD MAY NOT HAVE ADHERED TO THE BODY IN CERTAIN AREAS DURING THE CURE PROCESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A CRASH OCCURS, THE WINDSHIELD MAY NOT BE RETAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 10, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2RQ17002 · Loss Of Headlights
Opened Apr 24, 2017 · Closed Mar 29, 2021
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights
The subject vehicles are model year (MY) 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2003-2008 Isuzu Ascender, 2005-2009 Saab 9-7X, 2002-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR, 2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse, and 2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. This scope includes the Trailblazer/Envoy variants: 2002-2006 Envoy XL/Trailblazer EXT and 2004-2005 Envoy XUV. The original scope of this investigation was expanded to include all vehicles equipped with the subject Headlight Driver Module (HDM). The focus of the investigation was to determine whether actions performed by General Motors adequately addressed any unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in the subject vehicles concerning the headlights and the HDM that controls them.Under normal electrical load and environmental conditions, the HDM can overheat inside the Underhood Electrical Center (UEC). This can cause the module to fail and result in a simultaneous loss of both low beam headlights and both daytime running lights (DRLs), often with no warning or prior detectability to the driver. This failure can be intermittent or permanent. No other exterior lights are affected. High beams, turn signals, brake lights, and reverse lights are still operational.General Motors addressed this issue with 2 recalls (14V755 & 15V519) and a special coverage program (N172091910). In view of the recalls and special coverage program implemented by GM and the vehicle high beams continuing to operate, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by GM mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by HDM failure in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
DP10001 · Fuel Level Gauge System Failure
Opened Jan 7, 2010 · Closed May 23, 2011
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Other; Fuel System, Other:storage:fuel Gauge System
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, and Saab 9-7x vehicles.Of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.Of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. One complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.Summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Fuel System, Other
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, and Saab 9-7x vehicles.Of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.Of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. One complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.Summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
Fuel System, Other:storage:fuel Gauge System
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, and Saab 9-7x vehicles.Of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.Of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. One complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.Summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.