2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer problems
The 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer has 263 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (25%) concerns electrical system. Next are air bags (13%) and engine (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 263 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 26% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 17 and 19
- Injuries and deaths
- 16 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 75,000 miles 230 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 24 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 26 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 32 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 45 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 40 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 21 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 11 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 12 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 9 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 8 |
What the data shows
Of the 230 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 75,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 76,000 miles (61 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 17 complaints mention a crash; 19 complaints mention a fire; 16 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 9th most-complained-about out of 15 model years of the Chevrolet Trailblazer with enough data (123 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 chevrolet trailblazer. The contact stated that he crashed and rear ended into another vehicle stopped at a stop light at 53 MPH. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy as well as the seat belt pretensioner failed to engage. The contact sustained a severe concussion & almost bit his tongue off with his head smashing into the windshield. He also sustained cuts and bruises on his lower body and legs and a bruised neck.
While driving the 2008 trailblazer I started to experience a loss of brake pedal with the travel going all of the way to the floor, with hardly any braking function or stopping action. It was intermittent and would not happen more then once or twice at first. Then when I was in a parking lot, the brakes failed again and I hit a cement divider damaging the bumper of the vehicle. You would be driving the vehicle, and step on the brakes as you would be coasting into or coming up to a stop.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet trailblazer. When the contact attempted to accelerate at a traffic light, the brakes would not disengage. He attempted to release the brakes by shifting gears and apply constant, steady pressure to the brake pedal. Within a few minutes, the brake released. On a separate occasion, while driving at speeds of 15 MPH, the brakes locked. He abruptly depressed the accelerator pedal in an attempt to avoid a potential crash.
Airbag light came on and had a bad impact sensor. Had to replace to pass inspection. SUV only 6 years old. Stability control light comes on every time I hit a bump in the road.