NHTSA Complaint #10108034 — 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT

WENT OUT TO START VEHICLE ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2004 - TUNED KEY AND NOTHING HAPPENED, NO STARTER MOTOR, NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS, NOTHING. KEY REMIANED LOCKED IN STEERING COLUMN, COULD NOT BE REMOVED. TRIED AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING (9/19) - SAME THING. TRIED AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING (MONDAY, 9/20). THE SAME THING - AT THAT POINT CALLED DEALER TO TOW VEHICLE. ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER THE TOW TRUCK CAME - TOW TRUCK OPERATOR GOT IN VEHICLE TURNED KEY - AND VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT UP JUST AS IF NOTHING WAS EVER WRONG! . STILL HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP - DEALER CHECKED BEHICLE OVER AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, CAME OUT OF BANK AFTER RUNNING ERRNAD, TURNED KEY IN VEHICLE - NOTHING HAPPENED AGAIN. KEPT TURNING KEY OFF AND ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES UNTIL VEHICLE STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE. DROVE STRAIGHT TO DEALER. DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. VEHICLE WORKED FINE UNTIL SUNDAY, JANUARY 23RD. WENT TO START VEHICLE AND ONE AGAIN, NOTHING HAPPENED, NO LIGHTS, NO STARTER - NOTHING. KEY ALSO LOCKED IN STEERING COLUMN. DEALER TOWED VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY. DEALER COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, THEORIZED AN INTERIOR LIGHT WAS LEFT ON (BUT I KNOW IT WASN'T). DEALER REPLACED SOME ENGINE FAN THEY THEORIZE WAS TURNING ON AFTER ENGINE TURNED OFF AND DRAINING BATTERY - I TOLD THEM THAT'S FINE BUT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY TRUCK WILL START DAYS AFTER AN INITIAL FAILURE. THIS INTERMITTENT FAILURE IS FRIGHTENING AS IT SEEMS TO BE A POSSIBLE PART OF A LARGER SYSTEM FAILURE - AS NOTED ON THIS WEBSITE BY OTHER OWNERS - WHEN THE TRAILBLAZER WILL FAIL AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY. (REFERENCE ODI ID NUMBERS 10101741 & 10060860). *AK