NHTSA Complaint #10154595 — 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

2003 TRAILBLAZER - REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT PRESENT WHEN STARTED. WOULD ACCELERATE TO 15MPH. RATTLE OR GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKING OR DRIVING OVER BUMPS. DROVE TO BEATY CHEVROLET KNOXVILLE TN TUES, 2/7/06. REPLACED THROTTLE ASSEMBLY & ADVISED NOISE WAS FROM MISALIGNED HOOD. TRAILBLAZER PICKED UP ON FRI, 2/10/06. PAID $200. EXT WARRANTY DED. GAS EMPTY STOPPED TO FILL UP. WHILE DRIVING NOTICED FUEL GAUGE PAST FULL MARK, APPEARED TO BE POINTING STRAIGHT DOWN. NOTICED TACHOMETER REGISTERED 6500 RPMS. CALLED BEATY CHEVROLET. SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLOSED. NEXT DAY FUEL GAUGE APPEARS CORRECT. AFTER A WEEK REFUELED AND NOTICED FUEL GAUGE WAS INCORRECT AGAIN. NOTICED STRONG GAS ODOR WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED & VEHICLE SMOKING. CALLED TO SCHEDULE REPAIRS ON 2/28/06. WAS UNABLE TO MAKE APPOINTMENT RESCHEDULED FOR TUES 3/9/06. BEATY INFORMED THAT IT MUST BE GUAGE SENSOR AND NOT RELATED TO PREVIOUS REPAIR WORK SO ANOTHER $200. DEDUCTIBLE WOULD BE DUE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETECT FUEL ODOR NOR SMOKING. I DISAGREED WITH THE $200 CHARGE DUE TO VEHICLE BEING DEFECTIVE WHEN I PICKED IT UP FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON THE FIRST VISIT. BEATY CHEV. SAID THEY DID NOT LOOK AT THE TACHOMETER NOR FUEL GAUGE WHEN THEY SERVICE VEHICLES SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. LOL .. I CALLED GM WARRANTY AND THEY WOULD NOT WAIVE THE $200 AND SAID THE DEALERSHIP WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND THEY THOUGHT GM WOULD WAIVED BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE GUAGE SENSORS. HOWEVER THEY WOULD NOT ADMIT THAT THEY DID NOT CHECK THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS BEING REPAIRED THE FIRST VISIT. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING REDUCED POWER THROTTLE ASSEMBLY, GUAGE MALFUNCTIONS, AND GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKING AND FEEL THAT GM SHOULD RECALL AND REIMBURSE THE CONSUMER FOR THE REPAIRS THEY HAVE PAID. VEHICLE IS STILL MAKING GRINDING NOISE AND NOW SEEMS TO LUNGE FORWARD WHEN BRAKE IS RELEASED. I NEED HELP AND ANY ADVICE YOU HAVE TO OFFER. *NM