On October 20th, 2026, I was driving the vehicle (a 2020 Tahoe with 74081 miles on it) in highway traffic at approximately 55 mph when with no warning an engine message lit up as the vehicle had a sudden loss of power. This put myself and others at risk of a serious crash.
The worst 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine15
- Transmission14
- Electrical12
- Brakes6
- Steering6
- Airbags4
- Fuel system3
- Acceleration2
- Suspension2
- Tires2
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe
Check engine light 7Engine failure 6Loss of power 5Transmission failure 5
Recalls 3
Tires
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
- Risk
- Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Buick customer service at 1‑866‑608‑8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
Recall number 21V115000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
- Risk
- Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or GMC customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.
Recall number 19V837000 · Recall details
Electronic stability control (ESC)
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
- Risk
- Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Recall number 19V761000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe 856
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories
- Unknown or other
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- Unknown or other
- This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
2020 Chevrolet Tahoe fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | RWD | 15 | 22 | 18 |
| 6.2L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14 | 23 | 17 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 21 | 17 |
| 6.2L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 14 | 22 | 17 |
What 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The water pump failed. Platinum Chevrolet has the old one as they have replaced it. I was driving in [XXX] on a crowded street when I had to quickly pull over because of a terrible noise and the smell of leaking coolant. It made it dangerous for me to get to a parking spot in traffic without warning. There were no warning symptoms. Had to have it towed to Platinum Chevrolet in Terrell, Texas, which did the inspection and water pump replacement. $1600.00. No clue what caused it other than bad workmanship. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I got in my vehicle and turned it on. Once on, it asked me to roll down my passenger side window and roll it back up. I thought that was odd, but did so. My vehicle had completely reset. The clocks were not correct and none of our controls were set. I reset everything, but thought that was weird. A few days later, my husband and son were coming home from a 5-hour trip and as they were turning into our driveway, thank God they were home, the vehicle completely turned off and shut down. The brakes locked up and they came to a complete stop. We lived on a really busy road and this could have been extremely dangerous. My husband quickly turned the vehicle back on and parked in the driveway, but as soon as he parked, it shut completely off again. This is extremely dangerous, because what if they would’ve been on the highway going at a fast rate of speed? I called the dealership where we had bought the vehicle and brought it in, but was unable to keep it there for days due to our schedule. I’ve since had it looked at twice and they haven’t been able to figure out why it did this. However, I turned it on the other day and it sounded like it wouldn’t turn over. I tried it again and it turned on after clicking again, but this time my entire console screen and buttons wouldn’t work and on the dash it read “service anti theft system”. Everything was reset again. We own this vehicle and have spent our hard earned money on it and I’m terrified to drive it because I have kids in the car almost all the time. It’s currently in the shop again and they are going to have it for multiple days to try and figure out why this is happening.
The 6.2L L87 V8 engine in my 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier RST suffered a catastrophic internal component failure while operating. The engine experienced a sudden, severe internal mechanical breakdown involving the crankshaft or connecting rod bearings, completely disabling the powertrain.This failure causes an immediate and dangerous loss of vehicle propulsion, creating a severe safety hazard on public roads.General Motors has already issued Safety Recall N252494001 (the federal safety agency Campaign 24V924000) for identical L87 engine bearing failures, but has arbitrarily limited the scope to 2021–2024 model years. My 2020 vehicle uses the exact same L87 engine family and has suffered the exact same catastrophic defect.I am filing this report to urge the federal safety agency to expand its current Engineering Analysis (RQ26001) and force General Motors to expand the safety recall to include 2020 model year vehicles before more consumers experience sudden engine failure while driving."
Transmission valve , vehicle shutter, and eventually complete loss of power and failure. Transmission had to be replaced as vehicle was out of warranty.
The dealership where I get my 2020 Chevy Tahoe service, stated that there is a recall for the water pump for the 2020 Chevy Tahoe, due to a manufactory defect, causing the water pump to leak. On XXX, mileage 62,777, I had to replace my water pump for that same reason, but my vehicle was not part of the recall; therefore, paying for a placement water pump myself. The dealership is Musson Patout Automotive Group/GMC, 214 West Hwy 90 Frontage Road, New Iberia, LA 70560, [XXX]. I am requesting that my vehicle be added to the recall list, due to this oversite. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My transmission failed, yes it is available for inspection. The failure occurred without warning. I was driving my truck on the highway, suddenly it began to hesitate and making a loud winding out noise. The truck was hesitate on going forward. Yes, I had the vehicle towed to Banks Chevy, I was told the torque converter blew metal shavings into the transmission and it was a common problem with these vehicles. No warning at all, I just had my oil changed at the dealership, it was running great, out of nowhere this happened.
Chevrolet has a recall on some vehicles for a bad transmission valve body, but my vehicle isn’t a part of the recall and I’m having the exact same issues. Currently my only vehicle that I have to transport my 7 month old is a complete safety risk. My check engine light is on and the code its throwing is to replace transmission valve body assembly. My Tahoe is shifting very harshly when driving normally, it feels like it slams into gears causing the whole car to jerk. When sitting at a red light that turns green, Tahoe is slipping, barely wanting to move through an intersection with vehicles all around me. I’ve been advised to not drive my Tahoe at all because if I do I will certainly have severe drivetrain damage and rear wheel lock up. Like I said, Chevrolet already has a recall for this issue on some of their vehicles, but my specific Tahoe does not. This is my only vehicle for myself and my baby and I cannot drive it due to its safety issues.
Tahoe transmission failed with 103,000 miles… took to Chevrolet they confirmed, took to a transmission specialist they confirmed failure but they said the computer was throwing weird codes and they believe this has a factor in transmission issue. On the way home the brake system alert went off and the car would not go above 35 miles an hour … I get this is a safety feature but it was dangerous in the location this occurred ans this car was not that old and does not have high miles to justify this type of issues
I own a 2020 Tahoe, 160,000 miles. While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of brake assist due to a failure of the vacuum brake pump. The brake pedal became extremely hard, and the vehicle would not slow or stop as expected, requiring me to put vehicle in neutral and frantically find a way to the shoulder to force a stop (pulling the emergency brake). This created a dangerous condition and significantly increased stopping distance, posing a serious safety risk to myself, and others on the road. There was little to no warning prior to the failure. This issue appears to be consistent with known complaints involving vacuum pump failure and loss of brake assist in similar vehicles. A failure of the braking assist system is NOT a normal wear condition and presents a critical safety hazard. I am reporting this incident due to the safety risk associated with sudden brake assist failure and the potential for accidents or injury. Vehicle issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. There was a warning light that appeared at the same time the brake stopped working leaving me no time to plan or know ahead not to drive.
Compare the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe reliable?
Owners have filed 58 complaints about the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe, fewer than a typical Tahoe model year.
What is the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe year score?
The 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe scores 86 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Tahoe: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Engine and cooling, with 15 complaints. Next is transmission (14).
How many recalls does the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe have?
3 recalls, covering tires, fuel system, gasoline and electronic stability control (esc).
What year does the Chevrolet Tahoe have bad engine?
The Chevrolet Tahoe model years with the most engine complaints are 2021 (188 complaints), 2023 (147 complaints) and 2022 (84 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe get?
Official estimates for the 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe range from 17 to 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.3L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 15 city and 22 highway.
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