Like every other GM vehicle from 2014 to 2021, the tongue converter has failed and ruined the crappy transmission.
2018 Chevrolet Tahoe
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe are lower than 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
37 reports with mileage · 66 unknown
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.
- Engine. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
20 reportsBrakes failed pedal went to the floor when getting off the interstate. Kept pressing pedal and came back but vehicle pulls to the left hard when Brake pedal is also very hard to press. Very unsafe afraid to drive the vehicle. Dealer has recalls for same model vehicle show under my vin . Vehicle is available for inspection at any…
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Brakes failed pedal went to the floor when getting off the interstate. Kept pressing pedal and came back but vehicle pulls to the left hard when Brake pedal is also very hard to press. Very unsafe afraid to drive the vehicle. Dealer has recalls for same model vehicle show under my vin . Vehicle is available for inspection at anytime.
7-21-23 Unit stalled 3 times today. The last time was while driving. Check engine light on. 1-29-24 Today I was responding to an emergency backup for an officer that was fighting two subjects. The subjects were fleeing from a stolen vehicle and it was dispatched that these subjects were armed. I never made it to this call …
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7-21-23 Unit stalled 3 times today. The last time was while driving. Check engine light on. 1-29-24 Today I was responding to an emergency backup for an officer that was fighting two subjects. The subjects were fleeing from a stolen vehicle and it was dispatched that these subjects were armed. I never made it to this call because my vehicle #10688 would not accelerate past 23mph and then shut off leaving me stranded in the roadway. While waiting for a tow truck I was able to get the vehicle started again and was able to drive at only 36mph to try to get to the scene and assist the officer. I ultimately was able to make it to the police station. I wrote up the vehicle and left the keys in the training building.
12-11-23 Vehicle was not accelerating when pressing gas pedal then began violently shaking and shut off in middle of roadway.
9-19-23 Vehicle stalled and started sputtering when turned on.
On 7/27/2023, the transmission in my 2018 Chevy Tahoe failed. There was no warning, noise or lights I dicating a problem. I was trying to excelerate after turning at a stop light. There was a slight hesitation when shifting so I let off the gas. When I tried again, it didn’t do anything and I began losing speed. I had to have th…
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On 7/27/2023, the transmission in my 2018 Chevy Tahoe failed. There was no warning, noise or lights I dicating a problem. I was trying to excelerate after turning at a stop light. There was a slight hesitation when shifting so I let off the gas. When I tried again, it didn’t do anything and I began losing speed. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership. Upon their inspection the tech determined internal failure inside transmission. I was told I was 3,000 miles out of warranty.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while parked on a slight incline and shifting into reverse, the vehicle started driving down the driveway with the brake pedal depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle drove approximately 15-feet in reverse. The contact stated once on a flat service, the vehi…
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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while parked on a slight incline and shifting into reverse, the vehicle started driving down the driveway with the brake pedal depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle drove approximately 15-feet in reverse. The contact stated once on a flat service, the vehicle suddenly stopped. During the failure, the message "driving assist" was displayed. The failure had occurred on another occasion. The cause of failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
A lifter collapsed, which in turn damaged the lobes of a piston, which then damaged the camshaft...generating a repair bill of $7,100 per the dealer. The vehicle only has 69,200 miles on it. When the lifter failed, the car shuddered at stops, lost some power and made a noticeable clanking noise. When pulling out from stops, o…
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A lifter collapsed, which in turn damaged the lobes of a piston, which then damaged the camshaft...generating a repair bill of $7,100 per the dealer. The vehicle only has 69,200 miles on it. When the lifter failed, the car shuddered at stops, lost some power and made a noticeable clanking noise. When pulling out from stops, or into traffic, the car hesitated somewhat before accelerating. This creates a very dangerous situation. Also, if more lifters or the camshaft seized up at higher speeds, a driver could experience a potentially fatal situation from an uncontrollable vehicle or a fire. Research shows that Chevy/GM knew about the lifter problem on 5.3 ltr engines with their AFM system for years and sold them anyway. They apparently have never solved the problem, and it still exists today. Several class action lawsuits have been lodged against them for the lifter failure problem. Aside from the serious potential safety issues, an expensive vehicle like my Tahoe should not be expected to incur a $7,100 repair bill when it's only 4 years old and has less then 70,000 miles on it. That's ridiculous. My wife and I are both retired. We will be tapping our retirement account to pay for this shoddy Chevy product and will worry that it just might occur again, after the fix. From a safety standpoint, a stall, loss of power, or engine seizure at speed will tax our quick response reflexes. The known lifter problem is a legitimate safety situation and needs to be addressed before someone is seriously injured or killed...if they haven't already. Thank you for listening.
On July 29, 2022 my Tahoe broke down on me while driving home from work. It started to lose speed while on a busy highway during rush hour. I started losing speed and I kept giving it gas and it wouldn’t go. I kept trying to get speed to try and get off the highway to avoid getting into an accident or put someone else in danger.…
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On July 29, 2022 my Tahoe broke down on me while driving home from work. It started to lose speed while on a busy highway during rush hour. I started losing speed and I kept giving it gas and it wouldn’t go. I kept trying to get speed to try and get off the highway to avoid getting into an accident or put someone else in danger. Somehow I managed to get off into a shopping center. I had come up to a stop sign and couldn’t even get the Tahoe to stop while there was a lot of traffic in the shopping center as well. I eventually got it to a safe spot and called a tow truck. I live almost an hour from home. The shop the Tahoe was towed too said the torque converter was contaminated with metal shavings that was caused by parts on the Tahoe grinding together and therefore contaminating the torque converter and then it ruined my transmission. I was also told this is a common thing they are seeing with Chevy Tahoes, but yet no recalls have been issued and I think something needs to be down about it. It put my life in danger as well as other drivers around me! And I couldn’t afford to fix it so I lost my vehicle and all the hard work and money I put into paying my vehicle since 2018! I also found a lawsuit regarding this issue too.
WE JUST HAD TO SPEND $1,000 TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED ON OUR 2018 CHEVROLET TAHOE BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING WHICH ONLY HAS 32,050 MILES ON IT. THE TAHOE HAD A 3 YEAR 36,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, BUT WE WERE TWO (2) DAYS PAST THE 3 YEAR MARK SO THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT. THE TAHOE ALSO HAS A 5 YEAR 60,000 POWERTRAIN WA…
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WE JUST HAD TO SPEND $1,000 TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED ON OUR 2018 CHEVROLET TAHOE BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING WHICH ONLY HAS 32,050 MILES ON IT. THE TAHOE HAD A 3 YEAR 36,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, BUT WE WERE TWO (2) DAYS PAST THE 3 YEAR MARK SO THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT. THE TAHOE ALSO HAS A 5 YEAR 60,000 POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE RADIATOR IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE PART OF THE POWER TRAIN ONLY THE HOSES GOING FROM THE RADIATOR TO THE ENGINE WERE COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. IN JANUARY 2019 GM ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN PI1513F (ATTACHED) FOR 2015-2016 TAHOES FOR THIS EXACT SAME LEAKING RADIATOR ISSUE WHICH STATES THAT THE RADIATOR REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR 2017 & 2018 MODELS ALSO, BUT GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, NOR WILL THEY COVER THE 2017-2018 MODEL UNDER THE 5 YEAR 60,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY LIKE THEY DO WITH THE 2015-2016 MODELS.
Official recalls
320V603000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
Oct 1, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
19V761000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc); Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:wheel Speed Sensor/tone Ring
Oct 24, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Service Brakes
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:wheel Speed Sensor/tone Ring
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Electronic Stability Control (esc)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
19V645000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
Sep 6, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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