"How reliable is the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe?"

"Based on 386 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe has a median complaint mileage of 79300 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 386 total complaints filed."

2009 Chevrolet Tahoe: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 386 complaints

386

Total Complaints

79,300mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

54,358 25th Percentile

79,300 Median Mileage

104,250 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

Unknown Or Other

Body

Electrical System

Latches/Locks/Linkages

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Engine

Structure

Service Brakes

Fuel/Propulsion System

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE HYBRID. WHILE THE SECOND ROW SEATS WERE PULLED BACK TO HOUSE CARGO, THE SEATS RETURNED TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND CRUSHED THE CARGO. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 60 MPH, WITH THE SECOND ROW SEATS PULLED BACK TO TRANSPORT CARGO, 40 PERCENT OF THE SEAT WOULD FA..."

"I OWN A 2009 CHEVY TAHOE HYBRID (PURCHASED IN EARLY MARCH OF 2009). I WAS BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE WITH MY FAMILY WHEN I REALIZED THE BRAKES WEREN'T WORKING TO SLOW US OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. I DROVE THROUGH THE SUBDIVISION AT 15MPH AND I COULDN'T GET IT TO STOP! IN REVIEWING ONLINE, THERE ARE S..."

"I HAVE A GM PRODUCT. A 2009 CHEVY TAHOE WITH ONLY 7,000 MILES ON IT. IT TURN OFF ITSELF WITOUT ANY WARNING I AM APPROACHING THE STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN START TO TURN I NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAVE TURN OFF ITSELF. SINCE I CAN NOT STEER WELL SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OFF IS THEN WHEN I CAN HIT A C..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 97 complaints

25th: 78,500 mi Median: 97,000 mi 75th: 120,000 mi

Unknown Or Other 92 complaints

25th: 70,000 mi Median: 94,000 mi 75th: 111,766 mi

Body 35 complaints

25th: 60,750 mi Median: 87,191 mi 75th: 115,875 mi

Electrical System 32 complaints

25th: 55,750 mi Median: 72,500 mi 75th: 103,500 mi

Latches/Locks/Linkages 22 complaints

25th: 40,500 mi Median: 59,000 mi 75th: 70,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 88 CA: 38 FL: 35 LA: 21 MS: 15 AL: 14 GA: 14 NC: 13 TN: 11 SC: 11

Who Files Complaints?

Original Owners

99%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Tahoe — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1994	20	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	2
1995	296	120,000	Seats	31
1996	390	110,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	31
1997	515	89,950	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	29
1998	315	84,614	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	24
1999	677	93,537	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	53
2000	341	79,300	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	28
2001	607	67,250	Parking Brake	52
2002	541	83,500	Service Brakes	53
2003	628	72,518	Instrument Cluster/Panel	26
2004	548	71,127	Instrument Cluster/Panel	30
2005	379	85,000	Electrical System	15
2006	144	85,000	Electrical System	6
2007	1532	79,000	Air Bags	32
2008	683	75,000	Air Bags	11
2010	405	75,000	Unknown Or Other	3
2011	571	66,000	Unknown Or Other	8
2012	252	70,000	Unknown Or Other	15
2013	308	61,000	Unknown Or Other	6
2014	118	55,000	Unknown Or Other	5
2015	880	60,000	Service Brakes	43
2016	345	45,000	Service Brakes	25
2017	217	50,000	Power Train	3
2018	123	41,500	Unknown Or Other	5
2019	155	28,000	Power Train	11
2020	55	16,000	Electrical System	5
2021	551	37,000	Engine	18
2022	216	44,400	Engine	3
2023	250	30,000	Engine	8
2024	82	9,000	Engine	1
2025	39	-	Engine	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28