2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer

I HAVE A 2005 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER THAT HAS A DEFECTIVE FUEL SENDING UNIT. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT DISPLAY FUEL LEVEL. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY TRAILBLAZER/GMC ENVOY. THE DEFECT IF LEFT UNREPAIRED CAN LEAD TO STALLING DURING OPERATION AND LEAD TO VEHICLE CRASHES AND OR DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY. *TR

MARCH 30, 2011, I SPENT $80.00 ON FUEL TO FILL MY TRAILBLAZER WITH GAS. I STARTED DRIVING AND THE GAS GAUGE NEVER MOVED, AND WAS STILL SHOWING EMPTY WITH THE LOW FUEL WARNING CHIMING. WHEN I WAS ALMOST HOME THE FUEL GAUGE FINALLY STARTED MOVING BUT NEVER WENT PAST A HALF TANK. I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY SIGNS OF A FUEL LEAK AND NOTHING LOOKED OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WHEN I HAD TO LEAVE AGAIN TO RUN ERRANDS THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD MOVE, HOWEVER, IT WOULD GO BACK DOWN TO EMPTY WHEN I WAS STOPPED OR PUT THE CAR IN PARK. I HAVE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH REAR TAIL LIGHT PANEL WIRES FRYING AND HAVING TO REPLACE THOSE WHEN THERE WERE NO APPARENT CAUSES (MOISTURE, ETC.). LIGHTS DIMMING WHILE I ROLL UP A WINDOW OR PUSH OTHER BUTTONS IN THE CAR (RADIO, CLIMATE CONTROL) AND LIGHTS IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CAR JUST BLOWING OUT. FUSES ARE FINE, ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY ARE FINE. WHY IS THIS VEHICLE HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS AT 56,000 MILES? I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE NOT LIFE THREATENING ISSUES, BUT WHAT IS NEXT. WHY DO I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR MY MILEAGE JUST TO MAKE SURE I DON'T STALL OR RUN OUT OF GAS WHEN I AM DRIVING. ARE WE THE CUSTOMERS SUPPOSED TO SHELL OUT $$$ TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE CONTINUALLY ON DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND COMPONENTS. I DON'T THINK SO. GMC NEEDS TO DRASTICALLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND DURABILITY OF THEIR PRODUCTS, AND STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE CARE OF THE CUSTOMERS THEY DO HAVE. WORD OF MOUTH IS WAY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ADVERTISING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER XLT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THERE WAS A BURNING OR SMOKE ODOR AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR AND THE AIR AUXILIARY VALVE WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE I HAD JUST PUT GAS IN MY CAR AND MY GAS GAUGE WOULD GO DOWN GAS LIGHT WOULD COME ON THEN IT WOULD GO BACK INDICATING I HAD GAS. THEN I WOULD NOTICE THAT MY LIGHT WAS ON KNOWING I HAD GAS SO THE GAS GAUGE KEPT GOING BACK AND FORTH. I WOULD PUT GAS IN MY CAR BUT NOT BEING ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH MY GAS BECAUSE MY GAS GAUGE WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY I RAN OUT OF GAS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, WHICH IS VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 AND A HALF YRS AGO AND I WENT TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE UNIT AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $550.00 TO FIX I DIDN'T HAVE THAT CONSIDERING IM STILL PAYING ON THE CAR I TRIED TO MONITOR MY GAS BUT I KEEP RUNNING OUT. I WOULD FILL MY CAR UP AND I WOULD PUT GAS IN MY CAR EVERY DAY OR TWO TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, AND THAT DOES NOT WORK EITHER. THE LAST EPISODE I HAD WAS I PUT GAS IN MY CAR ON SUNDAY WHICH WOULD AT LEAST TAKE ME TO MONDAY BUT I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR JUST CUT OFF AND I HAD TO COAST TO SAFETY. THIS IS A PROBLEM I RUN OUT OF GAS TOO OFTEN I WENT ONLINE TO SEE ABOUT PARTS FOR THE GAS GAUGE TO BE FIXED ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH SO MANY OTHER CHEVY TRAILBLAZERS AND OTHER GM CARS. I NOTICED THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND GM HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS A DEFECT AND THEY SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THE TRAILBLAZER. THIS IS 1 OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR AND I'VE HAD SO MANY OTHER PROBLEMS THAT I'VE NOTICED OTHER PEOPLE WERE HAVING ALSO WHEN I LOOKED ONLINE. THIS PROBLEM OF COURSE STARTED AFTER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS UP. THIS HAS BEEN SO ANNOYING TO HAVE YOUR GAS GAUGE STOP WORKING AFTER YOU HAVE BROUGHT A CAR BRAND NEW AND IS STILL PAYING ON IT. AFTER MY CAR WAS ONLY A LITTLE 3YRS OLD THAT IS RIDICULOUS. HOW COULD GM GET AWAY WITH MAKING CARS AND SELLING THEM WHEN THEY ARE JUST LEMONS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE YEAR AGO THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER TO DETERMINE THE SPEED SHE WAS DRIVING. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ALSO DISPLAYING THE INCORRECT READING, AND THE FUEL LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR THE FUEL FAILURE WHICH INDICATED THAT THE FUEL SENDING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE LOCAL MECHANIC DID NOT PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR THE SPEEDOMETER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER FILED REPORT 71-930473192. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A NARROW AND BUSY COUNTRY ROAD (BECAUSE OF A DETOUR), MY FUEL INDICATOR, WHICH READ 3/4 FULL, IMMEDIATELY HIT EMPTY AND MY CAR STALLED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF GAS. ALTHOUGH UP UNTIL THAT SECOND THE FUEL INDICATOR READ 3/4 FULL, I WAS ACTUALLY OUT OF GAS. I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED, HAD NO SHOULDER TO ESCAPE TO AND IF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ANY CLOSER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SEVERAL CAR PILE UP. AS IT STOOD, THIS INCIDENT PUT MANY IN DANGER AND IT WAS SIMPLY A MIRACLE THAT IT DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. AFTER AAA BROUGHT ME GAS, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A GAS STATION AND EVEN THOUGH I FILLED THE TANK, THE INDICATOR STILL READ EMPTY. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY'D HEARD OF THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE ME ALMOST $900.00 PARTS AND LABOR TO FIX THE ISSUE, AS IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NO RECALL. A FEW INTERNET SEARCHES LATER AND I FIND I'M ONE OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS ISSUE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE MY PORTION OF THE TAX DOLLARS I PAID INTO THE CAR MANUFACTURER BAIL-OUT TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS PART SO THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM, LIKE ANY RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURER SHOULD. IF IT'S TOYOTA HAVING A PROBLEM, WE ARE WORSE THEN A DOG WITH A BONE; IF IT'S AN AMERICAN MANUFACTURE, DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO DIE OVER THE ISSUE BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN? SINCERELY AND DISAPPOINTEDLY YOURS... *TR

[XXX] OF KODIAK, ALASKA PETITIONED THE AGENCY IN A LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 12, 2011. THE PETITIONER REQUESTS THAT NHTSA OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PERFORMANCE/RELIABILITY OF THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR INSTALLED IN MODEL YEAR 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER VEHICLES. THE PETITIONER ALLEGES THAT THE FUEL TANK LEVEL SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND COULD RESULT IN A SUBJECT VEHICLE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, STALL, AND BEING REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. ODI WILL EVALUATE THE PETITION FOR A GRANT OR DENY DECISION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR