would you buy one ?

i voted no. I've had my TB for nearly 2 years... I voted NO.

-Nick

My Tb Is The Best Vehicle I Have Ever Purchased. 37000 Miles With Not A Problem But A Tail Light Recall. The Power And Ride Are Excellent. I Get 18.6 Mpg In Houston Traffic And About 24 On The Highway. I Spend 2 Hours A Day In My Tb And Enjoy Every Minute. Getting Ready To Take A 4000 Mile Road Trip For The Second Time. Gm Has Made Several Positive Changes From The Earlier Models.

Another thing that makes the TB stand out in my opinion is driver comfort. I was shocked the first time I rolled the drivers seat all the way back on my 2005 LS. The seat goes back so far, its a stretch for me to reach the pedals! (@ 6ft, 225lbs) In comparison, I had just driven a brand new mercury grand marquis rental car. You figure such a large car would have lots of interior room. Not the case at all. I was shocked at the lack of room behind the wheel of that big grand marquis. Otherwise it was nice car.

Joel

Had my 04 TB Ext for 2 1/2 years, over 50K no problems, going to replaced the end links and shocks on the next PA inspection, going to buy another TB, in 2 years, shorter version since GM quit making the Ext:grinyes:

Thanks but I got over 12,000 Now. so I order a tornado in hopes that my MPG will get better.
another person falls to the tornado device ,, unless the tornado is directly above your intake valve you will never notice a differance and even a dyno would have trouble seeing a differance with it right above the intake valve.

old rule for racing , always port never polish. the resonator box's hoses will destroy the vortex long before it even reaches the Intake plenum and degrades as it hits the porting steps.

but if it works let me know ill invest in one.

I love my 2004LT. It drives and looks great. 46K trouble free miles. I have driven it on two 4000 mile trips and drive daily in Houston traffic. The only down fall is the trade in value. I went to see about getting a new one and all the dealers tell me my $33000 truck is only worth $12000. Thats about a $.45 / mile loss for every mile driven. That sucks. Gm needs to add value to the products or they will continue to fail.

I love my 2004LT. It drives and looks great. 46K trouble free miles. I have driven it on two 4000 mile trips and drive daily in Houston traffic. The only down fall is the trade in value. I went to see about getting a new one and all the dealers tell me my $33000 truck is only worth $12000. Thats about a $.45 / mile loss for every mile driven. That sucks. Gm needs to add value to the products or they will continue to fail.

you know what im going to do ? take out a loan from my credit union for the value NADA use that money for a down payment on the new truck and keep both. the value of my truck is 18K so i will have about 16K to put down on the tahoe, this will make my payments about 270 a month, the 04' is already payed off so i assume 2 loans for about 270 a month making total payments 540.00 a month which is lower than most single truck payments, and i have two smokin hot chevy products.

thats assuming you want to or need to keep your truck
Joshua

I would choose NOT to buy a Trailblazer again. I've got an '03 LS with about 40k miles on it and although I haven't had any mechanical issues with it (yet), it seems to fall short in the SUV realm.

Pros are good power, good interior space, nice ride quality and reliable. Cons are poor resale value, poor off road capability, cheap and flimsy GM-style interior, and sloppy steering.

I do think it's a great road trip vehicle due to its spacious size and power for the highways, but that's the most I've got out of it so far. Think my next purchase will be either a 4runner or Tundra instead.

I bought mine in june 2001 and have been using it regularly. I had a few warranty issues but all around have to say I am still satisfied with it. I am thru with paymants and consider any repairs as payments which is considerably less and still drive in comfort. This vehicle might out live me who knows.Id buy a new one if I lost this one.

Well, lets see. My 02 now has 117k on it and is getting ready to have its third set of tires. Maintenance is an issue though, the alternator is acting funny and I am going to have to replace it. It stil has the original brake pads on all 4 corners, it has been virtually maintenance free except high speed on the blower quit working last year, it hasn't bothered me but I should get it looked at.
I am getting ready to trade it in on a new one. Yes, I am going to buy another. It only makes good sense to me...

I'm also interested in peoples opinion as I am considering a 2007 LS 2WD for just over $21000 . It has the 291 HP I6 , sun and sound package with the sun roof and bose stereo . It seems to be nice and it also comes with a built in tow package which I need to tow my 18 ft boat . Seems fairly nice inside , some of the plastic looks a little chinzy . Also can someone elaborate on the cruise control, where is the controls for the cruise , is it on the steering wheel where it is supposed to be , forgot to look when i test drove it . The daytime running lights also drive me nuts , any way to turn these off . I see a lot of gm cars with like 1 headlight out , got to believe this burns the headlights out faster . i have never replaced a headlight in any car I have ever owned .
The car seemed very quiet on the freeway during the test drive and had very good pickup . Has the motor and tranny been reliable ? The 2007's at least have the security of the 100K powertrain warranty . I basically want a car that is reliable and is not in the shop all the time . I am really looking for newer onwners opinions , say 2005-2007 to get a good idea of later years and how many problems people are having . This vehicle actually has a lot more things than i actually need in a vehicle .I need very few things to make me happy, cruise,tilt wheel, a good stereo, good legroom , air, pw/l . It does have great legroom for us tall folks . I do a fair amount of highway driving in the summer , if you are fairly conservative driver can you get the rated highway mpg of 22 with the 2WD model ? I am basically down to this and a chrysler minivan , yeah I know a big difference .
I have had good luck with chrysler products and they are comforable to travel in. Thanks for any input on the Trailblazer . The one I am looking at is a Bordeaux red metallic. One other thing how hard is it to change your own oil on these ? I like to do my own in the summer months . I am used to Chryslers minivans where i can change it without even have to put it up on ramps . Thanks for the input.

As I have stated before. My 2004 TB is the best vehicle I have ever owned. I now have 57000 on it with not a problem.
As far as the lighting goes, I have replaced both the fog lamps, that is it.
I just replaced the tires @ 55K. Continentals
I have driven from Houston to New York three times and drive it 70 miles a day in Houston traffic to go to work.
I change my own oil with Mobil 1 extended and get 10k between oil changes. I have a K&N air filter that also help me get on average 19.4 mpg city, 24 highway.
I often tow my 16 ft. bass boat without a problem.
I love the power and ride.

I'm also interested in peoples opinion as I am considering a 2007 LS 2WD for just over $21000 . It has the 291 HP I6 , sun and sound package with the sun roof and bose stereo . It seems to be nice and it also comes with a built in tow package which I need to tow my 18 ft boat . Seems fairly nice inside , some of the plastic looks a little chinzy . Also can someone elaborate on the cruise control, where is the controls for the cruise , is it on the steering wheel where it is supposed to be , forgot to look when i test drove it . The daytime running lights also drive me nuts , any way to turn these off . I see a lot of gm cars with like 1 headlight out , got to believe this burns the headlights out faster . i have never replaced a headlight in any car I have ever owned .
The car seemed very quiet on the freeway during the test drive and had very good pickup . Has the motor and tranny been reliable ? The 2007's at least have the security of the 100K powertrain warranty . I basically want a car that is reliable and is not in the shop all the time . I am really looking for newer onwners opinions , say 2005-2007 to get a good idea of later years and how many problems people are having . This vehicle actually has a lot more things than i actually need in a vehicle .I need very few things to make me happy, cruise,tilt wheel, a good stereo, good legroom , air, pw/l . It does have great legroom for us tall folks . I do a fair amount of highway driving in the summer , if you are fairly conservative driver can you get the rated highway mpg of 22 with the 2WD model ? I am basically down to this and a chrysler minivan , yeah I know a big difference .
I have had good luck with chrysler products and they are comforable to travel in. Thanks for any input on the Trailblazer . The one I am looking at is a Bordeaux red metallic. One other thing how hard is it to change your own oil on these ? I like to do my own in the summer months . I am used to Chryslers minivans where i can change it without even have to put it up on ramps . Thanks for the input.
As far as turning off the daylight running lights I believe there is a button on the light switch you push 3 times to turn them off. Personally, I believe I could afford a $4.00 bulb once in a while in trade for the safety it does provide. It takes about 10 minutes to change a bulb. Its all snap apart pieces and you do not need any tools to do it. Don't make the mistake I did when I replaced mine. I went to a O'really parts house and all they had was Chinese bulbs. I should have gone somewhere else but I bought the bulb anyway. 1 week later it was out again and when I took it out the bulb contacts burned the wiring harness at the bulb. I would have been better off finding a quality bulb instead of having to replace the harness. Thats not GMs fault, its mine for not getting the right replacement parts. Other than that mine still is going fine with 120k miles on it now.
We just put the third set of tires on it and the brake pads still have a few miles left on them although I feel I'm playing Russian roulette right now.
I will replace them when the weather warms up here...

As far as turning off the daylight running lights I believe there is a button on the light switch you push 3 times to turn them off. Personally, I believe I could afford a $4.00 bulb once in a while in trade for the safety it does provide. It takes about 10 minutes to change a bulb. Its all snap apart pieces and you do not need any tools to do it. Don't make the mistake I did when I replaced mine. I went to a O'really parts house and all they had was Chinese bulbs. I should have gone somewhere else but I bought the bulb anyway. 1 week later it was out again and when I took it out the bulb contacts burned the wiring harness at the bulb. I would have been better off finding a quality bulb instead of having to replace the harness. Thats not GMs fault, its mine for not getting the right replacement parts. Other than that mine still is going fine with 120k miles on it now.
We just put the third set of tires on it and the brake pads still have a few miles left on them although I feel I'm playing Russian roulette right now.
I will replace them when the weather warms up here...
Thanks for the input so far . Good to see some positive responses though I do realize that a lot of people who post in forums are ones who have had problems and their are probably 1000's of people who never have many problems at all that you don't hear from . Can anyone verify you can turn the daytime running lights off ? Also how is the cruise implemented , is it on the steering or is it a stalk mount one and how hard is it to operate , use to having them right on the wheel along with the cancel feature and it just makes it a lot easier if its on the wheel though I imagine it could be more problematic there due to clocksprings though I have never had a problem on the chryslers that I have owned that have them there. Any more positive responses ? I do like the 100000 mile powertrain warranty now .

I whole-heartedly recommend the Trailblazer to you. Not that mine's not had its share of problems, but it is nevertheless a tremendous vehicle. Most of the trouble I've had is with trim pieces, but I've had a few such as 2 bad seat motors in the driver's seat, I'm on my 4th radio (but that one was put in about 4 months after purchase and it's been fine since). The stock tires were bald at 23,000 miles, but most likely cause they were over inflated (damn Sears for doing so). Now the speedometer isn't working, which is a common problem on 04-06 GM trucks, but it will be replaced under extended warranty soon.

I consider these problems minor. I love the truck otherwise. Engine is fantastic - I have the V8, which I like it better than the I6. Some argue the I6 is more technically advanced, but nothing makes up for torque than a V8. Look for one of those if you want towing power and still maintain decent gas mileage. By the way, I average almost 20mpg with the V8 and that's in the EXT model, which has much worse aerodynamics and weighs like 500lbs more.

I whole-heartedly recommend the Trailblazer to you. Not that mine's not had its share of problems, but it is nevertheless a tremendous vehicle. Most of the trouble I've had is with trim pieces, but I've had a few such as 2 bad seat motors in the driver's seat, I'm on my 4th radio (but that one was put in about 4 months after purchase and it's been fine since). The stock tires were bald at 23,000 miles, but most likely cause they were over inflated (damn Sears for doing so). Now the speedometer isn't working, which is a common problem on 04-06 GM trucks, but it will be replaced under extended warranty soon.

I consider these problems minor. I love the truck otherwise. Engine is fantastic - I have the V8, which I like it better than the I6. Some argue the I6 is more technically advanced, but nothing makes up for torque than a V8. Look for one of those if you want towing power and still maintain decent gas mileage. By the way, I average almost 20mpg with the V8 and that's in the EXT model, which has much worse aerodynamics and weighs like 500lbs more.


thanks for the opinion , the one i am looking at is as simple one as you can find and it still has a lot toys on it . Has manual seats which is fine just 1 less thing to go wrong , is 2WD don't have 4X4 worries . The thing still has bose stereo , sunroof (I could do without this feature , hopefully that won't be a problem with leaks etc...) . It is a good value at $22K , hard to believe they will be getting rid of it , probably will have an Acadia type replacement which will cost at least $30000 . hopefully if I get it will be reliable , this will be my first GM , always been a Chrysler guy but most of there stuff lately has had the former cheap looking interiors that GM used to be famous for . The 100K warranty is a big factor also . Hope I won't be sorry with really bad gas mileage , i know it is not extremely frugal at 22 mpg highway .

...the one i am looking at is as simple one as you can find and it still has a lot toys on it . Has manual seats which is fine just 1 less thing to go wrong , is 2WD don't have 4X4 worries . The thing still has bose stereo , sunroof (I could do without this feature , hopefully that won't be a problem with leaks etc...) ...

Hehee.. It's hardly a base model with a sunroof and bose. GM did decontent the heck out of them over the years though to save bucks. 22MPG is achieveable at a long, steady, easy hywy speed. Your typical (suburban roads) tank full should avg you ~17mpg.

Joel

If you’ve merely done a moderate amount of Internet surfing or cracked open a newspaper lately - just about any newspaper - you’ve undoubtedly seen the news that Toyota has once again passed Ford in worldwide auto sales and may pass GM sometime this year.
But what you may not have seen is that Toyota has already passed both Ford and GM in a different category - automotive recalls.
Although we’ve barely passed mid-February, Toyota has already recalled 533,417 vehicles this year in a mix that, according to www.AutoRecalls.us, includes Tundras Sequoias and Camrys. That puts Toyota on track to recall more than the over 1.76 million autos they recalled in the U.S. and Japan in 2006, and the 2.2 million they recalled in 2005 when they recalled more cars than they built.
What’s more, the current recall related to the Turdra trucks and Sequioa SUVs is similar to the same defect in 800,000 of the same vehicles in 2005. Maybe somebody at Toyota isn’t paying attention?
Hopefully the American consumers are. Recall numbers by domestic companies (GM and Ford) so far this year are as follows: Ford, 128,163; Chevrolet, 4,829; and Pontiac, 1,602.

All in all I am satisfied. As far as comfort and performance, I don't think you can beat the TB. Yes there are issues, however like anything, preventitive maintenence pays huge dividends. Yes there are certain things I don't like, specifically the torque management. But these are designed to please the masses, not just me. I can and will tune that to my specific taste. Those who are not mechanically inclined and are at the mersy of the GM service department might, more times than not get frustrated. However, read the Ford/Dodge forums. The Explorer/Expeditions are notorius for blowing spark plugs from the heads $$$$. The Durangos have weak trannys and have intake manifold gasket sealing probs leading to huge oil consumption. As far as Japense..well the parts are outrageous and are hard as hell to work on. IMO. I think the TBs styling was ahead of it's time when introduced in 02. Some on here complain about gas mileage, I have an ext with the 25.8 gallon tank and consistantly get 22 MPG highway. That is very good given the weight of these trucks. Moral of this story.....maintenence, just like your lawn mower...LOL, just my :2cents:

I have an 02 TB LS 2WD with right at 200K miles on it. I didnt even do a brake job until it had 150K on it. Initially had problems with brake lights going out regularly, but that was minor considerring had no other issues.

I would ABSOLUTELY by another TB...I currently own a 2003 LS model and I love it. From day 1, this vehicle has been awesome. I have about 75,000 miles on it after owning it for 4.5 years, so I've put well over the average yearly mileage on it (mostly highway) and it has performed better than I could have asked for. The styling is what first got my attention, as well as seeing a lot on the road. Overall I am a fan of GM's vehicle styling, but performance/reliability are naturally key...my TB earns high marks in all categories.

The only issue I did have was about 4 months ago when the engine coil went, which resulted in a cylinder misfire. This was fixed quickly and right the first time by the dealership and I've had no issue since. I blame this more on the part than GM itself.

I live in New England, so my TB gets tested with weather and the elements and it has held up very well. My TB can certainly haul it's own tailend when it needs to, much to the surprise of other drivers, I think, who seem to assume since it's an SUV it can't get out of its own way...NOT TRUE! I've dusted a few foreign vehicles on the highway on ramp!

we have had ours for 2 years 2005 - really great to drive but its not made for economy 17mpg town and 21 hwy - not one problem at 30000 miles and counting.

I wouldn´t because General Motors is recalling 78,004 GMC Envoy and Chevrolet Trailblazer models built between January and August, 2001 to recalibrate the transfer case control module. On models equipped with 4-wheel drive, the calibration of the transfer case control module could cause insufficient high-speed gear engagement. If the gear is not engaged, the vehicle can roll when the transmission is in "Park. So as you can see problems are starting to appear. Looks are good though.

I have an 02 TB LS 2WD with right at 200K miles on it. I didnt even do a brake job until it had 150K on it. Initially had problems with brake lights going out regularly, but that was minor considerring had no other issues.

All model lines of cars and trucks have some sort of recall during the lifetime of it ... the Trailblazer is no exception. Our 2002 model year TB LS had the Wiper motor recall, rear tail light assemblies, and the 4x4 switch recall all done. Recalls are 100% free from any GM dealership, and it doesn't matter if your warrantee is up or not - they're considered a safety concern so it's good to check up and make sure that you take your truck in for any recall service that is advised.

As I said above, we owned a first-model-year 2002 Trailblazer and just got rid of it this summer with almost 90k on the clock, and we traded it in for a brand new 2007 TB LT in Indigo Blue Metallic. Not only has Chevy learned from the few 2002-2003 model year problems, but the fit and finish of the new truck is exceptional compared to the old one we had. We absolutely love our 2007 TB, and from what I hear on the GM side of things, 2009 is probably going to be the final year that they're made, before migrating the assembly plant in OH to produce a more fuel-efficient crossover design truck similar to the GMC arcadia (but smaller).

I highly recommend the trailblazer, we already have 1400 miles on our new one and are really liking it!

--zepcom

Also can someone elaborate on the cruise control, where is the controls for the cruise , is it on the steering wheel where it is supposed to be , forgot to look when i test drove it . The daytime running lights also drive me nuts , any way to turn these off . I see a lot of gm cars with like 1 headlight out , got to believe this burns the headlights out faster . i have never replaced a headlight in any car I have ever owned .

The cruise control is on the turn-signal stick like many other GM vehicles. And "No", it's not necessarily "supposed to be" on the steering wheel like the 2004+ Grand Prix or other cars, it's "supposed to be" where GM designed it to fit/function best for that design of vehicle.

As far as the DRL's, there's always discussion about this, people are either indifferent or love it, or they hate them. People do not understand how they work, thus why they think they burn out the headlights more often. DRL's run headlights at 60-70% full brightness. What kills headlights is the rapid heat change of turning them off and on, not running DRL's. Headlights can last very long with DRL's on, because they're being run at less than their maximum capacity. Your information is incorrect about DRL's causing the headlights to burn out faster, it's just plain wrong. If the headlights 'blink' when the keyfob lock-unlock button is pressed, that is causing much more strain on the lights than any DRL's. Add to that the various front-end vibrations and shocks and temperature changes that the vehicle is routinely subject to, and that is what causes lights to burn out.

Ever notice the lights in your house? When do bulbs usually burn out? When you first turn them on is when you usually see that really bright flash of light and then they're out, filament destroyed. Similarly with 3-way house bulbs, often you find that one of the modes of a 3-way bulb blew out, it happened one of the times when the bulb was first turned on. Yes, alebit rarely, bulbs left on 100% of the time have been known to burn out, but if they're on for a while, they're already up to operating temperature and are operating as designed. This is rarely when they decide to give-up-the-ghost.

If you don't like them, you can purchase different "DRL Killer" circuits that install plug-and-play that disable this safety feature. Alternatively (what I sometimes do, is) on the 2004+ Trailblazers with the 4-position headlight switch, is twist the switch counter-clockwise to disable the DRL's for that drive session. If you want a more permanent solution (i.e., every time you drive, you want them off) then as above, the DRL killer mod is the way to go. Do a google search or hop on over to forums.trailvoy.com and search for DRL killer and you'll find plenty of discussion and info on how to get one.

If you upgrade your headlights to HID lights, you would definitely need the DRL killer mod. HID lights are more similar to the tube-style fluorescent lights in businesses, they need either 0% power or 100% power, nothing in between.

Traditional 9005/9006 bulbs are incondascent, and can run at any voltage safely up to their designed voltage. Sticking with stock bulbs, and DRL's will not shorten the life of your bulbs.

--zepcom

Wow, this thread is almost 6 years old. Time to retire it before it gets resurrected again. Feel free to start a new one if the interest exists.