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2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer: stuck in gear or won't shift

9 of the 202 complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer describe stuck in gear or won't shift.

owner complaints
9
of this car's complaints
4%
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 60 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Stuck in gear or won't shift by model year

  • 2026
    1
  • 2023
    3
  • 2022
    1
  • 2021
    9
  • 2008
    2
  • 2007
    1
  • 2006
    1
  • 2005
    4
  • 2004
    3
  • 2003
    8
  • 2002
    29
  • 2001
    1
  • 2000
    1
  • 1999
    1

What owners say

Filed Oct 31, 2026 · Transmission · CA

As I was driving down the road the check engine light lit on and vehicle went into limp mode which didn’t let me accelerate over 20 miles an hour. This happened in a busy intersection after safely and cautiously moving to the right to avoid any traffic collisions we got it towed. The codes that came up were P0700 and P0796 Transmission failure due to a stuck solenoid. Chevy has Internal bulletin 20-NA-120 regarding these breakdowns. It’s a known problem and one that is dangerous to the public because these incidents can happen anywhere even on busy highways or freeways.

Filed Oct 5, 2026 · Transmission · CA

My 2021 Trailblazer does not shift into drive properly from park or reverse. When shifting into drive, the engine revs but does not move forward. In some cases, the vehicle also shakes and jolts for several seconds. It is also slow to shift into higher gears at high speeds on the freeway. In cases of quick acceleration, the check engine light comes on and the message "Engine Power Reduced" shows. This has caused potentially dangerous situations where I am not able to accelerate to match the flow of traffic, especially when merging onto the freeway. I have taken the car to both a Chevy dealership and an independent shop, who have both confirmed that there is a "loss of forward gear" and pulled codes P2714 and P0700. I have been told that I most likely need a transmission replacement at only 34,000 miles.

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · MO

My trailblazer will not shift properly into drive from park or reverse. GM calls this a "loss of forward motion" or "delayed forward engagement" in their service bulletin TSB-24-NA-009. It is a safety issue because you never know when or how long the vehicle will take to engage and allow forward movement. This causes issues when leaving a parking spot or a driveway, especially on busy roads. If the car will not move forward, my family is stuck in the road until it finally engages into gear and allows forward movement. When this occurs, the vehicle engine will shutter and not allow any forward movement. I usually have to move the drive selector back to park and back to drive again. This creates an immediate and unreasonable safety risk because the vehicle will not move for several seconds while I am sitting in traffic. This generates a P2714 code. I had the car looked at by a GM dealer as well as an independent transmission repair shop and both indicate it will likely need a new transmission. GM is fully aware of the defect and has issued a service bulletin, TSB-24-NA-009 to instruct dealers how to diagnose and repair the problem. The bulletin proves a widespread engineering or manufacturing flaw exists. However, GM is treating this as a maintenance issue rather than the severe safety hazard that it is. It is my understanding, GM has since abandoned this transmission on the newer models, further indicating that GM knew these transmissions were not designed well. I am requesting the federal safety agency office cross-reference my complaint with GM TSB-24-NA-009 and upgrade the component defect to a mandatory, manufacturer-funded safety recall before it causes a collision or fatal injury. Thank You

Filed Jul 16, 2026 · Transmission · NC

Vehicle has 67,000 miles and suffered a catastrophic CVT transmission failure, documented by dealership diagnostic code P2714. The transmission severely slips and exhibits a dangerous 15-second delay to engage forward gear after shifting into Drive. More critically, the vehicle suffers from unpredictable engine stalling. The car completely shut down and stalled in traffic while trying to accelerate into a driving lane after shifting. The vehicle did not trigger any dashboard safety warnings, limp mode, or "Reduced Engine Power" messages prior to shutting down, causing an un-warned loss of motive power on a public road. This creates an immediate, severe risk of a high-speed rear-end collision. General Motors has acknowledged internal CVT chain slippage and hydraulic failure points in Technical Service Bulletins 24-NA-009 and PIP6033 but has not issued a safety recall.

Filed Apr 14, 2026 · MO

While driving at highway speeds, my vehicle suddenly enters low power/limp mode, severely reducing acceleration and creating a dangerous situation in traffic. This occurred multiple times. The dealership diagnosed the issue as a faulty gas pedal (accelerator) sensor and stated the vehicle is unsafe to drive under these conditions. The required part has been on back order for months, and no repair has been completed. The dealership promised a loaner vehicle due to safety concerns but failed to provide one and has had no communication for over four months. I am now required to travel long distances and fear loss of power will occur again while driving on the highway, posing a serious safety risk.

Filed Aug 27, 2025 · Transmission · MI

wont go into park

Filed Jun 11, 2025 · Engine · 81,000 miles · WA

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 40 MPH. The contact stated that after the failure, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the variable valve timing system. Additionally, the dealer found that the intake camshaft actuator was incorrectly positioned, resulting in damages to the exhaust camshaft. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 81,000.

Filed Apr 28, 2025 · Transmission · 40,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the contact noticed that the gear shifter was inoperable, and the vehicle would not shift into gear properly. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the gear shifter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Filed Sep 11, 2024 · Brakes, Electrical · GA

05/29/24 I took this vehicle to Cronic Chevrolet in Griffin, Ga due to check engine light being on. Code detected purge pump it was still under warranty at that time only had 43,906 miles on had to get the purge pump replaced. Several weeks after getting it back I kept getting a shift to park message come up when trying to put it in park then started having trouble getting it to go into drive. I have had so many close calls from people almost bashing into me because my car will not go into drive and you constantly have to switch in and out of gears for it to finally go in. Its sucking the had right out due to it not shifting gears properly. The code reader detected transmission control module which I find to be faulty and understand there are serval recalls on this specific vehicle , when it started this issue it didn’t even have 50,000 miles on it!

Questions about the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer won't shift

Is stuck in gear or won't shift a common problem on the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer?

9 of 202 owner complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer (4%) mention stuck in gear or won't shift. The model year with the most reports is 2002.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer?

There are 0 recalls and 60 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Check engine light 34Loss of power 18Grinding brakes 11Stalling 9Backup camera 8Transmission failure 8Fuel smell 6Brake failure 5

All model years of the Chevrolet Trailblazer

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