Save Your Money, Don’t Buy a Chevy Tahoe From These Years

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• The 2007 and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe models have severe electrical issues (and a resounding 1,000+ NHTSA complaints) that make these cars a clear “Do Not Buy.”
• If you’re searching for reliability, choose the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe. It has the lowest number of NHTSA complaints and a J.D. Power reliability score of 83 out of 100.
• To remain competitive in the market, Chevrolet must fix the issues with its existing vehicles and ensure vehicle reliability and durability moving forward.
• Also: Discover the “Next NVIDIA”

It’s no surprise that we use our cars heavily and, for many people, nearly every day. Our cars take us to where we want to go, whether that’s taking kids to school, meeting up with friends, going to work, running errands, or simply traveling across the country on a road trip. So it’s incredibly important for our cars to not only be sturdy, but reliable. If your car is a model that’s prone to breakdowns or expensive fixes, it can be challenging, especially as the base price of cars has been steadily rising. The average new car buyer in June 2024 spent $48,644 on their purchase. While the cost of purchasing a car differs based on car make, model, and year, this is a huge expense – and important decision – for many people.

The Chevrolet Tahoe is one of the most iconic and well-known car names when it comes to SUVs. Chevrolet Tahoes appeal to consumers for many reasons. One is its size; the SUV offers large cargo areas for storing and transporting your belongings, and also adequate seating room. Since it first entered the market in 1994, the Chevrolet Tahoe has undergone improvements and upgrades. The 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe now offers up to 21 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, 277 to 420 horsepower, and can tow up to 7,900 pounds. (If you’re looking for a fuel efficient car, here are the most fuel efficient SUVs on the market.)

While the Chevrolet Tahoe has many good years, the good comes with the bad, and not all Chevrolet Tahoe years are ones you want to drive. Creating quality vehicles that last creates long-term repeat customers which Chevrolet (NYSE:GM) desperately needed to keep pace with Ford and international competitors. In fact, over the last 5 years, GM’s stock price has been essentially flat, hovering around the $40 mark.

With this in mind, 24/7 Wall Street is taking a look at the best and worst model years for the Chevrolet Tahoe. The “best” years can, arguably, be based on consumer preference. However, to identify the best and worst model years, 24/7 Wall St. looked at ratings from Kelly Blue Book and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), blogs and review websites, and technological upgrades vs. engine or equipment failures. This provided an overview of where the Chevrolet Tahoe displayed reliability and durability, and where it missed the mark. 

Why We’re Covering This

You don’t want to purchase a vehicle just to spend thousands on maintenance and repairs. After all, vehicles are usually the second largest investment we make after housing. So it’s important to understand where the Chevrolet Tahoe succeeds and where it falls flat. This information can also heavily affect the resale market, making it crucial to know from both the buyer and the seller perspective. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is highlighting the best and worst Chevrolet Tahoe model years so you can make the most informed car-buying decision.

Here are 5 Chevy Tahoe model years to avoid, and 5 to consider buying instead: 

Avoid: 2003

We’d say that the 2003 Chevy Tahoe model is definitely want to avoid. With a total of 722 NHTSA complaints, the 2003 model had numerous electrical problems, with the biggest prevalnce of dead batteries or instrument panels that did not work. With the instrument panel going dead, Tahoe owners were unable to drive which led to tons of owner frustration. 

The next big issue focused on power steering going out. For the most part, customers had this happen when they were making a turn. While it wasn’t a frequent issue with the vehicle, it happened enough to warrant many customer complaints. Combined with a groaning noise while turning, power steering needed a big fix in 2003. 

Avoid: 2004

One of the worst model years for the Tahoe was 2004 model. Once again, this year was plagued by NHTSA complaints: 712 in all.  According to CarComplaints.com, the biggest issue was electrical problems. With 214 complaints focused on electrical issues, this comprised nearly one-third of all 2014 NHTSA complaints. Carrying over from 2003, the instrument cluster not turning on with the ignition turnover remained a serious problem.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Chevy was able to find a fix between model years. The next serious issue for 2004 and a big reason to avoid this model year was related to brake problems. Ninety separate NHTSA complaints were filed indicating Tahoe owners had service brake warnings that were not necessary. 

Avoid: 2005

For the third year in a row, the Chevrolet Tahoe had a bad year. 2005 Chevrolet Tahoes were plagued by transmission and interior accessory problems. Add in an incorrect speedometer, and the 2005 model could be an easy way to get yourself in a little bit of speeding trouble. Unfortunately, Chevy wasn’t covering any fines.

All in total, 444 NHTSA complaints were filed in 2005, which was at least an improvement over the previous two years. Separately, Chevy issued two recalls for the 2005 model related to a missing push rod and corrosion within the anti-lock braking system. Combined with all of the other lingering trouble this year, you should stay far away from the 2005 Tahoe. 

Avoid: 2007

The situation started to look up in 2006, but took a turn for the worse in 2007. This was arguably the worst model year for the Tahoe since its release. Over 1,000 NHTSA complaints were filed with a heavy emphasis on both engine and electrical problems. For the former, a new issue was discovered in 2007 with excessive oil consumption which wouldn’t happen until the Tahoe approached 100,000 miles. 

While the fix wasn’t expensive, it was still a headache to have to worry about. However, faulty engines not starting for Tahoe owners was the last straw for many. Combine this headache with complaints about water collecting in the doors and the 2007 model was the worst Chevy Tahoe model to purchase. 

Avoid: 2015

Over the next almost decade, things for Chevy Tahoe owners started to look up. Then, for the 2015 model, users filed over 1,000 NHTSA complaints regarding an array of brake and electrical problems. With one-quarter of the complaints related to braking, the brakes not working properly was a major focal point. Braking was an obvious necessity and even more so in a car as large as the Tahoe that requires extra distance to stop. 

When layered on top of issues with electronic stability control, the Tahoe was just seeing problem after problem in 2015. Last but not least, electrical problems persisted related to the power door locks failing, so customers had issues getting into their vehicles. Add in interior lights not working when the Tahoe door was opened and it’s best to just stay away from 2015 Tahoe models. 

Own: 2006

Despite 2005 and 2007 both being Chevrolet Tahoe years to avoid, the 2006 model is pretty top-notch. With only 144 NHTSA complaints filed, 2006 represented one of the best-used Tahoe model years. Among the existing complaints, 27 were related to body and paint problems, specifically the rear gate intermittently working for many Tahoe owners. 

Where things look up for the 2006 Chevy Tahoe is with the inclusion of both traction control and tire monitoring as standard. Even with some minor issues, customers still report the 2006 Chevy Tahoe as one of the most reliable models of all time. As long as the car remains serviced properly, issues should be minimal. 

Own: 2018

The best Chevrolet Tahoe models you can own are from more recent years. For example, the 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe was one of the first models to offer the RST package. The inclusion of a larger 6.2L V8 engine added more horsepower, which was ideal for off-roading and adventures. Chevy also added new body-colored grilles and larger brakes that were better suited for handling the additional engine power. 

With only 80 NHTSA complaints, broader customer issues with this model were also very low. Of these complaints, 10 centered around various issues customers had with infotainment lighting and interior lighting. As a single issue cannot be identified, it’s more likely these issues were confined to individual Tahoe builds and not a sign of a larger problem. 

Own: 2019

With J.D. Power providing the 2019 Chevy Tahoe an 80 out of 100 rating for the Tahoe, things were looking up. When you factor in the 84 out of 100 score for resale value, it’s clear the 2019 Tahoe turned around reliability from a decade prior. With only 66 NHTSA complaints filed, the proof was right there to see Chevy was turning things around. It was going to be easy to add the 2019 Tahoe model to its own “buy” list if you can find it for the right price.

This model year also added keyless entry with push-button start and a new 10-speed transmission. Best of all, the 2019 had the lowest recall number for any Tahoe since its first model release. If you wanted this body style of the Tahoe, 2019 was undoubtedly the year to pick up a used model with low miles. 

Own: 2020

It’s hard to believe, especially considering where the Tahoe was 10 years earlier, but 2020 marked a new low with only 19 NHTSA complaints filed. Right away you can give Chevy a win for this model year and add it to a list of model years to consider owning. Best of all, there wasn’t one major complaint area with the 2019 model, so any issues were specific to individual vehicle owners and not the source of any larger issues. 

This was the model year to receive a perfect 5 out of 5 from Consumer Reports as far as reliability. When combined with a J.D. Power reliability score of 83 out of 100, there was little reason not to give this model a long hard look if you’re in the market for a used Chevy Tahoe. Considering it was the last model year of the Tahoe’s 4th generation, Chevy had ironed out all lingering problems.

Own: 2021

With the launch of the 5th generation Chevy Tahoe, the company was poised to bring a new style to the market. Competing with the Yukon and the Escalade in the full-sized category, Chevy gave 2021 an upscale overview complete with its Premier edition receiving televisions. The High Country trim line was equipped with upgraded leather. Available in 6 different trims, even the lower-end LS model came well-equipped. There was very little to complain about with the 2021 model, which was surprising considering it was the first entry in a new model year. 

Only 117 complaints were filed to the NHTSA with 24 related to individual engine issues. This could be attributed to a new model year growing pain or it could be just a fluke related to individual Tahoe models that needed to be fixed over time. On the bright side, J.D. Power gave the 2021 Tahoe a rating of 82 out of 100, one of its highest scores of all time.

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