2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 305 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: AIR BAGS (65 complaints · 21.3%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 5
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 9
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2008 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution AIR BAGS appears in 65 of 305 owner complaints (21.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. AIR BAGS: 65 complaints, 21.3% of reports AIR BAGS 65 · 21.3% STRUCTURE: 43 complaints, 14.1% of reports STRUCTURE 43 · 14.1% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 19 complaints, 6.2% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19 · 6.2% POWER TRAIN: 10 complaints, 3.3% of reports POWER TRAIN 10 · 3.3% SERVICE BRAKES: 10 complaints, 3.3% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 10 · 3.3% · 1 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 9 complaints, 3.0% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 9 · 3.0% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 8 complaints, 2.6% of reports ENGINE 8 · 2.6% · 1 crash reports STEERING: 8 complaints, 2.6% of reports STEERING 8 · 2.6% · 1 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 2 complaints, 0.7% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 0.7% · 1 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 167 complaints, 54.8% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 167 · 54.8% · 2 crash reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
AIR BAGS 65 21.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 43 14.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19 6.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 10 3.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 10 3.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 9 3.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 8 2.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 8 2.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 167 54.8% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2008; the first recall shown was reported in May 2009. 2008-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2013-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2013-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2016-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2016-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2016-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2017-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2017-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2017-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2018-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2018-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2018-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Oct 2008 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 09V154000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V154000 Recall campaign 10V240000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V240000 Recall campaign 21V050000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V050000 Recall campaign 21V052000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V052000 Recall campaign 21V053000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V053000 Investigation EA21002 ● Investigation EA21002 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 21V050000 was reported 2,555 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V052000 was reported 2,555 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V053000 was reported 2,555 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2008-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 3
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 7
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 5
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 2
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 5
2013-Q3 Owner reports 8
2013-Q4 Owner reports 4
2014-Q1 Owner reports 3
2014-Q2 Owner reports 3
2014-Q3 Owner reports 7
2014-Q4 Owner reports 3
2015-Q1 Owner reports 4
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 9
2015-Q4 Owner reports 5
2016-Q1 Owner reports 16
2016-Q2 Owner reports 18
2016-Q3 Owner reports 18
2016-Q4 Owner reports 15
2017-Q1 Owner reports 16
2017-Q2 Owner reports 14
2017-Q3 Owner reports 8
2017-Q4 Owner reports 25
2018-Q1 Owner reports 10
2018-Q2 Owner reports 12
2018-Q3 Owner reports 8
2018-Q4 Owner reports 3
2019-Q1 Owner reports 5
2019-Q2 Owner reports 5
2019-Q3 Owner reports 4
2019-Q4 Owner reports 7
2020-Q1 Owner reports 4
2020-Q2 Owner reports 5
2020-Q3 Owner reports 4
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 3
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 2
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 3
2024-Q4 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 09V154000
Recall campaign 1 10V240000
Recall campaign 1 21V050000
Recall campaign 1 21V052000
Recall campaign 1 21V053000
Defect investigation 1 EA21002
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09V154000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WATER IN THE MODULE COULD CAUSE A SHORT OR OPEN CIRCUIT, ILLUMINATION OF THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP, SETTING OF DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES OR THE ENGINE MAY BE HARD TO START, MAY NOT START OR MAY STALL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW FUEL SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 18, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 10V240000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V050000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V052000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V053000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 305 complaints · page 1 of 13

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources