Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving on the highway going 65mph which is the legal speed limit. I got cut off by a driver and light tapped my brakes to slow the vehicle down. When I did so the vehicle then swerved to the left and started drifting sideways directly to a wall. I went head on with the wall. Then I bounced back across all lanes of traffic again still sideways and drifting hitting another wall. Which is where the vehicle ended at the stopping point of the accident. No airbags deployed in the accident. The driver behind me who witness the crash stated that the vehicle started to loose traction before I hit my brakes and me hitting my brakes caused the vehicle to them loose full control. I was in the process of buying this vehicle from Gresham Ford in Oregon. I was told the vehicle was 100% road safe and passed safety inspections. Which is false.
The contact owned a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph and not noticed that the vehicles ahead were stopped at a traffic light, causing him to crash into the vehicles in front. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The contact received chest and head injuries. Medical attention was needed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact swerved to avoid another vehicle and crashed into a median facing oncoming traffic. The vehicle flipped over eight times and landed in a ditch on the opposite side of the highway. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. A police report was filed. The contact passed out and received injuries to the head, neck, back, and shoulder. Medical attention was required. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V201000 (seat belts). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into a bus and sustained significant damage to the front end. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed. The driver sustained injuries to the neck, head, torso, and a dislocated finger. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,000.
I was involved in a motor vehicle accident while driving my 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer down a country road. I tried to avoid hitting an animal in the road and went onto the right shoulder when my right rear tire hit a pothole/asphalt and the tire blew. The vehicle started to tip to the left and then rolled approximately 13 times without one air bag deploying. I sustained multiple injures and surgery is now required.
Driving approximately 30 miles per hour, woman pulled out in front of me to turn onto the freeway. A vehicle next to me honked their horn and missed hitting her but I hit her on the passenger rear panel of her car, damaging her vehicle and bending the rear tire at an angle. The airbag did not deploy and was on. I was traveling on a city street, going westbound, the other driver was turning to go northbound.
The vehicle was involved in a head on crash into a telephone pole and the air bags did not deploy. The front seat passenger was injured and the driver struck the steering wheel and died at the hospital from internal injuries. We are trying to determine why the airbags did not deploy. The passenger was not wearing a seat belt and it also appears that the deceased driver was not wearing a seat belt.
My wife was in a head on collision where she hit a tree going approximately 45 miles an hour. She was on a county road and lost control of the vehicle, hitting the tree on private property. The airbags did not deploy, when they should have. She hit her head on the steering wheel at impact. I have uploaded pictures of the damage to the vehicle and a picture showing the airbags did not deploy.
We hydroplaned going about 40mph in raining conditions near richlands, nc on hwy 258. Overcorrected, fishtailed again into oncoming traffic, was hit in the driverside rear by a another car, hit the curb and rolled three times.
I was traveling southbound on ky hwy 1531 (eastwood fisherville rd). When I approached a sharp curve in the roadway, I observed a Honda odyssey minivan traveling northbound too fast for the icy, snowy road conditions. The minivan driver lost control of her vehicle and struck my 2002 Trailblazer head-on in the southbound lane. At the time of impact, my Trailblazer was completely stopped with my right foot pressed firmly on the brake pedal. The Honda odyssey airbags fully deployed. My trailblazers airbags did not deploy. Both vehicles were total loss. My Trailblazer was towed to GM repair shop bauchman Chevrolet in louisville ky. It remains stored in its original post-accident condition. I have retained ownership title of this vehicle. GM repair shop noted extensive frame damage and broken airbag sensor. …
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal
Certain passenger, Mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began August 15, 2002.
Airbag complaints in other Trailblazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
NHTSA has 102 complaints about the air bags of the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 9% of the model year's 1,149 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (25 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-222 (frontal, Aug 9, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 65 crashes, 1 fire and 62 injuries and 2 deaths to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.