2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Feb 22, 2018 · Lights · 40,000 miles · SC

When driving the headlights all of a sudden just shut off. It is extremely scary at night. I found that I can however use the brights. They eventually come back on. This has been happening for years. I kept hoping for a recall and just found this site to report it. This has happen on city streets and highways. It has happened when there are street lights and vehicle lights and when it is pitch black. The 1st time it happened, I was driving with my child in the vehicle on the freeway.

Filed May 20, 2014 · Electrical · 135,000 miles · NC

The headlights intermittently will not work (lowbeam only). It happens at night many times and I will have to drive with the bright lights or fog lights. Sometimes the entire dash lighting will go out as well including the speedometer. It's almost as if the electrical portion of the ignition has failed. It has been happening intermittently for about a year.

Filed Feb 12, 2013 · Lights · 88,000 miles · IL

I was getting on the expressway & both headlights just stopped working. I drove home with no lights on the front of my car in the dark, very very very unsafe. How do all the lights on the front of your car go out all at the same time.

Filed Sep 26, 2012 · Acceleration, Electrical · 120,000 miles · GA

All gauges on control panel not working, but all service lights come on check engine, ABS seat belt, reduce power, battery lights. Speed and fuel are impossible to know as well as warnings to observe from lights. 2004 chevrolet trailblazer, speedometer will show a faster speed than you moving or will go to 0 while on the freeway. The tach has the same problem. This is a serious safety issue and it should be recalled now. I heard that they had the same issue on pick-ups and they were recalled. Most instrument backlights have burned out preventing the speedometer and other gauges from being seen at night. Very dangerous. Quick search on internet results in a severe epidemic of this problem with all gm SUV's. A class action lawsuit resulted in a nationwide recall for this problem for all similar vehicles but not the chevy trailblazer or gmc envoy. This seems to be a criminal act by gm. Something needs to be done to protect owners of these vehicles. Driving down highway headlights go out..while driving at night the low beam lights went out, I had to drive home with high beams on, http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2004/chevrolet/trailblazer/electrical+system check out all these other complaints there are hundreds of them and I am one of many. This is so dangerous and a safety hazard to others as well, please get us a recall on these cars the expenses are tremendous.

Filed Aug 13, 2011 · Electrical, Engine · 75,000 miles · FL · fire

This vehicle had been parked in the driveway from 7:45 pm, (august 10, 2011). I was awakened at approx. 3:55 am on 8-10-2011 by hearing a muffled boom. At 4:00 am (aug. 11, 2011) I heard a loud bang type noise. I immediately got up and went to investigate. I went outside and found my 2004 trailblazer (ext) on fire from the engine bay and just beginning to flame inside the vehicle's passenger compartment at the dashboard..it only took minutes before the vehicle was fully involved. The fire began in the engine bay. The fire marshall report is still pending and I was informed it would take 6 to 8 weeks before it was available. Approx. Two to three months prior, I took the vehicle to a repair garage to fix the low beam headlights (they had failed and changing the bulbs was no help. It turned out that it was a failed relay, which was replaced. It was a couple of weeks later that I had to replace the vehicle's battery as it had gone dead and would not take a charge. The old battery was about three years old. There were no other battery/headlight issues after these repairs. No tools or other parts were dropped into the engine bay, or left in the bay. I was an aircraft mechanic and old habits of keeping rack of my tools never die and all tools used were accounted for. The roads were dry where it was driven there was no rain at the house all night. I reported this to chevrolet that day. As a result of the fire, the eaves of the house over the garage caught fire, my wife, son and myself had minor carbon monoxide poisoning, my work truck was damaged by the heat of the fire, so I cannot work (self employed) until I get a replacement (no rental company will let me use a truck to work from as I need to carry large quantities of chlorine in my pressure cleaning business. There have been no other problems of this kind before with this vehicle.

Filed Feb 22, 2011 · Lights · 17,000 miles · CA

Headlights will not work. Daytime running lights don't work. The issue was addressed by chevy dealership. This is a on going problem. Other chevy and gm SUV had been recalled for this issue however this model was not included within the recall.

Filed Nov 18, 2010 · Lights · 74,000 miles · OH

My headlamps keep flickering off. At this time they don't come back on. For about 7 months they would go off and I would have to pull over and shut vehicle off. It would come on after I let it sit for a minute. Now they shut off and will not come back on.

Filed Sep 19, 2010 · Lights · 167,723 miles · WA

Low beams went off as I was driving down rural roadway. This was at 10:45 at night on my way to work. Had too sit by side of road for some time with no lights. Finally came back on. This has happened 4 other times since then. I live in a rural area, when the lights go out there are no street lights around to illuminate the roadway. I have had 2 near crashes due to the darkness of the area in which I was traveling. There are no codes being thrown when this occurs, no warnings, the lights just go out. Unable to locate failure point. High beams, turn signals, parking lights work, just not low beams.

Filed Mar 28, 2010 · Electrical · MT

There have not been any accidents or injuries yet, that I know of. There have, however, been many complaints that I have seen for the same problem I am having and chevy does not care. The speedometer and other gauges on my 2004 trailblazer do not work correctly, the speedometer can read 0-120 when at a complete stop. Therefore we never know how fast we are going and with children in the vehicle this is very disturbing. Besides the gauges the wires for the headlights keep burning. I was told when I had the first one fixed that it is very common in these vehicles. The fact that both of these problems are so common with many chevy vehicles and they are recalling some and not all, I guess I just want to know why not all?

Filed Feb 23, 2010 · Electrical · LA

On 02/05 /2010 I was going south on 165 to monroe, la it was about 8:00 at night,when the dashboard lights then the headlights just went out. This made me go into a panic. I did not know what to do because it was very dark. I did manage to pull over. Thankfully there was a gas station near by. On 2/06/2010 I took to a chevy dealer and they told me that they have be seeing this problem for some time. But they close early on saturday so they could not fits it in one day. So I took to another repair shop and they told me they have seen this same problem 4 times in jan. So chevrolet has a problem that needs looking into.

Filed Aug 8, 2009 · Electrical, Steering · 53,434 miles · CA

On november 26 2007 took my chevy trailblazer 04 4 wheel dr. In for steering wheel shimmy. Could not duplicate. Also c.d. Changer will not eject cd's and low beams on headlights not working. Repaired headlights and c.d. Changer. Did not fix steering problem. On june 07 took in for major service with 33,000 miles. On dec.8 2008 took in for stalling when coming to a stop. Could not duplicate the problem.this is my main complaint, the stalling on jan.. 10 2009 took in for erratic speedometer which was happening for about 3 months off and on.rebuilt the speedometer. On june 11 2009 took car in for stalling, ses lamp comes on when driving and HVAC fan does not blow on the #5 position. There is alot of grinding and whining when vehicle shifts to second gear. And turning at low speeds there is a whining coming from the front end. Removed and replaced 02 sensor. For the stalling they could not verify concern. Recommended throttle body de-carb and injection system cleaning. For the #5 fan not working removed and replaced speed control resistor. Transmission they could not feel any unusual shifting.for the steering prob.replaced power steering pump and power steering gear. Car still stalling on 6-19 -09. Took in. Did another decarb service and replace fuel filter.still stalls. 7-01-09 when car starts there is a loud clutch fan noise like a jet taking off. Feels like the trans is overworking, veryloud not right. Fix,was fancontrol set im properly trouble code p0483 . Bulletin 05-06-02-004 reprogram PCM. Claim code1013b. July 8 took car for stalling issue july 9 took car for stalling issue july 10 took car for stalling issues no paper work for these 3 days they were trying to recreate the stalling issue. July 20 2009 in shop for 16 days for stalling issue they finally confirmed .replaced PCM. They called in tech assistance case #10971267 he said to perform top engine cleaning. Outcome is cannot guarantee repairs at this time due to how random this prob occurs.

Filed Dec 8, 2008 · Electrical · NH

I have many electrical issues with my 04 trailblazer from my window lights on the drivers door and the passenger door. I have had my radio replaced because it melted one of my cds. My head lights work when they feel like it same with the rear wiper. It has stalled out in traffic on me. I have also heard that in most 2000 to 2006 trailblazers the reason for the electrical problems is because water is running down the passenger side door into the dash and hitting one of the main wiring harnesses causing it to have many electrical issues. I heard this from someone who has an 06 trailblazer that just had it a replaced for $700.00 to fix and was told that it will just have to be replaced in a few more years because they cant fix the problem.