2009 Chevrolet Tahoe: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 386 complaints
386
Total Complaints
79,300mi
Median Mileage
Air Bags
Top Issue
5
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
54,358
25th Percentile
79,300
Median Mileage
104,250
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Air Bags
97
Unknown Or Other
92
Body
35
Electrical System
32
Latches/Locks/Linkages
22
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
13
Engine
13
Structure
12
Service Brakes
9
Fuel/Propulsion System
9
Severity Assessment
5
Crashes
0
Fires
15
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE HYBRID. WHILE THE SECOND ROW SEATS WERE PULLED BACK TO HOUSE CARGO, THE SEATS RETURNED TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND CRUSHED THE CARGO. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 60 MPH, WITH THE SECOND ROW SEATS PULLED BACK TO TRANSPORT CARGO, 40 PERCENT OF THE SEAT WOULD FA..."
"I OWN A 2009 CHEVY TAHOE HYBRID (PURCHASED IN EARLY MARCH OF 2009). I WAS BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE WITH MY FAMILY WHEN I REALIZED THE BRAKES WEREN'T WORKING TO SLOW US OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. I DROVE THROUGH THE SUBDIVISION AT 15MPH AND I COULDN'T GET IT TO STOP! IN REVIEWING ONLINE, THERE ARE S..."
"I HAVE A GM PRODUCT. A 2009 CHEVY TAHOE WITH ONLY 7,000 MILES ON IT. IT TURN OFF ITSELF WITOUT ANY WARNING I AM APPROACHING THE STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN START TO TURN I NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAVE TURN OFF ITSELF. SINCE I CAN NOT STEER WELL SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OFF IS THEN WHEN I CAN HIT A C..."
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.
Air Bags
97 complaints
25th: 78,500 mi
Median: 97,000 mi
75th: 120,000 mi
Unknown Or Other
92 complaints
25th: 70,000 mi
Median: 94,000 mi
75th: 111,766 mi
Body
35 complaints
25th: 60,750 mi
Median: 87,191 mi
75th: 115,875 mi
Electrical System
32 complaints
25th: 55,750 mi
Median: 72,500 mi
75th: 103,500 mi
Latches/Locks/Linkages
22 complaints
25th: 40,500 mi
Median: 59,000 mi
75th: 70,750 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
TX: 88
CA: 38
FL: 35
LA: 21
MS: 15
AL: 14
GA: 14
NC: 13
TN: 11
SC: 11
Who Files Complaints?
1%
Original Owners
99%
Second+ Owners
Chevrolet Tahoe — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (5)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Inflator Module
Campaign 21V053000 | 05/02/2021
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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 notific
Inflator Module
Campaign 21V052000 | 05/02/2021
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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 notifica
Inflator Module
Campaign 21V050000 | 05/02/2021
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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 notifica
Fuel System, Gasoline
Campaign 09V154000 | 06/05/2009
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.
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.
Electrical System
Campaign 10V240000 | 04/06/2010
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.
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. OWN
Airbag Safety
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
- Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
- Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
- Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories
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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