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 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving and a girl pulled out from a stop sign and hit my passenger side front of my trailblazer. Her airbags deployed immediately, meanwhile mine didn't deploy. My husband saved my face by throwing his arm over me!
On Saturday, August 1, 2015 at approximately 8:55 pm my mother was involved in a 1 car accident on baum rd located in tallahassee, fl. She was the only passenger determined to be in the vehicle at the time of the accident. According to the crash report, d1 (driver one) was traveling westbound on baum rd going the normal posted speed of 55mph, when she veered towards the center of the rd and suddenly turned right veering of the right shoulder of the rd and striking several trees on the drivers side and front end. D1 was wearing her seatbelt and managed to exit out the drivers side window before coming to her final resting place on the shoulder of the rd. When I went to retrieve my mothers things from her Trailblazer, I noticed that no air bags had deployed. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving at approximately 55 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side door of the contact's vehicle. As a result, the vehicle spun out of control and crashed into a guardrail and a tree. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained head, neck, and knee injuries. The passenger sustained shoulder, neck, knee, and ankle injuries. Both injuries required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the airbags did not deploy when his wife crashed into a deer at approximately 35 MPH. The driver was also involved in another crash when traveling approximately 55 MPH. She looked down to check on a noise she heard and when she looked up the the vehicle lost control and crashed head on into a tree. The driver and three other occupants were inured. The georgia highway patrol responded and filed a report. The paramedics also responded and transported the four occupants to the hospital. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a storage lot. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
I was on a 4 lane highway traveling eastbound going 50 MPH posted speed 55 MPH wearing our seat belts, when another vehicle waiting to u - turn in the center median decided to turn right into me-oncoming traffic. This person collided with me, which that impact sent me into a head on collision with the guard rail. The Chevrolet Trailblazer is completely totaled. There were 2 incidents in that sequence of events that the airbags should have deployed, but did not! This accident caused several injuries to myself and my passenger. We definitely could have been killed and no airbags to help save our lives.....updated 09-03-14 updated 11/7/2014
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While the contact was driving 35 MPH he crashed into another vehicle and then into a light pole which destroyed the vehicle; however, during the crash none of the air bags deployed. The driver and passenger were injured. No one was injured in the other vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealership who stated that no failures could be found. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 95,272 updated 03/30/10. According to GM, the notice on the dash readout stated the air bags deployed. Updated 06/30/10.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While the driver was traveling 45 MPH, she drove over a bump, the brakes failed to engage, she lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into a highway cement wall. The driver sustained facial injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer to be inspected. The contact also stated that the speedometer did not indicate the correct speed at which the vehicle was traveling and the air bag light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 96,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving 35 MPH, the contact attempted to maneuver the steering wheel to avoid crashing into a deer and lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a tree. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contacts face hit the steering wheel upon impact and sustained a broken nose. The contact was taken to the hospital. The vehicle was destroyed and was towed by her insurance company to an unknown location. A police report was available, if needed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 80,700.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH in rainy weather, she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle flipped over several times before landing on the passenger's side. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the face and the right leg. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not inspected to determine the cause of the air bag failure. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 129,000. Updated 8/5/13
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 MPH the vehicle was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle. The vehicle continued moving and stopped by colliding with a store sign. The air bags did not deploy and seat belts were worn. There were no warning lights to indicate the air bags would fail. The contact suffered a knee injury. A police report was filed at the scene. The insurance company determined the vehicle was totaled due to the accident. The dealer does not have the means to test for air bag non-deployment. Updated 1/24/2007 -
Airbag complaints in other Trailblazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the air bags of the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 4% of the model year's 1,081 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, though it has 2 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 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 39 crashes, 1 fire and 53 injuries and 4 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.