2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer: 12 recalls, 1149 owner complaints and up to 16 mpg combined.
Recalls
12 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer, plus 1 equipment/tire recall that can apply. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Suspension Vehicle recall #01V126000 · 2001 · 30,476 vehicles
What's wrong: Under certain circumstances the front lower control arm brackets May fracture. This fracture could result in separation of the front lower control arm from the frame.
Why it matters: A separation could result in loss of vehicle control, resulting in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the left and right front lower control arm brackets. Owner notification began by telephone on April 4, 2001. The followup letter to consumers was mailed May 3, 2001.
Transmission & drivetrain Vehicle recall #01V283000 · 2001 · 895 vehicles
What's wrong: Some of these vehicles were built with a range shift collar in the transmission transfer case that contains cracks.
Why it matters: This condition could result in a complete fracture of the range shift collar and subsequent loss of vehicle forward and reverse gears, and the inability to maintain "park" position. This increases the risk of a vehicle crash resulting from unintended movement of a parked vehicle.
The fix: Dealers will replace the transfer cases and update the control module calibration. Owner notification began September 6, 2001.
Transmission & drivetrain Vehicle recall #01V334000 · 2001 · 78,004 vehicles
What's wrong: The calibration of the transfer case control module could cause insufficient high speed gear engagement.
Why it matters: If the gear is not engaged, the vehicle can roll when the transmission is in "park" and a crash could result without warning.
The fix: Dealers will update the transfer case control module calibration to increase gear engagement. Owner notification began November 6, 2001.
Airbags Vehicle recall #02V222000 · 2002 · 133,221 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain passenger, MINI vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Why it matters: Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
The fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began August 15, 2002.
Fuel system Vehicle recall #02V121000 · 2002 · 136,511 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain sport utility vehicles, a fuel filter fitting can become disconnected. If this were to occur while attempting to start the engine, a no-start condition would result and fuel would be pumped out the fuel filter onto the ground.
Why it matters: If the fitting becomes disconnected while the vehicle is in motion, the engine would stop due to inadequate fuel supply and cause a loss of power steering assist. If an ignition source were present, fuel leakage from a disconnected fuel filter fitting could result in a fire.
The fix: Dealers will replace the fuel filter quick connect retainers. Owner notification began September 20, 2002.
Body & structure Vehicle recall #02V273000 · 2002 · 46 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain sport utility vehicles are missing welds on the rear floor plan.
Why it matters: In a crash, missing welds could degrade performance of the third row seat and safety belt anchorage and occupants could receive greater injuries.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing welds. If missing welds are found, gm will exchange the vehicle for an equivalent vehicle or provide a refund of the purchase price. Owner notification began October 4, 2002.
Transmission & drivetrain Vehicle recall #03V075000 · 2003 · 511,167 vehicles
What's wrong: 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. In addition, these vehicles have an override that can allow the transmission to be shifted out of park with the ignition in…
Why it matters: These overrides are not permitted unless the vehicle has a locking steering column.
The fix: Dealers will eliminate these conditions by disabling the overrides. Owner notification began on May 29, 2003.
Electrical Vehicle recall #03V096000 · 2003 · 314,300 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standards no. 101, "control location, identification, and illumination" and no. 208, "occupant crash protection." these vehicles have an intermittent condition during vehicle start-up in which the instrument panel cluster May not properly power up, resulting in most of the displays, telltale lights, and functions…
Why it matters: These vehicles do not comply with the standard.
The fix: Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster. Owner notification began May 29, 2003.
Equipment Vehicle recall #03V250000 · 2003 · 1,707,825 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Why it matters: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
The fix: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began August 18, 2003. Owners should contact…
Visibility (wipers, glass) Vehicle recall #04V046000 · 2004 · 581,394 vehicles
What's wrong: 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 circuit or can lead to the corrosion of components within the module.
Why it matters: Depending on the occurrence and weather situation, driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.
The fix: 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…
Seat belts Vehicle recall #04V201000 · 2004 · 261,801 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." one of the two sensors in the driver's and front passenger's seat belt retractors could be inoperative. The seat belt retractors will lock when the belt webbing is extracted during a crash; however, the mechanism that locks the seat belt retractor when the vehicle…
Why it matters: If this were to occur, the safety belt May not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, and could result in injury to the occupant.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the driver and front passenger safety belt retractors, and replace them if necessary. Owner notification began on June 24, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, GMC at 1-866-996-9463, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Exterior lights Vehicle recall #04V527000 · 2004 · 871,473 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
1 aftermarket equipment / tire recall replacement parts sold to fit this car, not the car itself
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E025000 · 2006 · 1,450 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain poli-auto combination headlamp assemblies, p/nos. 11-728, 11-728d, 11-710, 11-419, 11-713, 11-703, 11-704, 11-708p, 11-735, 11-725, 11-726, 11-716 (p&c), 11-721-1, 11-733, 11-729, 11-730, and 11-732, sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, "lamps,…
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix: Poli-auto will notify owners and offer to repurchase the headlamps at its original purchase price. The recall is expected to begin during April 2006.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 35 mention a fire, 98 injuries and 4 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Transmission & drivetrain (310): the most common themes are hard / delayed shifting (98), noise or vibration (59), stalls / loses power (31).
- Electrical (181): the most common themes are electrical failure (86), door / lock issues (30), stalls / loses power (23).
- Exterior lights (143): the most common themes are electrical failure (35), stalls / loses power (13), noise or vibration (10).
- Engine & cooling (143): the most common themes are stalls / loses power (39), noise or vibration (33), electrical failure (19).
The 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer has 1149 owner complaints, ranking #2 of 18 Trailblazer model years for complaints (2.9× the average Trailblazer year). Complaints peaked in 2003 (174 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 4 years old, at a median of 65,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2001 (20 complaints, 0 recalls), 2003 (901 complaints, 8 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 L 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 14 | 20 | 16 | Regular |
| 4.2 L 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 14 | 20 | 16 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer.
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FAQ
Does the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 12 vehicle recalls for the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, plus 1 equipment or tire recalls that can apply. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems?
Owners have filed 1149 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are transmission & drivetrain (310), electrical (181), exterior lights (143).
What gas mileage does the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer get?
EPA ratings run up to 16 mpg combined (4.2 L, Automatic 4-spd), across 2 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.