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 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Electronic throttle body? No throttle control, motor will only idle, turn ignition switch off, then restart it will run. Reduced Engine Power light comes on. Happens for no apparent reason. Very unsafe situation.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. After plugging in a tire inflator into the cigarette lighter port, the vehicle filled with black smoke. In addition, the contact smelled a burning odor. The contact immediately removed the tire inflator from the port and shut the engine off which stopped the vehicle from smoking. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuse box, wiring harness, and various other internal components melted. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 155,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While at an automated car wash, the driver side window switch short circuited without warning. As a result, flames appeared and engulfed the vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. A fire report and a police report were filed. Both the contact and the passenger suffered smoke inhalation that required medical attention. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was made aware of NHTSA campaign number: 13V248000 (electrical system, visibility); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 180,000.
On 8/1/06 I was awaken by a neighbor at 1 am saying my car was on fire. The fire department was called but the entire interior was destroyed. The fire department said it had to have been an electrical malfunction. The vehicle had been parked since 8 pm that night and it was locked. There was no sign of forced entry and no sign of any other reason for the fire. The car was purchased new in 10/04 and had less than 30,000 miles on it. I used the roadside warranty to have it towed to a dealer but the dealer refused to have anything to do with it. It took two weeks for GM to send a fire investigator out and their investigator said he couldn't determine the cause of the fire. I filed a complaint with the vermont state attorney's office but GM did not respond to the complaint. …
I purchased a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer lt in February 2013. That winter I started experiencing issues with my speedometer needle rising above whatever speed I was going. I took a picture of it saying I was driving 120 MPH when I clearly wasn't. So I did my research and found that thousands of other Chevy Trailblazer owners were experiencing the same problem!! I called chevys customer care line and the representative claimed this was her first time hearing about this and there is nothing they can do to help me. I contacted them via facebook and still not willing to help. As of right now my speedometer doesn't work. I have to use an app on my phone to know how fast I'm going. I can't afford to spend the $500-$800 that it would cost to repair something that is a malfunction on chevys behalf!! …
Car died on exit ramp of 290 and thorndale. Pushed car to side of road where we noticed smoke coming from under hood. Upon opening hood saw fire coming from filter under air cleaner compartment. Flagged down police officer who helped put out fire with fire extinguisher. Had car towed to advantage Chevrolet who said they had never seen anything like this and perhaps a cigerette got sucked in and started the fire. Contacted GM who sent out a rep and could not explain fire so he concluded GM was not responsible under warranty because the car must have sucked in some foreign object and it was not a mechanical failure. Car was repaired under my insurance, who is fighting the claim. Parts replaced were air cleaner compartment, ducts, clamps, sensors, snorkel, element etc. Was told old parts were in back of car, but when we looked parts were missing. Dealer still looking for parts. …
1 owner vehicle - bought in 2004 & had 8 miles on it. Has been very well kept & currently has only 65,000 miles on it as of 9/16/19. As others, the electrical cluster has malfunctioned. Speedometer quit working over a year ago & now the fuel gauge has failed. Problem is with the cluster as "estimated mileage" still works. Have noticed that other gauges act erratic at times. This has been an ongoing issue that Chevy is well aware of yet fail to act. To tb to dealer for repairs they stated there is no recall. Cost out of my pocket for repair will be over $800.00. Speedometer originally failed while driving on hwy. It started to work again but failed again while driving on the hwy a few weeks later. Fuel guage simply stopped working after starting vehicle.
Truck cut off while in park. Smelt burning smell, and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. Someone raised the hood and noticed the computer electrical box was burning. The cover was melted through from the burning. The vehicle was off and then started back up on it's own. Security lights in dash came on. Vehicle could not be driven. I read on google website that some vehicles had recalls for electrical problems. A Chevrolet place in lynchburg va told the service department where I purchased the vehicle that there were no recalls. That is not what I read on the internet. Me and my daughter and 3 others could have died if this vehicle had of exploded. I would really appreciate some help in this matter. Thanks
It was raining went to turn on the back wiper blade and all I heard was a pop and the fuse blew, a few miles down the road engine still ran, but check engine light, airbag light, battery light, most of the instrument panel was out, the radio turned off, windows would not open and doors automatically unlocked, got to a safe spot to stop turned the blazer off let it set turned it back on, check engine light still on all the others went out and the windows opened when I hit the button. When one fuse cost 8.00 and blew as soon as I put it in, I can't afford to fix all this, and I am afraid to drive it on the expressway which is how I get to work, just in case of fire or additional problems.
In novemeber 2014 I started the car and I had no gauges(gas,temperature,oil,RPM. MPH, and the mileage display) the other electric components worked, like the radio and the small orange light for AWD. I took it to my mechanic twice, but it never acted up for him. It happened twice again in December, but it really acted possessed in jan 2015, some of the gauge needles were going round in circles, and some were not moving at all, so we were able to take a video of some of it, and show our mechanic. He called us today and said he is following a lot of burnt wires, and our car could have caught on fire. I thought this potential fire hazard should be reported.
Electrical complaints in other Trailblazer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
NHTSA has 627 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 58% of the model year's 1,081 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (245 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 14 fires and 6 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.