1999 Chevrolet Tahoe: won't start

7 of the 551 complaints about the 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe describe won't start.

owner complaints: 7
of this car's complaints: 1%
typical mileage: 50,000
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 18 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Won't start by model year

2026
1
2025
1
2023
10
2022
3
2021
26
2019
3
2018
3
2017
1
2016
1
2015
3
2014
3
2013
1
2010
1
2009
4
2008
4
2007
17
2004
2
2003
6
2002
10
2001
2
2000
2
1999
7
1998
1
1997
4
1996
3
1995
2

What owners say

Filed Feb 6, 2009 · Electrical, Fuel system · 94,550 miles · TX

Went to visit inlaws in canada for chrismas, arrived late at nite. Got up in the morning truck will not start, local mechanic diagnosed it as the anti-theft system,{ passlock } he got it running and said I need to go to the nearest dealer to get it reprogrammed be fore it happens again. Next morning was going to dealer it would not start again. Three days latter it finally started. Dealer charged $330 to reprogram {passlock} two days latter when I was going home it would not start again. I haven't got it running yet. Was supposed to be back to work in texas three days latter. I got fired , and I'm still stuck in canada and broke now. Thank you chevrolet!!

Filed Sep 9, 2004 · Electrical · 50,000 miles · FL

Consumer stated that ignition anti-theft controller was defective. When starting it will not crank, and consumer needed to wait at least 20 or 30 minutes before the problem with the ignition will work. Consumertowed vehicle to the dealer at least 5 times. While at dealersthe modulator was changed, and the problem will be corrected, but only temporarily. Currently, the problem recurred.

Filed Aug 27, 2004 · Electrical · 82,650 miles · FL

My 1999 chevrolet tahoe intermittently fails to start. The engine cranks and then dies. It will do this, then I will let it sit for a while (45 min. To several hours) and I'll go back out and it will start right up. Mechanics have told me there's nothing that can be done until it does it consistently. On 8/19/04, I tried to start it @ 7:45 a.m. It took me until 8:25 a.m. To start it, after which I drove to work (late). I went back out to leave the office @ 10:30 a.m. - no start. Had it towed to dealership - started right up. According to the bcm, a code of dtc1626 showed up, which indicates something like the theft deterrent system is preventing the fuel enable signal from being received. The dealership soldered the wiring connections on the theft deterrent harness (previously, connections were crimped), which they said had helped several other tahoe owners. Two days later, my husband was stranded with my non-starting tahoe and my receipt for $161.84 for "fixing" the problem. There has to be a fix for this problem!! There are at least 6 other similar complaints on this website as well as 4 service bulletins, but no one seems to have a clue as to why this is happening or how to prevent it! I've owned 2 silverados and 1 yukon since 1984 and have been extremely happy with gm's products, but this tahoe takes the cake! If it hadn't been an anniversary gift from my husband, I would have sold it by now!

Filed Jul 2, 2004 · Electrical · 40,000 miles · TX

I have owned a 1999 chevrolet tahoe for a little over 2 years. On at least 6 occasions, the vehicle won't crank up. The engine doesn't even turn over as if to crank, but if you wait 1 to 12 hours, it will crank right up. The engine decides how long it will take to reset itself and allow us to crank it. We asked a friend who is a chevrolet mechanic about the possible cause of this problem. He said that it was a common problem with tahoes of that year. He said that the vehicle alarm system thinks that it has been broken into, and tries to protect itself from theft and won't crank. On none of the occasions that it has disabled itself have we had the alarm system disrupted. Our mechanic friend says he has seen it several times, but the chevrolet company says that they never heard of this problem. It costs several hundred dollars to fix the problem, therefore I live with it every day. On a recent vacation to the mountains, I was afraid to turn the vehicle off when we got out of it to take pictures for fear that it wouldn't start back up. Is there any information on this problem? Have you heard it before?

Filed Jun 26, 2003 · Electrical · 38,000 miles · IL

Vehicle has a no start condition which will persist for 1 to 4 hours.vehicle will start and then immediately die. It appears to have something to do with humidity or damp weather. Several repair shops have ran diagnostics and reveal a theft deterrent code which comes up on computer. The vehicle has been in for repairs at least 10 times to different shops for the same problem with no results. It is currently at the shop and has been there for over two weeks. This problem has occurred at least 30 times in the last 3 years .my towing insurance is rising and my patience is thin. I am at wits end, help please.

Filed Jul 6, 2002 · Electrical · MN

We would drive the tahoe up north around 150 miles park the tahoe camp for 2 days not using the tahoe during the 2 days pack up to go home and the tahoe won't start it turns over trying to start but does'nt it's getting gas, 3hours later the tahoe will start,this also happened about 5weeks ago,we had it hauled to a dealer ,they whet to put it on a scope to check it but the tahoe started,when it's working the scope check shows nothing wrong with the tahoe, ??????

Filed Aug 2, 2000 · Electrical · GA

Vehicle was parked in front of consumer's house. She got inside of vehicle and attempted to start it up, but vehicle would not start. Her husband opened the hood, and battery had exploded, and leaked battery acid all over the vehicle.