2021 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER Engine Problems

25 complaints about Engine

25
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Deaths

High Severity Issue

This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.

This Problem Across All Years

All Engine Complaints (25)

Nov 20, 2025

The issue is the yellow engine light lit up on the dash of my 2021 Trailblazer in late August of 2025. At the same time, the cluster displayed the message "Engine Power is Reduced". Over the next few weeks my car engine would randomly stall out while I was driving! As you can imagine, this is a very unsafe driving condition. My car stalls and I'm in traffic and have no ability at all to control the vehicle. This happened at least 4 times to me. When I checked the On Board Diagnostic codes on my vehicle the system reported back U060F (Mass Air Flow Sensor). I searched online for this condition with 2021 Trailblazers and found GM Service Bulletin number 22-NA-008, dated March of 2022. This Service Bulletin clearly shows that Chevrolet were well aware of a problem years before it occurred to my vehicle. So, in October I took my car to Bowman Auto Center, explained all of the above to them, and I mentioned the Service Bulletin that I found. Their investigation found that, indeed, the cause of my engine stalling was broken wires to the Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF sensor). Bowman repaired my car and billed me $364.44 as shown on the attached 2-page Repair Order. I tried to make the case with the Bowman Service Department that this should be a warranty repair, and paid by GM. Bowman responded that it was only a Service Bulletin from GM for the issue, and the customer is responsible for payment. I am astonished that repair of this product Design Failure, which results in an unsafe driving condition, would be paid for by the customer! The reason I call it a Design Failure is because NO wiring should break during the life of a vehicle. Engines rock and move, and the Trailblazer design should have compensated for this engine movement by having a sufficient slack loop designed into the wire harness leading to the Mass Air Flow sensor. I filed a case with Chevrolet, number 80982656, but they declined my request for reimbursement $$.

Oct 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that after reversing, the transmission was shifted to drive (D), but the vehicle failed to immediately recognize the selected gear. The check engine warning later illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the under boost, transmission control module, and transmission control solenoid had failed, and there was a loss of communication with the radio and loss of communication with the telematic control module. The mechanic advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Mileage: 42,000

Oct 1, 2025

Experiencing reduced speed, rattling noise, check engine light, power steering light on. Chevy app shows throttle control system and antilock break system error messages. Took to Chev dealership. Advised it was fuel injector (1 /4 was burned out). Had all 4 replaced ($3000). Picked up car on a Friday, vehicle was having the same issues next day Saturday. Took it back on Monday, it is now Wednesday and they’re saying it’s the turbo charger now (another $3000). Mechanic couldn’t figure out what the issue was so it took 3 days for him to now say it’s the turbo charger. I think it was the turbo charger from the get go! What’s the purpose of the diagnostics ($250)? Isn’t it to pinpointed the issue? 1st day, took him 4 hours to say it was the fuel injector. 2nd time around it took 3 days. I kept showing them and telling them it’s the throttle control system! They’re trying to rip me off! Mechanic is saying he’s been test driving it and no issues. I took a photo of my mileage before I handed them my car and it was 79,190. The mileage today says 79,191. How and where is he test driving it if it’s only been 1 mile? Reverse and forward ? They’re lying

Jun 12, 2025

Month of June of 2024 I purchased 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT with 31k miles on the odometer I had to service my vehicle and had to replace the fuel pump, took weeks to get in due to the strike that took place, Chevrolet will not back behind their employees nor their consumers. They only honored me 15pts on my vehicle, a few months pass and more issues arise one being the manifold sensor (a) and then another two days on the road the wiring harness thankfully my car was under a secondary warranty and I paid $200 per repair, although this became a very costly month being $600 car payment and $400 in repairs in a matter of a few months owning the vehicle, I am having similar issues again with the wiring harness a year later.

Jun 11, 2025

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 NHTSA 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.

Mileage: 81,000

Apr 28, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was turned off however, the blower fan independently activated. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband had just parked the vehicle upon arriving at the place of employment. The contact's husband is a certified mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and a misfire in the engine. The contact was informed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced; however, the spark plugs had to be ordered. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact's husband parked the vehicle and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle failed to start as intended and was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and the dealer determined that there was a crack in the head gasket. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

Mileage: 128,000

Apr 3, 2025

My vehicle keeps flashing: "Shift to park" when I am in park and then my car is unable to shut off the battery even though I'm in park and our of the vehicle

Mar 23, 2025

On [XXX] while driving on the highway my check engine light came on. The car turned off while going 60MPH on the 18 mile stretch towards Miami from Key west and luckily there were no cars around me. I checked for the code and it was P1467 for the Evap Purge Pump. I took it to a dealership in Miami and they told me it would be fine to drive that the part needed to be replaced. I drove back to key west and bought the replacement part. That same part did not work. I checked to see if the part was receiving voltage and it was. So i will continue with going to the dealership. My wife and son have developed a cough from having to constantly smell the fumes due to their existing asthma. I will never buy another chevy again.

Feb 4, 2025

On numerous occasions (typically when needing to accelerate into the flow of traffic), the Reduced Engine Power message and engine light came on, the car rapidly decelerated to 35 mph, and would not accelerate rapidly. Turbocharger, waste gate actuator, and other parts need replaced and reprogrammed, but issue persists. On one occasion, power was reduced and car was stuck "revving" at 25 mph. I have had to swerve off the road to avoid a crash of being rear-ended. Issue started around 60,000 but has happened at least 5 separate times.

Jan 22, 2025

IN January my fuel gage stopped working , unable to know how much gas I had. The fuel pump and floater needed to be replaced If fuel was not getting to the engine the vehicle would stop working causing a possible accident with other drivers . I did not use this vehicle for many days until a mechanic cleared for useage . It cost me $320.00 of my own money to fix this for safety concerns. As of today 1/22/25 I has been fixed by A-Plus in North Fort Myers.

Nov 4, 2024

Reduced engine power, code P0014. Camshaft actuator oil control valve bolt stuck open. All the signs and symptoms per bulletin released by NHSTA to repair if not sold yet. Extremely hazardous when accelerating to get on highway and engine power reduces.

Nov 1, 2024

On [XXX] I shifted my 2021 Chevy Trailblazer to park and and was unable to shut off the vehicle. When I shifted it to park it kept displaying an error "Shift to Park" on the dashboard, but the shifter knob was correctly in park. I attempted to press the power button to turn off the car and it wouldnt do anything but beep. I tried multiple times to shift to park to get the car to recognize it was actually in park and turn off the vehicle but I was unable to do so. I was frantic and panicked to find I could not turn off my vehicle as I park on a apartment complex lot. That day I took the car to Henna Chevrolet in Austin Tx for repair. They said the part was on backorder from GM with no ETA. It is now November 1st and there is still no ETA on when I will get the part for my car from GM. This has been going on for 3 weeks now with no end. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Sep 2, 2024

My 2021 Chevy Trailblazer has an error reading “shift to Park” that randomly appeared 2 weeks ago, now is doing it almost every time I stop my car, error has also cause my battery to die. When error is showing my car will not shut off. Took to a Chevy dealer and recommended changing the gear shift assembly, can’t guarantee it will fix the problem. They have ordered the part but $450 plus parts and labor for not a guarantee is concerning. I also travel for work and have been left stranded because of this issue.

Aug 28, 2024

The pick up on the vehicle is losing power it seems not letting the RPM's Go up or drop down before taking off. This cause the vehicle to move slower than normal Code keeps popping up losing power engine while drive and engine light comes on this goes on for about a week or so than stops and engine light disappear and reappears again.

Jul 26, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated while driving at 5–10 MPH, there was an extremely loud clicking and rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an unknown object moving inside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbo needed to be changed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the sound was duplicated in other similar vehicles and informed the contact that no further action was needed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 48,482.

Mileage: 48,482

Jul 8, 2024

I’m just adding confirmation to my solenoid/waste gate/ turbo system reduced engine power on the 2021 trailblazer around 23,000 miles . [XXX] , Raleigh n.c INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Jul 3, 2024

My vehicles check engine light came on at 80,000 miles with a reduced engine power alert. If I'm on the highway I'm unable to accelerate quickly if I needed to. We had the vehicle checked out and it was the Turbocharger that was bad. I had taken it to a Chevrolet dealership and they said other Chevy vehicles have already had a recall on some models for the exact same reason. I believe this is a serious problem with the Trailblazers as well for what I have found online. Please put a recall on this. It's very expensive repair for most people's financial situation.

Jun 22, 2024

Coolant control valve causes car to overheat leaving car and passengers stranded on the side of the road. This is dangerous as it increases the risk accidents. The part is on back order since most of the vehicles with the original part are defective. Something needs to be done to correct this problem!

Mar 24, 2024

CEL came on at 77,000 miles P1467 Is this covered?

Mar 2, 2024

Whenever I accelerate over 65 miles per hour the engine and transmission light comes on and the car goes into reduced engine speed. I get a message to service my engine I took it to the dealership, they could not figure out the problem because the engine light only stays on for a day or so and then goes out again. This issue has been happening more frequently over the last few weeks.

Aug 29, 2022

I have had the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer since May 2021, it has been 15 months, not even a year and a half off the lot and i have had wayyyy too many problems. I have has service the stabilitrak stability control system, service the antilock breaking system multiple times within the first 8-10 months. I had to get a part replaced due to that. The dealership had my vehicle literally for a month after i bought it, had an open tak report through Gm due to my engine light coming on. Gm did not know why it was happening. Had 2 service engine and transmission system alerts. I have had a fuel injector and line replaced as well within the first 6 months. I have had to get the system updated 2 times also. Now August 2022 im having service battery, or starter. Have had my vehicle shut off on me at an intersection then come back on two different times. My breaks have been squealing ever since i got this vehicle. Dealership confirms everything is in good standing. I have not had a vehicle where breaks squeal when i am coming to a stop or backing out of my driveway constantly. Dealership keeps saying oh its just probably dust or dirt, spray them out and it should stop. But, it has not for about a year now! Unbelievable! I am going it to trade this vehicle in. This is wayyy too much to be dealing with when you pay $30 grand on a vehicle!

May 9, 2022

Second time in dealership shop to get gas smell coming from engine. Vehicle still under warranty. Afraid of the vehicle catching fire on me. Took it into another repair shop and 2 technicians notice the strong gas odor and was afraid of working on it.

Apr 16, 2022 Fire

Driving vehicle and noticed smoke coming from front end. Pulled over and entire vehicle caught fire. No check engine light, no temp gauge changes. Just smoke and then fire.

Jan 28, 2022

I had a smell of gasoline inside and under hood of 2021 Trailblazer LT 1.3l. Took to Chevrolet dealer.Confirmed gas odor. Gas was leaking from fuel rail.Sevice manager said it was pouring out. Found out GM has Service bulliten for this PIP5765 that covers both Chevy Trailblazer with 1.3l and Buick Encore GX with 1.3l motors. This has been a scary situation considering gas fumes could have caught fire.

Sep 10, 2021

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the AUTO-STOP was not functioning properly. Additionally, the doors would not unlock on two separate occasions. Additionally, the keyless ignition button would not turn off the vehicle until the contact applied pressure while pressing on the button. The contact also stated that the tire pressure sensor was faulty. The check engine warning light and reduced power message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on two separate occasions and the dealer informed the contact that the AUTO-STOP function was unprogrammed due to the weather however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer reprogrammed the AUTO-STOP software and tire pressure sensor however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was awaiting a callback. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

Mileage: 5,000