2021 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER Power Train Problems

My 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer has a defect in the gear shifter system that intermittently fails to recognize when the vehicle has been shifted into “Park.” When this occurs, the vehicle displays a persistent “Shift to Park” warning message and prevents the engine from being turned off or the vehicle from being locked. This malfunction creates a safety and consumer concern, as I am unable to exit and secure the vehicle and am forced to remain inside or leave the vehicle running and unattended. The issue interferes with normal vehicle operation and poses potential safety risks, particularly in situations where I need to quickly power down, exit, or secure the vehicle. After a quick internet search, this issue appears to be affecting multiple others with the same vehicle (2021-2023). A prior lawsuit against GM also resulted in a settlement and recall for older model Trailblazers, but unfortunately did not include the newer models that are experiencing the same known issue. • Gear shifter system is malfunctioned, specific reason and/or part is unknown. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. • Safety risks noted above. • Problem has been confirmed over the phone and via text by local Chevrolet dealership. Only solution offered was to pay over $650+ for a fix that is not guaranteed to fully resolve the error. • Vehicle or component has not been physically inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance reps, or others. • No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms occurred prior.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle failed to shift into park properly, and the message “Vehicle Not in Park” was displayed. The contact stated that several attempts were needed before the transmission was able to be shifted into park. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the shifter gear assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Mileage: 40,000

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

wont go into park

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While the contact's wife was attempting to park the vehicle, the shift to park warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact was informed of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

Mileage: 79,000

My vehicle displayed a Shift to Park message even though I was already in Park. I could not turn off the engine, I could not lock my car. I had to go back into Drive and then Park mode and wiggle the shifter multiple times to get it to recognize Park and turn off the car. This is now happening almost every time I drive the car. I did an internet search to see how to rectify the problem only to find that this exact issue has plagued GM vehicles for a decade and they still have not chosen to rectify the faulty part. There have been multiple recalls and class action lawsuits for the SHIFT TO PARK fault but not for my vehicle year YET! There are many Trailblazer owners who are experiencing this exact issue (on online forums) and GM so far is refusing to take responsibility and issue a recall to fix the issue for owners and also to stop using this faulty system in their cars. I have reached out to GM about this multiple times the past few weeks and requested they pay for diagnostic and fix the problem because it is a common and known problem with GM vehicles but they want me to pay for it myself and the repair and then they may decide to help out - unacceptable in my opinion. To be honest there needs to be a recall NOW and GM needs to be forced to change the components in all new models to stop this happening in future models going forward. This problem can cause the car battery to drain, it can cause the vehicle to roll away if it’s not recognizing it’s in Park. Thankfully that hasn’t happened to me but others have had this happen. Not being able to shut the engine off or lock my car is a problem. This is a safety issue that needs addressing. I have lots of messages and communication from General Motors which I have attempted to attach the screenshots with the photo below but get an error message on the upload page.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while stopped at stop light, the vehicle shut off with the check engine warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and the transmission was repaired. Despite the repair, the vehicle continued to shut off without warning. One day while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning, and the contact was stranded in the middle of the highway. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts even with assistance from the Highway Patrol. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence and remained at the residence unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

I am unsure which component maybe failing, Vehicle has not been in altered in any way ,inspected yet, nor has any warning indicators. This 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer uses a traditional key for ignition. On several occasions now, the key is becoming lodged/stuck in the ignition when attempting to shut down or turn off the engine and remove the key. Have made sure foot is on the brake, front steering tires are straight, Shifter is properly engaged in the park position, and even jiggled the key tumbler assembly. Have had to leave the stuck key in the ignition while grocery shopping, until returning home to ask my fiance for his help and assistance. When this problem happens it is not only an inconvenience, but leaving a key in the ignition to an unattended car, obviously is not good, and leaves opportunity for many not good possibilites to occur.

The vehicle keeps vibrating binding lurching jumping when driving going in reverse and turning the car in a circle I took it in they replaces they rear end and transfer case on it there was a lot of metal shavings in both no clue or explanation why got the vehicle back over a month later to the same problems as before took it back in they went for a test drive with us and verified its still happening and that day they shrugged shoulders they dont know why or what's happing they supposedly got ahold of trailblazer and they said this is normal for these vehicles and safe to drive .the vehicle dont sound or feel very safe at all I am reaching out for help with this the vehicle does this every time you drive it

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while attempting to remove the key from the ignition, the key remained stuck in the ignition cylinder. The contact had to turn off and restart the vehicle several times to be able to remove the key. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who sprayed the ignition cylinder to clean the cylinder; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who diagnosed that the shift lock mechanism failed to recognize that the vehicle was in park(P). The shifter assembly was replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

Mileage: 20,000

At 44 K miles, my car started giving me a message "Shift in to park" after I stopped my car and turned off the motor. I was unable to essentially shut my engine off and leave my vehicle. I called the GMC shop, where they diagnosed it as faulty wiring. It is not under warranty, therefore I will encure the cost which is not a normal item to go out on a vehicle. Also, our 22 Trailblazer is also giving us this same message.

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.

Mileage: 40,000

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park, however the shift to park warning light illuminated. In addition, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact made several attempts to shift to park, and the gear shifter failed to function as intended. The contact stated that after several attempts, the shift to park warning light turned off and the contact was able to park and turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled for a diagnostic testing within the next several days. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

Mileage: 31,000

Engine power reduced came on after I was driving from a patient’s home. My car started driving very rough. I had to pull over because I was in danger of being hit from behind. I took my car to a mechanic and was diagnosed with the code DTC P2714. I looked online and there are a lot of people having this issue and being put in dangerous situations when we drive. Chevy knows about the issue and has not issued any recalls. Unfortunately for me my vehicle is past the limited warranty so now I have to save up money to get my transmission serviced. I’m never buying American again. I could’ve been really hurt when my engine cut off.

This vehicle has approximately 35,000 miles of driving time on the odometer. This car will not recognize that the shift lever has been place into the Park position. Doors will not lock when the car is turned off. If trying to seek refuge from an assailant, the car will only alarm but will not lock the doors for safety. Also, while storing items in the vehicle while at a metropolitan hospital (where I work) or a metropolitan grocery/fuel station, the vehicle will only alarm but will not lock under any circumstance. The car is responding as if the car is still in a movement gear position and will not recognize the shift position of Park. I have heard of many similar documented cases regarding this particular shift issue in relation to the 2021 Chevrolet Trail Blazer yet there has been no related recall related to this ever more prevalent repair need. some reports (not ours...) report the automobile transmission converting to park while in movement and while in a selected movement shift position. I do not want this to happen to me. My car (VIN # [XXX] ) is at the dealership for repair. The dealership informs us that the needed part(s) are currently under manufacture at a supplier and that there is no estimated date for the part(s) arrival or date to complete this repair. The car cannot be driven safely in a metropolitan area because in cannot be locked with the ignition off and the car just continues to alarm if walked away from. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Receiving "Shift to Park" alert when vehicle is already in Park.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trail Blazer. The contact stated that after shifting to the park position the message "Shift to Park" was erroneously displayed and the vehicle would not shut off. The contact had to shift multiple times before the transmission switched to the park position and the engine was able to be shut off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shifter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and confirmed that the part was on backorder. The failure mileage was 16,600.

Mileage: 16,600

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while the gear shifter was in the park(P), the message “Shift to Park” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact to use the parking brake while parking the vehicle. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that parts were on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 16,000.

Mileage: 16,000

After putting vehicle into park and shutting off the engine, the warning appears “shift to park” and will not allow the vehicle to completely shut off. For the past few months I have been able to maneuver the shifter and the car recognize it is in park, however this past weekend nothing would work and the vehicle stayed in accessory mode until the battery died. I have spoken to two local dealerships and they are aware of the problem. I am currently awaiting a local repair shop to research the issue and get back to me if they can repair it and what the cost will be. This began in September, I am unsure the exact date. Upon researching this, there are hundreds of vehicles that have had or are having this issue going back as far as 2018 at least. General Motors has been aware since then and only issued an inquiry to dealerships last November. This is clearly a defect in manufacturing that should have been recalled and remedied long before now. I am without a vehicle and out of pocket for a repair that should not have occurred.

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)

When attempting to park the car I am able to shift into park, however, I get a message on the dashboard to “shift to park”. Dashboard also shows a “p” to reflect car is in park creating a contradiction on the dashboard of displayed items. When this occurs the car will not shut off. Dealer service has indicated this is not producing an error code, they have had many complaints, and the issue is not covered by power train warranty and part is back ordered. I am very concerned about the safety of my vehicle given the indicated failures of the shifting mechanism and Chevrolets inability to remedy the issue due to unavailable parts.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - The shift lever/gear control malfunctions when trying to put the vehicle in park. The vehicle once the lever is in park on the dashboard it will say !Place vehicle in park. When it is in park you can't open the doors or turn off the vehicle. You can try to jiggle the shift lever but it doesn't move out of park. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Unable to get out of the vehicle, the system locks the doors. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - It has occurred at the beginning of the year. No it hasn't been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - Once you put the shift lever in park and try to turn off the car the warning lamp comes on and says Place in park. But the shift lever is in park. You are unable to move the shift lever. I don't know the exact date it first started happening but I believe it was at the beginning of the year.

Odometer: 50,379 Purchased used on April, 1 2024 Odometer: 47,027 Brought to dealer on 8/28/2024 for service. About two weeks ago we had a "Shift to Park" message is displayed on the DIC after the vehicle was placed in Park and shut off. Started it again and then put it in drive then back to park. Message went away. Then over the course of the next week this happened many more times to the point where we were stuck in a shopping parking lot because we could not leave the car as it kept beeping to fix the issue. Made appointment with dealer. After Diagnose from dealer they said it needed to perform Service Bulletin #23-NA-119, recommend replacement of transmission control. They at first wanted us to pay for it and we advised dealer we had a Chevy warranty. After a few days they advised it would be covered under warranty except for our $50 deductible. Main problem is the part # 13545091 was not available locally and dealer had to research to find part. Advise it could take until 9/26/24 to find part. This should be a no charge RECALL by the Mfg. as this can be a safety issue and to ensure more parts are in stock by dealer.

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.

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.

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)

Turbo failure resulted in loss of engine power. I was driving down the road and the engine light came on and I got a notification that the engine was in reduced power mode. The vehicle became very sluggish and lost speed. While I was fortunate that I was not on a busy road, had the incident happened on the highway it could have been dangerous given my loss of speed. What's of greater concern, this appears to be a common problem on the Trailblazer message boards. The dealer confirmed it was the turbo and stated that the part was on back order. This indicates the problem is occurring very frequently. The vehicle only has 33k miles on it.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated after parking the vehicle and pressing the Push to Start button to turn off the vehicle, an alarm sounded and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact shifted out of park(P) and slammed the gear shifter into park(P). The contact was then able to park and to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently while parking on a level surface. The contact stated that on several occasions the failure required turning off and restarting the vehicle to successfully park the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure occurred while attempting to park on an incline. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to be parked on an incline after several attempts. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

Mileage: 33,000

The Turbo is bad in the car at 90,000 miles. It is a common issue among these, lots of other people have the same issue with the “engine power is reduced” message popping up, per the 2021 Chevrolet TrailBlazer facebook group. There needs to be a recall so they can be fixed. It has happened on mine for the past few months and the dealer said the turbo is bad. The purge pump has already been replaced.

On 7/2023, my timing chain broke causing shards of metal to get in the engine. Engine replaced with new engine. When I received car back, started having issues with transmission. Now transmission needs replacing.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the contact struck a deer on the front passenger side causing minor damages to the vehicle. No one was injured. The contact was able to stop on the side of the road. The contact smelled a burning odor and noticed that smoke was coming from the floor of the vehicle on the front passenger side near the seat belt assembly. The contact and the passenger were able to exit the vehicle, but after exiting the vehicle burst out in flames. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.

Mileage: 20,000

When I shift the gear from PARK to DRIVE & step on the GAS, the vehicle hesitates to DRIVE. I have to turn off my vehicle, play with the gear shift, then shift again to get it to move. The other day I put my vehicle in DRIVE and it rolled back and REVERSED. Nobody can figure out what’s wrong with my vehicle. The check engine light comes on then goes off. Nobody can get the problem to duplicate. A ticket to GMC was submitted and from them, my vehicle seems fine on paper. This is a safety hazard. I’ve taken my vehicle to a Chevy dealer and also to a GMC dealer multiple times.

The vehicle began to give the error Shift to Park when the vehicle was in park and after the power was shut off. Because of this I cannot safely turn off the vehicle because it cannot recognize it's in park and will run the battery down whenever I use the vehicle. This problem has been previously presented in other models manufactured by GM. I am taking the vehicle in for inspection at a local Chevrolet dealership on 9/24/22 at 8 am. This issue first started around the second week of September this year with one or two errors here and there. Now, it happens every time I drive the vehicle.