2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT: check engine light

Filed Mar 26, 2013 · Fuel system · AL

We have had this vehicle in the chevrolet dealer shop several times over the past few years. Twice it was sent with the engine light on and came back to us with the same light still on. As a matter of fact, the last issue that was repaired had to be fixed two more times by my husband. The dealer repairman told my husband what to do in case it happened again. $800 later, it has happened twice. Also, the last time it came back from the dealer, the gas gauge had stopped working. I have been tracking miles to keep from running out of gas; however, I have still run out of gas five times! As a busy mom, keeping up with gallons and mileage becomes too much of a hassle. I'm driving (stop and go) 300+ miles a week. We haven't taken it back to the dealer because our income has suffered a loss over the past six months; therefore, we have been dealing with the problem. This is obviously a problem with a lot of 2006 trailblazers. I am asking for help because I'm tired of running out of gas.

Filed Jul 9, 2012 · Electrical, Steering · WI

Most recent is a driver's side door/window controls that have completely stopped working. Controls have been sporadic for over a month and have now, and it stopped completely with the window in the down position. I have been lucky not to experience the burning/melting issue others have before it stopped working all together - but my window is now in the down position and cannot be closed. In addition to the door/window controls, the rear window wiper stopped working about a year ago, the fuel sensor went out over a year and a half ago so tank always registers empty and check engine light is always on. (I have received the offer from chevy to have the fuel sensor repaired, but because I will be responsible for half of the repair costs, I have yet to have it done -- chevy should pay 100%, not 50%). I've already replaced the tie rods about a year ago, but was just told that they need to be replaced again. I've had issues with the car violently shaking @ 60 MPH shortly after I bought it (used) from a dealer. After quite the run around and four extended stays at the dealers repair shop it was magically taken care of after I threatened to file "lemon law" paperwork. I'm just done. *tr the consumer stated shortly after, the windows controls for the other three windows began to work again sporadically, except for the driver's window which was propped closed. On occasion, when the driver's side widow button was touched my mistake, the window would move slightly until being stopped by the 2x4. The consumer finally had the recall repairs done, after waiting on the parts. The dealer removed the 2x4 from the driver's side and the consumer was charged $105.55 to get the window operational again. Updated 05/23/13

Filed Sep 13, 2011 · Body, Electrical · 99,000 miles · WI

Gas gauge became very erratic. Finally didn't register at all. Check engine light came on while out of town. Took the car to a merlin automotive for repair. Spent hundreds of dollars and the light would not go off. Mass air flow meter, plugs, fuel rail, throttle position sensor, fuel injectors. They even called in a chevy technician who could not figure it out. When I returned home I took it to my local repair shop where they dropped the tank and replaced the sending unit. Hundreds of dollars in expenses. Then the heating fan switch started smoking and had to be replaced as it had melted and nothing worked . Also, every door rusted through at the bottom including the rear hatch. Dealers' response:welcome to wisconsin. I spent $700 to have the rust cleaned up.

Filed Aug 31, 2011 · Fuel system · 63,000 miles · PA

Bought 2006 chevy trailblazer ext used from the dealer in 2009 for commute to and from work. Upon reaching 63,000 miles began to have problems with fuel gauge reading half full them empty even after just having filled up the tank at the station. As a result check engine light activated and when it came time to inspect the vehicle no one at the local dealerships were willing to drop the gas tank and fix the problem so I could pass inspection. Penna state emissions would not pass the vehicle until the fuel system was repaired, hence cannot pass inspection. I will no longer use the vehicle on long trips where I have to guess how much gas I have in the tank, or take it on busy highways like 95 or 83 near washington close to where I live. Problem description seems to be consisent with this model year. While I was willing and able to pay for my repair the first time, it is not my responsibility to account for a shoddy product. Gm has already attempted to contact me and cover 50% of the repair via mail. This is an insult to my intelligence and I should not have to fork over one red cent to get this fixed given the massive amount of complaints about the same problem on the same vehicle. Ignition switch also failed at 60,000 miles. Yet another item I am finding is a recurring problem with this model, make and year.

Filed Jul 16, 2011 · Fuel system · 58,000 miles · MD

Gas gauge does not work.check engine light stays on and gauge shows empty all the time.

Filed Jul 13, 2011 · Fuel system · 79,000 miles · MI

Vehicle bought aug 2010 with 76, 014 miles on it. About one month after the purchase the gas gauge starting acting erratic. ( could have been that way when we bought it but didn't notice.) when you would fill it up it would still read e until you drove about 50 miles off from it then it would bounce around sometimes reading correct other times not. I ran out of gas on I-69 one time fortunately for me no one was behind me because I the whole vehicle starting jerking and eventually just shut off. The vehicle still read that it had gas at that point. In february 2011 the gas gauge just quit working all together would read e even when you filled it all the way up. Had to use gallons used to tell how much fuel was in it. May 2011 the check engine light started coming on and off. July 11, 2011 I took it to a gm service shop found out the error for the check engine light was the fuel sensor and the same reason the gauge wasn't working. $458 and change to have it fixed. I had it fixed because I couldn't afford to run out of gas on the freeway again with three small children that are frequently riding with me. Looking for a recall because this is a very widespread issue and a potentially dangerous one when people are running out of gas on major freeways because of it.

Filed Jun 7, 2011 · Fuel system · 34,000 miles · IN

2006 trailblazer ext; fuel level sensor, sending unit, etc. At 34,000 miles around sept, 2009 right after filling up, the fuel gauge went to "empty' and the light went on with the warning bell sounding 5 times upon starting the vehicle. The check engine light also illuminated, but did go off by itself after 1 day. The gauge stayed at empty for approximately 50 miles after which it began to function properly, and then below about a third of a tank it went to zero again. Over time the portion of time the gauge functions properly has decreased. Now it registers about a quarter tank for only about 25 miles worth of driving, typically from 50 to 75 miles after filling it up. I've been aware of the preponderance of similar complaints, and have put off getting it fixed...just using the odometer...so far the odometer still works. A local chevy dealer would not comment on this as a common issue, but wants a $49 minimum to look at it, which is more likely to be a full hour at $99, just to diagnose. I'm not interested in having a dealer look at it since it's out of warranty, but will put up with it until I find a trustworthy mechanic who will not fleece our family. This constitutes a safety problem in my opinion, but beyond my opinion this is a known issue that remains unresolved by gm to my knowledge. This is my first gm vehicle in 20 years, and I can safely say that unless gm shares some responsibility it will be my last.

Filed May 3, 2011 · Fuel system · 86,000 miles · IN

I started having problems with the fuel gauge swinging between full and empty then my check engine light came on. I've been told that I need an whole new fuel pump assembly and that the fuel tank will have to be dropped to replace it. I've been just setting the trip meter and filling it up every 250 miles because the fuel gauge now just stays lit on empty all the time. I don't have any problems with it running, starting, etc. So I'm assuming that it's just the sensor that is out. 2006 chevrolet trailblazer ext.

Filed May 2, 2011 · Fuel system · 45,000 miles · ID

I filled my vehicle with fuel and went to start it and it died. I restarted it and it lugged and died. I started it again and it was running ok, but I noticed the fuel gauge was stuck at empty and my low fuel warning kept dinging. Once my tank got to about 3/4 full the gauge would work again. After a few months, the gauge never works and I have to try to keep a really close eye on the mileage to know when I need to fill up. We took the car to an auto parts store and had them do a read on the computer because our service engine light is also on half the time. It came back as a "sending unit malfunction" it could be the float or the sending unit. The repair was quoted as $600.00 so we cannot afford to fix it yet. The vehicle was only at 45,000 miles when this occurred.

Filed Mar 15, 2011 · Fuel system · IL

The fuel gauge on our 2006 chevy trailblazer has failed along with the check engine light coming on resulting from numerous codes. The entire fuel pump/filter/sending unit has to be replaced and the vehicle wont pass and inspection without it. Gm needs to recall this vehicle for this problem and refund owners who have spent money fixing the problem.

Filed Jan 7, 2011 · Fuel system · 64,500 miles · MA

Like thousands of other owners (since this happens to the gmc envoy too, so it's not just a chevy issue), one day the gas gauge works fine, the next it reads empty after filling it up. However, as a bonus, the friendly check engine light now comes on randomly to let me know the fuel gauge isn't working. I've had the codes read by two different places and this is the only error recorded. I now have to use the trip meter to "guess" when the truck needs filling up. Since it's going to cost me several hundred dollars I don't have to fix it, I'll just have to live with the inconvenience. In massachusetts, like many other states, they do an emissions test by plugging into the vehicle's computer. Well, since the check engine light has come on at some point, the computer says "not ready" and the vehicle fails the test. You have to wait until the light goes off and then drive about a week before the computer resets itself. However, without fail, the light always comes back on just before taking it back to get re-inspected, thus resetting the whole process. I've had this happen for the last 3 weeks in a row regardless of number of days/miles driven. Another week and another tank of gas wasted. So, in order to get the car to pass inspection, I either have to get real lucky with the check engine light or have the repair made. Since this issue prevents the vehicle from passing the state inspection, it should be considered a safety/emissions concern and all vehicles recalled to repair the combination fuel pump/sending unit. If gm doesn't consider this a concern and recall the vehicles for this repair, then they need to have the vehicles recalled to have the check engine light stop coming on so the vehicles can pass state inspections.

Filed Nov 12, 2010 · Fuel system · 70,000 miles · RI

The fuel gauge on our 2006 chevy trailblazer has failed along with the check engine light coming on resulting from numerous codes. The entire fuel pump/filter/sending unit has to be replaced (a $300 part) and the vehicle won't pass and inspection without it. Gm needs to recall this vehicle for this problem and refund owners who have spent money fixing the problem if they want to continue to stay in business.