Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On August 26, 2015 we purchased a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer from wali's auto sales in enola, pa. It had 93,907 miles on it and appeared to be in good condition with a clean car fax. We traded in our 1996 Chevrolet suburban and received $1700 in trade in value purchasing the Trailblazer for $5722.70 including tax and transfer fees. Brakes and ball joints had been replaced prior to our purchase along with a transmission line. We took the vehicle for an alignment as soon as we purchased it. We drove the vehicle approximately 200 miles and then on September 17th left home with intentions of driving the vehicle to stowe vermont. At 11:30 am on the morning of September 17th (approximately 2 hours into our trip) the vehicle lost power and brakes close to scranton, pa. The engine caught fire and within 7 minutes the vehicle burned up. The VIN number was not readable. …
Driver 55 miles on north I-35 freeway engine lost power and driver had no power steering no power brakes hit right side wall and hit left side wall on freeway front tire blew out and safety belt pulled out of holder and driver was thrown all over auto driver had contacted GM motors and they said the auto was not on recall list and was safe auto had one previous problem as above loss of power but engine pick up power and ran this accident was just like the GM recall on the switch the driver injury severe and May never walk again driver has had two surgeries and still in the hospital since 6 15 2014 this needs to be on the GM report for defect auto list.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving 60 MPH, the transmission slipped and would not shift gears. The contact noticed bluish-colored smoke coming from under the vehicle. There were no warning indicators present. The vehicle was taken to the repair shop and the mechanic stated that the oil line for the transmission was placed too close to the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter caused the oil to leak. The current and failure mileages were 44,000. The consumer stated the dealership agreed with unsafe defect and requested the vehicle to be investigated but was refused request by Chevrolet. Updated 11/14/07
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, a fuel odor emitted from the vehicle without warning. The contact discovered that there was fuel leaking from the vehicle. The contact also mentioned that the hatch back failed to latch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the of the failure. The failure mileage was 270,000.
"Takata recall" was driving down the highway doing bout 70mph and I hear a nosie on the roof and then I saw my whole 3rd break light asmbley break off and fly into the air and almost hit the car in back of me this can cause a major accident if it fly's off and hit a car in back of you and I was doing research online and saw its a common problem with these SUV its a poor design and needs to be recalled before somebody dies.
Driving approximately 40 to 43 MPH when another vehicle turned directly in front of me. Total frontal damage buckling up hood on my car as I hit other vehicle in front-end passenger side. Their airbag deployed but mine didn't, even with total front end damage to my car. Had seatbelt on, but due to impact still pulled my whole body forward (like crash test dummy). This was a very hard crash totaling my car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the driver side door lock malfunctioned and the driver was unable to open the door from the outside. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that a clip inside the door locking mechanism fractured. The clip was replaced and the failure was remedied. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 156,000.
On two occasions, my 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer has caused a safety concern for me. Once in extreme cold and once in extreme heat, the rear spoiler has separated from the vehicle. The last time, it had to be wrapped on to get to the dealer and it actually broke. It causes it to rub against the body of my vehicle every time. I am concerned that the safety of my family from operating the lift gate and people that I share the road with is being jeopardized. I never know when it is going to malfunction. How many times does this lift gate have to malfunction before general motors will recall the vehicle and do something about it? I know what is wrong and they refuse to listen to me. …
I've noticed that my front end was lower than usual. At first I thought my upper control arms were giving in. I took my car to replace the front tires and to also get a 4 wheel alignment. That is when I was told that the strut base that is welded onto the chassis was rotting off. The mechanic expressed that I was a very lucky guy because at any point in time during my commute, I could have been in a serious car accident that could have resulted in death since I mostly use this car on the highway to commute to work. I didn't think much of it until he actually showed me all the rotted parts and I was in deep shock once I saw what he was telling me. I'm thankful that the cars strut was leaning on the inner fender frame preventing it from completely falling to the ground. …
The back hatch latch will at times go for months, not locking with the inside lock & sometimes it even has to be shut 2-3 times for it to catch & latch shut. Then for some reason it will seem to be OK. Then it is right back to not locking & having to shut it hard 2-3 times to catch. When it will not lock with the inside lock, you can not even lock it with the key, the key will not turn completely so it is locked. I never know when it is locked until I check it manually I have at times though it is locked & when I come out of the store (or ???business work etc..) I check the back hatch & it has been unlocked the whole time I was away from the vehicle. I can't leave anything in it my jack, a tire, groceries, christmas anything, we can't take it on vacation, nothing is safe. This has happened over & over, at least 5-6 times over the years. …
Body complaints in other Trailblazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the body & structure of the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 5% of the model year's 901 complaints. The component named most often is body (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure 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.