Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 52 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 52, in the owner's own words
WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN VEHICLE LOSES POWER STEERING. DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME COMES AND GOES. IF YOU GIVE VEHICLE A LITTLE GAS IT WILL START WORKING AGAIN BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS AN OPTION. I NOTICE IT MOST IF MY VEHICLE IS MOVING AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED OR STOPPED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND NO ONE CAN SEEM TO OFFER ANY IDEAS ON FIXING IT.
STEERING GOES OUT WHEN BRAKING AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN OR WHEN TRYING TO MANEUVER INTO A PARKING PLACE , TO HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL WITH NO STEERING POWER VERY DANGEROUS. IN TRAFFIC. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHY OR HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
WHEN I TURN THERE IS A POPPING NOISE THAT CAN ALSO BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO WHEN I AM DRIVING AND FEEL A BUMP. THE FUEL WILL AT TIMES SHOW A FULL TANK THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN GO TO 1/4 TANK IT CHANGES ALL THE TIME AND IS NOT ACCURATE, I CANNOT DEPEND ON IT BECAUSE I NEVER REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL IT ACTUALLY HAS. THE DRIVER SEAT HEATER GOT EXTREMELY HOT AND WE WILL NOT USE BECAUSE ARE SCARED IT MIGHT BURN THRU THE SEAT SINCE IT ALREADY LEFT A SMALL BURN MARK. THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE ALSO DID THE SAME ON ANOTHER CHEVROLET WE HAD AND HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND IT SEEMS IS A BIG ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET VEHICLES. *TR
YESTERDAY WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND CAME TO A ROUND ABOUT, SLOWED DOWN AND VEHICLE DIED (ALTERNATOR GAUGE WENT BELOW 14, OIL PRESSURE DROPPED BELOW 40, AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON). I LOST ALL STEERING AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS STIFF. NOW VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY IDLES ROUGH AND WILL STALL OUT IF NOT ON THE THROTTLE, IDLES 500 AND LOWER. I HAVE REPLACED MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, AIR FILTER, PLUGS, WIRES, O2 SENSORS, FUEL FILTER, EVAP CANISTER, ALTERNATOR, AND HAD THROTTLE BODY CLEANED. SEE THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS FILED OF THE SAME ISSUES AND WONDERING IF ANYONE AT GM HAS FOUND A SOLUTION. ALSO HAVE NOTICED GM HAS RECALLED THE INTAKE GASKET BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING ON THIS RECALL. *TR
MY 2003 TAHOE Z71 HAS ALWAYS MADE POPPING NOISES WHEN TURNING AND YOU ARE ABLE TO FEEL IT IN THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO. I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT THIS IS EXPERIENCED BY ALMOST EVERYONE. TODAY I WAS BACKING INTO THE DRIVEWAY WITH A TRAILER OF MULCH ATTACHED AND WHEN I CUT THE WHEEL, THE STEERING WAS LOST. THERE IS FLUID IN THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND THERE WAS NO LEAKS OR FLUID ANYWHERE. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE TAHOE AND THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY BROKEN SWAY-BARS OR STEERING SHAFT. I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS THE PUMP WHICH WOULD BE STRANGE IN THE MANNER THAT IT GAVE OUT BUT READING ALL OF THE ISSUES OTHERS HAVE HAD, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT GM IS NOT FIXING THE SITUATION. SOMEONE IS GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT TRYING TO TURN AND IT IS GOING TO GIVE OUT LIKE MINE (& EVERYONE ELSE'S) DID AND CAUSE A HEAD ON COLLISION. I CALLED GM & ALTHOUGH THERE ARE 9 TSB #'S ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISSUE, THERE IS STILL NO RECALL OR HELP ON THE RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM. I THINK IT IS TIME TO SELL THE TAHOE THAT I BOUGHT BRAND NEW BTW AND MOVE ON TO A NEW FORD TRUCK AS THEY SEEM TO HAVE REALLY GOOD TRUCKS NOW. IT IS SAD BECAUSE I HAVE LOVED MY TAHOE Z71 AND NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET RID OF IT. THE STEERING HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT ON THIS TAHOE SINCE DAY 1 AND GM KNOWS IT BUT BURIES THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND ABOUT IT RATHER THAN DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX THE ISSUE. MINE STILL LOOKS BRAND NEW BUT THE POPPING NOISES WHEN TURNING HAS ALWAYS IRRITATED ME & NOW THAT IT GAVE OUT, I AM DONE WITH IT. I AM THANKFUL THAT MINE OCCURRED WHEN IT DID AND NOT WHEN I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD WITH 6 YARDS OF MULCH IN A DUMP TRAILER AND MAKING A TURN THAT COULD HAVE KILLED ME AND SOMEONE ELSE COMING THE OTHER WAY. FIX YOUR KNOWN ISSUE GM, BEFORE SOMEONE INNOCENT DIES BECAUSE OF YOUR NEGLIGENCE!!! *TR
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN DOWN A HILL OUT OF A PARKING LOT I HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING BROKE ON MY VEHICLE. WENT HOME ABOUT 6 BLOCKS AWAY LOOKED TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS WRONG. I ONLY LOOKED AT THE FRONT END; DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. A FEW DAYS LATER WHILE PULLING UP TO MY DRIVEWAY IN A DIFFERENT VEHICLE I NOTICED SOMETHING HANGING UNDER THE REAR END OF MY TAHOE. PROCEEDED TO CHECK IT OUT AND FOUND THAT MY SWAY BAR IS COMPLETELY BROKE WHERE IT'S MOUNTED ON A BRACKET. I RESEARCHED THIS AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MY MAKE, YEAR. *TR
POPPING NOISE FROM UNDER HOOD, MAINLY WHEN TURNING LEFT (HAS NOW STARTED WHEN TURNING RIGHT). ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE THE WHEELS ARE GOING TO FALL OFF. IT CAN ALSO BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. FEELS VERY UNSTABLE, LIKE FRONT-END COULD FALL APART AT ANY MINUTE. GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN SINCE 2001 (NHTSA ITEM #10009991, #10010873, #10000950, #10004991, #1004239, #10005172, #10004723, AND FINALLY THEIR "FIX" #10025148) . HOWEVER, THEY ACT AS THOUGH THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ONLINE (EDMUNDS.COM, YAHOO...JUST SEARCH FOR I-SHAFT ASSEMBLY) AND THIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM ON NUMEROUS GM/CHEVY/CADILLAC VEHICLES AND GM SHOULD BE FORCED TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION. THIS SITUATION IS AS-MUCH, IF NOT WORSE THAN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/DASHBOARD PANEL PROBLEMS, THAT GM HAS RECALLED. PLEASE, HELP THE MASSES WHO HAVE BEEN SOLD THIS DEFECT. BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT. *TR
THERE A NOTICABLE SHAKING WHEN IT COMING TO A STOP AND SOMETIMES IT WILL TURN OFF. IT ALSO TURNS OFF WHEN MAKING A RIGHT / LEFT TURN AND SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN TRUCK IS RUNNING. THERE A CLICK NOISE THEN TURNING. ALSO WINDOW'S WILL GET STUCK AND WILL NOT GO UP COMPLETELY AND NOW THE LEFT SIDE WINDOWS ARE COMPLETELY DEAD (DO NOT GO UP OR DOWN). *TR
JAN 24, 09 VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING N ON CO 145, PREPARING TO TURN LEFT ONTO CO 184. DRIVER HEARD A "POP" IN THE STEERING COLUMN. WHEN SHE BEGAN THE TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. SHE THEN PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY STOP AND CAME TO REST NEAR A GUARDRAIL IN AN ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. SHE BACKED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE OPPOSING LANE AND TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. THE STEERING WHEEL THEN RELEASED AND SHE WAS ABLE TO TURN ONTO 184 AND EXIT THE ROADWAY. THE STEERING WHEEL ANTI-THEFT LOCK NO LONGER OPERATES, AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS DEVICE HAS FAILED. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT PIECES FROM THIS DEVICE BECAME LODGED IN ROTATING PARTS OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. *TR
HAD KNOCKING IN FRONT END FIXED AT DEALER. ONE YEAR LATER RETURNED. SOMETHING IN THE STEERING WHEN BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. TOLD IT WAS NOT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS, I AM SURPRISED GM IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT THIS. *TR
THERE IS A WEAK FEELING AND A KNOCKING IN THE STEERING BOX OR STEERING COLUMN IN THE VEHICLE. IT FEELS UNSTABLE LIKE THE CAR'S FRONT END COULD FALL APART AT ANY MINUTE. *TR
I BOUGHT MY 2003 CHEVY TAHOE IN OCTOBER 2006, AND WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER I HAD IT THE STEERING SHAFT WAS VIBRATING TERRIBLY, MADE ME VERY NERVOUS AS IT FELT LOOSE. I TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC WHO CHECKED IT OUT AND ASSUMED THERE MAY BE A RECALL BUT THERE WAS NOT SO HE STUCK A BUNCH OF GREASE IN IT AND IT WAS GOOD. THAT LASTED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND AGAIN IN ANOTHER 6 MONTHS OR SO. I HAVE HAD IT IN 3 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE AND HAVE TO PAY EACH TIME TO GET THE STEERING SHAFT GREASED AND I THINK THAT IS RIDICULOUS. THIS IS A TOP DOLLAR AUTOMOBILE SO ONE WOULD THINK THESE PROBLEMS WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. VERY DISAPPOINTED. *TR
THE STEERING HAS POPPING AND PINING WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT ALMOST SOUNDING AS IF THE WHEELS ARE GOING TO COME OFF OF THE TIE RODS, SUSPENSION. YOU CAN FEEL IT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. HARD STEERING. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED OR ON ANY ROAD CONDITION THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAILURE, BUT ONLY PERFORMED A TEMPORARY REPAIR BY APPLYING GREASE TO THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WASNO REMEDY TO PERMANENTLY SOLVING THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 51,000 , AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *AK
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TAHOE THAT THE PASSENGER 'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY ON 1/27/07, A WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF A WARRANTY ISSUE. THE CONTACT COMPLAINED SINCE THIS WAS A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE AND HAS BEEN IN NO ACCIDENTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING SHAFT VIBRATED WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR A RIGHT TURN, THE DEALER REPLACED IT AT NO CHARGE. THIS RESOLVED THE ISSUE. HOWEVER, 7 MONTHS LATER THE VIBRATION RESTARTED. THE DEALER LUBRICATED THE PARTS AND IT WORKED AGAIN. THE CONTACT WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT SINCE THIS PROBLEM WAS STILL UNRESOLVED. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLEWAS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,796 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.*AK
SHORTLY AFTER MY YEAR WARRANTY ON MY 2003 CHEVY TAHOE I HAD A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. CHEVY PUT HEAVIER GREASE IN IT. THE NOISE HAS RETURNED SHORTLY AFTER AND HAS CONTINUED TO THIS DATE YET IN 2007. IF YOU GOOGLE SEARCH THIS PROBLEM YOU WILL SEE MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM EVEN AFTER STEERING COLUMNS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. WHEN WILL CHEVY FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR CONSUMERS. *JB
CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING SHAFT OF MY 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. STEERING SHAFT AND FRONT END "POPPING" AND LOOSENESS CONTINUE EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT. DEALERSHIPS KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED BY GM SERVICE TO NO LONGER REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT AS THIS "FIX" IS NOT WORKING. THEY ARE CURRENTLY UNSURE HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN THE MEAN TIME OWNERS HAVE A VEHICLE THAT DRIVES AS IF IT IS GOING TO FALL APART IN THE FRONT END. THE TAHOE HANDLES BADLY OVER ROUGH ROAD AND CORNERING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER AT TIMES ESPECIALLY AT HI-WAY SPEED. *JB
THE STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN I TURN LEFT IN MY 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED DURING AN EVASIVE MANEUVER THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. I HAVEN'T HAD IT FIXED YET, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS THE RESULT OF DAMAGE DONE BY ME. *JB
STEERING COLUMN MAKES LOUD GRINDING NOISES AND VIBRATES WHILE TURNING WHEEL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO BE REPAIRED/REPLACED 4 TIMES IN 3 YEARS AND CHEVROLET DOESN'T THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM. AS SOMEONE ELSE STATED, ONCE YOUR WARRANTY IS OVER YOU WILL GET NO HELP FROM CHEVY. ONE TIME THEY REPLACED MY DRIVE SHAFT, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I'D LOVE TO SEE A RECALL AS THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I'LL EVER GET THE THING RECTIFIED. *JB
2003 TAHOE, SPEEDOMETER FAULTY, SOMETIMES DOESN'T REGISTER AT ALL SOMETIMES TOO LOW, AND SOMETIMES TO HIGH. STEERING BOX GOING BAD NOTHING GM WILL DO. *NM
SINCE JANUARY OF 2006, THE SPEEDOMETER HAS FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES. WHILE STANDING STILL IT WILL REGISTER ANY SPEED ABOVE 30 OR WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT WILL REGISTER 0 MPH. THE TACHOMETER HAS FAILED TO WORK THREE TIMES AND THE GAS GAUGE HAS REGISTERED HALF A TANK WHILE IT TAKES 20 GALLONS TO FILL THE 25 GALLON TANK. LAST YEAR I HAD THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT REPLACED BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT BECAUSE IT WAS CLUNKING. IT IS NOW STARTING TO CLUNK AGAIN!! THE VEHICLE HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT. I JUST RECEIVED A WARNING FOR SPEEDING, 54 IN A 45MPH BECAUSE I CAN"T TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING!!!!!! *NM
2003 TAHOE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. *TS THE INPUT SHAFT FROM THE PULLEY HAD COME OFF. *JB
I HAVE REPLACED THE I-SHAFT 2 TIMES ON MY 2003 TAHOE. GM IS NOT OFFERING ANY TYPE OF REPLACEMENT OR HELP IN FIXING THIS ISSUE *NM
I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY TAHOE. THE STEERING LINKAGE IS MAKING A NOISE WHEN YOU TURN. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW ON ALL GM VEHICLES FOR A 5 YEAR PERIOD. THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE PART AT NO COST BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A RECALL. I HAVE A FEAR THE LINKAGE MAY FAIL. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE STEERING HAD LOCKED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN RETURNED TO THE CONTACT. UPDATED ON 05/16/2006-*AK *NM
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.
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