YearToAvoid

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

90/100

#2 most-complained of 11 Trailblazer years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer has 1,108 owner complaints and 8 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 90 out of 100 — #2 highest of 11 Trailblazer model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is fuel system (607 complaints, 55% of the total). Complaints report 29 crashes, 59 fires, 40 injuries, and 14 deaths.

Complaints
1,108
Recalls
8
Crashes / fires
29 / 59
Injuries / deaths
40 / 14
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
16
14 city / 19.5 hwy

Top 2006 Chevy Trailblazer problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Fuel System607 (55%)
  2. Electrical System335 (30%)
  3. Visibility & Wipers102 (9%)
  4. Engine78 (7%)
  5. Brakes50 (5%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain50 (5%)
  7. Structure & Body42 (4%)
  8. Airbags31 (3%)
  9. Other28 (3%)
  10. Steering26 (2%)
2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer complaints: complaints filed per quarter1212006 Q12008 Q32010 Q42013 Q12015 Q22017 Q32019 Q42022 Q2
1373 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2006 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2011 Q2 (121).

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer recalls

8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V599000Sep 24, 2015Visibility & Wipers9,932 vehicles

    Visibility:power window devices and controls

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer and GMC Envoy vehicles, and 2006 GMC Envoy XL and Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT vehicles. Fluid may enter into the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board, causing window switches to become inoperative. Previously, the affected vehicles may have had their master power window switch module treated with a protective coating, instead of having it replaced.

    Risk: The protective coating may not eliminate the risk that the circuit board could short and result in a fire, even while the vehicle is unattended.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new driver's door switch module, free of charge. The recall began on November 2, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15700.

  2. NHTSA 15V519000Aug 14, 2015Electrical System429,170 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:headlights

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlamp driver module (HDM) may overheat and fail, causing the headlamps and daytime running lights to not illuminate.

    Risk: Headlamps that do not illuminate reduce the driver's ability to see the roadway and reduce the vehicle's visibility to oncoming vehicles, both of which increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14291.

  3. NHTSA 14V404000Jul 2, 2014Visibility & Wipers184,611 vehicles

    Visibility:power window devices and controls

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. A short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. The short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire.

    Risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the part number on the door module, and install a new door module if necessary, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. An interim letter was mailed to owners in August 2014. A second owner letter will be mailed when parts are available. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-955-9007 (SAAB), and 1-800-255-6727 (Isuzu). GM's number for this recall is 14309. NOTE: This recall provides a new remedy for all vehicles covered by recall 13V-248. Vehicles whose modules were modified but not replaced as part of the previous recall remedy must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign.

See all 8 recalls for the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer →

2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer fuel economy and fuel cost

City
14 MPG
Highway
19.5 MPG
Combined
16 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,050
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2006 compared with other Trailblazer years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)025507510020052006200720082009201420212022202320242025
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid1001,466216
2006Avoid901,108816
2007Avoid80732516
2008Caution60193016

All Chevrolet Trailblazer years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer ranks #2 of 11 among Trailblazer model years (Complaint Index 90/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 1,108 complaints and 8 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
The most reported problem areas are fuel system (607 complaints), electrical system (335 complaints), and visibility & wipers (102 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 68,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, most recently reported 2015, covering visibility & wipers, electrical system, airbags, and other.
What is the fuel economy of the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer?
EPA rates the 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer at 16 MPG combined (14 city / 19.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,050. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.