Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 32 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
I PURCHASED A USED 1997 CHEVROLET TAHOE AND SINCE THAT TIME THE FUEL PUMP HAS GONE OUT 5 TIMES, ONCE IN APRIL, JUNE, SEPTEMBER, TWICE IN OCTOBER AND IN NOVEMBER. THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS ON 12/06/06. I HAVE YET TO FIND A MECHANIC WHO CAN TELL ME THE PROBLEM THAT I'M EXPERIENCING. THE WIRING SEEMS TO FAULTY IS ALL I HEAR. PLEASE HELP!!!! *JB
DT*: THE CONTACTED STATED THE ENGINE BUCKED AND HESITATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED, THEN THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.
THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL LINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE DRIVING. *TT
THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS DETERMINED, THE FUEL PUMP MODULE AND CONNECTOR, HAD MELTED. *JB *AK
ENGINE STARVING, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON. HAD FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED IN AUGUST 2001. THIS TIME #6 FUEL INJECTOR FAILURE. CAR IS NOT OLD, NOT ABUSED AND MANY ITEMS FAILING IE: PARTS OF TRANSMISSION. IN THE PAST YEAR HAVE HAD MANY MAJOR REPAIRES.*AK
IN 3 YEARS WE HAVE REPLACED 6 FUEL PUMPS. REPLACEMENTS HAVE RANGED ANYWHERE FROM 1 HOUR TO 2 YEARS. I PAID FOR THE FIRST REPLACEMENT BUT THE 4 OTHERS WERE UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOT WITHOUT A MAJOR BATTLE WITH GM. THE LAST AND MOST CURRENT DEALERSHIP WILL NOT PAY FOR DUE TO A 2 YEAR TIME PERIOD HAD ELAPSED SINCE LAST FAILURE BUT DID ISSUE A $1000 COUPON OFF OUR NEXT VEHICLE.
DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH FUEL PUMP VEHICLE IS NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS WHILE DRIVING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED 4 TIMES PREVIOUSLY. FIXED IT MYSELF THIS TIME AFTER CHEVROLET REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT. NO PROBLEMS SINCE. POWER STEERING ASSIST IS VERY JERKY. GOES IN AND OUT WITHOUT WARNING. SAW OTHER COMPLAINTS AND DECIDED I SHOULD REPORT THIS ONE AS WELL.
FUEL PUMP STOPPED WORKING AND WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ANOTHER 1000 MILES WHEN THE REPLACEMENT FUEL PUMP FAILED (CHEVROLET FUEL PUMP NOT AFTER MARKET). THE WIRING HARNESS GOING TO THE FUEL PUMP WAS MELTED AND THERE WERE BURN MARKS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. MECHANIC STATED THE WIRING HARNESS WAS COMING LOSE FROM THE CONNECTION WITH THE FUEL PUMP AND ARCING TO THE VEHICLE UNDERBODY.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK OCCASIONALLY ON HIGH, BUT MOST OF THE TIME NOT WHEN IT IS E FUEL PUMP HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED TWO TIMES AND DOES NOT GIVE A WARNING THAT IT IS GOING TO TO QUIT. THE STEERING HAS A BAD PLACE IN IT A APPROX. 50MPH GOING AROUND A CURVE AND WILL PULL HARDER IN TO THE CURVE, EITHER THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH PARTS TO THIS TRUCK OR I HAVE A LEMON. I HAVE SPOKE WITH OTHERS AND THEIR WIPES DO THE SAME THING.*AK
VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED SIX TIMES SINCE NEW PURCHASE ONCE ON EXPRESSWAY CAUSING NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT. *AK
SECOND TIME TO REPLACED FUEL PUMP&MODULE,STEERING GIVES OUT ON CORNERS WITH NO WARNING. *AK
WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC HAD TO COAST TO NEAREST SERVICE STATION AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY SINCE INCIDENT FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES AND COUNTING.*AK
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING AND NO STARTING. AFTER REPLACING THE FUEL FILTER AND THE FUEL PUMP RELAY, WITHOUT SUCCESS, THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED FROM THE TANK. THE WIRING TO THE FUEL PUMP AND THE FUEL GUAGE SENDER WAS MELTED TOGETHER, AND A GREAT DEAL OF THE INSULATION WAS MELTED OFF ONE OF THE WIRES GOING TO THE FUEL PUMP. THE PARTICULAR WIRE THAT WAS MELTED/BURNT SHOWS SEVERE DISCOLORATION IN THE METAL OF THE WIRE ITSELF, AS IF FROM EXTREME HEAT. THIS IS ON AN IN-TANK ASSEMBLY!*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
IN JULY THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED IN SANTA FE, NM. IN AUGUST I WAS DRIVING ON I-25 TO CASTLE ROCK , COLORADO AND 1-1/2 MILE FROM THE EXIT TO CASTLE ROCK, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND STOPPED RUNNING. WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER BUT IT WAS VERY SCARY. THERE WAS BARELY ROOM FOR THE CAR BETWEEN THE VERY BUSY INTERSTATE AND THE DITCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SHOULDER. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO CASTLE ROCK, THEY COULDN'T REPAIR IT UNTIL A PART WAS ORDERED AND RECEIVED FROM DENVER, SO I RENTED THE LAST CAR RENTAL IN CASTLE ROCK AND DROVE HOME. THEN WENT BACK TWO DAYS LATER TO PICK UP MY CAR. THIS WAS VERY COSTLY TO ME BECAUSE THE TOWING WAS COVERED BY MY INSURANCE, BUT THE OTHER COSTS WERE MY RESPONSIBILITY. IT COST $130.90 IN SANTA FE TO REPLACE THE FILTER ($91.50 LABOR) AT THE SANTA FE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. THE COST TO REPLACE THE PUMP MODULE AND STRAINER WAS $533.80 ($232.00 LABOR) AT THE SOUTH STREET AUTOMOTIVE AS NO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WAS AVAILABLE. THE RENTAL CAR COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $300.00. I CAN UNDERSTAND REPLACING A FUEL FILTER ON A THREE-YEAR CAR PERHAPS, BUT THE OTHER FAILURE (FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO WARNING) WAS NOT ONLY VERY COSTLY BUT A VERY SCARY SAFETY HAZARD.*AK
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE FUEL PUMP CONSUMER NOTICED THAT INSIDE GAS TANK THERE WERE BURNED WIRES. DEALER HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM TO BE COMMON, AND REPLACED THE TANK. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS FIRE. MECHANIC REPLIED HE WAS VERY SUPRISED WHEN THE VEHICLE DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE DUE TO THE FULE TANK MODULE WIRES BEING BURNT TO THE INSIDE WALL OF THE GAS TANK. THE ONLY INDICATION OF THE PROBLEM AT TIME OF DRIVING WAS A TOTAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN ON THE ROAD. *AK
THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL LINE CAUSES IT TO RUB AGAINST ANOTHER PART WHICH RESULTS IN A A FUEL LEAK, AND MAY CATCH ON FIRE. DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE, COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35MPH, ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. CONSUMER SAYS LUCKILY THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. WITH ENGINE GOING HAD HE BEEN IN A LOT OF TRAFFIC THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ALSO, FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
CONSUMER STARTED CAR. PUT FOOT ON THE BRAKES AND IT FELT LIKE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO DIE. ALSO, WHEN PUTTING FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, IT FELT LIKE CAR WAS NOT CONNECTING. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY SAID IT WAS FUEL INJECTORS. *AK
FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED 4 TIMES DUE TO MELTING OF WIRES WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY. DEALER CAN'T FIND SOLUTION. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
FUEL PUMP FAILED AT HIGH SPEEDS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CUT OFF COMPLETELY. SEAL BETWEEN THE HOUSING AND THE TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A GASKET BETWEEN THE PUMP AND HOUSING THAT FAILED.*JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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