There are 34 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Recall #09V154000 should have been performed on my vehicle according to the list of VIN #'s affected, but it never was and I was never notified of the recall. I purchased this vehicle the month before this recall was announced in 2009 and did not start having safety issues until after my new SUV warranty had expired (how convenient). Over the years, I have spent thousands of dollars replacing all kinds of sensors, relays, batteries and various other parts trying to alleviate the unsafe electrical and loss of power issues that this faulty part continues to cause. I have taken this vehicle to my local dealership on countless occasions, complaining that the vehicle intermittently: does not start, the engine suddenly dies while driving on the highway or turning a corner (becoming unsteerable and the brakes won't work), suddenly decelerates, door locks cycle rapidly while driving, the check engine light and other warning lights/alarms come on, headlights and dash lights suddenly shut off, windows or AC stops working, and now the fuel gauge only reads 1/4 tank when I just filled it up. I took the SUV to my local dealer again today, explained the intermittent electrical and loss of power issues and history again and asked why this recall had not been performed or was not scheduled to be performed at any previous time that I had brought the vehicle in for diagnostics or service on these related issues. The service manager admitted that the recall had never been performed, but denied the possibility of the FSCM causing any of these issues, regardless of the recall notice stating they were. He then refused to perform the recall and said I needed to pay $380 to have another diagnostic scan performed. Never scheduling/performing the recall when the SUV was serviced countless times for related safety issues as defined in the recall notice that they never mailed to me and refusing to perform the recall today is a violation of the US NTMV Safety Act and should have consequences!
KEEPS LOOSING POWER AND STAKING WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES CALIPERS ARE MALFUNCTIONING THE FUEL CONTROL MODULE IS BEING EFFECTIVE SEE THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS BUT MY VEHICLE IS LISTED DMFOR MAKE AND MODEL BUT NOT VIN BUT IT'S EFFECTIVE
IN REGARDS OF MY 2009 CHEVY TAHOE LTZ THIS VECHICLE HAS HAD SOME ISSUES IN THE FEW MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. WHEN EVER THE CAR IS PARKED AN YOU EXIT THE SUV TO LOCK IT IT DOES NOT LOCK YOU HEAR THE CLICKING SOUND LIKE ITS LOCKED BUT WHEN YOU TRY TO OPEN THE DOOR THAT SHOULD BE LOCKED IT OPENS RIGHT UP AN THE ALARM GOES OFF AN TO MENTION THE DOOR HANDLES ARE CHIPPING AWAY AN THE PLASTIC CUTS ALMOST EVERY PERSON THAT OPENS MY DOORS THAT ARE NOT CAREFUL. AN IVE HAD TO PATCH ALMOST 5 PLACES ON MY COOLANT AN A/C LINES THAT ARE ALUMINUM VERY CHEAPLY MADE.
WHEN I PRESS DOWN ON THE GAS, MY VEHICLE STALLS ABOUT FIVE SECONDS BEFORE IT ACTUALLY TAKES OFF. WHEN I TRY TO STOP, IT DOES NOT STOP RIGHT AWAY AS I PRESS DOWN ON THE BREAK. I'VE ALMOST REAR ANOTHER VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT. I HAVE TO STAY AT LEAST 15 FEET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. MY VEHICLE HAS SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF PERIODICALLY. IF I TURN MY WHEEL TO SHARPLY (REVERSE OR FORWARD), IT JERKS, MAKES A LOUD NOISE, AND THEN IT FEELS LIKE ITS ABOUT TO CUT OFF. I FEEL REALLY UNSAFE DRIVING, HOWEVER, I HAVE NO CHOICE BECAUSE I HAVE TO WORK.
I HAVE BOUGHT 4 DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS AND ALL KEEP FAILING THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. IF THERE IS A FIRE OR AN EMERGENCY I HAVE KIDS AND SOMETHING MAY HAPPEN.
ELECTRICAL ISSUES DASH AND ALL ELECTRIC WOULD GO HEY WIRE ENGINE PERFORMANCE WOULD BE ERRATIC A VERY SAFETY PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING
WHEN DRIVING OR SITTING IN A PARKED POSITION THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM GOES CRAZY. RADIO, DASH CONTROLS, BELLS, LIGHTS, UNLOCK/LOCK ALL START GOING ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL ACTUALLY DIE OUT AND STALL WHILE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS GOING CRAZY. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THEN LOCKED EITHER MY ABS OR 4WD ON THE BACK WHEELS CAUSING THE CAR TO DRIVE SLOWLY THEN WHEN I FINALLY COULD PULL OVER MY CAR WAS SMOKING FROM UNDER THE ENTIRE CAR LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE. I WAS DRIVING UP A MAIN HIGHWAY WHEN MY TRUCK STARTED FAILING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC CAUSING ME TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND COAST TO THE SIDE. I THEN TRIED TO START THE TRUCK AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. AFTER TURNING EVERYTHING ON AND OFF, MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL IT FINALLY STARTED AGAIN. WHATEVER ELECTRICAL PART OR PARTS THAT RUN THE ENTIRE CAR CLEARLY HAVE A MAJOR FAULT IN THEM. THIS ISSUE IS CLEARLY DOCUMENTED ON VIDEOS AND BLOGS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS. SEARCH HOW TO FIX CHEVY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND YOU WILL SEE. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR SO MANY YEARS WITHOUT GM HAVING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AT SOME POINT. IF YOU ARE NOT A MECHANIC AND TAKE YOUR CAR IN THEY ARE CHARGING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO TRY TO SEARCH FOR THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE THE GROUND WIRES RUNNING FROM THE BATTERY ON MOST VEHICLES OR THE FUSE. THIS IS A SIMPLE FIX IF YOU ARE A MECHANIC BUT TAKING IT IN TO THE SHOP THEY CHARGE OUTRAGEOUS PRICES. THIS IS ALSO THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED MY DOOR LOCKS WERE BEING REPLACED AND WHEN THEY GAVE THE CAR BACK TO ME I IMMEDIATELY HAD TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AT THAT TIME AND IT HAS WORKED FINE UNTIL NOW.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND VARIOUS WARNING INDICATORS RANDOMLY FLASHED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RANDOMLY SHORTED OUT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH. ALSO, THERE WAS A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN SPEED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXTREME FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE DUE TO THE SUDDEN FAILURE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO REVIEW THE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A DIAGNOSIS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 07/12/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED SUDDENLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. UPDATED 07/19/2016. *JB
THE ACTUATOR IN THE PASSENGER DRIVER DOOR BECAME INOPERABLE. ONCE THAT WAS FIXED, BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER DOOR STARTED HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM SINCE IT'S AFFECTING MULTIPLE DOORS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE HYBRID. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND APROACHING A STOP, THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO SHIFT FROM GAS TO ELECTRIC. HOWEVER, IT INVOLUNTARILY ACCELERATED EVEN WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE, IT HAD TO BE SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE ELEVATED, THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY, AND THE AIR CONDITIONER ACTIVATED AS THE VEHICLE REMOTE LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
TAHOE LOOSES ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WONT CRANK, RADIO GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING, DOOR LOCKS GO UP AND ENGINE GOES INTO LOSE OF POWER VOLT GAUGE DROPS BELOW 14V ,STOP. TRUCK GO TO CRANK NO ELECTRICAL POWER, GO TO TOUCH BATTERY CABLES THEN IT WILL START HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM, INTRARNATE IS FULL OF SAME PROBLEM
THE BATTERY LIGHT TURNS ON. UT READS CHECK BATTERY SYSTEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKED IN FOUR PLACES AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS EXPOSED. IN ADDITION, THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS FAILED ON ALL FOUR DOORS AND THE RUNNING BOARDS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
THE 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE AUTOMATIC LIFT GATE BECAME A SIGNIFICANT DANGER TO THOSE ACCESSING THE REAR COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. TYPICAL OPERATION OF THE AUTOMATIC LIFT GATE IS THAT THE REAR HATCH OPENS COMPLETELY AND REMAINS OPEN WITH A SINGLE BUTTON CLICK. THE SAME AUTOMATIC LIFT GATE TYPICALLY CLOSES AND REMAINS SHUT WITH A SINGLE BUTTON CLICK. ON OR AROUND MAY 28TH, 2015, MY SON WAS PLACING SEVERAL ITEMS IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE LIFTGATE BEGAN SHUTTING ON HIM. IN AN ATTEMPT TO HOLD THE LIFTGATE OPEN, IT CONTINUED TO CLOSE FORCEFULLY WITHOUT RAISING BACK UP. THINKING QUICKLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL HIM AWAY FROM THE LIFTGATE AS IT CONTINUED TO CLAMP ANYTHING IN ITS PATH. MY SON RECEIVED A BUMPED HEAD AND SCRATCHES AS THE DOOR SHUT ON HIM. THE ISSUE APPEARED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT CAUSED THE LIFTGATE TO CLOSE FORCEFULLY AND CLAMP SHUT WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF ANYTHING IN ITS PATH. I ALSO WAS NOT ABLE TO PREVENT THE LIFTGATE FROM CLOSING AS IT JUST CLAMPED SHUT, CRUSHING ANYTHING IN ITS PATH. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND WE FEAR THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY BE INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS MALFUNCTION. THERE IS NO RAPID FUNCTIONALITY TO OVERRIDE THE THE MOTOR (SWITCHING TO MANUAL) THAT CONTROLS LIFTGATE OPERATIONS. THIS COULD VERY WELL HAVE CRUSHED MY CHILD IF I HADN'T BEEN STANDING NEXT TO HIM. OTHER ISSUES THAT OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME WITHIN THE VEHICLE INCLUDED: 1) A SINGLE EVENT WHERE THE RADIO STAYED ON ONE CHANNEL AND WOULD NOT CHANGE WITHOUT RESTARTING THE CAR WAS WHEN THE ISSUE BEGAN; 2) XM SATELLITE RADIO BEGAN WORKING WITHOUT A SUBSCRIPTION; 3) THE AUTOMATIC MEMORY POSITION OF THE DRIVER SEAT DID NOT REMAIN IN POSITION AS TYPICAL; AND 4) THE LIFTGATE WOULD AUTOMATICALLY OPEN ABOUT 18 INCHES AND IMMEDIATELY CLOSE, CRUSHING ANYTHING IN ITS PATH.
I OWN A 2009 CHEVY TAHOE AND I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH DOOR LOCK PROBLEMS FOR THE PAST YEAR. THE DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AT THIS POINT AND REAR PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM TIME TO TIME. AT THIS MOMENT WE HAVE 2 WORKING DOORS, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY THESE REMAINING 2 CURRENTLY WORKING DOORS WILL NOT OPEN EITHER AND MY FAMILY MAY BE TRAPPED. SOMEONE SUGGESTED WE CONTACT THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD AND FILE A COMPLAINT TO SEE IF MAYBE WE CAN FORCE GM INTO A RECALL SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH? PLEASE ADVICE ON HOW I SHOULD PROCEED WITH THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP AND COOPERATION WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR LEFT DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK WHEN USING THE DRIVER'S CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE DOOR ACTUATOR. HOWEVER, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
DRIVER DOOR AND REAR DOOR ON DRIVER SIDE DO NOT LOCK/UNLOCK CONSISTENTLY WITH KEY FOB NOR DO THEY LOCK/UNLOCK WITH POWER LOCK BUTTON. I HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK BOTH DOORS MOST OF THE TIME. THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID THEY REPLACED THESE A FEW YEARS BACK UNDER WARRANTY SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR MECHANICAL ISSUE CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN. NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK MY DOORS WHEN I LEAVE THE VEHICLE. PASSENGER SIDE DOORS APPEAR TO WORK FINE ALL THE TIME. THE COST IS CLOSE TO $300 PER DOOR TO CORRECT AND I BELIEVE ONLY A 30 DAY WARRANTY. SO IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A PERMANENT RESOLUTION. *TR
DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILURE. REAR DOORS CAN NOT BE UNLOCKED OR LOCKED WITH THE KEY FOB OR THE MANUAL UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE DRIVER CONTROL PANEL.
STABILITRAK WILL DISENGAGE, AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON THEN OFF, ABS LIGHT COMES ON THEN OFF, CRUISE STOPS WORKING WHEN USING TURN SIGNAL, DOOR LOCKS START UNLOCKING THEN LOCKING, BRAKES START APPLYING THEMSELVES, ENGINE SLOWS TO A CRAWL, LIGHTS START GOING ON AND OFF ON THE DASH WITH DINGING SOUND. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 34 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