Performance in exchange for comfort and reliability

This review of my 2007 Trailblazer SS comes after 1 year and 8 months ownership with just over 35,000 miles on it.  I purchased my TBSS new from a local dealership here in the Phoenix Metro area of Arizona.

First driving impressions of this vehicle were quite positive, but truth be told, the performance and looks of this vehicle played more on my emotions than focusing on elements like: lack of luxury and refinement.

Ownership experience with this vehicle began to deteriorate with problems like minor squeeks, vibrations, and reliability issues.  My first bad experience with reliability began when I couldn't start the TBSS after turning the key in the ingition.  The problem only occurred periodically at first (once every 5 days), which was temporarily fixed by giving the steering wheel tug from left to right a few times.  Approximately 15 days into the ignition problem, the Trailblazer had to be towed to a dealership because the temporary fix had quit working.  The local Chevrolet dealer service proved to be a positive experience, not only did they replace the ignition in a timely manner, they also replaced the front rotors and brakepads due to excessive wear with such low mileage.

Items to consider before or after purchasing a 2006-2007 Trailblazer SS
The factory Good Year Tires wear out fast!  I was only able to get 20,000 miles out of light driving on the stock tires.  Total replacement costs on all (4) tires comes to approximately $750.00.

Peformance suffers in weather over 85+ degrees.  This is a huge issue for me because I live in Arizona, and we have a lot of hot weather. I'm not sure if engineers spent enough time reviewing the powertrain in different elements of weather.

3M Paint protection is a must for the front end.  After the first week of ownership I started noticing small chips from rocks and road debris, so I invested $850 in 3M road gaurd for the front, sides, hood, and mirrors.

The four speed automatic transmission makes clunking noises when shifting from second to third gear.  Upshifting and downshifting can be a bit unpredictable as the transmission tries to adjust and compensate for different driving conditions.


Total Maintenance Cost after 1 year 8 months of ownership $1,345.00
$595.00 (Mobil One Oil Change)
$750.00 (Tire Replacement @ 18,500 Miles)

Trips to Dealer
(1) Trip - (1) day in shop @18,750 Miles
Truck periodically wouldn't start
- Ignition replaced (under warranty)
Front breaks squeeling everytime brake is applied
- Uneven wear, break pads replaced and rotors replaced (under warranty)


Overall:
The Trailblazer SS is a unique vehicle and priced aggresively.  Owning one may prove to be a enjoyable experience given the owner over look a few small issues with reliability and maintenance costs.  If luxury and reliability are more important than peformance, I suggest you look elsewhere.