2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 169about this part
- Share
- 37%of 461 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 41,500miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 169 complaints about the engine of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe, 37% of the 461 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 41,500 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On april 3, 2021 at approximately 5:00pm, while driving on the highway through north carolina (on a trip from maryland to florida) with my family of 5 (two adults and 3 young children, including my infant son) out of nowhere my brand new Tahoe began shaking uncontrollably and the engine starting popping and sputtering as if it were going to give out completely. This occurred on a very busy highway, where my vehicle was surrounded by many other vehicles driving at high rates of speed. …”
NHTSA complaint #11416410, filed 2021-05, 5,334 miles“My wife was driving our new Tahoe (5,101 miles) down a neighborhood street, stopped at a stop sign and hit gas to proceed into a turn and engine completely turned off. She was able to glide to a stop in front of a house, but is terrified what may have happened if she was traveling far from home or on the interstate at high speed with the same occurring. Car would not turn over/start after stopping and had to be towed to dealership. Occurred on a neighborhood street (ashleigh road in fairfax, va)”
NHTSA complaint #11397666, filed 2021-02, 5,101 miles“We had a failed lifter that caused bent rods which caused scratches on the crank shaft which caused us to have to replace the engine. After a simple internet search I have found the lifter failure is very common with gms 5.3 v8. We were told oil needs to be changed at least every 5000 miles although the vehicle prompts you around 7000.”
NHTSA complaint #11657047, filed 2025-04“While driving on I-90 in Montana on a clear, sunny day at the posted speed limit of 80 miles per hour for one hour, the vehicle began making knocking noises then, all of a sudden lost power. Upon inspection at the nearest GM dealership service department in Butte, MT, I was told something within the engine broke. …”
NHTSA complaint #11710051, filed 2026-01“On the morning of 1 Oct, I had left the house here in Cedartown GA to head to a meeting in Atlanta with a customer. I had started the truck 15 minutes before departing just as we have always done to our vehicles over the years to allow them to warm up properly. I departed Doyle Rd onto Hwy 27 South heading towards interstate 20. …”
NHTSA complaint #11693139, filed 2025-10Related service bulletins
- 11032588May 11, 2026Certain vehicles may have a condition that could cause the cylinder 2 glow plug to fail. If this failure occurs, the Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine Light) will…
- 11027714Jan 21, 2026Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components in these vehicles may have manufacturing defects that can lead to…
- 11025492Nov 6, 2025Under Field Actions N252494000, N252494001, the service procedure includes performing a PICO test on vehicle engines within the identified suspect VIN population. If the engine…
- 11023152Sep 16, 2025Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition that could cause the engine coolant control valve to fail an onboard vehicle diagnostic test. If this condition were to occur…
- 11024330Sep 6, 2025This technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the camshaft actuator magnet to correct customer concerns of engine related shudder.
- 11026017Jun 5, 2025This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
- 11018541May 23, 2025Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components in these vehicles may have manufacturing defects that can lead to…
- 11024486May 16, 2025This bulletin advises the tech to inspect deeper into what may be to main cause of an engine failure.
- 11024485May 15, 2025The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the…
- 11020254May 7, 2025This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000 miles that may not pass California smog inspection or smog inspection in…
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 67% |
| 2025 | 30 | 59% |
| 2024 | 24 | 35% |
| 2023 | 127 | 55% |
| 2022 | 75 | 38% |
| 2021 | 169 | 37% |
| 2020 | 14 | 25% |
| 2019 | 32 | 29% |
| 2018 | 20 | 19% |
| 2017 | 26 | 15% |
| 2016 | 19 | 7% |
| 2015 | 46 | 7% |
| 2014 | 2 | 2% |
| 2013 | 13 | 6% |
| 2012 | 9 | 5% |
| 2011 | 11 | 2% |
| 2010 | 11 | 4% |
| 2009 | 14 | 5% |
| 2008 | 27 | 5% |
| 2007 | 58 | 5% |
| 2006 | 2 | 2% |
| 2005 | 13 | 4% |
| 2004 | 26 | 6% |
| 2003 | 9 | 2% |
| 2002 | 7 | 2% |
| 2001 | 3 | 1% |
| 2000 | 3 | 1% |
| 1999 | 1 | 0% |
| 1998 | 1 | 0% |
| 1997 | 1 | 0% |
Other parts of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
120 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
90 complaintsElectrical system
58 complaintsOther or unknown
41 complaintsAir bags
27 complaintsBrakes
22 complaintsForward collision avoidance
21 complaintsEngine cooling
17 complaintsExterior lighting
16 complaintsSteering
15 complaintsSeat belts
13 complaintsVehicle speed control
10 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology