2004 Chevrolet Tahoe Powertrain (other) Problems

My Tahoe has the New Process 246GM transfer case. They have a known issue called pump rub where the pump is to close to the magnesium shell, and rubs pin holes in the shell which causes fluid to dissipate over time causing the transfer case to run dry burning it up. I've had a mechanic check it out and there was no fluid in the case, and now I have a transfer case that's burned up. I've called a transmission shop, and they told me it was a common issue. I would like for general motors to correct this issue

NHTSA ID

11534962

Incident

Jul 15, 2023

TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN THIS WAS NUMBER 5 NOT THATS CORRECT 5 (FIVE) TRANSMISSIONS IN THIS CAR AT 130K MILES.

NHTSA ID

10735004

Incident

Aug 8, 2014

Mileage

130,000 mi

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ENGAGING IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE ON ITS ON FOR OVER A YEAR EVEN WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH OR MORE. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM SEEN IN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND VERY COSTLY TO FIX. WAS TOLD TO WAIT UNTIL IT BECOMES MORE PROBLEMATIC TO REPAIR BECAUSE OF THE COST. NOW THE LIGHT DOES NOT SHOW ON THE PANEL TO SHOW IF IT IS IN 2 OR 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND IT IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10523206

Incident

Jan 2, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHIFTING TO DRIVE OR REVERSE, THERE WAS NO INDICATOR THAT DISPLAYED WHAT GEAR THE VEHICLE WAS ACTIVATING. OFTEN WHILE IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE FORWARD. IN ADDITION, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD SPORADICALLY SHIFT OUT OF REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE GEAR CLUSTER WIRING HARNESS BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE GEAR INDICATOR CONTINUED TO FAIL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 59,897.

NHTSA ID

10461345

Incident

Feb 1, 2004

Mileage

5 mi

TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AND I PAID FOR HALF, GM GOODWILL PAID FOR HALF. WHEN YOU PAY OVER $42,000 FOR A VEHICLE IT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 50,000 MILES! *TR

NHTSA ID

10440959

Incident

Mar 17, 2010

Mileage

50,000 mi

2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AND ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO GO ABOUT 25 MPH. VERY UNSAFE IF ON A HIGHWAY. GM DEALER REPLACED THE FAULTY WIRE HARNESS AND PLUG THAT PLUGS INTO THE THROTTLE BODY. ALSO REPLACED THROTTLE BODY ITSELF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10422704

Incident

Aug 28, 2011

Mileage

136,233 mi

ABS LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH A LOUD HUM AND RATTLING FROM FRONT TIRE AREA. HAD TO GET THE HUB ASSEMBLY REPLACE. THIS HAPPENED AROUND 90,000 MILES WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE, AND AROUND 130,000 MILES WITH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. BOTH MECHANICS I BROUGHT IT TO SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY TYPE OF VEHICLE. THEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT WHEN THIS OCCURS THE ENTIRE WHEEL COULD FALL OFF AND RESULT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS. *KB

NHTSA ID

10414016

Incident

Nov 19, 2010

Mileage

90,000 mi

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL LEAKS, FIXED 2 TIMES BEFORE DEALERSHIP REALIZED THERE WAS A BEARING NOT INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY. FACTORY REP WAS CALLED, HE DIRECTED DEALER TO INSTALL BEARING. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE THERE IS A UNCOMMON FRONT END VIBRATION STILL TO THIS DATE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10310325

Incident

Sep 5, 2007

Mileage

54,725 mi

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO FOUR-WHEEL LOW GEAR WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. IMMEDIATELY, THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED INTO TWO-WHEEL DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE FOUR- WHEEL DRIVE SWITCH MODULE AND THE ENCODER MOTOR TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR. BOTH COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURES FOR WHICH THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE VEHICLE SERVICE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ID

10266501

Incident

Apr 22, 2009

Mileage

27,000 mi

2004 TAHOE, WHEN STARTING OUT ENGINE LOSES POWER AND READOUT DISPLAYS ( TRACTION ACTIVE ). FIRST TIME HAPPENED FALL 2007. DEALER COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM BUT DID A DOWNLOAD OF SOFTWARE, DID NOT HELP. OVER PAST MONTH DOES THIS ONE OR MORE TIMES DAILY. TOOK BACK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID NOT SURE WHAT TO DO, MAY HAVE TO DRIVE UNTIL IT WILL NO LONGER RUN BEFORE THEY KNOW WHAT TO FIX. THIS MAY TURN INTO A SAFETY ISSUE IF IT STOPS AND SOMEONE HITS ME FROM BEHIND. I SEEN ON YOUR COMPLAINT SECTION THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10254000

Incident

Sep 20, 2007

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE. AT 59,000, A PINION SEAL LEAK WAS DISCOVERED. I TOOK IT THE NEXT DAY TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. UPON EVALUATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEAK HAD RESULTED IN EXCESSIVE METAL FRICTION IN THE GEARS, REQUIRING A COMPLETE OVERALL. THERE IS NO WARNING SYSTEM FOR LOW DIFFERENTIAL FLUID AND LEAKS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE GROUND AS ANY FLUID NORMALLY BLOWS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE SEAL ON THE REAR AXLE PINION, WHICH PROVIDES POWER TO THE REAR WHEELS, COULD LEAK FLUID, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO SEIZE AND LOCK. NOTE THAT GM HAS RECALLED MANY SIMILAR MODELS, BUT NOT THE TAHOE AT THIS TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10248711

Incident

Nov 6, 2008

Mileage

59,275 mi

IN 2006, I WOULD HAVE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH MY 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE TRACTION ACTIVE DISPLAY WOULD LIGHT UP AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LAG AND NOT ACCELERATE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BERNARD CHEVROLET IN LIBERTYVILLE, ILLINOIS, AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD BRING IT BACK WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED REGULARLY. IN 2008 THE PROBLEM BEGAN TO GET BAD, AND THE TAHOE WOULD LAG WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP AND THE TRACTION ACTIVE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. THIS HAPPENED AT LEAST ONCE A DAY ON MY FOUR MILE COMMUTE TO WORK. ON TWO OCCASIONS I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE LAGGING OF THE VEHICLE. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO LIBERTYVILLE CHEVROLET (THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPLACED BERNARD CHEVROLET AFTER THEY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS), AND THE VEHICLE WAS KEPT OVER NIGHT. THEY SCANNED IT AND FOUND NO PROBLEM CODES AND THEN THEY INSTALLED AN UPDATED PROGRAM AND IT TESTED OKAY. I PAID $115.00 AND THEN AS I EXITED THE PARKING LOT OF THE DEALERSHIP, THE TAHOE LAGGED AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THE TRACTION ACTIVE LIGHT CAME ON. I LOOKED AT MY ODOMETER AND IT READ 38,746 (CAME IN FOR SERVICE AT 38,745), HOWEVER, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE RECEIPT I NOTED THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD PUT THE MILEAGE OUT AT 38,748. THE VEHICLE WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT TEST DRIVEN AFTER THE SERVICE, HOWEVER, THEY TRIED TO MAKE IT APPEAR THAT IT WAS. KEVIN P #475 WAS THE TECHNICIAN AT LIBERTYVILLE CHEVROLET. THE $115 CHARGE WAS REIMBURSED, HOWEVER, CHEVROLET HAS MADE NO OFFERS TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION ON MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN THE TOPIC OF MANY PROBLEM AUTO CHAT DISCUSSIONS, AND APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO WHEEL SENSORS THAT PREMATURELY CORRODE ON THE TAHOES AND YUKONS. I HAVE MANAGED THE PROBLEM BY LETTING OF THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, AND THIS APPARENTLY DISENGAGED THE MALFUNCTIONING TRACTION ACTIVE MODE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT SHOULDN'T OCCUR ON A $43,000 VEHICLE WITH 38,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10240985

Incident

Mar 1, 2008

Mileage

38,600 mi

2004 TAHOE WITH WOBBLE IN THE STEERING MECHANISM. CUSTOMER STATES THE STEERING MECHANISM WOBBLED WHILE ON THE WAY TO FLORIDA. CUSTOMER HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND CARRIER BEARINGS. *KB THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A WOBBLING IN THE STEERING MECHANISM AND THE CHEVROLET DEALER CORRECTED THE DEFECT IN JANUARY 07. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE HAD AN INSPECTION PERFORMED IN MAY 2007 AT THIELEN MOTORS WHICH ENTAILED A FRONT DIFFERENTIAL PINION, CARRIER BEARINGS, A RELATED DRIVE TRAIN ELEMENTS AND METAL SHAVINGS IN THE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT WHICH MEANS POSSIBLE DEFECT. THE CONSUMER STATED WOULD LIKE THE DEFECTS INVESTIGATED AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10202624

Incident

Sep 1, 2007

I BOUGHT MY TAHOE NEW IN SEPT. 2004. TWO DAYS AFTER PURCHASING TOOK BACK TO DEALER SHIP WITH VIBRATION IN BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER SHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIX IT THAT IT WAS AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM AND I SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING WITHIN 4-6 WEEKS. WELL IT IS NOW THE END OF JAN. AND I STILL HAVE NOT HEARD WHAT THE FIX WOULD BE AND THE VIBRATION IS GETTING WORSE AND NOW YOU CAN FEEL IT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SITTING STILL AND IN PARK WITH OUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10107888

Incident

Sep 28, 2004