2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer

AFTER STOPPING TO FILL UP THE GAS TANK ON MY VEHICLE, THE FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED THAT MY CAR HAD NO FUEL. I FILLED THE TANK ENTIRELY, TO THE COST OF $64.00, AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE "LOW FUEL" WARNING APPEARED. I TRIED TO TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN, BUT THE FUEL SYSTEM STILL REGISTERED THAT THE GAS TANK WAS EMPTY. I THEN TRIED TO RESET THE INTERNAL COMPUTER BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY TERMINAL. THIS ALSO PROVED INEFFECTIVE. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES OR SO, THE GAS GAUGE FLUCTUATED BETWEEN AN "EMPTY" READING AND A "1/2 TANK" READING. UPON STOPPING FINALLY ABOUT 4 MILES LATER (TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES DRIVEN AFTER FILLING THE TANK TO "FULL") THE FUEL GAUGE WENT BACK TO AN "EMPTY" READING, AND HAS SINCE REMAINED THERE. I NOW HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN MY GAS TANK ASIDE FROM TRACKING MY MILEAGE ON MY TRIP ODOMETER, AND "ESTIMATING" AS TO HOW MUCH GAS HAS BEEN USED, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT DRIVING CONDITIONS, DRIVING TENDENCIES, HIGHWAY VERSUS CITY TRAVEL, ETC. ALL FACTORS CONSIDERED, IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACK HOW MUCH GAS IS IN MY CAR AT ALL TIMES, WHICH POSES A SAFETY RISK TO MYSELF, ANY OF MY PASSENGERS, AND OTHER DRIVERS.

I WAS AT THE GAS STATION FILLING MY TANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED ON AND THEN THE LOW FUEL WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON IN THE MESSAGE CENTER ALONG WITH THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR BY THE FUEL GAUGE. I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND ON AND THE WARNING MESSAGE AND LOW FUEL LIGHT STAYED ON. AFTER DRIVING FOR A WHILE, IT EVENTUALLY GOES OFF, BUT THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER MORE THAN A 1/4 OF A TANK EVEN WHEN FILLED UP AND THE WARNING MESSAGE COMES ON ALONG WITH THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR AS SOON AS I START THE TRUCK AFTER FILLING THE TANK AND WHEN THE TRUCK IS IDLING, THE LOW FUEL MESSAGE AND LIGHT COME ON. ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THE TRUCK IS THAT THE LIGHTING SYSTEM DIMS WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN I BOUGHT THIS ISSUE UP AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TRUCK, BUT DID NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

I JUST PURCHASED A 2005 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER FOR MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER AND SAFETY WAS THE REASON FOR AN SUV. TWO MONTHS AFTER MY PURCHASE THE GAS GAGE NO LONGER WORKS, ALMOST ALWAYS ON E AND SOME TIMES JUMPS AROUND. I CANT AFFORD TO TAKE CHANCES WITH HER LIFE WITH AN ACCIDENT OR RUN OUT OF GAS IN THE WRONG PLACE. I ASKED A DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THEY FIX THIS PROBLEM ON EVERY TRAIL BLAZER. THEY ALSO TOLD ME I HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP AS WELL AND THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. THE TOTAL BILL IS AROUND $700 FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN ON EVERY TRAILBLAZER, DON'T YOU AGREE? I HAVE DONE MY HOMEWORK AND I SEE THIS HAPPENS TO EVERYONE'S TRAILBLAZER AND COULD MAKE US ALL LOOK @ OTHER AUTOS IN THE FUTURE. IM VERY HAPPY WITH CHEVY CARS, TRUCKS AND SUV'S LETS KEEP OUR RELATIONSHIP A POSITIVE ONE OK? $700 WILL NOT BRAKE MY WALLET JUST MY TRUST. *TR

GAS DOES NOT REGISTER WHEN I FILL UP THE TANK. STILL READS "EMPTY". I HAVE NOTICED ON SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. I TRAVEL W/SMALL CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO NOT KNOW WHAT EXACTLY THE FUEL LEVEL IS. I USE THE TRIP METER TO HOLD ME OVER, BUT IT CAN BE VERY HARD TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNTS WHILE USING THE TRIP METER FOR OTHER RECORDINGS. I HAVE HAD AN ESTIMATE, BUT IT IS OVER $800 TO HAVE FIXED AND WITH THIS ECONOMY, THAT IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO SWING FOR SUCH A COMMON ISSUE. *TR

MY SPEEDOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO AS I WAS CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, AND MY CD PLAYER STOPPED ACCEPTING CD'S DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE GAUGE LATER STUCK AT FIRST 20 - 15 MPH, AND THEN TO 10 MPH WHEN THE SUV IS STOPPED. AFTER ABOUT 2 MONTHS, IT CORRECTED ITSELF. THE GAS GAUGE THEN WENT OUT. IT WOULD REGISTER THE TANK AS EMPTY NO MATTER IF IT WAS FILLED. THIS BEGAN 2/2010. I, A DISABLED DRIVER, HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS ON A DESERTED ROAD 12:15 A.M. IN THE WINTER DUE TO HAVING TO CALCULATE MILES DRIVEN WITH THE TACHOMETER TO DETERMINE APPROXIMATE GAS CONSUMPTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT CALCULATION DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR ENGINE IDLING IN TRAFFIC JAMS . I SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN MY COLD SUV PRAYING NO ONE CAME AROUND THE CURVE AND SLAMMED INTO ME SINCE I RAN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DARK RURAL ROAD. I WAS TERRIFIED IN THIS SITUATION AND RARELY DRIVE AT NIGHT IF I CAN HELP IT BECAUSE OF THE MANUFACTURER'S KNOWN DEFECT AND NEGLIGENCE. I HAVE PAID OVER $500 TO REPAIR THESE MANUFACTURES DEFECTS, ONLY TO HAVE THEM MALFUNCTION AGAIN WITHIN 1 WEEK OF REPAIR. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT HE WOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO FIX IT A SECOND TIME. ONCE AGAIN, MY SPEEDOMETER IS NO LONGER REGISTERING THE CORRECT SPEED, AND I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER FOR SPEEDING. I SHOWED THE OFFICER MY SPEEDOMETER, AND TO MY SURPRISE HE LET ME OFF WITH A WARNING AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS PULLED OVER OTHER TRAILBLAZER DRIVERS FOR SPEEDING WHO IN TURN HAD THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THEIR SPEEDOMETERS. I HAVE HAD INTERIOR LIGHTS MALFUNCTION, AND DRIVER SIDE HEAD LIGHT MALFUNCTIONS WHERE THE LIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. THE HEADLIGHT WAS CHECKED BY A MECHANIC AND WAS NOT DEEMED LOOSE OR BLOWN.

[XXX] OF CHICAGO, IL, PETITIONED THE AGENCY IN A LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 27, 2009. 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