There are 17 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2005 Chevrolet Tahoein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
DRIVING TO HELP MY DAUGHTER AFTER SHE SLID ON ICY ROAD INTO DITCH CHRISTMAS MORNING, I HIT THE SAME PATCH OF ICE, WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES IT WENT TO THE FLOOR. TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP THEY SAID THE FRONT BAKE LINE WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND ALL THE OTHERS WERE JUST AS BAD. SAID THEY ALL SHOULD BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1700
TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE DUE TO RUSTED BRAKE LINE. BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR DURING OPERATION AND VEHICLE LUCKILY CAME TO A STOP WHEN PEDAL WAS GROUND INTO THE FLOORBOARD. BRAKE FLUID WAS DRIPPING FROM THE LINE DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND IS AWAITING AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID LINES WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. UPDATED 12/15/14. *JB UPDATED 12/18/14*CN UPDATED 02/24/15. *JB THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 9/25/15 *JS
WHEN I WAS GETTING READY TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND PRESSED THE BRAKE TO PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR THE BRAKE FELT LOOSE. AS I GOT THE TO BOTTOM OF MY SHORT DRIVEWAY I PUSHED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO STOP. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO THE BE LOOKED AT AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT MY BREAK LINE HAD BEEN RUSTED THROUGH. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE 1 MONTH AND 10 DAYS AGO. I THEN DID A SEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS EVEN A REPAIR KIT; HOWEVER, THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL SO NOW THE COST IS ON ME TO FIX. 365.00 PER MONTH CAR PAYMENT AND NOW NEAR 1500 DOLLAR CAR REPAIR. *TR
ABS AND TC LIGHT CAME ON. CHECKED AT SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE SPEED SENSOR WAS BAD, BRAKES WERE FINE, BUT NO ABS. TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY, AND VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOT OF NOISE (METAL ON METAL, ETC). HAD CAR TOWED, AND THE HUB WAS BAD. WAS TOLD WE WERE LUCKY THE WHEEL DID NOT COME OFF. HAD TO REPLACE HUB ASSEMBLY AND BRAKE PADS. *TR
BRAKE LINE BLEW WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 Z71 CHEVY TAHOE. HAD NO CLUE UNTIL I TRIED TO STOP AND MY PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR NOT STOPPING MY TRUCK AND I RAN A RED LIGHT. THANK-GOD I HIT NO OTHER CAR OR PERSON! THERE WAS NO WARNING - NO LIGHTS - NOTHING INDICATING THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, NOT EVEN A LITTLE DRIP OF BRAKE FLUID BEFORE THE BURST LINE. I TAKE MY TRUCK IN FOR IT'S FREE OIL CHANGES EVERY 5000 MILES. DEALERSHIP TELLS ME EVERY TIME ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED REPAIR OR WILL NEED ATTENTION SOON. AFTER GETTING UNDER MY TRUCK AND LOOKING AT MY BRAKE LINES, I WAS SO SCARED! HOLLY CRAP THEY ARE NOTHING BUT RUST. THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN OVER NIGHT. WHY DOES THE DEALERSHIP TELL ME I NEED NEW WINDSHIELD WIPERS OR BELTS - (3 YEARS LATER I STILL HAVE THE SAME BELTS AND THEY ARE STILL FINE) BUT NEGLECT TO TELL ME MY BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND COULD BLOW AT ANYTIME RESULTING IN BRAKE LOSS! THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH ME BEFORE MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS!!!!! THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO KNOW MY BRAKES LINES WERE THIS BAD - WHY WAS NOTHING SAID??? NOW LOOKING ONLINE I SEE I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON THIS HAS HAPPENED TO NOR WILL I BE THE LAST. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT GM CONSIDERS THIS TO BE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IT'S DANGEROUS AND COULD KILL SOMEONE. GM IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY - IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY FOR GM. SETTLEMENTS ARE CHEAPER THAN A TOTAL RECALL - THAT'S UNTIL DEATHS DO OCCUR AND I BET MY LIFE ON IT A DEATH WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THESE BAD BRAKES LINES. *TR
WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN FOR SERVICE A STAINLESS STEEL BRAKE LINE FAILED RESULTING IN A LOSS OF FLUID AND BRAKES. I WAS TOLD ALL THE LINES, WHERE THEY CONTACTED THE FRAME, HAD CORRODED. THESE LINES SHOULD NOT FAIL DUE TO AGE OF VEHICLE. ALSO DEALER REPORTED THAT THEY ARE SEEING THIS QUITE A BIT IN CHEVY TRUCKS. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IF IT HAPPENED ON THE OPEN ROAD. ONLY BY CHANCE DID IT OCCUR WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN FOR OTHER SERVICE. A GM AGENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE ON APRIL 7, 20014. *TR
BRAKE LINE FAILURE. *TR
MY WIFE WAS OPERATING OUR TAHOE AND FELT THE BRAKES SEEMED "FUNNY" WE PROCEEDED ONTO THE FREEWAY FOR 40 MILES,UPON GETTING OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS LAWS WENT TO LEAVE OUR DESTINATION AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON IN THE CAR BRAKE SYSTEM SERVICE, TRACTION DISABLED FLUID RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY TOOK IT TO MECHANIC WHO SAID THE BRAKE LINES WERE "ROTTED TO PIECES" I PUT IT INTO THE SHOP AND HAD THE REAR LINES REPLACED AT A COST OF $506.00. THE MECHANIC STATED THE FRONTS WILL ALSO NEED TO BE DONE. I FEEL THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MATCH UP TO THE ROT INVOLVED ON THE BRAKE LINES IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS WELL AS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR.
JUST AFTER COMING OFF OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY,SLOWING DOWN AS I WAS APPROACHING A SET OF LIGHTS,THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST PRESSURE,AND WENT TO THE FLOOR ON MY 2005 CHEVY TAHOE. THE ROTORS,PADS AND CALIPERS HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED 6MTHS PRIOR,SO I KNEW THEY WERE NOT THE PROBLEM. I FIGURED EITHER THE MASTER CYLINDER WENT, OR SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BRAKE LINES. THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM AND BRAKE LIGHT WERE ON. I WAS ABLE TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE AND DOWNSHIFT THE TRANSMISSION TO COME TO A STOP. TURNS OUT,ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES ROTTED OUT AT THE REAR,CAUSING THE FLUID TO LEAK OUT,AND THE LOSS OF MY BRAKES. LUCKILY I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT.VEHICLE IS ONLY 8YRS OLD,WITH JUST TURNING 100000 MI. IN MY OPINION, THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING THIS SOON. *JS
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2005 CHEVY TAHOE WHEN SHE LOST THE BRAKES. SHE SAID THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SHE WAS NOT IN ANY TRAFFIC BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP VERY QUICKLY. I THEN DROVE THE CAR VERY CAREFULLY TO OUR LOCAL SERVICE STATION ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT ONE OF OUR REAR BAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING ALL HYDRAULIC FLUID TO BE LOST. THE REAR BRAKES HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE VEHICLE WITH THE MECHANIC, HE SHOWED ME ALL THE RUST UNDER THIS CAR. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE OTHER BRAKE LINE WERE ALSO VERY RUSTED AND COULD FAIL. I REPLACED BOTH REAR BRAKE LINES WITH MATERIAL THAT WILL NOT RUST. IT WAS A VERY LABOR INTENSIVE JOB AND ALSO VERY COSTLY. PLEASE LET OTHER PEOPLE THAT OWN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE TO CHECK THEIR BRAKE LINES. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN TRAVELING FAST ON A HIGHWAY. THE CAR ONLY HAS 53K MILES AND HAS BEEN GARAGED FOR MANY YEARS. IT AMAZING AT HOW MUCH RUST IS ON THIS VEHICLE. I HOPE GM WILL USE MATERIAL THAT DOES NOT RUST IN FUTURE AUTOMOBILES LIKE THIS!!! *TR
MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT MY FUEL AND BRAKE LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE TOTALLY CORRODED. *TR
LOST BRAKES GETTING OFF INTERSTATE 20/59, SEEMS TO BE A CORROSION ISSUE ON THE BRAKE LINE GOING TO REAR AXLE. THE LOCATION OF THE LEAK RELATIVE TO THE BODY IS AT THE 2 L DOOR ALONG THE FRAME RAIL. *TR
THE "SERVICE STABILITY" WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED, ABS WARNING LIGHT, TC TIRE DEFLATION, AND BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED ON OR ABOUT FEBRUARY 13, 2012. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BY MARCH 27, 2012 AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS. THE COMPUTER TESTER WAS ALLEGED TO SHOW THAT THE EBCM HAD FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. THIS DID NOT CLEAR THE DEFECT AND THE SAME WARNINGS CONTINUED WHEN EVER THE CAR WAS WASHED OR BECAME WET FROM RAIN. THE DEFECT WAS SAID TO BE IN THE WIRE THAT POWERED THE EBCM IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE FIREWALL. THE WIRE WAS STATED TO BE FRAYED. WHEN THE WIRE WAS REPLACED THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE WIRE MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED FROM ABRASION NEAR THE FIREWALL COMBINED WITH CORROSION FROM ROAD SALT. THIS COULD HAVE LEAD TO FAILURE OF THE ABS, AIRBAGS, AND STABILITY CONTROL AT A TIME WHEN IT IS MOST NEEDED. *JS
BRAKES FAILED DUE TO RUST IN THE BRAKE LINES CAUSING THEM TO RUPTURE WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. LUCKILY ACCIDENT WAS AVOIDED DUE TO LOW SPEED ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD. YOUNG CHILDREN WERE TRAVELING IN THE VEHICLE. ALL BRAKE FLUIDS WERE IMMEDIATELY LOST AND BRAKE PEDAL DROPPED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOT SLOW VEHICLE AT ALL. DASH WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT GIVE ANY FOREWARNING! VEHICLE IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD. *TR
TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE IN A 2005 CHEVY TAHOE DUE TO RUSTED BRAKE LINES ONLY 48,000 MILES. *TR
2005 CHEVY. TAHOE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT(LED PANEL) $300.00 REPLACEMENT VALUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR
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