"How reliable is the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe?"

"Based on 515 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe has a median complaint mileage of 89950 miles. The most common issue is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip, accounting for a significant portion of the 515 total complaints filed."

1997 Chevrolet Tahoe: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 515 complaints

515

Total Complaints

89,950mi

Median Mileage

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

62,000 25th Percentile

89,950 Median Mileage

130,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Hydraulic Power Assist System

Steering

Automatic Transmission

Motor

Windshield Wiper/Washer

Fuel Pump

Suspension

Front

Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN THE VEHICLE IS EASY TO TURN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN MORE DETAILS. *AK"

"DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE STEERING IS LOOSE, AND VEHICLE PULLS TO LEFT WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. *AK"

"WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, ROAD WAS A LITTLE WET AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW AT ALL, HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR. VEHICLE BEING REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 67 complaints

25th: 52,750 mi Median: 75,000 mi 75th: 96,750 mi

Hydraulic Power Assist System 46 complaints

25th: 80,000 mi Median: 82,000 mi 75th: 96,050 mi

Steering 37 complaints

25th: 62,521 mi Median: 75,000 mi 75th: 97,000 mi

Automatic Transmission 33 complaints

25th: 65,600 mi Median: 95,000 mi 75th: 125,000 mi

Motor 21 complaints

25th: 85,000 mi Median: 88,000 mi 75th: 116,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 70 TX: 51 MI: 42 VA: 28 FL: 24 OH: 23 NY: 22 IL: 20 GA: 18 CT: 16

Who Files Complaints?

42.1%

Original Owners

57.9%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Tahoe — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1994	20	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	2
1995	296	120,000	Seats	31
1996	390	110,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	31
1998	315	84,614	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	24
1999	677	93,537	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	53
2000	341	79,300	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	28
2001	607	67,250	Parking Brake	52
2002	541	83,500	Service Brakes	53
2003	628	72,518	Instrument Cluster/Panel	26
2004	548	71,127	Instrument Cluster/Panel	30
2005	379	85,000	Electrical System	15
2006	144	85,000	Electrical System	6
2007	1532	79,000	Air Bags	32
2008	683	75,000	Air Bags	11
2009	386	79,300	Air Bags	5
2010	405	75,000	Unknown Or Other	3
2011	571	66,000	Unknown Or Other	8
2012	252	70,000	Unknown Or Other	15
2013	308	61,000	Unknown Or Other	6
2014	118	55,000	Unknown Or Other	5
2015	880	60,000	Service Brakes	43
2016	345	45,000	Service Brakes	25
2017	217	50,000	Power Train	3
2018	123	41,500	Unknown Or Other	5
2019	155	28,000	Power Train	11
2020	55	16,000	Electrical System	5
2021	551	37,000	Engine	18
2022	216	44,400	Engine	3
2023	250	30,000	Engine	8
2024	82	9,000	Engine	1
2025	39	-	Engine	0

Active Recalls (2)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Campaign 06E043000 | 19/05/2006

THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN INADEQUATE SEAL AT THE CONNECTION, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FUEL LEAK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.

HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).

Equipment

Campaign 07E088000 | 24/10/2007

THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE INADEQUATE SEALING AND LOSS OF ENGINE OIL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.

Extend Your Brake Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Replace brake pads before they wear to the metal — rotors cost 3x more
Flush brake fluid every 2-3 years regardless of mileage
Don't ride the brakes downhill — use engine braking
Address any grinding, pulsing, or pulling immediately
Have brakes inspected during every tire rotation

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28