would you buy one ?

[vipergg]

Originally Posted by phewop118

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 .

[rodeo02]

Originally Posted by vipergg

...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

[blabonte]

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.

[fortcarp]

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

[jtrahan]

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.

[SAMMY_RS]

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!

[jerryh20]

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.

[zepcom]

Originally Posted by Euro19

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.

Originally Posted by jtrahan

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

[zepcom]

Originally Posted by vipergg

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

['97ventureowner]

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.