My vehicle keeps flashing: "Shift to park" when I am in park and then my car is unable to shut off the battery even though I'm in park and our of the vehicle
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Trailblazer years
Owner complaints for the 2021 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
Limited mileage data: 32 of 193 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
41 reportsI have had this vehicle at the garage for the 4th time in 2 months for the same issues. It would not start. the fuse box keeps blowing. The starter was replaced and the Alternator was replaced and the fuse box 3 times so far. It is in the auto repair shop now for the same issues. the mechanic has done an inspection and diagnosti…
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I have had this vehicle at the garage for the 4th time in 2 months for the same issues. It would not start. the fuse box keeps blowing. The starter was replaced and the Alternator was replaced and the fuse box 3 times so far. It is in the auto repair shop now for the same issues. the mechanic has done an inspection and diagnostics and cant find what is wrong. There were no warning lights to warn me of anything. I have spent 4500+ so far in repairs and more to come.
2021 Chevy Trailblazer When I go to park my car, there is a constant error of 'Shift to Park'. The car is already in park. I must wiggle the shifting knob, restart my car, or drive around before my car will turn off and recognize that it is in park. My safety is compromised each time I get in the car. If the car cannot recogn…
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2021 Chevy Trailblazer When I go to park my car, there is a constant error of 'Shift to Park'. The car is already in park. I must wiggle the shifting knob, restart my car, or drive around before my car will turn off and recognize that it is in park. My safety is compromised each time I get in the car. If the car cannot recognize it is in park, what happens when it can't recognize it is in drive as I am on the road? Or reverse? Or any gear? My safety is also affected because my car does not realize it is in park, and at times I cannot exit my car. I am highly concerned that the car does not truly know which gear it is in and it compromises not only my safety, but the safety of my family/other passengers, and other drivers on the road. The problem is a known problem and there is an active fix bulletin for the problem. GM cannot get the part in stock - it has been 5 weeks. It affects not only my year, make, and model, but many others too. GM continues to sell the cars with this known safety defect. This defect has been confirmed by the dealership, and GM has sent out a known fix for the issue (TSB PIT5616A). There is also a class action lawsuit for this specific issue with GM. GM's solution to me is to trade in my car for a newer model rather than waiting for the part. In addition, many cars of my year, make, and model require a whole new transmission, but GM will only replace the shifter harness to start with, if and when they receive the part. I was told that the part could take up to six months to receive. For an issue that has been happening since at least 2019, this is unacceptable. The only warning that I receive is when I am trying to shut off my car and it will not shut off due to this error. This has been happening to my car for 2 months, but there seems to be a history of this defect since at least 2019.
While driving the car will cut off and on real quick. The headlights will flash on their own. Security systems cuts off and the brakes function messes up.
When I place my car in park, a "shift to park" message appears on the dashboard. I am unable to fully turn my car off and the car will ding at me. I have tried driving around the parking lot, pushing the shifter from side to side and into another gear then park again, going forward and backward, but the problem still exists. …
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When I place my car in park, a "shift to park" message appears on the dashboard. I am unable to fully turn my car off and the car will ding at me. I have tried driving around the parking lot, pushing the shifter from side to side and into another gear then park again, going forward and backward, but the problem still exists. It started to occur more frequently, until it occurred every time I drove the car. I'm not sure if the car is actually in park, so when I finally get it to turn off, I place the emergency brake on. I can not physically turn the car off when this message appears on the dashboard. I took the vehicle to the service center of the dealer on 11/12/2024. I was told this has been a big problem with GM cars and they have had many cars coming in with the same problem. Currently the part is on backorder, and there is not an ETA as to when it will be available due to high demand for this part.
On [XXX] I shifted my 2021 Chevy Trailblazer to park and and was unable to shut off the vehicle. When I shifted it to park it kept displaying an error "Shift to Park" on the dashboard, but the shifter knob was correctly in park. I attempted to press the power button to turn off the car and it wouldnt do anything but beep. I trie…
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On [XXX] I shifted my 2021 Chevy Trailblazer to park and and was unable to shut off the vehicle. When I shifted it to park it kept displaying an error "Shift to Park" on the dashboard, but the shifter knob was correctly in park. I attempted to press the power button to turn off the car and it wouldnt do anything but beep. I tried multiple times to shift to park to get the car to recognize it was actually in park and turn off the vehicle but I was unable to do so. I was frantic and panicked to find I could not turn off my vehicle as I park on a apartment complex lot. That day I took the car to Henna Chevrolet in Austin Tx for repair. They said the part was on backorder from GM with no ETA. It is now November 1st and there is still no ETA on when I will get the part for my car from GM. This has been going on for 3 weeks now with no end. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
After placing the vehicle in park I get the “shift to park error”. I can’t leave the vehicle, or lock it. It can take any where from 5 to thirty minutes for it to actually read the shift. My car is now not reading my key 80% percent of the time. The vehicle turns off while driving down the road. Saying no “remote detected”. The …
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After placing the vehicle in park I get the “shift to park error”. I can’t leave the vehicle, or lock it. It can take any where from 5 to thirty minutes for it to actually read the shift. My car is now not reading my key 80% percent of the time. The vehicle turns off while driving down the road. Saying no “remote detected”. The key has been locked in the Car twice. Which should be impossible. I’ve been stranded outside of my vehicle at night in Atlanta for long periods of time. Trying to get the vehicle to unlock because it is not reading the key.
05/29/24 I took this vehicle to Cronic Chevrolet in Griffin, Ga due to check engine light being on. Code detected purge pump it was still under warranty at that time only had 43,906 miles on had to get the purge pump replaced. Several weeks after getting it back I kept getting a shift to park message come up when trying to put i…
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05/29/24 I took this vehicle to Cronic Chevrolet in Griffin, Ga due to check engine light being on. Code detected purge pump it was still under warranty at that time only had 43,906 miles on had to get the purge pump replaced. Several weeks after getting it back I kept getting a shift to park message come up when trying to put it in park then started having trouble getting it to go into drive. I have had so many close calls from people almost bashing into me because my car will not go into drive and you constantly have to switch in and out of gears for it to finally go in. Its sucking the had right out due to it not shifting gears properly. The code reader detected transmission control module which I find to be faulty and understand there are serval recalls on this specific vehicle , when it started this issue it didn’t even have 50,000 miles on it!
I first noticed an issue about a year ago when an electrical blaring noise was coming from my speakers followed by popping and crackling noises. I have taken my car into the dealership several times without resolution. Since then, I have noticed excessive humidity in the vehicle and recently found the trunk was flooded. I took t…
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I first noticed an issue about a year ago when an electrical blaring noise was coming from my speakers followed by popping and crackling noises. I have taken my car into the dealership several times without resolution. Since then, I have noticed excessive humidity in the vehicle and recently found the trunk was flooded. I took the vehicle in to the dealership again, and they say the interior fabric is compromised now and the electrical sounds I was experiencing are coming from electrical damage inside the body. I have now read another review online from someone who had the exact same experience with this make and model. I believe this is a safety hazard to drivers who are unknowingly driving around for months in a vehicle that could be flooding and could cause severe damages like in my case. I have documents to support these claims, but I do not have electronic copies. If someone reaches out to me I can provide hard copies.
Malfunctioning door locks cause safety issues for drivers and passengers. If you do an internet search, you can find thousands of questions on this specific issue for Chevrolet door electronics. They are doing nothing to correct this isse.
Official recalls
421V440000 · Equipment:mechanical:accessory Scissor/screw/bottle Jack/lift:stand
Jun 10, 2021
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Buick Encore GX and 2021-2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles. The emergency jack, if not positioned as directed in the vehicle owner's manual, can fracture while in use.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fractured jack can cause the vehicle to collapse, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the jack, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owner of the safety risk are expected to be mailed July 26, 2021. A second notice will be mailed once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A212335470.
20V588000 · Service Brakes
Sep 24, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CT4, CT5 and XT4, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, and 2020-2021 Buick Encore GX vehicles. Sensor connection contamination in the electronic brake boost system may cause an interruption of communication between the sensor and the brake boost system.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If communication with the sensor is interrupted, the electronic brake boost assist could be lost. Extra pedal force will be required to slow and stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electronic brake boost module, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202307260.
20V537000 · Seats; Seats:critical Fasteners
Sep 3, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Encore GX and 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles. The rear attachment bolts of one or both front seats may not have been installed.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If an occupied front seat is missing the rear attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202304380.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seats:critical Fasteners
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Encore GX and 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles. The rear attachment bolts of one or both front seats may not have been installed.
Consequence: If an occupied front seat is missing the rear attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202304380.
Seats
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Encore GX and 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles. The rear attachment bolts of one or both front seats may not have been installed.
Consequence: If an occupied front seat is missing the rear attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202304380.
20V295000 · Equipment:other:labels; Tires
May 21, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles factory-equipped with optional 17-inch sport terrain tires. The certification label on these vehicles does not provide the tire size and cold tire pressure information for front and rear tires, as required. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If drivers are uninformed and overinflate or underinflate their tires, this may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and will mail corrected labels for customers to apply, free of charge. The recall began July 1, 2020. Owners may call Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202304070.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Equipment:other:labels
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles factory-equipped with optional 17-inch sport terrain tires. The certification label on these vehicles does not provide the tire size and cold tire pressure information for front and rear tires, as required. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: If drivers are uninformed and overinflate or underinflate their tires, this may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and will mail corrected labels for customers to apply, free of charge. The recall began July 1, 2020. Owners may call Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202304070.
Tires
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles factory-equipped with optional 17-inch sport terrain tires. The certification label on these vehicles does not provide the tire size and cold tire pressure information for front and rear tires, as required. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: If drivers are uninformed and overinflate or underinflate their tires, this may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and will mail corrected labels for customers to apply, free of charge. The recall began July 1, 2020. Owners may call Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202304070.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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