Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 8% | 0 miles |
| 2025 | 6 | 24% | 1,000 miles |
| 2024 | 8 | 24% | 10,000 miles |
| 2023 | 10 | 14% | 45,000 miles |
| 2022 | 35 | 31% | 43,000 miles |
| 2021 | 41 | 21% | 33,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2008 | 10 | 5% | 63,000 miles |
| 2007 | 15 | 2% | 65,000 miles |
| 2006 | 50 | 5% | 80,000 miles |
| 2005 | 51 | 3% | 77,000 miles |
| 2004 | 62 | 6% | 58,000 miles |
| 2003 | 103 | 11% | 72,000 miles |
| 2002 | 310 | 27% | 66,000 miles |
| 2001 | 5 | 25% | 80,000 miles |
| 2000 | 5 | 19% | 70,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that when he stopped the vehicle and had shut the vehicle off but had left the vehicle in drive (D) and had not engaged the parking brake, the vehicle rolled forward. The contact stated that this was also occurring when he had stopped the vehicle, turned the vehicle off and placed it in reverse (R) without engaging the parking brake the vehicle rolled backwards. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 700.
Component Affected: POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION / TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULEDescription of Safety Defect:The vehicle is experiencing a severe, intermittent, and violent mechanical "garage shift" engagement lurch. This occurs specifically when shifting the gear selector from Reverse to Drive during a cold-start cycle.When the gear is selected, there is a distinct hydraulic delay followed by a violent mechanical slam that causes the entire vehicle to violently lurch forward. This unintended vehicle movement occurs even though the engine has naturally idled down completely below 1,000 RPM, and while the brake pedal is fully and firmly depressed to the floor.Safety Hazard and Consequences:This defect poses an immediate and severe safety hazard. …
Almost every time I shift from park to drive and take my foot off the brake my car jolts forward a couple feet/inches to take off by itself in a manner that it should not. This has been going on since I got the car brand new and have had it just over a little over a year. I try to be as careful as I can with it and mentioned it to the Chevrolet dealership that does all my maintenance on my car. They are not sure what is causing the issue, but on 05/24/2025 I was attempting to get ready to get gas and needed to pull up slightly a little bit more and when I shifted to drive my car jolted forward and hit another vehicle. No damage was done to the other vehicle or mine, and the gentleman was nice and said it caused no damage for either of us but my car cannot keep doing this. …
My daughter was stopped at a stoplight and the auto-stop engaged. The light turned green and she began to accelerate when all of the error lights on the dash lit up, then the dash info system and infotainment system went out followed by the engine turning off and not restarting. While all of this happened, the vehicle behind me struck my daughter's car. Luckily it was at a low rate of speed and no one was injured. I took the car to the dealer and after nearly a week of testing they found nothing wrong and found no error codes in the system. They ere not able to replicate the problem. However, once we got the vehicle back a similar instance happed again, except just the dash info system and infotainment system went out and the car was still drivable. Once restarted the electronics came back on as normal. It has not happened again at this point. …
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that after shifting into park(P), there was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact shifted into neutral(N) and then back into park(P) to stop the beeping sound. The contact stated that while the vehicle was shut off and in park(P); the gear shifter independently shifted out of park(P) into reverse(R). The vehicle did not move backwards; however, the contact was able to shift back to the park(P) without further failures. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was provided with the cost for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure, despite multiple attempts for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving at 68 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact managed to pull over to the shoulder of the road, where the contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it remained for further investigation. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the same local dealer on several occasions. The dealer had previously replaced the battery and the turbo boost. Additionally, the dealer had performed an unknown software update and other unknown repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,962.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact was informed by a mobile Safelite technician that there were minor spider web cracks on the windshield. The windshield was replaced by Safelite. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact also stated that upon pressing the Push to Start button to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered, made an abnormal sound, and then turned off. The contact stated that the failure recurred while starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that a transmission bolt was missing. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, after turning the vehicle off, the contact noticed a beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the message to "Shift to Park" was displayed; however, the vehicle was already in park(P). The contact stated that even though the vehicle was turned off the radio continued to play with instrument panel warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that front and rear exterior lights remained illuminated, and the beeping sound persisted. The contact exited and locked and unlocked the vehicle, the contact entered the vehicle, restarted the vehicle, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer's Service Department and the technician entered the vehicle and the shifted the gear shifter several times and he was able to clear the message. …
Related recalls (3)
Power train › Automatic transmission
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, "theft protection." these vehicles are equipped with a mechanical override that could allow the ignition key to be removed with the shift lever in a position other than park.
Remedy: Dealers will eliminate these conditions by disabling the overrides. Owner notification began on May 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…
Power train › Transfer case (4-wheel drive)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with 4-wheel drive. The calibration of the transfer case control module could cause insufficient high speed gear engagement.
Remedy: Dealers will update the transfer case control module calibration to increase gear engagement. Owner notification began November 6, 2001.
Power train › Transfer case (4-wheel drive)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles (4 wheel-drive). Some of these vehicles were built with a range shift collar in the transmission transfer case that contains cracks.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the transfer cases and update the control module calibration. Owner notification began September 6, 2001.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Trailblazer years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (310), 2003 (103), 2004 (62), 2005 (51) and 2006 (50) model years. Transmission complaints make up 27% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Trailblazer transmission problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 03V-075 (automatic transmission, Mar 6, 2003); 01V-334 (transfer case (4-wheel drive), Oct 17, 2001); 01V-283 (transfer case (4-wheel drive), Sep 5, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Trailblazer transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles; 34% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (282 mentions), followed by the transfer case (4-wheel drive) (91).
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.