2002 Chevrolet Tahoe Owner Complaints

The contact owned a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH occupied with his sister-in-law and her children, the contact smelled smoke coming from the driver seat of the vehicle the contact mention he pulled to the right side of the road, exiting everyone out the vehicle when he noticed that the drive seat caught fire. No warning lights illuminated. The contact mentioned she noticed smoke and flames coming from the engine, and smoke started coming inside the vehicle. present. The contact mention he called 911. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire, and they informed the contact the fire was from an electrical issue. The vehicle seat of the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 186,000.

NHTSA ID

11737693

Incident

May 11, 2026

Mileage

186,000 mi

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS REPLACED. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT POSES A RISK TO DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS DUE TO THE FUMES, BUT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA ID

11690270

Incident

May 12, 2025

We were sitting in car with it idling, the right-side air bag just deployed without collision. We turned the ignition off waited a few moments and turned it back on and the right-side dash airbag deployed without any warning. The vehicle has not been in any collisions.

NHTSA ID

11561356

Incident

Dec 15, 2023

My right side wheel feels like it’s going to fall off and indicate the abs and emergency parking brake. I believe it’s a wheel hub bearing that’s coming loose or tie rods I’m not sure and One time the emergency parking brake engage on me and I had to pull over to the side and wasn’t able to drive it. When I turn on the engine or driving , idling I smell gasoline really bad

NHTSA ID

11486136

Incident

Sep 12, 2022

I HAVE AN 02 TAHOE Z71 THAT RECENTLY I'VE BEEN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN TRYING TO STOP LIKE THE ABS IS TRYING TO KICK IN RANDOMLY BETWEEN ABOUT 5 TO 15 MPH WHEN SLOWING FOR RED-LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS THERE'S TIMES I HAVE TO LET OFF AND REAPPLY BRAKE 2 TO 3 TIMES AT LEAST BEFORE IT WILL ACTUALLY STOP WITHOUT THE ABS KICKING IN. I READ ABOUT SOME RECALLS ON THIS ON 02 TAHOES BUT MY VIN SAID I HAD 0 UNFIXED RECALLS

NHTSA ID

11404840

Incident

Feb 11, 2021

Mileage

220,536 mi

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS REMAIN ON AFTER TAHOE IS CRANKED AND DRIVEN.

NHTSA ID

11383103

Incident

Mar 6, 2020

Mileage

141,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE RAN ACROSS BLACK ICE CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPIN UNCONTROLLABLY EVENTUALLY CRASHING INTO A CONCRETE WALL WITH THE FRONT-END OF THE VEHICLE. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO THEIR KNEE, SHOULDER, NECK, BACK, AND EYE. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NEEDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE TOWED AND DEEMED TOTALED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.*DT THE CONTACT RECIEVED A CLAIM ID NUMBER #ODI11382901 AND CASE NUMBER [XXX].*JB

NHTSA ID

11382901

Incident

Nov 17, 2020

Mileage

150,000 mi

ACCESS TO THE THIRD ROW SEATING CABLE LACY FAILED. IF ANYONE IN THE THIRD ROW NEEDED TO GET OUT IN AN EMERGENCY THEY WOULD BE TRAPPED MOST LIKELY. ALL REAR SEAT CABLES ARE BROKEN.

NHTSA ID

11343351

Incident

Aug 1, 2006

HAVE REPLACED RUNNING LIGHTS ABOUT 30TY TIMES BOTH RT AND LT.FINELY IT BURNED OUT SO BAD THAT IT WANT LET ME REPLACE THE BULBS THEY JUST DON'T WORK ANYMORE.THIS STARTED ABOUT 2015 I DIDN'T KNOW OF THIS SITE SO HERE WHAT CAN WE DO.THANKS

NHTSA ID

11343199

Incident

Mar 25, 2015

Mileage

130,670 mi

FEELS LIKE I'M DRIVING A BOAT. DELAYED ACTION WHEN STEERING . VEHICLE IS USED INTERMITTENTLY

NHTSA ID

11339195

Incident

Feb 15, 2010

I WAS COMING HOME ON MY ROAD GOING 30 MILES AN HOUR GOING AROUND THE CURVE 25 IF THAT MY STEERING DID NOT WORK I WENT ON THE ROAD STARTED ROLLING IN TWICE AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN NOT ONE OF MY AIRBAGS WENT OFF I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL THE AMBULANCE HAD TO COME AND GET ME

NHTSA ID

11299080

Incident

Oct 10, 2018

BRAKE LINES HAVE RUSTED THROUGH AND CAUSED AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION. WHILE ON A FAMILY VACATION TO THE OUTER BANKS THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A REPAIR SHOP TO LOOK OVER THE BRAKE SYSTEM AFTER REFILLING THE MASTER CYLINDER WITH BRAKE FLUID. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES AND SAID SOMEONE PROBABLY FORGOT TO BLEED THE BRAKES AFTER SERVICING THEM. SINCE IT WAS A RECENTLY PURCHASED VEHICLE AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF WORK PERFORMED WE THOUGHT THIS WAS POSSIBLY THE ISSUE. AFTER DRIVING ANOTHER 50 MILES OR SO THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME. THIS TIME MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON THE WAY TO THE STATE FAIR. I CRAWLED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND FOUND ONE LINE TO BE COMPLETELY RUPTURED AND ALL OTHERS TO BE SEVERELY RUSTED. I NOW PLAN TO REPLACE ALL BRAKE LINES BEFORE THE VEHICLE IS USED AGAIN. I OWN MUCH OLDER VEHICLES WITH BRAKE LINES IN PERFECT SHAPE. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND THAT CHEVROLET BRAKE LINES USED IN THIS MODEL AND YEAR HAVE HAD ABNORMALLY HIGH BRAKE LINE CORROSION AND FAILURE COMPARED TO OTHER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD. I AM WONDERING WHY THIS ISSUE HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT TO THE PUBLICS ATTENTION AND WHY NO RECALL? THE BRAKE LINES WERE OBVIOUSLY MANUFACTURED WITH INFERIOR MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP OR BOTH. THANKS

NHTSA ID

11266920

Incident

Sep 19, 2019

Mileage

200,000 mi

THIS VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM THE ENGINE, FRONT AND BACK BRAKES WERE FAULTY, THE STARTER WAS GOING BAD, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR THE BACK WINDOWS WERE NOT IN WORKING CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WOULD DISPLAY SENSOR LIGHTS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE ENGINE CHECKED BUT THEN AFTER ABOUT 2 DAYS IT WOULD NOT SHOW A DISPLAYING MESSAGE IT WOULD ALSO EFFECT THE AUDIO FUSE THAT ALLOWS THE AUDIO SYSTEM TO FUNCTION. THE TIRES WERE BALD ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND LEFT BACK PASSENGER SIDE. THE SEAT BELTS WERE DIFFICULT TO ENTER INTO LATCH IN ORDER TO SECURE SEATBELT.

NHTSA ID

11241900

Incident

Apr 26, 2019

Mileage

185,777 mi

SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM WIRING UNDERNEATH.

NHTSA ID

11231482

Incident

Jun 7, 2019

CABLE THAT OPERATES THE REAR SEAT MECHANISM BROKE SO REAR SEAT CANNOT BE FOLDED DOWN WHICH IMPEDES THE ABILITY TO ACCESS THE 3RD ROW SEATING. PASSENGERS IN 3RD ROW SEAT CANNOT EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGH THIS DOOR.

NHTSA ID

11128013

Incident

Apr 1, 2018

Mileage

108,000 mi

WIFE CAME HOME AND SAID THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP. WITH ENGINE RUNNING, BRAKE FLUID IS SEEN PUMPING OUT OF RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE. MECHANIC REPORTS LINE BURST AND ALL OTHER LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND MUST BE REPLACED. $1500 REPAIR ESTIMATE.

NHTSA ID

11112535

Incident

Jul 19, 2018

Mileage

132,000 mi

STEEL BRAKE LINES - CORROSION - LOST BRAKING POWER DUE TO CORROSION OF BRAKE LINES.

NHTSA ID

11097884

Incident

May 17, 2018

Mileage

69,000 mi

THE BRAKES ON MY TRUCK ARE ENGAGING THE ABS AT LOW SPEED STOPS. THIS IS CAUSING A LOSS OF BREAKING AT THE CRITICAL LAST FEW FEET OF STOPPING. THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING ON SMOOTH DRY PAVEMENT. YOUR 2008 ACTION NUMBER PE05020 WAS A RECALL SPECIFIC TO MY PROBLEM. CHECKING FOR A RECALL ON MY TRUCK SHOWED NO SPECIFIC RECALL FOR MY VIN. BOTH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THE GM REPRESENTATIVE AT 800-222-1020 TELL ME THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS OUT OF MY OWN POCKET BECAUSE THERE IS NO "RECALL" ON MY VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE VEHICLE. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED?

NHTSA ID

11073112

Incident

Feb 10, 2018

Mileage

135,200 mi

MY ABS ACTIVATES UNDER 5MPH ON DRY ROADS. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT MY TRUCK DOESN'T QUALIFY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THEY CAN "WALK AWAY" SAYING MY VIN IS NOT AFFECTED. BUNCH OF GARBAGE - I'VE BEEN A CHEVY GUY FOR EVER AND WORKED AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP - THIS CAUSES ME TO LOOSE SOME FAITH. DEALERSHIPS HAVE THE ABILITY TO HELP BUT THERE HANDS ARE TIED BY GM. SAD!!

NHTSA ID

11057124

Incident

Dec 28, 2017

Mileage

187,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL

NHTSA ID

10959170

Incident

May 15, 2012

Mileage

80,000 mi

MY TRUCK IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS NOTED IN RECALL #05068, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V379000, BUT THEY STATE MY VIN NUMBER IS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THIS CAR WAS OPERATED IN MICHIGAN. AT LOW SPEED, COMING UP TO AN INTERSECTION UNDER 5 MPH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABS KICKS ON AND LURCHES THE CAR FORWARD. I READ THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING AND GETTING WORSE FOR THE PAST YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10948453

Incident

Jan 30, 2017

Mileage

164,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE THE DRIVER WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN, ANOTHER VEHICLE DROVE THROUGH A RED LIGHT AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED CLAVICLE, STERNUM, VERTEBRAE, LEFT HAND, ELEVEN FRACTURED RIBS, AND A MAJOR LACERATION ACROSS THE FACE THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 239,000.

NHTSA ID

10943898

Incident

Jan 2, 2017

Mileage

239,000 mi

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. AVOIDED ANY COLLISION. COST TO REPAIR $1,025.56. OCCURED ON A BUSY ROUNDABOUT. NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR.

NHTSA ID

10926683

Incident

Oct 23, 2016

Mileage

142,000 mi

DURING THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, AT RANDOM INTERVALS RANGING FROM DAYS, MONTHS AND YEARS, MY TAHOE WILL NOT START. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT AUTOMOTIVE SHOP. THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I STOP THE VEHICLE TO GET GAS, PARK IT TO GO SHOPPING OR TO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE. I NEVER KNOW IF IT IS GOING TO START OR NOT. I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE AND SON WHEN THEY ARE OPERATING THE TAHOE IN CASE THIS HAPPENS TO THEM. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY VEHICLE. BUT, RESEARCHING THE INTERNET TODAY, I FIND THAT COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A VARIETY OF GM AND GMC VEHICLES -- PRIMARILY SUVS AND PICKUP TRUCKS. THERE ARE EVEN VIDEOS BY DRIVERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED: THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. AFTER WAITING ANYWHERE FROM 10 MINUTES TO OVER AN HOUR AND CONTINUOUSLY TRYING, THE VEHICLES WILL START LIKE NOTHING WAS WRONG. I'VE HAD AAA MECHANICS WHOM I'VE CALLED TO TOW MY TAHOE WITNESS THIS MALADY. I FIRMLY BELIEVE GM/GMC SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND REPAIR THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS TO SOMEONE WHO CANNOT START THEIR VEHICLE WHEN THEY ARE IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION SUCH AS AT NIGHT OR IN AN INTERSECTION.

NHTSA ID

10910883

Incident

Sep 28, 2016

Mileage

45,000 mi

THE ABS KEEPS ENGAGING DURING LOW SPEED STOPPING AND PARKING MANEUVERS, DRY CONDITIONS. THIS IS INCREASING BRAKING DISTANCE WHEN APPROACHING SLOWING TRAFFIC AND IS VERY ALARMING. WE NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT "RECALL WORK" HAD BEEN PERFORMED FOR THIS ISSUE IN 2005, AND I WAS ON MY OWN FOR THE REPAIR. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW AND GM SHOULD COVER THE REPAIR INDEFINITELY UNLESS A DESIGN IMPROVEMENT WAS CREATED. A CAR SHOULD STOP WHEN YOU NEED IT TOO, NOT CONTINUE ON ITS COURSE AND SPEED IGNORING MY INPUT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THEY REPLACED PARTS OF A BAD DESIGN WITH PARTS OF THE SAME DESIGN THEN THERE WAS NO DESIGN IMPROVEMENT TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE WHEN THE "RECALL WORK" WAS PERFORMED. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW IN THE RECALL PROCESS. WHAT RECOURSE TO I HAVE NOW? I KNOW SEVERAL OWNERS OF MID-2000'S CHEVY TRUCKS WITH THIS ISSUE, AND IT KEEPS COMING BACK IF YOU OWN THE TRUCK LONG ENOUGH. WHAT IS BEING DONE? I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO KEEP PAYING FOR REPAIRS.

NHTSA ID

10908148

Incident

Sep 10, 2016

Mileage

166,000 mi