2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,550,874 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 406 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 05V494000 2005-10-27 98,007 affected
Defect

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A REAR SIDE CLOSURE LATCH THAT MAY NOT LATCH OR UNLATCH DUE TO CORROSION CAUSED BY ROAD SPLASH, SUCH AS WATER AND ROAD SALT. THESE VEHICLES WERE ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND,…

Consequence

IF THE DOOR IS NOT LATCHED PROPERLY AND IT GOES UNNOTICED, IT MAY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IF AN UNBELTED OCCUPANT FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SEAL ALONG THE LOWER PART OF THE ROCKER PANEL TO PREVENT INTRUSION OF CORROSIVE MATERIAL, AND INSPECT THE REAR SIDE CLOSURE LATCHES. FUNCTIONAL LATCHES WILL BE CLEANED AND LUBRICATED. NON-FUNCTIONING LATCHES WILL BE REPLACED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 24, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 04V527000 2004-11-01 871,473 affected
Defect

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, VIBRATION AND HEAT MAY CAUSE THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP BULB TO LOOSEN IN ITS SOCKET. IF THIS OCCURS, THE BULB MAY FLICKER AND EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence

AN INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMP WILL NOT CONVEY THE DRIVER'S INTENTION OF STOPPING TO DRIVERS IN FOLLOWING VEHICLES, AND AN INOPERATIVE REAR TURN SIGNAL LAMP WILL NOT CONVEY THE DRIVER'S INTENTION TO TURN TO DRIVERS IN FOLLOWING VEHICLES. BOTH OF THESE FAILURES CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP ASSEMBLIES, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.

VISIBILITY 04V046000 2004-02-04 581,394 affected
Defect

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEMS THAT WILL NOT TURN ON, CEASE OPERATION WHILE IN USE, FAIL TO TURN OFF/ON BY THEMSELVES (MOISTURE SENSITIVE WIPER SYSTEM), OR HAVE CONTINUOUS WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP OPERATION BECAUSE THE PRESENCE OF WATER WITHIN THE WIPER MODULES CAN EITHER CAUSE A SHORT…

Consequence

DEPENDING ON THE OCCURRENCE AND WEATHER SITUATION, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL COVER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MODULE VENT HOLE WITH A PATCH. ALSO, THE WIPER MOTOR, CIRCUIT BOARD, AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WILL BE INSPECTED TO SIGNS OF WATER INTRUSION AND/OR CORROSION AND BE REPLACED AS REQUIRED. THE RECALL BEGAN JULY 6, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438;…

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
52
1crashes4fires
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
36
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
29
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
22
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
15
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
13
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
11
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
10
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
9
POWER TRAIN
8
1fires
Total complaints406

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Has a bad gas smell leaking gas somewhere”

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM · reported 2018-10-08

“One by one things have been going out and not working. First the car would not start all the time with the key, then the a/c stoped working, next was the fuel pump, then the injectors. I checked everything it could be. I was driving with my kids down the highway when my car just died lost power…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2018-05-27

“When driving for 30 to 45 mins all the instruments on dash start sticking and reading wrong information. In the picture my car is parked .”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2018-02-23

“When driving for 30 to 45 mins all the instruments on dash start sticking and reading wrong information. In the picture my car is parked .”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · reported 2018-02-23

“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet trailblazer ext. The contact stated that fuel was leaking near the bottom rear of the vehicle. The contact inspected underneath the vehicle and noticed that the check valve was fractured. Joe lunghamer chevrolet (475 summit dr, waterford twp, mi 48328,…”

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM · reported 2017-11-01

“The electronic throttle module to pcm communication error comes up and the vehicle starts the warm up process and then dies in the process of warm up procedures. I guess my question to you is how can I fix this or does a deal need to fix it or is there a recall on this issue?”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2017-08-19

“Driving down road on the way to hospital and trailblazer made a loud clunk. Then started making a whirring noise. Finished driving slowly to hospital as not to mess anything else up. Pulled in and parked. Got ready to leave hospital and had no reverse only foward.”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2017-07-15

“The abs light has come on and then it would work sometimes and not other times. Now it never works. Now that its winter I'm sliding at stop signs that aren't even that slippery. The actuators in the heating and cooling are not working properly. All summer I had heat blowing all the time and…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2017-04-01

Defect investigations

Investigation EA04021 Opened 2004-08-03 · closed 2004-11-04

BRAKE LAMP FAILURE

GM STATES THAT SOME BRAKE/TAIL LAMP BULBS CAN PREMATURELY BECOME INOPERATIVE DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE/TAIL LAMP SOCKETS.ON MARCH 2, 2004, GM INITIATED A 6-YEAR/72,000 MILE SPECIAL POLICY FOR 989,487 SUBJECT VEHICLES TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE/TAIL LAMP BULB SOCKET ASSEMBLIES.ON APRIL 4, 2004, THE OFFICE…

Investigation EA07009 Opened 2007-07-10 · closed 2008-08-28

FUEL PUMP MODULE LEAKS GASOLINE

DURING THE COURSE OF THIS EA INVESTIGATION, ODI OBSERVED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMPLAINTS (88%) AND WARRANTY CLAIMS (94%) WERE REPORTED FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE REGISTERED FOR USE IN THE SALT BELT REGION OF THE US.THIS AREA INCLUDES 20 STATES IN THE NORTHEAST, MID ATLANTIC AND THE MIDWEST REGIONS AND THE DISTRICT OF…

Investigation PE04001 Opened 2004-01-05 · closed 2004-05-07

FUEL SPILLAGE DURING REFUELING

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON THE MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER.BASED ON GM'S INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) RESPONSE, ODI ADDED TO ITS ANALYSIS THE MY 2003 GMC ENVOY AND OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA VEHICLES.THESE VEHICLES SHARE THE SAME VEHICLE PLATFORM (GM 360/370) AND FUEL FILL COMPONENTS.INCIDENT SUMMARY NUMBERS…

Investigation PE04001 Opened 2004-01-05 · closed 2004-05-07

FUEL SPILLAGE DURING REFUELING

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON THE MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER.BASED ON GM'S INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) RESPONSE, ODI ADDED TO ITS ANALYSIS THE MY 2003 GMC ENVOY AND OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA VEHICLES.THESE VEHICLES SHARE THE SAME VEHICLE PLATFORM (GM 360/370) AND FUEL FILL COMPONENTS.INCIDENT SUMMARY NUMBERS…

Investigation PE07013 Opened 2007-03-12 · closed 2007-07-10

FUEL PUMP MODULE LEAKS GASOLINE

ODI HAS RECEIVED REPORTS THAT THE FUEL PUMP MODULE LEAKS FUEL AND OR VAPOR UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE.GM STATES, THE FAILURE MECHANISM IS CORROSION OF THE FUEL PUMP MODULE FLANGE WHICH MAY LEAD TO A FUEL LEAK.CORROSION OF THE FUEL PUMP MODULE FLANGE IS THE RESULT OF THE VEHICLE OPERATING IN A CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT.ODI…

Investigation PE07014 Opened 2007-03-13 · closed 2007-06-12

FUEL TANK LEAK

IN JUNE 2007, GM WILL EXPAND ITS SPECIAL POLICY TO ADDRESS FUEL TANK INLET CHECK VALVE (ICV) FRACTURES ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) TRAILBLAZER EXT AND GMC ENVOY XL VEHICLES.THE EXPANDED POLICY COVERS MY 2002-2004 TRAILBLAZER EXT, GMC ENVOY XL, AND GMC ENVOY XUV VEHICLES AND WILL EXTEND FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR…

Investigation PE07014 Opened 2007-03-13 · closed 2007-06-12

FUEL TANK LEAK

IN JUNE 2007, GM WILL EXPAND ITS SPECIAL POLICY TO ADDRESS FUEL TANK INLET CHECK VALVE (ICV) FRACTURES ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) TRAILBLAZER EXT AND GMC ENVOY XL VEHICLES.THE EXPANDED POLICY COVERS MY 2002-2004 TRAILBLAZER EXT, GMC ENVOY XL, AND GMC ENVOY XUV VEHICLES AND WILL EXTEND FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR…

Investigation RQ17002 Opened 2017-04-24 · closed 2021-03-29

Loss of Headlights

The subject vehicles are model year (MY) 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2003-2008 Isuzu Ascender, 2005-2009 Saab 9-7X, 2002-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR, 2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse, and 2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. This scope includes the Trailblazer/Envoy…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer Ext as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.