IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, THE VEHICLE OVER TURNED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.DRIVER HAS HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD. *AK
1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 246.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tahoe years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 88 of 410 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 105 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 104 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
24 crash reports3 fire reports8 injury reports
What owners actually said
410 reportsDRIVING ON FREEWAY, BRAKES FAILD AND REAR ENDED TRUCK AT 55MPH CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION.
WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT, THEN PULLED TO THE RIGHT. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
EA99011-ERRATIC POWER STEERING ASSIST. WHILE DRIIVING VEHICLE GOES DOWN A STRAIGHT ROAD, HITS A SLIGHT BUMP, CAUSING THE TENSION IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO RELEASE, WHICH RESULTS IN LOSS OF CONTROL. HOWEVER, THE SAME PROBLEM IS MORE INTENSIFIED WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES. WITHIN THE PAST MONTH, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT T…
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EA99011-ERRATIC POWER STEERING ASSIST. WHILE DRIIVING VEHICLE GOES DOWN A STRAIGHT ROAD, HITS A SLIGHT BUMP, CAUSING THE TENSION IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO RELEASE, WHICH RESULTS IN LOSS OF CONTROL. HOWEVER, THE SAME PROBLEM IS MORE INTENSIFIED WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES. WITHIN THE PAST MONTH, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE STEERING SENSOR / STEERING BOX HAVE BEEN REPLACED. CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *YC
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND GOING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS AND ROUGH ROADS AND GRAVEL, VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP, CAUSING CONSUMER TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, DURING A NORMAL STOP, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK DID NOT STOP. DRIVER USED BOTH FEET TO STOP THE TRUCK AFTER DRIVING ONTO THE SHOULDER. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. 6 SETS OF BRAKES HAVE BEEN PUT ON THIS VEHICLE IN 2 YEARS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN,AND THEN STRAIGHTENING VEHICLE OUT, STEERING WILL PUSH TO THE RIGHT. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 15 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, ABS KICKED IN AND THE CONSUMER REAR ENDED THE OTHER VEHICLE. *AK
UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS (NOT SNOW AND ICE), I HAVE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS BRAKE FAILURES. ON ONE OCCASION, FOR EXAMPLE, IN APRIL I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX 40 MPH ON A SUBURBAN ROAD (NO ICE OR SNOW) WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AHEAD CHANGED FROM GREEN TO RED. THERE WAS ONE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AS USUAL, AND…
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UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS (NOT SNOW AND ICE), I HAVE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS BRAKE FAILURES. ON ONE OCCASION, FOR EXAMPLE, IN APRIL I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX 40 MPH ON A SUBURBAN ROAD (NO ICE OR SNOW) WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AHEAD CHANGED FROM GREEN TO RED. THERE WAS ONE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AS USUAL, AND THE ABS BRAKES ENGAGED. THE TRUCK SHUDDERED AND SHOOK AS I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO FEELING WHEN THE ABS ENGAGE IN SNOW AND ICE. BUT THERE WAS NO STOPPING THE VEHICLE. I WAS FORCED TO SWERVE OFF THE RAOD TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES, BUT THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE FAILURE. OTHER CHEVY SERVICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE NOT FOUND THE PROBLEM. I CALLED GM AND WAS GIVEN A "FILE NUMBER": 980 496 553. BUT GM TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD NO OTHER REPORTS OF FAULTY ABS AND THEY INSISTED THE DEALER IS THE PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE TRUCK. MY TRUCK HAS SPENT MANY MANY WEEKS IN VARIOUS DEALERSHIPS, TO NO AVAIL. NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NTSB HAS DOCUMENTED THOUSANDS OF SUCH FAILURES IN GM VEHICLES. BUT APPARENTLY NOT ON 1997 MODELS, ONLY 1992-96 MODELS. LET ME INFORM YOU THAT THE 1997 MODEL CHEVY TAHOE HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS THE VEHICLES THAT WERE MENTIONED IN NEWS REPORTS LAST WEEK, REPORTS THAT 3.5 MILLION GM VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. CAN YOU ADVISE ME WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO DO SINCE GM HAS CLOSED THE DOOR ON MY CASE AND INSISTS THAT THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE WITH MY BRAND NEW TRUCK. BY THE WAY, THIS PROBLEM SURFACED WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH THAT I OWNED THE TRUCK AND HAS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY EVER SINCE. FURTHERMORE, MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE DRIVEN THE TRUCK HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO ME, SO IT'S NOT A PROBLEM WITH MY PERCEPTION OF HOW ABS BRAKES ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK, AS GM INSISTS. PLEASE ADVISE ME OF WHERE I SHOULD GO TO GET THIS MATTER SOLVED.
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
4PE01023 · Seat Belt Anchorage Separation
Opened Jul 17, 2001 · Closed Dec 20, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
ODI HAS RECEIVED ONE (1) COMPLAINT ALLEGING THAT THE 2ND ROW PASSENGER-SIDE SEAT BELT RELEASE BUCKLE ANCHOR DETACHED FROM SEAT FRAME DURING A SIDE IMPACT CRASH.DURING THE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT WAS THROWN FROM HIS SEAT, PARTIALLY EJECTED THROUGH THE REAR QUARTER WINDOW OF THE VEHICLE.OCCUPANT SUSTAINED INJURY.GM HAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED SEAT BELT ANCHORING DESIGN IN MY 2000. ODI HAS COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AND HAS DETERMINED THAT FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHETHER A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS.
EA00013 · Battery Leaks Acid
Opened May 2, 2000 · Closed Jun 28, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
PE99073 · Battery Leaks Acid
Opened Dec 3, 1999 · Closed May 2, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
ODI HAS RECEIVED 21 COMPLAINTS WHERE OWNERS ALLEGE THAT THE STANDARD GM FACTORY SUPPLIED AC DELCO BATTERY CASE FAILED, RESULTING IN THE LEAKAGE OF SULFURIC ACID.OF THE 21 COMPLAINT VEHICLES, SIX SUBURBAN, THREE TAHOES, AND ONE YUKON OWNER(S) COMPLAINED ABOUT A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID FROM DETERIORATION OF THE RIGHT FRONTBRAKE LINE AS A RESULT OF SULFURIC ACID CONTAMINATION.THE REMAINING 11 COMPLAINTS PERTAIN PRIMARILY TO SULFURIC ACID LEAKAGE FROM THE BATTERY CASE.AT LEAST ONE COMPLAINANT STATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT BATTERY ALSO FAILED.SEVERAL OF THE COMPLAINANTS NOTE THAT THE LEAKING ACID HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH A WIRE HARNESS AT THE FRAME IN THE VICINITY OF THE STEEL BRAKE LINE.A FIELD INSPECTION BY ODI INDICATES THAT THE DESCRIBED HARNESS IS THE ABS CONNECTION TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR.PRIOR TO THE BATTERY CASE FAILURE, THERE IS USUALLY NO WARNING (SHORT OF AN UNDERHOOD INSPECTION), AND THE ENSURING DAMAGE (SULFURIC ACID CONTAMINATION) IS PROGRESSIVE.OF THE KNOWN BATTERY FAILURES, THERE MAY BE A TEMPERATURE CORRELATION, AS 60% OF THE OWNER COMPLAINTS CAME FROM FOUR STATES; CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA AND TEXAS.THERE IS ALSO A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND ENGINEERING CHANGE NOTICE TO ADD 1% SILVER TO THE BATTERY'S POSITIVE SIDE TERMINALL, WITH THE EARLIEST IMPLEMENTATION DATE FOR THIS BEING FEB 2, 1998.THE EFFECT OF THIS DESIGN CHANGE IS AS YET UNKNOWN; FURTHER REVIEW IS WARRANTED.AN EA IS BEING OPENED TO GATHER FURTHER APPROPRIATE INFORMATION, CLARIFY ANY DEFECT TRENDS, AND TO ASSESS THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS AND RISKS CONCERNING THESE FAILURES.
EA99011 · Erratic Power Steering Assist While Driv
Opened May 12, 1999 · Closed Feb 27, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
THE OFFICE OF DEFECT INVESTIGATION (ODI) HAS INVESTIGATED ALLEGATIONS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST FLUCTUATIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.FOR DETAILS AND A BASIS FOR THE INVESTIGATION CONCLUSIONS, PLEASE SEE THE CLOSING REPORT IN THE EA99-011 PUBLIC FILE.ODI HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.FUTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS SUBJECT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED AT THIS TIME.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.THE ENGINEERING IS CLOSED.