Chevrolet Tahoe Complaints (2020)

57 consumer complaints on file.

#11767621September 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I got in my vehicle and turned it on. Once on, it asked me to roll down my passenger side window and roll it back up. I thought that was odd, but did so. My vehicle had completely reset. The clocks were not correct and none of our controls were set. I reset everything, but thought that was weird. A few days later, my husband and son were coming home from a 5-hour trip and as they were turning into our driveway, thank God they were home, the vehicle completely turned off and shut down. The brakes locked up and they came to a complete stop. We lived on a really busy road and this could have been extremely dangerous. My husband quickly turned the vehicle back on and parked in the driveway, but as soon as he parked, it shut completely off again. This is extremely dangerous, because what if they would’ve been on the highway going at a fast rate of speed? I called the dealership where we had bought the vehicle and brought it in, but was unable to keep it there for days due to our schedule. I’ve since had it looked at twice and they haven’t been able to figure out why it did this. However, I turned it on the other day and it sounded like it wouldn’t turn over. I tried it again and it turned on after clicking again, but this time my entire console screen and buttons wouldn’t work and on the dash it read “service anti theft system”. Everything was reset again. We own this vehicle and have spent our hard earned money on it and I’m terrified to drive it because I have kids in the car almost all the time. It’s currently in the shop again and they are going to have it for multiple days to try and figure out why this is happening.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11767654September 29, 2026
ENGINE
The water pump failed. Platinum Chevrolet has the old one as they have replaced it. I was driving in [XXX] on a crowded street when I had to quickly pull over because of a terrible noise and the smell of leaking coolant. It made it dangerous for me to get to a parking spot in traffic without warning. There were no warning symptoms. Had to have it towed to Platinum Chevrolet in Terrell, Texas, which did the inspection and water pump replacement. $1600.00. No clue what caused it other than bad workmanship. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754970August 5, 2026
ENGINE
The 6.2L L87 V8 engine in my 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier RST suffered a catastrophic internal component failure while operating. The engine experienced a sudden, severe internal mechanical breakdown involving the crankshaft or connecting rod bearings, completely disabling the powertrain.This failure causes an immediate and dangerous loss of vehicle propulsion, creating a severe safety hazard on public roads.General Motors has already issued Safety Recall N252494001 (NHTSA Campaign 24V924000) for identical L87 engine bearing failures, but has arbitrarily limited the scope to 2021–2024 model years. My 2020 vehicle uses the exact same L87 engine family and has suffered the exact same catastrophic defect.I am filing this report to urge the NHTSA to expand its current Engineering Analysis (RQ26001) and force General Motors to expand the safety recall to include 2020 model year vehicles before more consumers experience sudden engine failure while driving."
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751999July 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission valve , vehicle shutter, and eventually complete loss of power and failure. Transmission had to be replaced as vehicle was out of warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748142July 3, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The dealership where I get my 2020 Chevy Tahoe service, stated that there is a recall for the water pump for the 2020 Chevy Tahoe, due to a manufactory defect, causing the water pump to leak. On XXX, mileage 62,777, I had to replace my water pump for that same reason, but my vehicle was not part of the recall; therefore, paying for a placement water pump myself. The dealership is Musson Patout Automotive Group/GMC, 214 West Hwy 90 Frontage Road, New Iberia, LA 70560, [XXX]. I am requesting that my vehicle be added to the recall list, due to this oversite. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747899July 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My transmission failed, yes it is available for inspection. The failure occurred without warning. I was driving my truck on the highway, suddenly it began to hesitate and making a loud winding out noise. The truck was hesitate on going forward. Yes, I had the vehicle towed to Banks Chevy, I was told the torque converter blew metal shavings into the transmission and it was a common problem with these vehicles. No warning at all, I just had my oil changed at the dealership, it was running great, out of nowhere this happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745868June 23, 2026
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Chevrolet has a recall on some vehicles for a bad transmission valve body, but my vehicle isn’t a part of the recall and I’m having the exact same issues. Currently my only vehicle that I have to transport my 7 month old is a complete safety risk. My check engine light is on and the code its throwing is to replace transmission valve body assembly. My Tahoe is shifting very harshly when driving normally, it feels like it slams into gears causing the whole car to jerk. When sitting at a red light that turns green, Tahoe is slipping, barely wanting to move through an intersection with vehicles all around me. I’ve been advised to not drive my Tahoe at all because if I do I will certainly have severe drivetrain damage and rear wheel lock up. Like I said, Chevrolet already has a recall for this issue on some of their vehicles, but my specific Tahoe does not. This is my only vehicle for myself and my baby and I cannot drive it due to its safety issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737487May 13, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, POWER TRAIN
Tahoe transmission failed with 103,000 miles… took to Chevrolet they confirmed, took to a transmission specialist they confirmed failure but they said the computer was throwing weird codes and they believe this has a factor in transmission issue. On the way home the brake system alert went off and the car would not go above 35 miles an hour … I get this is a safety feature but it was dangerous in the location this occurred ans this car was not that old and does not have high miles to justify this type of issues
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733810April 25, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
I own a 2020 Tahoe, 160,000 miles. While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of brake assist due to a failure of the vacuum brake pump. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and the vehicle would not slow or stop as expected, requiring me to put vehicle in neutral and frantically find a way to the shoulder to force a stop (pulling the emergency brake). This created a dangerous condition and significantly increased stopping distance, posing a serious safety risk to myself, and others on the road. There was little to no warning prior to the failure. This issue appears to be consistent with known complaints involving vacuum pump failure and loss of brake assist in similar vehicles. A failure of the braking assist system is NOT a normal wear condition and presents a critical safety hazard. I am reporting this incident due to the safety risk associated with sudden brake assist failure and the potential for accidents or injury. Vehicle issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. There was a warning light that appeared at the same time the brake stopped working leaving me no time to plan or know ahead not to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730381April 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The air conditioning system fails to cool. My vehicle only has 47,000 miles on it currently and is well-kept. A professional garage inspected and advised that there was a leak in the refrigerant system. I contacted my local Chevrolet dealer Jeff Gordan Chevrolet where I purchased the vehicle new and they said the issue was not under warranty and that my warranties had expired. They would not repair the air conditioning system at no cost to me, the owner.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729748April 7, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
On June 17th, 2025 while driving from [XXX] back to my home state of [XXX] , I experienced an engine malfunction in Chester, Va where the 6.2 L87 engine was shaking and had severe hesitation. It was diagnosed by the Chevrolet dealership in Chester, VA as suffering severe failure of ALL 8 fuel injectors, fuel rails and connector harnesses, resulting in a 15 day repair wait and a $4,644.50 bill not including other expenses such as lodging/car rental. At this time my vehicle had 52,182 miles. After this I attempted for 3 months for GM to cover the repair as the vehicle was less than 5 years old and less than 60,000 miles under the 5 yr/60K warranty but denied it. On March 26th, 2026 while driving on the parkway at about 60 mph, my vehicle experienced loss of power (slow deceleration, shaking/hesitation) and I immediately took it to the repair shop where it was diagnosed as a P0308 code (misfire on cylinder 8) which caused a repair of the #8 spark plug, ignition coil and wire resulting in a $380. repair. Two days later, I experienced the same issue and then took it to an engine diagnostic specialty shop where I have been told that this issue will run about $4,000 due to valve and comprehension issues on an engine that has 60, 680 miles. I have seen numerous L87 engine complaints on Chevy Forums with no assurances that repairs or engine replacement will rectify the issue and feel that this is an issue that GM should be addressing for safety issues and an economic loss to its customers. I am hoping that your investigators can help the many people that have been left stranded by this incompetence and lack of admission of GM's part. Repair invoices available upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725362March 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Suddenly lost all power steering, then warning power steering attention, no control for steering, very dangerous, couldn't drive vehicle. Took independent car repair to fix. $5k repair to fix problem. Should not happen to vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718762February 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Lifter failed on my Chevy Tahoe 6.2L engine at ~75K miles in September 2025. One lifter bank was replaced. No reason for lifter failure was given. Less than 5 months later the other lifter bank has failed and damaged the cam shaft. Again, no reason for failure was provided. Failed lifters can cause catastrophic engine failure, which is incredibly dangerous when the vehicle is in motion. No check engine lights or and warnings occur with the lifter failure, it is only identified by the driver through the tapping noise from the engine. Even a cursory review of forums and complaints reveals that lifter failure is widespread on this engine and that manufacturing defects have caused issues with this power train dating back to 2019, not just the recalled 2021-2024 models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711865January 19, 2026
ENGINE
I sent this to GM Corporate on 2/12/2025: I'm writing regarding the recall on certain 2020 Chevy Tahoe transmissions. My husband is meticulous with his vehicles including all regular service updates and recommended appointments. It literally looks like it came off the showroom floor 5 years after buying it. Unfortunately, when returning on a trip our vehicle suddenly increased rpm's and wouldn't respond while going 65 miles per hour. Thankfully, it reengaged, and we were okay but imagine what could have happened! We managed to get it home, but while attempting to back up it wouldn't shift. We had to have it towed and have been told our transmission is SHOT! It will cost us over $7000 to replace?!! We attempted to call the GM customer service number to Complain and see if they could provide some help. They put us in touch with a service manager in our area whose voicemail was full and took a week to connect with. She basically said there is nothing she can do as it is within the 5 years but over on miles. So, here we sit with a vehicle we have babied for 4.9 years that needs a new transmission. I am asking for you to listen. Asking for you to expand the investigation/recall to include ALL 2020 (or related) vehicles. Something isn't adding up, and you are leaving customers who have paid off their $60,000 vehicle stuck with more $$ to pay because of an about defect. This could have killed us. It literally froze while we were driving, and now we are without a vehicle waiting for a new transmission. We have never had issues with the transmission before. How does a transmission just go? Definite defect!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709665January 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On multiple occasions, my car has locked my keys on the INSIDE of the vehicle. I have put things inside my vehicle before leaving and closed all the doors, upon returning, even just a few minutes later, my doors are locked and I am locked out of my vehicle. Additionally, my car is not detecting my remote. I cannot unlock my car with the buttons on the door and need to have my keys in hand for my car to detect the fob. Additionally, if someone opens the door while the car is running but in park, and then closes the door, the Car will beep as if there is no longer a remote detected. This has happened on multiple occasions. I have changed the batteries in the fobs multiple times, switched out my fobs so I was using a different fob and it has happened with both of my fobs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709678January 8, 2026
ENGINE
We have the L86 6.2L EcoTech 3 Engine. at 85,000 miles we noticed the oil pan is leaking and rear main seal is leaking. Both are common issues with the L87 engine as well.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701729November 26, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact's brother owned a 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle crashed; however, the contact was unsure what the vehicle had crashed into. The contact stated that the crash was a single vehicle crash and there was severe damage to the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags should have deployed but failed to deploy. The contact stated that medical attention was needed, and his brother was currently in the Trauma ICU after recently having back surgery. The contact stated that a Police Report was filed but was not yet finalized. The contact was waiting to speak with the Police Officer who filed the report. No further information was available. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11699156November 13, 2025
POWER TRAIN
I was starting to accelerate to a higher level of speed onto the highway; 55 mph going up a hill. I was unable to accelerate much as I pushed on the gas, however the RPM's would get higher. while I was at 45 mpg the RPM's were at 3.5. All of sudden my service engine light came on. I knew something was wrong. Turned around took my car back home very slowly, had my husband come look at my car, who has mechanical experience. Transmission fluid is dark and gritty; when its suppose to be a red in color and smooth. I am now needing to replace a transmission in a vehicle that is 5 years old. How is this possible? I have owned the car for 2 years. Why has these not been recalled yet? Why has these not been looked into further? We are paying a lot of money for these vehicles to turn around and put a new transmission, which isn't cheap into a vehicle that is 5 years old. Any assistance to look into these complaints would be very helpful. I am just glad no one was hurt and I was able to get my vehicle home safely. I keep up with all of the routine maintenance of this vehicle on a regular basis.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693292October 14, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving in traffic with 8 kids from my football team on a busy street and my truck start jerking and wouldn’t accelerate much. I was going 35 mph and the truck just slows down in the middle of driving. Then as I pulled over thick white smoke comes from the tail pipe. Thank god it was a Sunday and the busy street wasn’t as busy and I was able to pull over safely because this happen while I was driving. I got the truck to autozone and they gave me a misfire code in cylinder 1. I sent my truck to dealership and spoke with them on the phone and they was able to tell me everything going on with my truck without even having to tell them all the issues happening. They looked at the truck and said I had an internal engine issue. I was advised this a well known problem with my type of truck. I reached out to Gm and asked them why haven’t it been a recall on my truck if this is a well known issue with my vehicle after talking with many mechanics. No answer was specifically provided. I’ve been trying to get them to do what’s right and repair the engine but I’m getting the run around. I’ve reached out to over 5 mechanics and a shops and have been told this is a well known problem was trying to see the cost. Once I found out this was well known it made me contact General Motors. I don’t think it’s fair this is a known issue with 5.3L engine and it hasn’t been a recall. It is unsafe to be driving and the engine just fails on you in the middle of traffic. What if I was on the freeway? My truck is at a Gm dealership right now and Gm and the dealership is refusing cost assistance on a well known engine failure problem. These vehicles need a recall on them that would of been 9 lives at risk because this problem hasn’t been addressed by the manufacturer it was scary when it happen because I was on a busy street.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691929October 7, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving toward intersection, light changed to red. Applied pressure to brake pedal and pedal became extremely difficult to press. Vehicle was not slowing as expected with pedal pressure becoming very hard to press to slow vehicle. Warning on dash "Brake Assist" and Chevrolet app displays "Antilock Braking System" and text that states Schedule service now. If my wife would have been driving, this would have caused an accident. This is extremely dangerous condition that must be addressed with a corrective action taken by the manufacturer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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