2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
- Fuel economy
- 13–17 mpgcombined; city 12–14, highway 16–20; every version of this model year
- Five years of fuel
- $19,110–$30,960U.S. average; Ohio $17,070–$29,170 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
- NHTSA overall safety rating
- Not ratedlowest across the versions NHTSA tested
- Recall campaigns
- 0none on file
- Owner complaints
- 193filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales
Trims
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2008 Trailblazer. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Problems owners report
Owners have filed 193 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Trailblazer. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
| Part | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 65 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Air bags | 33 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Engine | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Steering | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Power train | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
14 more parts
| Service brakes | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Structure | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown or other | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Traction control system | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes, electric | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
Every Trailblazer year side by side
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Trailblazer. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.
Service bulletins and investigations
Carmakers sent NHTSA 918 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2008 Trailblazer, the latest on Sep 9, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (430), electrical system (180), engine and engine cooling (107), equipment adaptive/mobility (65), power train (64).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
| Investigation | Part | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recall query RQ17002 Loss of Headlights · covers 7 makes | Exterior lighting | Apr 24, 2017 | Closed Mar 29, 2021 NHTSA's summary names recall 14V755000, 15V519000 NHTSA's record and documents |
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2008 Trailblazer.
Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Fuel | City / hwy / comb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TrailBlazer Rear-Wheel Drive | 5.3 L, 8 cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Regular Gasoline | 14 / 20 / 17 |
| TrailBlazer Rear-Wheel Drive | 4.2 L, 6 cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Regular Gasoline | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| TrailBlazer 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 4.2 L, 6 cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Regular Gasoline | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| TrailBlazer 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 5.3 L, 8 cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Regular Gasoline | 13 / 19 / 16 |
| TrailBlazer Rear-Wheel Drive | 6.0 L, 8 cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Premium Gasoline | 12 / 16 / 14 |
| TrailBlazer 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 6.0 L, 8 cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Premium Gasoline | 12 / 16 / 13 |
Sources and dates
- U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
- NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data