What breaks most · 1991 to 2019 model years
Chevrolet Tahoe problems by year
Owners have filed 7,323 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Tahoe across model years 1991 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2007 for air bags complaints, 1999 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 2001 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1992 and 1993.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 1999, 2001
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1992, 1993
- Complaints on file
- 73231991 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007983 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 364113 fires · 416 injuries · 29 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 71kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 134Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (5) | |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (3) | |
| 19 | 2 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (10) | |
| 246 | 23 | 8 | Seats (75) | |
| 281 | 26 | 5 | Brakes (hydraulic) (73) | |
| 408 | 23 | 2 | Steering (104) | |
| 262 | 18 | 4 | Brakes (hydraulic) (71) | |
| 545 | 46 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (230) | |
| 277 | 22 | 10 | Brakes (hydraulic) (89) | |
| 505 | 47 | 8 | Brakes (hydraulic) (136) | |
| 435 | 40 | 6 | Brakes (86) | |
| 499 | 20 | 7 | Electrical system (190) | |
| 455 | 24 | 5 | Electrical system (211) | |
| 281 | 8 | 7 | Electrical system (123) | |
| 107 | 3 | 4 | Body and structure (27) | |
| 983 | 21 | 4 | Air bags (383) | |
| 433 | 4 | 4 | Air bags (177) | |
| 239 | 1 | 5 | Air bags (82) | |
| 255 | 1 | 4 | Unknown or other (110) | |
| 368 | 4 | 5 | Unknown or other (176) | |
| 112 | 4 | 3 | Unknown or other (67) | |
| 153 | 3 | 4 | Unknown or other (78) | |
| 45 | 2 | 3 | Unknown or other (18) | |
| 284 | 15 | 14 | Brakes (71) | |
| 79 | 7 | 8 | Brakes (28) | |
| 20 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (5) | |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 39% |
383 | 14 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 27% |
265 | 3 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe |
| Unknown or other | 16% |
156 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
124 | 3 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 5% |
51 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
45 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 5% |
45 | 0 | Shop stability control parts for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
41 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Top of dashboard on driver's side of car cracked. It was not subjected to any unusal physical stress. Car was not moving. Was parked outside and temperature was above freezing.
-
Experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation at low speeds this can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
-
The rear steel hydraulic brake line rusted through and rendered the brakes inoperable. The brake warning light did not come on immediately after the failure. All hydraulic fluid was lost to the rear brakes.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Tahoe years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 1999, 2001 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Tahoe. The 2007 alone has 983 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Chevrolet Tahoe problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 383 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Tahoe problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Tahoe complaints that include mileage is about 71,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.