my old 05 gmc 1/2 work truck 4.2 vortec v6 did not pull like my TB and I got worse gas mpg.

clankie tranny when i give her the gas. could be loose bolt that I could fix at my brothers house listening to some van halen and drinking heavily.
Also, fit and finish interior mediocre. but what the hey its a chevy.
Also, the gold boe tie emblem on the rear looks like a little bit of water or something has compromised the goldenness just below the surface on the upper left side of the boe a little bit.
Also, some sort of sap like sticky-ness keeps oozing out of the back door just below the license plate. I have noticed on other TBs as well.

Pros and Cons:

Traded 2005 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton W/T for 2006 LS TB 4x4 w/18k miles. Needed extra room for family and 2 dogs. I was not "in love" with TB but needed something with 4drs. I liked the feel, solidness, and stability. Also, felt that a 4x4 would hold value. Not true. When I give it the gas TB will intermittantly "CLANK" in and around the transmission area. Dealer says "Cant help due to it not hindering its drive-ability" TB shifts way hard intermittantly from 1st to 2nd. Feels like going over big pot hole. The plastic covering on the both the passenger and drivers side seat where seat(s) adjust are broken and hanging.I have tried to trade TB in everywhere. No dealer alive will give more that $18.5k So I am way upside down. So the TB is mine for the next 5.8 years. Since my purchase back in March 2006 I can fill up to 22.17 gallons and get 445 miles (with tires filled to 40psi all around) in town with only one mountain range to work. Currently at 24k miles. I live in southern arizona so there isnt too many snow storms. However, the heat is worldclass. Dual A/C front and back gets COLD, big time. Front leg room is more than I can use 5'11". Rear leg room great for kids and cramp for adults. Took father and brother 4x4'ing out by North Tucsons' Redington Pass around Catalina Mountains heading toward Mammoth Arizona. Kept up with more sophisticated and more expensive vehicles with aftermarket add-ons and 35in tired Jeeps, rails, and modifieds. 50 mile trek thru all types of driving conditions varied both dry and muddy, covered TB completely (which made me proud) with mud with help of deep mud hole, stab trac lite lit in said mud hole, TB handled like a champ, steep incline up rockie trail without hesitation or loss of control, rolling back from steep incline TB turned off unexpectedly, turned back on 3rd try, TB maintained on dirt road at 40 and 50 mph on flats with me trying to slid sideways. (completed scared the bee-jee-bees out of said parental unit and sybling). TB is my daily driver and grociery getter. I perform maintenance. The oil filter location is whacked. I have to reach thru the passenger side swing arm and coil and there is little to no room for a filter wrench. This review website really has helped me better understand the TB. You are either loving it or hating it. Thanks to these owner reviews I will be on the look out for wiring issues. I will see if I have a loose tranny bolt. Not sure if I will keep for 5.8 years. I put close to 500 miles of intown driving a week on this sucker. I like the 6k towing capacity. I like that its american. I like the 4x4 and havent seen any issues with it. I heard that if you switch out your fan and clutch and opt for a dual electric fan you can save on gas. Also, there are lubricants that are more expensive but with greater viscosity. You can switch out your differential juice and tranny juice with the extra slippery stuff you can get potentially better performance ie. horsepower and mph. The theory being I believe is that your engine will work the same but the vehicle is easier to move and stays moving longer due to less resistance by better engineered lubicrants. I have test driven 06 jeep grand cherokee, jeep commander, jeep liberty, H3 and Hyndai Sorento. The commander is AWESOME but sucks at mpg. H3 is nice but not happy that it is built on canyon platform. The grand cherokee is perfect size and amenities but looks like Isuzu Rodeo. Jeep liberty a bit to girly for this 36 yr old banker. TB is a bit girly as well but has macho wacho potential ie. lift, super charger, lites, snorkel, and roll cage, but these things are unnecessary which is why I want to add. Oh, also, I have noticed a small paint star on the hood. It looks as though a dust particle under the superior blue paint trying to push its way to the surface. Chevys are notorious for paint issues. Im not sure if I would recommend this vehicle to an entry level driver. Its way to 'moms taxi'. I have seen lots and lots of older women drive this style car. If 4x4 is what you want you ought to consider the new 07 jeep wrangler with 4 drs.'very nice' Dodge is coming out with mid-suv the "flamer" or the "Nitro" or something. It looks decent and not built on another models platform. Looks like a adolescent durango. My advice: shop around! I am prepared to switch out my tranny for a high performance one, you may not be. I am prepared to switch out the engine in my TB to a more reliable, e85 capable, and alternative fuel burning option. you may not be. There are many many after market accesories and options to improve performance. You could do alot worse than a TB. Its been a few years now. Maybe some of the kinks have been worked out? Maybe Im paying 30 large on a lemon? Buying a car shouldn't be a gamble. Do your homework. There are some chevys out there with 350k miles and still running. And there are thousands more in the junk yard. Im keeping my fingers crossed like every other car owner

POWER, SOUND, COMFY RIDE, GREAT SPACE, BEUTIFUL INTERIOR AS WELL AS EXTERIOR, AWESOME VEHICLE!!!!!

NONE

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING TO THEIR POOR TRAILBLAZERS TO MAKE THEM HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT MINE RUNS LIKE A CHAMP!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MINE. EVERYTHING WORKS GREAT, NO PROBLEMS. I HAVE MANY, MANY FRIENDS THAT OWN TB, DIFFERENT YEARS, DIFFERENT TRIMS, AND NONE OF US HAVE HAD ANY ISSUES. I HAVE GOT OTHER FRIENDS TO PURCHASE THESE FINE VEHICLES AND WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK ONLY GOOD WORDS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. A WORD OF ADVICE TO THE OTHER TB OWNERS: MAYBE IF YOU DIDN'T DOG ON YOUR TB ON THE TIME, IT WOULDN'T ACT UP ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE WHAT YOU GIVE YOUR VEHICLE IS THE SAME THING YOUR VEHICLE WILL IN TURN GIVE BACK TO YOU!!!

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NONE

GAS MILAGE AND MANY SERVCE ISSUES STEARING AND REAREND.

THIS IS A DEFECTIVE VEHICAL AND THE SERVICE DEPATMENT IS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE TROUBLE AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS.

Aggressive looks and great styling. Still looks fresh after three years. Full body on frame build, unlike a wimpy Honda Pilot unibody. Smooth ride.

Minor issues take care of under warranty such as a loose shifter, rear tailgate molding replacement and Right mirror shake.

Solid performer on and light off-road. Would recommend the V8 after having the I6 on my first Trailblazer. It has more low end power. Better for towing. Gas mileage was the same. No major problems.

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Appearance, handling, mechanically has been fairly reliable.

Just about everything else.

Guess I have to join the droves of unhappy 2002 TB owners - loved it when I first got it but, as many others report, "then the problems started!"

Vehicle has never gotten anywhere near the rated gas mileage, though it has improved.

Electronic problems - though rather different than others have reported. The most annoying has been the driver's door locking on its own - not always, but with extremely frustrating frequency. At a service station, getting out to open a gate (I live in a western rural area), whatever - come back to find the door locked with the keys in the ignition! Thankfully, it is ONLY the driver's door which takes it upon itself to do this, and I soon learned to have the "unlock all doors " feature selected. However, the profile of the driver's seat makes it impossible to reach ahead from the rear driver's side passenger door to unlock the vehicle, so one must go around to the front passenger door to use the unlock button. This has been a contnual intermittent problem since the vehicle was new, and they have never been able to figure it out.

The other major problems I have experienced relate to the ignition keyway and transmission. Something has failed in the ignition keyway four times now, the first time the dealership had to replace the ignition module, within less than a year (when away from home in another city) something failed again and I was unable to shut off the vehicle or withdraw the key. Dealership I took it to said that the "pins" (tumblers?) in the ignition switch had not been "staked", permitting them to vibrate out of position, effectively changing the keying of the ignition. Less than a year later, exactly the same thing happened (again while on a trip.) A week ago, a similar problem developed, though this time, the ignition would turn as far as the "accessories" position, and allow the key to be withdrawn, in that position or when running, and the ignition could be turned back on from the accessories position without the key inserted. This problem meant that I could not leave the vehicle unattended for more than a few hours without draining the battery. It has taken the dealership a full week to get me booked in (during which time I've had to keep disconnecting/reconnecting the battery.) Today, I am told that it needs another ignition module, and a transmission module (which has been replaced once before - an expensive and time consuming repair because the console must be completely disassembled to do it. Now off warranty, of course, and I won't get it back until tomorrow at the earliest.

All in all, I've had more problems with this vehicle than any other I've ever owned. Despite very good experience with GM products in the past (most notably a Suburban) I am unlikely to buy another soon.

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Great size and room. Not to big not to small.

Bad on gas especially with a/c
Loud noise when turning
Brake pedal sometimes jumps
Rear a/c turns on and off
2nd one with transmission problems
Blinkers went out
lots of blind spots
loud when running

We first purchased a 2004 Trailblazer and at 214 miles the transmission went out. They gave us another new one with around 100 miles. When you start it; it sounds like a big diesel engine. When I turn into my driveway it makes a loud noise. If you run it with the air on you can just about watch the fuel needle run down. The blinkers have had to be replaced the rear a/c turns on and off by itself. Now it is the shop because on my way home I could only go around 5 mph. The warranty is almost up I am at 27000 miles. I think that is why they only give you a 3 year or 36000 mile warranty because that is as long as they think it will last. I am just VERY upset because we purchased this vehicle assuming that it would be reliable for our family and that we wouldn't have to purchase another for a while. We can not afford another note so now we are stuck with this.

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Smooth engine and trans

Have had several faulty circuit boards replaced, taillights replaced, door seals replaced. Too many recals and defects.

Would not recommend this vehicle. Have had numerous recalls and electrical issues. Oh...and the kicker. LS Model WILL NOT PASS Virginia State inspection with the the factory-installed, non-functioning fog lights in front bumper. Radley wants $$$ too make them work...I'm gunna remocve them.

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Should og bought the Honda Pilot

I like the layout of this vehicle. It works like a truck but rides like a car. With the LTZ trim, I think it is one of the best looking SUV's on the market. The engine is smooth and powerful. It's a good thing there is an interlock on the ignition swith to prevent attempts to start the engine when it is already running. It is so smooth sometimes I forget that it is on.

Fuel economy, while not terrible, is poor. I am certainly happy I didn't buy the thirstier Tahoe. But as fuel prices rise, I am wishing I had gone for something that used less gas. My main complaint with this vehicle is the transmission. Mine failed yesterday, at 94,000km. The dealer service guy explained that due to the time involved, a rebuild would cost more than a replacement. The tab for this repair is 3,000. I did not buy the extended warranty, which turns out to be a mistake, but who would expect a transmission to fail so soon? I am now concerned about future repairs. The 4 wheel drive system is complex and likely very expensive to fix.

I purchased my Trailblazer as a 2year old off lease vehicle. It had 48,000km at purchase and now shows 94,000. I have replaced the tires at 75,000. The 4 wheel drive module was replaced under warranty. During that service stop, the tail lights were fixed under a service bulletin. The Bose audio system failed at 80,000km. As this was out of warranty, and replacement of the factory unit would be $600, I replaced it with a much better Pioneer unit for much less money. It was quite an effort getting everything to work properly with a non-factory unit. There have been no other issues with this vehicle until the transmission failed (see below). I bought this truck to use as a daily driver and to haul my band equipment around on the weekend. It has served me well being very comfortable and roomy. It's not as big as the Tahoe I started looking for, but it's bigger than many of the other SUV's I looked at.

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In the past, I have owned a Ford Windstar, which now sits in my driveway with a blown engine, and an Isuzu Trooper.

Great engine, Great Interior, Fantastic stereo, great exterior.

I have an annoying sound of plastic rubbing together in the door that drives me insane. Other than that, no weakness I can think of.

I have owned my Trailblazer for about 3 years and have added 100,000 miles. It currently has 125,000 miles and the only thing I have replaced so far is the control module for the four wheel drive ($550 with labor). I have traveled all over the US with my TB, gone through about any type of weather from -25 F to 135 F, and it worked out great. The Four Wheel Drive works great, have gone through deep snow, to playing in the mud, and it was a lot of fun.
The TB is comfortable even for a 21 hour road trip, although the seats could use more side bolstering, they are flat and took some getting used to. The engine is great, decent gas mileage and it can tow my boat with ease. The only thing I dont like is the amount of rock chips you get on the bottom of the back doors. I drive on gravel everyday, and its down to about the primer now.
With the amount of abuse, and everything I have put this vehicle through, it is still an amazing vehicle. Even after having all four tires off the ground over a big "bump". There are a few rattles, but that is to be expected after three years of me driving the vehicle.

Very quiet at highway speeds. Length of interior when hauling 10 foot 2x4's

This is more "engineering flaws"
1) Outside door handles need to be pulled 90 degrees to open then hand slips off.
2) Rubber trim on rear window at bad spot, lifting things out of cargo area can tear trim off.
3) Dead spot bewteen 45-55 mph, feels like vehicle loses momentum.
4)Tight suspension but lots of body roll, occupants get jostled quite a bit.
5)Doors all unequal in closing force, either slamming or not shutting entirely.
6) A/C poor
7) Poor placement cupholder, beween shifter and radio
8)Lock to Lock steering ratio. Way too many revolutions especially with suspension set up.
9) Oil filter placement
10) Too many blind spots
11) A/C slightly bogs engine
12) Poor feedback in brakes, ABS firing while trying to slow over studder bumps.

I traded in my 03 Mitsubushi Eclipse. Oh what a fool I am. In general the vehicle performs good however is the worst piece of engineering design ever. My other car was a GEO Metro and was so much more enjoyable driving.

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