Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
Tl contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, a smoke odor emitted into the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked when the contact discovered black smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stated that although the key was not in the ignition the headlights would not go off and the vehicle sounded as if it was trying to start without the key in the ignition. The contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire department came and filed a report. Prior to this incident the contact stated that while stopped at a red light with the brakes engaged, the engine rpms increased and the vehicle jerked without warning. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 192,000.
1. My drivers side window and door lock is shorted out and wont operate at all. While driving causing the window to remain down during a rain storm and impeding my visibility. I see they have recalls on other years for this exact same problem. 2. My seat belt cathes really tight and wont release casusing me pain. 3. My headlights regular beams keep coming loose and blowing out.ive had to fix this three times and I have only owned the vehicle for a week. Twice during driving at night once I am not sure when it blew. 4. The front suspension is having problems and I believe May be a recall issue. It makes loud noise like its cracking or breaking, while driving.
Electrical under dash shorting out. Causing accessory plug to shoot sparks as well as causing dash lights to go out, and front panel to stop working. Ac electrical quit working after. 4wheel drive shifts randomly in and out of 2 and 4 wheel drive, causing the transmission to get stuck in neutral. Motor solenoids and sensors keep failing and shorting out due to electrical issues. Vehicle unsafe to drive.
I was going down the highway. I stopped at a gas station for a cup of coffee with my sister and 3 year old daughter. When I went to put my daughter in the car I noticed smoke coming up from under the plastic part in the back seat on the door part. I saw something spark and took the casing off and then it sparked again and it flamed some everytime I blow it out it would spark again. I got the wires off the metal from the door and the one wire came apart. The plastic that is covering the wires was melted off and the tape that was over that was also melted off. I took it to the dealer in nazareth pa to get it looked at. They had to replace 4 wires and 3 fuses. It cost me $100.00 to fix. GM called me and said there was nothing they could do because I already had it fixed and that they said it was not that serious. …
I was coming to a stop light my brakes did not want to work , then they did. I stopped my vehicle, my lights in my dash went out within a few seconds smoke started to roll from under my hood and cover my windshield. I immediately got out of the vehicle, and called 911. The vehicle was not running at this time, it stopped running. A bystander stopped to assist, he looked from the passenger front tire view and stated he seen flames that appeared to be blue. He wanted to lift the hood but I advised him not to do so, due to my job training I knew oxygen promotes fire. We got away from the vehicle, saint albans fire arrived on scene, the flames were out by the time they arrived, the car continues to smoke. The vehicle was moved to a lot, the key was put in the ignition by the fire department the dash lights did not work even with just turning the battery on. …
Recently bought a car that I believe they are illegally passing the inspections on. They proclaimed that fixed a major part to keep the tires on my car tie rods and cv axel. Just short time after it looked like the part was never replaced just tightened up and shortly after we had all kinds of issues with the brakes and anything that keeps the car driveing safely the brakes went out on me so I called to see what they did and why they never fixed it the berry next day they repo the car as if they are trying to hide and cover up the scams they have on people my kids are in that car daily it should be never passed the inspection we have had to pay for most of that. …
While driving I noticed a burning smell outside of my vehicle but assumed it was coming from the area around me not my car. When I got to my destination I noticed smoke coming from under the left side of the hood and above the drivers side tire. I raised my hood and noticed smoke coming from around my fuse box. I had the car towed and have been told by my mechanic my fuse box and wiring harness burned. He also stated there could be other damaged related to this fire. The mechanic also asked if I had problems out of my headlights because the problem seemed to have started with the headlights. I have researched this since being given this information and electrical problems seem have been a problem with trailblazers. I found several instances on this site and also online related to electrical problems on the trailblazers. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with air conditioner activated, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had replaced the crankshaft solenoid which he believed repaired the issue. Soon after the initial repair, the contact stated that the driver's side tail light and instrument panel failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that he replaced the tail light fuses and instrument panel circuit board however, the repairs failed to fix the failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failures to NHTSA campaign number: 03V096000 (electrical system) and 04V527000 (exterior lighting). The contact called corwin motors kalispell (2565 us-93, kalispell, mt 59901, [phone]) and was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving 30 MPH, the headlights failed and turned off independently. When the contact exited the vehicle, the locks independently engaged and locked the contact out. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for that incident. Later, the electrical components on the front driver's side door, including the side view mirror, power window, and power lock switches, failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver's door master power window switch module failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer rebooted the module as a temporary repair, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer and pay for the repairs. The approximate failure mileage was 195,000. The VIN was unavailable.
I was driving my '02 Chevy Trailblazer on the interstate. The vehicle slipped and fishtailed a bit and I pressed the brakes to bring the vehicle to a stop. When the vehicle came to a stop, I tried to accelerate forward, but it would not move. The vehicle had not turned off on its own. I manually shut off the engine and restarted the vehicle and proceeded to move onto the shoulder of the interstate. I then noticed smoke and a small flame coming from under the hood near the front passenger tire/wheelhouse. The flames got bigger and soon it spread to the entire engine. The flames started near the right passenger wheelhouse and moved to the left driver wheelhouse. In about 20 minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. I have no idea how or why a fire started. I looked at forums online and many vehicles like mine have caught on fire while driving.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standards no. 101, "control location, identification, and illumination" and no. 208, "occupant crash protection." these vehicles have an intermittent condition during vehicle start-up in which the instrument panel cluster May not…
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster. Owner notification began May 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
Electrical complaints in other Trailblazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
NHTSA has 181 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 16% of the model year's 1,149 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-096 (interior/under dash, Mar 19, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 19 fires and 7 injuries to electrical system 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.