There are 50 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I HAVE AN 02 TAHOE Z71 THAT RECENTLY I'VE BEEN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN TRYING TO STOP LIKE THE ABS IS TRYING TO KICK IN RANDOMLY BETWEEN ABOUT 5 TO 15 MPH WHEN SLOWING FOR RED-LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS THERE'S TIMES I HAVE TO LET OFF AND REAPPLY BRAKE 2 TO 3 TIMES AT LEAST BEFORE IT WILL ACTUALLY STOP WITHOUT THE ABS KICKING IN. I READ ABOUT SOME RECALLS ON THIS ON 02 TAHOES BUT MY VIN SAID I HAD 0 UNFIXED RECALLS
ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS REMAIN ON AFTER TAHOE IS CRANKED AND DRIVEN.
BRAKE LINES HAVE RUSTED THROUGH AND CAUSED AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION. WHILE ON A FAMILY VACATION TO THE OUTER BANKS THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A REPAIR SHOP TO LOOK OVER THE BRAKE SYSTEM AFTER REFILLING THE MASTER CYLINDER WITH BRAKE FLUID. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES AND SAID SOMEONE PROBABLY FORGOT TO BLEED THE BRAKES AFTER SERVICING THEM. SINCE IT WAS A RECENTLY PURCHASED VEHICLE AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF WORK PERFORMED WE THOUGHT THIS WAS POSSIBLY THE ISSUE. AFTER DRIVING ANOTHER 50 MILES OR SO THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME. THIS TIME MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON THE WAY TO THE STATE FAIR. I CRAWLED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND FOUND ONE LINE TO BE COMPLETELY RUPTURED AND ALL OTHERS TO BE SEVERELY RUSTED. I NOW PLAN TO REPLACE ALL BRAKE LINES BEFORE THE VEHICLE IS USED AGAIN. I OWN MUCH OLDER VEHICLES WITH BRAKE LINES IN PERFECT SHAPE. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND THAT CHEVROLET BRAKE LINES USED IN THIS MODEL AND YEAR HAVE HAD ABNORMALLY HIGH BRAKE LINE CORROSION AND FAILURE COMPARED TO OTHER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD. I AM WONDERING WHY THIS ISSUE HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT TO THE PUBLICS ATTENTION AND WHY NO RECALL? THE BRAKE LINES WERE OBVIOUSLY MANUFACTURED WITH INFERIOR MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP OR BOTH. THANKS
WIFE CAME HOME AND SAID THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP. WITH ENGINE RUNNING, BRAKE FLUID IS SEEN PUMPING OUT OF RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE. MECHANIC REPORTS LINE BURST AND ALL OTHER LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND MUST BE REPLACED. $1500 REPAIR ESTIMATE.
STEEL BRAKE LINES - CORROSION - LOST BRAKING POWER DUE TO CORROSION OF BRAKE LINES.
THE BRAKES ON MY TRUCK ARE ENGAGING THE ABS AT LOW SPEED STOPS. THIS IS CAUSING A LOSS OF BREAKING AT THE CRITICAL LAST FEW FEET OF STOPPING. THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING ON SMOOTH DRY PAVEMENT. YOUR 2008 ACTION NUMBER PE05020 WAS A RECALL SPECIFIC TO MY PROBLEM. CHECKING FOR A RECALL ON MY TRUCK SHOWED NO SPECIFIC RECALL FOR MY VIN. BOTH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THE GM REPRESENTATIVE AT 800-222-1020 TELL ME THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS OUT OF MY OWN POCKET BECAUSE THERE IS NO "RECALL" ON MY VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE VEHICLE. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED?
MY ABS ACTIVATES UNDER 5MPH ON DRY ROADS. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT MY TRUCK DOESN'T QUALIFY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THEY CAN "WALK AWAY" SAYING MY VIN IS NOT AFFECTED. BUNCH OF GARBAGE - I'VE BEEN A CHEVY GUY FOR EVER AND WORKED AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP - THIS CAUSES ME TO LOOSE SOME FAITH. DEALERSHIPS HAVE THE ABILITY TO HELP BUT THERE HANDS ARE TIED BY GM. SAD!!
MY TRUCK IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS NOTED IN RECALL #05068, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V379000, BUT THEY STATE MY VIN NUMBER IS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THIS CAR WAS OPERATED IN MICHIGAN. AT LOW SPEED, COMING UP TO AN INTERSECTION UNDER 5 MPH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABS KICKS ON AND LURCHES THE CAR FORWARD. I READ THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING AND GETTING WORSE FOR THE PAST YEAR. *TR
COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. AVOIDED ANY COLLISION. COST TO REPAIR $1,025.56. OCCURED ON A BUSY ROUNDABOUT. NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR.
THE ABS KEEPS ENGAGING DURING LOW SPEED STOPPING AND PARKING MANEUVERS, DRY CONDITIONS. THIS IS INCREASING BRAKING DISTANCE WHEN APPROACHING SLOWING TRAFFIC AND IS VERY ALARMING. WE NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT "RECALL WORK" HAD BEEN PERFORMED FOR THIS ISSUE IN 2005, AND I WAS ON MY OWN FOR THE REPAIR. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW AND GM SHOULD COVER THE REPAIR INDEFINITELY UNLESS A DESIGN IMPROVEMENT WAS CREATED. A CAR SHOULD STOP WHEN YOU NEED IT TOO, NOT CONTINUE ON ITS COURSE AND SPEED IGNORING MY INPUT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THEY REPLACED PARTS OF A BAD DESIGN WITH PARTS OF THE SAME DESIGN THEN THERE WAS NO DESIGN IMPROVEMENT TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE WHEN THE "RECALL WORK" WAS PERFORMED. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW IN THE RECALL PROCESS. WHAT RECOURSE TO I HAVE NOW? I KNOW SEVERAL OWNERS OF MID-2000'S CHEVY TRUCKS WITH THIS ISSUE, AND IT KEEPS COMING BACK IF YOU OWN THE TRUCK LONG ENOUGH. WHAT IS BEING DONE? I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO KEEP PAYING FOR REPAIRS.
BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE AT SPEED ON A HIGHWAY COMING TO A STOP LIGHT. NO BRAKES. NO DASH LIGHT UNTIL COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. SPLIT SYSTEM FAILED. NO BRAKES. COLLISION WITH TELEPHONE POLE. INJURY TO OCCUPANTS. FLUID LEAKING FROM RUSTED BRAKE LINES NEAR ABS PUMP UNDER DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THIS IS THE SECOND 2002 TAHOE THAT WE HAVE OWNED WITH THIS EXACT SAME FAILURE. BOTH FAILED COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. NEITHER SYSTEM INDICATED ANY ANOMALY BEFORE TOTAL FAILURE. SPLIT SYSTEM DID NOT WORK. BOTH FAILED IN THE SAME PLACE. THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS ARE EVERYWHERE! - WHERE IS THE NHTSA ?????? WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE ?? THIS HAS CAUSED INJURY TO MANY AND NO RECALL?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL PUMPED BACK AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SLOW DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 136,000. MA 9/22 UPDATED 11/16/2017*CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
BRAKE LINES CORRODED LEADING TO COMPLETE BRAKING FAILURE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE ABS AND THE SERVICE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 208,000.
WHEN I BRAKE MY BRAKES PUMP AND IT'S LIKE THE ABS IS TRYING TO KICK IN SOMETIMES I HAVE TO PUSH PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER TO STOP WITH OUT AN INCIDENT. HAD NEW BRAKES INSTALLED AND STILL THE PROBLEM IS THERE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE PEDAL PULSATED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO RESPOND. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS OF 5 MPH OR LESS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000. UPDATED 04/13/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY WHEN THE ABS WAS DISCONNECTED. UPDATED 04/20/16
TRIED TO STOP WHEN I WENT TO USE THE BRAKES I WASN'T ABLE TO PRESS THEM ALL OF THE WAY DOWN. THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THERE WAS AN EXTREME VIBRATION. *TR
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AND TRIED TO APPLY BRAKES AND THEY WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. SHE HAD NO BRAKES AND SHE COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. VERY LUCKY NO ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE BRAKE LINES RUSTED OUT UNDER THE VEHICLE AN HAD NO WARNING OR LIGHTS TO SHOW PROBLEMS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE ABS ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SENSOR AND THE WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026