2017 Chevrolet Tahoe Engine Problems

My chevy tahoe vibrates when i drive and the dealership can not find the reason why it does that.

NHTSA ID

11754017

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

The Active fuel management system caused the engine to fail

NHTSA ID

11752816

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH uphill in the mountains, the transmission started slipping, followed by a loud banging sound. The contact stated that later, while fishing, there was an abnormal metallic sound like BBs hitting a tin can coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that previously, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lunged forward, followed by grinding and banging sounds. There was no indication of a fluid leak coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that shortly afterwards, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted and resumed normal operation. No warning lights were illuminated. An unrelated warning light for the oxygen sensor was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that there was no recall coverage or assistance available for the vehicle. The manufacturer referred the owner to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 181,000.

NHTSA ID

11749981

Incident

May 1, 2026

Mileage

181,000 mi

My 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4WD with a 5.3L engine experienced sudden drivability issues related to confirmed AFM lifter failure, including severe engine misfires (P0300), rough idle, shaking at stoplights, and significant loss of power while driving uphill and under load. The vehicle has approximately 140,000 miles and has been consistently maintained through Chevrolet dealerships. The condition has been diagnosed by Premier Chevrolet of Carlsbad. The engine experienced loss of power during operation, creating a potential safety concern when accelerating or driving in traffic conditions requiring consistent engine power. This issue appears related to widely documented AFM lifter failures on GM 5.3L engines.

NHTSA ID

11737642

Incident

May 1, 2026

Exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide are entering my cabin. I have replaced Exhaust manifold gaskets (both sides), Exhaust manifolds, Exhaust manifold donut seals to the y-pipe and i still get carbon monoxide entering cabin giving my headaches. Please help

NHTSA ID

11720045

Incident

Feb 23, 2026

My car has a problem This will be the 3rd visit to the Chevy dealership and the 6th time in a garage. At this time, the original alternator that came with the Tahoe, was running high through December and replaced with a new alternator from Parts Geek. It was ok for a couple weeks and is running high again. You cannot test it from a cold start to get this reading. It must be ran for at least 20 min. After a certain amount of time the battery gauge will move to the highest point, the warning lights of ABs, traction control, stabilitrak, trailer brake light, battery light (first time on 1/27/2026 for battery light), loss of drivers assist on 1/26/2026, tire pressure light, car dies coming to a stop sign. I can’t turn it back on for at least a min. I’m stuck inside with zero power, can’t unlock the doors to get out to direct traffic, open windows or put on 4 ways so I don’t get smacked in the middle of the road. After that minute I heard a click (no key in ignition, not trying to start) and then the dash lights started coming back on again and I started it. The battery did not restart the time on the radio screen so I’m assuming I didn’t die fully. The radio screen always goes black first, then the heat goes in and out, the warning lights come on and it dies. Takes a minute or so to be able to start it again and the lights aren’t on anymore but will continue to do the same shit after awhile of driving and now daily. I’m afraid to drive it anywhere since almost getting stuck inside and plowed at an interaction. I have reached out to Chevy about this problem and was referred to take it back to the dealership again, and to reach back out as soon as it’s there to open a case on the issue.Ive had it, this has been ongoing for a year, and I have to keep paying for things that doesn’t fix the issue and it’s getting worse.

NHTSA ID

11714202

Incident

Jan 26, 2026

At 92,000 miles the lifters went out in vehicle. Repairs were done and replaced the gaskets, lifters and head bolts. After driving the vehicle another 12,000 miles lifters went out again. GM is aware of the issue and does not to take responsibility or make a recall on the issue. It’s a very known issue with the 5.3L engine in cylinder 1 to have a lifter failure.

NHTSA ID

11699098

Incident

Oct 29, 2024

The transmission dropped 2 thousand miles over my warranty at 102k miles. I was taking my son to see his surgeon and the car started jerking and making noises in the middle of a busy intersection. We almost got hit several times trying to get it to the side of the road for safety. I had to pay almost $1800 to get it towed home (we were in Peoria about 150 miles from home to see his doctor). There were no indications the transmission was going out and never should have at that mileage. I always do regular maintenance and keep all my receipts. I then paid 6k out of pocket to have it replaced with a better transmission since I learned GM put a bad transmission in the Tahoe I have (I was told I missed the time limit to have it fixed on their dime). Then 6 weeks later a fuel injector and the lifters failed due to the active fuel management. No one was hurt thankfully because I was just leaving home to go to work when I noticed the tapping sound and had my mechanic come look at it. Him and 2 other mechanics confirmed it was the lifters. I had already borrowed money to replace the transmission and can’t afford the $12k quote to fix it. Now it has been sitting in my driveway for almost a year unable to be driven. It is however causing me severe depression. I’m borrowing my son’s car while paying almost $700 monthly on a Tahoe I can’t even drive. I was even more sad when I found out there’s thousands of people with the same issue. GM should be ashamed of themselves!

NHTSA ID

11665909

Incident

Oct 15, 2024

Purchased March 2022 Late October 2024-motor and a/c condenser had to be replaced November 2024- thermostat had to be replaced due to fan constanly running and draining the battery February 2025- thermostat line popped off and had to be replaced May 2025-Current- back at dealership due to engine ticking, cylinder 4 misfire code, emissions code, purge valve canister code and transmission issue (according to MyChevy app)

NHTSA ID

11660688

Incident

Oct 3, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the camshaft. The contact was also informed that there was a misfire in cylinders #4 and #8. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ID

11659074

Incident

May 5, 2025

Mileage

120,000 mi

Purchased 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe on 1/15/2025 with 50,647 miles on it. At exactly the 40 day mark, we noticed a problem when the vehicle began downshifting. When slowing down to stop at a red light, we could feel the transmission begin jerking as it shifted down and the check engine light came on. It has been taken back to the dealership (where we bought it), 5 times as of yesterday and they cannot fix the problem. The engine idles rough, downshifting is extremely hard, check engine comes on and off sporadically. The transmission temperature goes up and the dashboard lighting dims intermittently. This vehicle appeared to be in extremely good physical condition with very few miles, that's why it was purchased.

NHTSA ID

11658052

Incident

Feb 26, 2025

I purchased this Tahoe in 2021I believe. I have replaced the transmission in 2024 for this Z71 Tahoe and now the lifters are gone as well. In the process of going in the shop. I’m very upset. Tahoe’s cost too much for transmission, lifters to be going out and needing a new one installed. This is a major problem with Tahoe’s and I need some answers as to what can be done to help with this major issue. Who do I need to call or speak with to get this issue resolved. It’s a problem and no one wants to be accountable for making trash and selling it at high price for the consumer to pay for Chevrolet mistakes. Something must be done!!!

NHTSA ID

11657769

Incident

Apr 9, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine lifter failure. The dealer replaced the engine with a used engine. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced 3 months later. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 40-45 MPH on another occasion. The vehicle was restarted and was taken to a second dealer, Modern Cadillac of Burlington (2616 Alamance Rd, Burlington, NC 27215), where it was diagnosed with engine lifters and camshaft failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was parked at the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

NHTSA ID

11637943

Incident

Nov 30, 2021

Mileage

107,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle shuddered and vibrated while shifting gear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. On another occasion, while the vehicle was parked, the contact observed condensation underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated approximately six months later while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the engine revved, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

NHTSA ID

11587260

Incident

Feb 28, 2023

Mileage

116,000 mi

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ID

11576865

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light flashed off and on, with a knocking and ticking noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed an engine misfire. The contact was informed that the camshaft and lifters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11521641

Incident

May 7, 2023

Mileage

50,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80-85 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently started to decelerate with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact coasted to the side of the roadway and waited before restarting the vehicle and continued driving. The failure reoccurred several times. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,494.

NHTSA ID

11520404

Incident

Feb 2, 2023

Mileage

46,494 mi

While driving down the highway at 65 MPH in a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, towing a boat, the stabilitrak service light/warning message illuminated, the check engine light illuminated, the vehicle began to shake, lose power, unable to accelerate, and slowed down to 55 MPH automatically. While trying to pull off the side of the highway, the vehicle continued to slow down to less than 40 MPH with no ability to accelerate. The transmission fluid temperature went all the way up to 282 degrees. We pulled off the side of the highway, let the car cool down for about 15 minutes, restarted the vehicle and attempted to accelerate slightly but the vehicle made a high pitched whining noise and would not move. The vehicle was towed to a Chevrolet dealer and was diagnosed with a failed transmission. This occurred at approximately 78,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11516264

Incident

Apr 7, 2023

When pulling out of my driveway my gas pedal foot became stuck on the gas pedal. I could not remove my foot from the gas pedal. I immediately stepped on the brake pedal and then my Tahoe accelerated rapidly. I removed my foot from the brake pedal because any pressure on the brake just caused the car to accelerate faster. I then managed to wiggle my gas pedal foot from off of the gas pedal, it took a lot of effort. I was wearing normal men's shoes with no protrusions of any kind. I have recently seen in the news several similar occurrences including one that resulted in a fatality and others being injured as the car accelerated into an Apple store. In two of these cases that I've seen in the news the drivers have reported that their foot became stuck on the gas pedal and when they applied the brakes the car accelerated out of control. This is exactly what happened to me except i managed to get the car under control before I hit anything. My inspection of the Tahoe's pedals revealed that the two pedals are very close to each other and when applying the brakes the brake pedal comes down on the foot that is somehow stuck on the gas pedal. I believe the stuck accelerator foot was somehow trapped under the brake pedal. The pedals are too close together.

NHTSA ID

11499948

Incident

Jun 3, 2022

I have a 2017 Chevy Tahoe with 77,000 miles on it. I will have it 4 years Labor Day Weekend. I get all the regular service and oil changes on it in a timely fashion. Last week I was driving my daughter to a friends house and there was a tapping sound. The car did not sound right. Suddenly the engine light illuminated and was blinking. The car smelled of gas. Thankfully I wasn't too far from home. I had to drive on a highway to get back to my house. I could only go about 30 mph. It was very dangerous. I had my hazards on but people were still beeping at me since I was causing a safety hazard for myself and others. I managed to get home safely and called the dealership. I dropped my car off the next morning since it is not drive-able. The service rep said it was going in as an emergency. After 5 days they finally looked at it. They did not give me a loaner. If I wanted a loaner I was required to pay $46/day. The rep said the repairs to my 3 year old car wont be covered and it will cost over $5,000 to fix the engine. It is a known engine issue to Chevy corporate bulletin 15-06-01-002H Engine Misfire/tick noise, malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated. It is common in 20-15-2019 Tahoe and Suburban. I had to borrow a 12 year old car to drive around my 4 children because my 3 year old car has a bad engine. Ethically how can Chevy require their customers to cover a cost of an engine that they know is faulty. There was nothing that I did to cause this issue. I will never purchase another chevy. SHAME ON PARAMUS CHEVROLET.

NHTSA ID

11420873

Incident

Jun 9, 2021

JANUARY 25, 2020, I PURCHASED A 2017 CHEVROLET TAHOE AND THE A/C CONDENSER HAS A LEAK AND MUST BE REPLACED. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $148.50 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND QUOTED THE REPAIR COST $1095.12.

NHTSA ID

11405479

Incident

Mar 29, 2021

Mileage

84,410 mi

ON MY WAY TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY ABOUT 10 MILES OUT I STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS,IT WASN'T SHIFTING RIGHT AND AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD STAY ON ONE GEAR TOO LONG AND THE RPM WOULD STAY AT 4500RPM BEFORE IT SHIFTS AND THIS IS WHILE CRUISING AT 65MPH. AND WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE I WOULD HEAR A HUMMING/WHISTLING SOUND FROM WITHIN AND I COULDN'T GO PAST 70MPH. THEN THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I GOT TO A STOP SIGN AFTER GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY MY TAHOE WOULD HESITATE WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS. WHEN I GOT TO THE PARKING LOT I TRIED TO BACK-IN TO PARKING SPACE AND MY TAHOE WOULD NOT GO ON REVERSE. AND WHEN I WAS LEAVING THE PARKING LOT TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO GET CHECKED OUT,WHEN I PUT IT ON DRIVE NOTHING HAPPENS AND AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS THE VEHICLE JUMPED INTO GEAR AND JERKED IT FORWARD WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE GAS SO MUCH SO,THAT THE REAR TIRES EVEN SCREECHED A BIT! IT SCARED THE SH*# OUT OF ME. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND WHAT WAS DONE TO RECTIFY IT.

NHTSA ID

11374007

Incident

Nov 10, 2020

Mileage

67,437 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT STALLED OUT LIKE IT DIDN'T WANT TO GO. THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND I BARELY MADE IT A MILE BACK HOME. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE LIFTERS WERE BAD AND THAT THE CAM SHAFT ROD IS BENT. THIS IS A $60,000 VEHICLE THAT IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD AND THEY ARE EXPECTING ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID

11323444

Incident

May 1, 2020

Mileage

70,000 mi

WHY IS NHTSA ALLOWING SALE OF MILLIONS OF DANGEROUS UNFIXABLE AIRBAG RECALLED SUVS TO BE DRIVEN WHEN THE CONSEQUENCE IS DEATH BY AN ALLOWED LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM IN A MAJORITY OF CARS ON THE ROAD. WHY IS THERE NO PROTECTION OF INNOCENT PEOPLE HERE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS OR ISN'T ALLOWED. EVERY CAR WITH THIS RECALL IS A DEADLY RISK AND NHTSA IS NOT GETTING DEALERS TO STOP SELLING SUCH VEHICLES NOR ARE THEY INVESTIGATING THE MANY DEALERSHIPS THAT ARE HIDING THE ISSUES BY SAYING MULTIPLE DIFFERENT LIES IN THE DESCRIPTION AND HIDING IT IN THE CARFAX BUT KEEPING IT IN THE VIN CHECK. NHTSA HAS A DUTY TO PROTECT US ALL ESPECUU ITI ALLY NOW I'M THUS RARE INSTANCE WHERE EVERY VEHICLE ON THE ROAD IS A DEATH SENTENCE BY THE VERY SAFETY DEVICE MEANT TO PROTECT , THE AIRBAGS, WHICH IS ONE THING IF DOES NOT INFLATE, BUT IS WORSE THAT IT SHOOTS METAL SHRAPNEL WHEN AIRBAG EXPLODES INSTEAD OF INFLATED AND HAS ALREADY INJURED AND KILLED 19 PEOPLE AND NO WAY TO PREVENT EXPLOSION SINCE NO REMEDY BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, IS IT NOT BETTER TO DEACTIVATE THE POSSIBILITY OF IT EXPLODING INSTEAD OF ALLOWING IT TO BE SOLD AND HARM PEOPLE? THIS IS VERY SERIOUS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY ALL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT T RELATED TO VEHICLES DMV, DOT, HEALTH AND SAFETY AND FBI, BECAUSE IT IS SHOCKING THAT IT HAS GOTTEN THUS FAR ALONG WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION EXCEPT IT'S ANNOUNCEMENT THUS FAR PUTTING MILLIONS AT RISK. I THINK SOMEONE IS GETTING PAID OFF UNDER THE RUG FOR IT TO BE SUCH A HIDDEN DILEMMA. PLEASE SEND THIS ARTICLE OF CONCERN OUT TO ALL INVESTIGATIVE ENTITIES TO GET OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES PROTECTED. I HAD TO USE A VIN FROM A VEHICLE IF INTEREST FROM A SAMPLE CAR DEALERSHIP FOR THIS COMPLAINT OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE NEGLECTED FURTHER. EMAIL: [XXX].REGARDING MY CONCERNS FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE. MY NAME IS [XXX] WHICH SUV CAN BE BOUGHT? REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR

NHTSA ID

11310684

Incident

Feb 14, 2020

Mileage

1 mi

*TAKATA RECALL* I HAVE BEEN NOTICING A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH MY 2017 TAHOE PREMIER. THE ENGINE BLOCK IS A DEEP RUST COLOR. ENGINE IS EXTREMELY HOT EVEN HOURS LATER AFTER PARKING. THERE IS A THICK BLACK SLUDGE THAT IS ON NEARLY EVERY PART UNDER THE TRUCK. I STARTED HEARING A TICKING NOISE THAT SPED UP AS MY DRIVING SPEED INCREASES. THIS ISSUE OCCURS OFTEN BUT NOT DAILY. AS WELL AS WHEN TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY IT MAKES A HIGH PITCHED POPPING NOISE ( THE SOUND IS SIMILAR TO A SMALL ROCK BEING FLUNG ONTO THE ALUMINUM WHEEL) I ALSO HEAR GRINDING NOISES WHEN MAKING A SHARP TURN. METAL AGAINST METAL IS AS BEST AS I CAN DESCRIBE IT. I DECIDED TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD AND CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL AND IT APPEARS FINE. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHECK OTHER LEVELS ASIDE FROM THE WINDSHIELD FLUID SO I WILL BE FORCED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHILE I WAS UNDER MY TRUCK I NOTICED HOW THERE WAS A LOT OF RUSTED PARTS. THE (IF I AM CORRECT) EXHAUST HOUSING LOOKED NEARLY BURNED AND THE PRODUCT STICKER THAT IS ON THERE IS 100% BITES. AS IF SOMEONE PUT A LIGHTER TO IT. NOT SURE WHAT ALL THE GUNK IS THAT IS CAKED ON EVERYTHING BELOW THE TRUCK BUT IT CAN'T BE A GOOD THING FOR SURE. ALSO, I FOUND A BOLT WEDGED BETWEEN AN AREA. WHY IS THERE A BOLT AND WHERE DID IT COME FROM? DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE MISSING PARTS ON MY ENGINE OR ANYWHERE ELSE? MY TRUCK RUNS SO HOT BUT NO LIGHTS HAVE COME ON. THIS EVENING AFTER SEEING WHAT I DID MADE ME FEAR THE THOUGHT OF DRIVING MY TRUCK THAT I PAY A HEFTY PAYMENT ON. IT HAS 12,000 MILES ON IT. I'VE HAD IT ONE YEAR AND AWAYS GET MY SERVICES DONE ON TIME WITH OIL CHANGES AND SO FORTH. I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS ISSUE OR BETTER YET ISSUES. WHO'S GOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. AND HO LONG BEFORE SOMEONE RECALLS MY TRUCK FOR THIS ISSUE !?

NHTSA ID

11121798

Incident

Aug 1, 2018

Mileage

1,100 mi