RoadVitals

1998 Chevrolet Tahoe Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Dec 2, 2003
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 263 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Dec 2, 2003

WHILE TRAVELING, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS. *AK *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID
10039707
Transmission
Filed Sep 3, 2003

PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE @ 78,797 MILES ON 1998 CHEVROLET, TAHOE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10037145
Incident
Aug 5, 2003
Mileage
78,797 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 22, 2002

7/15/98ONE MONTH OLD THE CAR LOCKED INTO 4WD WHEN IT WAS STARTED IN THE DRIVEWAY.IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT IT WAS INOPERATIVE.IT NEEDED PARTS REPLACED TO FIX.THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN AGAIN BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE IT WAS LOCKED IN 4WD AGAIN BECAUSE ALL THE AXILES WERE TURNING.I WAS TOLD THAT WAS NORMAL AND THAT THE UNIVERSALS WERE WORN OUT.THAT MADE THREE UNIVERSALS IN THREE YEARS.ALSO THAT THE LIGHTS ON DASHBAORD FOR THE 4WD UNI WOULD NOT STAY ON TO TELL IF YOU WERE IN 4WD OR NOT.NOW SOMETHING IN THE TRANSFER CASE IS BROKEN.I RECENTLY READ THE OWNERS MANUAL ON THE 4WD UNIT AND IT SAYS THE FRONT AXSILES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO TURN IN 2WD.I BROUGHT THIS UP TO THE DEALER SAYING THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS CAR HAS 93000.00 MILES THE TRANSFER CASE WOULD NOT HAVE MORE THAN 1000.00 MILES ON IT AND THAT THIS CAR HAS A DRIVE TRAIN HISTORY OF FAILURE WITH THREE UNIVERSALS AND THREE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSFER CASE.THEY TELL ME THAT ALL THE AXILES TURN AND WEAR OUT WHICH IS NOT WHAT THEIR OWNERS MANUAL SAYS. *AK

NHTSA ID
757202
Incident
Jul 15, 1998
Powertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Jan 5, 2002

THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE. IT HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION . THE REPLY HAS ALWAYS BEEN "REAREND WIND-UP" IS THE PROBLEM AND IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE PURCHASED A THREE YEAR /36,000 MILE WARRANTY TO COVER THESE TYPES OF DEFECTS, ONLY TO HAVE THE DEALER TELL US THAT THE WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER THIS "REAREND WIND-UP" AS IT IS A REGULAR MAINTANENCE ITEM. I HAVE SEARCHED THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR THIS ITEM AND HAVE NOT FOUND IT AS A MAINTANENCE ITEM, ACCORDING TO GM. AT ALL SERVICE INTERVALS THE ONLY MENTION OF THE REAREND IS TO CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL. THIS HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT BY THE DEALER FOR THE FIRST 45,000 MILES. I HAVE SINCE LOST FAITH IN GM AND MY DEALER AND HAVE PURCHASED MY LAST AMERICAN MADE VEHICLE.NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
756443
Incident
Apr 8, 2001
BrakesSteeringTransmission
Filed Sep 26, 2001

STEERING PROBLEM- I SUDDENLY LOST STEERING WHILE DRIVING. ACCORDING TO THE DEARORSHIP THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION OF THE POWER STEERING SENSOR. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, AND LUCKILY THERE WERE NO VEHICLES AROUND AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I ASKED THE DEALER IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS, AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY EITHER. BRAKES- WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, HE LOST BRAKES ON THE CAR. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT, THE REAL AXEL SEALS WERE LEAKING, AND THE FRONT CALIPERS WERE STUCK. SEALS AND GASKETS WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS ITEM WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE'VE HAD ON-GOING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE BRAKING VERY ROUGHLY AND "SKIPPING". THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE TO THEM WARPING DUE TO OVERHEATING. THE BRAKES ARE STILL GIVING US PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY WENT UP WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. THERE WERE ABSOLUTLY NO SIGNS OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE THIS TIME. THE FLUID WAS CLEAN WHEN I PULLED THE CAR OVER, AND THERE WAS NO SLIPPING EITHER. I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND A VERY LOUD NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE CAR- IT SOUNDED LIKE THE REAR-END, AND THE CAR BECAME SUDDENLY UNDRIVEABLE. LUCKILY I WAS ON A DESERTED ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. I FEEL THAT IF I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC DRIVING AT 55-65 MPH IN ANY OF THE ABOVE INSTANCES A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED.*AK

NHTSA ID
752616
Incident
Jun 15, 2000
Transmission
Filed Sep 8, 2001

I HAVE NEVER HAD A TRANSMISSION GO ON A CAR AND HAVE DRIVEN OTHER GM CARS WELL OVER 100,000 MILES. THIS CAR HAS GONE IN FOR DEALER SERVICE EVERY 3,000 MILES. WHILE CHECKING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS, I FIND THAT SOME OWNERS OF '98 TAHOES HAVE REPLACED THEIR TRANSMISSION TWICE BY 50,000 MILES. I REALLY THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT A COMPANY THAT PUTS A TRANSMISSION IN A VEHILE THAT THEY KNOW IS FAULTY. IF YOU CAN NOT HELP ME, CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO A CLASS ACTION SUIT OR SOMETHING ELSE I CAN DO?*AK

NHTSA ID
751927
Incident
Sep 7, 2001
Transmission
Filed Aug 20, 2001

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. ECM CODE 1870 SLIPPAGE. VALVE BODY FAILS EITHER BY CONTAMINATION OR DEFECT CAUSING HIGH LINE PRESSURE CAUSING HARD 1-2GEAR SHIFTS. HARD SHIFTS CAUSE INTERNAL DAMAGE AND EMINANT FAILURE. I'VE READ HUNDREDS OF OTHER SIMILAR FAILURES THAT SOUND IDENTICAL. THIS CANNOT BE BY ACCIDENT. ALL TRANSMISSIONS ARE GM 4L60E.

NHTSA ID
750764
Incident
Aug 3, 2001
Transmission
Filed Jun 27, 2001

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE WITH 42,093 MILES WITH THE DEALERS ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF 3,000 MILES BRINGING THE TOTAL COVERAGE TO 45.093 MILES ON 06/25/2001 AT 47,297 MILES MY VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING ON THE START AFTER BEING STOPPED IT WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR DEALER MEISSNER CHEVROLET AT 70TH ESSINGTON AVE PHILA PA WHERE IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE CODE 1870 INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE IT HAS TO BE REPLACED I'M VERY DISSAPOINTED ABOUT THIS I ALWAYS WANTED A CHEVY TRUNK AND NOW I SINCERELY REGRET IT. *AK *TR

NHTSA ID
747451
Incident
Jun 25, 2001
Transmission
Filed Oct 30, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
735476
Transmission
Filed Jul 14, 2000

TRANSFER CASE MAKES GRINDING NOISE WHILE IN 2WD, & SOUNDS LIKE ITS FALLING APART IN 4WD

NHTSA ID
725434
Incident
Jun 25, 2000
Transmission
Filed Jun 14, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
724000
Incident
Jun 13, 2000

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .