Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
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 contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that the transmission sun gear was faulty. An electrical component was burning inside the vehicle, along with ABS failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they stated that there was no guarantee that the vehicle was working properly. The oil needed to be changed, so the contact changed it himself. The failures occurred right after the vehicle was purchased from the dealer. The dealer performed a 120 point inspection, but they never repaired the vehicle. The failure mileage was 101,576.
Last week it was cold & snowing. I was coming to a stop sign at a very low speed. I attempted to brake, the vehicle did not. I proceeded through the stop sign and struck another vehicle. Again today I was approaching a stop sign when I attempted to brake, the vehicle did not stop. Today there was luckily no on coming traffic. I will be taking my vehicle in for inspection.
Gear shift locked into the parked position while vehicle still moving and in drive. Brake pedal also locked.my autistic son was in the vehicle with me. GM knows about this issue as far back as 2002 . Do they care about the impact ? I am the 3rd owner ,bought this vehicle because of safety rating and that it has less than 92000 miles on it. I have owned it for 5 years.
While stopped behind a truck at a traffic light, my 2004 Chevy trail blazer started moving forward while my foot was still on the brake pedal. My vehicle would not stop and collided in the rear of the truck just ahead of me while stopped at the traffic light.
Had p0128 code for about 1 year. Replaced thermostat after p1680 code, reduced engine power light came on. Reduced engine power light went away on next crank up to move vehicle and change thermostat. ABS and brake lights both on intermittently. Tachometer has been sticking and speedometer showed erratic signs around 55 MPH. Now all gauges going wacko or not working at all at times. Temperature gauge wrapped completely around without even starting cold engine. About a mile later, instrument panel lit completely up then went away, gauges reset, and ran fine with properly operating instrument panel... At least until I got home. Then wacko stuff again. Reset PCM by disconnecting battery cable, now things seem fine... For now. I'm told to redo bad ground on ecbm before suspecting bad ABS module and to replace ignition switch before suspecting bad instrument cluster and PCM. …
My daughter was driving my 2004 Trailblazer on an icy, slippery road at 25 -30 miles per hour, (the speed limit is 30, it was the street we live on) when she lost control, hit a tree and totaled ($22,000.00) the vehicle. The officer and I walked the path in the street and could not find any signs of skidding or braking, there fore leading me to believe now that there was a braking failure. Up until now, when I heard about the brakes failing do to corrosion from road salt, I always thought it was just an accident in poor road conditions. When I first read the report of the investigation I couldn't belive it was the same scenario as her accident. Poor road conditions, therefore possible salt buildup, a slow speed and inability to stop. I am so gratefull that she walked away without a scratch, also considering the air bags did not deploy, even though the front end was totaled. …
When checking my brakes I noticed that the inside of the front brake rotors where corroded and rusty. The vehicle is a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer with 32,262 highway miles. Approximately 25-30% of the inside of the rotor were rusted and had worn down the brake pad. So only 70% of the inside brake pad was being used for braking. This causes the brake pads to wear unevenly. Appears that this could be serious in an emergency situation. I checked the rear rotors and they are starting to do the same but only 1/2" on the outer edge of brake rotor is rusted. I checked the recalls and there were none for brakes. I checked with Chevy and they are not aware of any problems. In checking websites, trailblazerclub and trailvoy, other people have had the same or similar issue. I would assume that there is a problem with the metal.
Dt: the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The vehicle has been to the dealership about 4 or 5 times for the brake system. When a diagnostic test was performed on the vehicle it did not indicate that there was a brake problem. . When the brakes were applied the pedal went to the floor, the vehicle would slow down, but will not stop. No warning lights illuminated ,indicating that there was a problem with the brakes. This did not happen every time that the brakes were applied. The weather condition has no impact on the braking capability. The manufacturer stated that if the diagnostic test showed there was nothing wrong then there was nothing that they could do about the problem.
My 2004 Trailblazer only had 59,000 miles on it when the speedometer began not working. Some times it reads I'm going 80 when I'm at a stop, other times (maybe one day out of 10) it works fine for about a day. The fuel and oil gauges are also not working correctly. The fuel says it is past full until it's completely empty and the oil does the same. The check engine light also comes on a lot for no reason. I also have a right tail light and blinker out even though I have had the bulbs changed. I have had a mechanic look at the wiring/electrical and can not find a problem. The estimated total repair costs are $1100 so far.
Brake complaints in other Trailblazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2% of the model year's 1,081 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes 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 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to brakes 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.