I’m reporting a transmission failure that occurred unexpectedly on my 2021 Chevy Tahoe/the diesel version has been recalled so I don’t know why all the other 2021 Tahoe have not been recalled for this issue . The vehicle began shifting roughly and slipping between gears, followed by a warning message and eventual inability to shift properly. I had it inspected by a family friend who owns a body shop , and I was told the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of nearly $7,000. I am no longer under powertrain warranty, but this failure feels premature and unsafe for such a new vehicle. I’ve seen many other 2021 Tahoe owners report similar issues online including transmission failure, harsh shifting, valve body problems, and complete breakdowns . This seems like a pattern, and I believe it may warrant investigation. I’m asking the federal safety agency to investigate whether this is part of a broader transmission defect that poses a safety or reliability concern. Sudden shifting issues and inability to accelerate or reverse are dangerous for drivers and passengers. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe engine complaints
Page 5 of 7: complaints 101 to 130 of 188, newest first, as owners wrote them.
On 01/03/24, the vehicle stalled and smoked on the Suncoast Parkway. All dashboard warning lights and messages illuminated, and the vehicle entered emergency park mode. OnStar was contacted and the vehicle was towed to Jenkins Chevrolet in Homosassa, FL. The failure was linked to a broken pulley and belt system that damaged the ECM and wiring harness. No DTCs were pulled, and mileage in/out was 80042/80043—no test drive performed. On 08/06/24, the vehicle returned to Jenkins for a roaring noise. A pulley bearing was replaced, possibly related to the earlier failure. Again, no drivability evaluation or codes recorded. On 03/09/25, the same full system warning lights/messages appeared again. The vehicle experienced harsh shifting and delayed acceleration. It was taken to AutoNation Chevrolet South Clearwater on 03/10/25. DTCs (P0700, P0717, P2714, P2716, P0706, and U-codes) were found but dismissed. Only the battery was replaced. Mileage in/out was 99494—no test drive performed despite claims one occurred. On 07/08/25, the vehicle again showed full dashboard warnings. Brought back to AutoNation on 07/09/25. On 07/14/25, customer received a $9,177.85 estimate including full transmission replacement. Safety was at risk due to repeated stalling, loss of acceleration, and emergency parking mode while driving or merging. These failures could have led to accidents or left the vehicle disabled in traffic. Driver and children were present during each incident. The vehicle is enrolled in OnStar and the MyChevy app, which provide monthly health reports. Despite these incidents, no faults or warnings were ever shown in the reports. Vehicle remains available for inspection. A case is open with GM. Across 4 service visits, GM-certified dealerships failed to follow proper protocols, including code checks, drivability assessments, and test drives—contributing to delayed diagnosis of transmission failure.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 47,000. The VIN was invalid.
Automatic fuel management/ Displacement on demand caused lifter failure which caused cylinder failures.
I was driving home from a long trip and heard a large pop. Several warning signs and messages began popping up and the vehicle was shaking and struggling to maintain speed. I was able to get home and get my family out of the vehicle and get it to a dealer down the road. They stated the Fuel injector and harness had failed.
[XXX] # [XXX] VIN = [XXX] MAKE ; Chevrolet Tahoe 2021 RE : I received a recall affects certain 2021-2024 models equipped with the 6.2L V8 L87 engine. The defect involves the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components, potentially leading to engine damage or failure. On March 2025, My Tohoe completely stopped while I was driving. My SUV was towed to Bomnin Chevrolet in Manassas Virginia. They diagnois was crank shaft damage leading to engine failure. My SUV was in the dealership for 2 weeks while the engine was replaced. I spent a total of $ 15,027.20 to fix my car for that problem. I called GM recall about this problem. I was informed that the recall was for only certain vehicles. Not my SUV. I am concerned that my SUV was affected by faulty crank chaft. I had to replace the engine. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
several issues with certain popups regarding various indicators on dash and engine not getting enough psi
Unknown - engine is driving hard and somethings wrong. No one will service my car because they say it’s on a recall, but then when they look up the VIN number it’s not on a recall however there are major issues going on.
The contact owned a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed to approximately 10 MPH with black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine connecting rods had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
On April 25th, 2025 while traveling on Interstate 20 at 70+mph speeds with my children in my vehicle and 30 weeks pregnant, with no indication of an issue my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe suffered catastrophic engine failure. There was zero warning from the vehicle including noises/electronic display warnings that this was fixing to occur. In the middle of going 70+mph surrounded by traffic on a busy interstate the vehicle just shut off completely. I was able to use what momentum I had from my speed to get on to the shoulder. However, the failure prevented me from being able to turn on my signal to alert other drivers of my merging and prevented the use of my emergency flashers to signal once on the shoulder immobile. The vehicle would not start up again after that, and I had to call a tow truck to take my vehicle to the nearest certified Chevrolet service center. When the tow truck arrived the vehicle would not even shift into neutral allowing them to load it without potentially causing more damage. It had to be drug with the wench in park onto the tow truck bed. Once at the nearest service center I was told it would be up to 3 weeks + before they could do a diagnostics. I was 14 hours from home when this happened, and now had to pay to have my Tahoe towed 14 hours back to the service center near my home. On May 8th the failure was determined to be caused by this recall, specifically the crankshaft. The dealership has lied and said they've ordered a new motor and it came in, then called to tell me they ordered the wrong motor. They said they ordered the correct one and it would be in within 14 days, and that was 25 days ago. They called today June 16, 2025 to tell me there is still no update on when my engine will ship to complete this repair. The dealership has also refused to assist me with any loaner vehicle or rental assistance even though GM has told me I am entitled to it under this recall. GM has moved my case to Parts Delay team and I still have not been contacted.
While starting from a stop the engine stuttered and resulted in a major loss of power. Luckily this occurred pulling out of our driveway on to a quiet neighborhood street. Several warning lights and messages went off including the engine and transmission system warning, “service ESC”, “Service Traction Control”, and the emission system warning. After driving it to the dealership at 30mph since the shaking and banging noise was so bad, the dealer diagnosed it as a cylinder 6 caused by a failed lifter and lifter rod. Resulting repair involved lifters and rods in that same bank at a $3500 repair. The vehicle was just over 4 years old with 79,250 miles.Repair invoice available upon request.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop, the vehicle suddenly jolted forward independently. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the valve body. The vehicle was not repaired due to part availability. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 57,000.
“Catastrophic engine failure” as stated by Chevrolet dealership service department. Loud rattling noise prompted service visit. Not 6.2 liter engine, but almost identical issue.
Check Engine Light Came On. Upon Diagnosis', the engine is misfiring, lifters are not performing correctly and there are critical engine alerts and an estimate of 11,000 to fix. 2021 - 83,000 miles v8 - 5.3 NOT the 6.2 and no one will help me bc my power train expires. I am the only owner. Second brand new Tahoe ai bought from this dealership and they are doing nothing to help.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 40 MPH, the "Service Stabili-trak Soon" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine and the contact's husband pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that after the vehicle was restarted, the failure persisted. The contact's husband pulled into a gas station and called an independent mechanic. The mechanic advised the contact's husband to safely drive the vehicle home and to then take the vehicle to his shop the next day for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was driven to the independent mechanic and was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that cylinders #1 and #7 were not functioning as needed. The contact was then informed that the engine lifters needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and parts were ordered to repair the vehicle. The vehicle remained in the possession of the mechanic and was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,400.
On April 25th, 2025 we were taking our kids to their after school activities when the SUV started to shake, and accelerate very fast by barely pushing the gas pedal, the ETS light along with the forward collision warning also appeared on the dashboard along with the check engine light. This prompted my husband to get our vehicle towed to the nearest shop close to the street where our vehicle started having problems. After several days of diagnostics the shop let us know our vehicle needed the following repairs: Bank One lifters replacement, head gasket service, and a water pump replacement, we ok'd the repairs. Although these components were replaced, we were informed on May 15, 2025, that the vehicle continues to misfire and now requires a camshaft replacement as well. The total cost of the repair has now risen from $5,182.16 to $13,549.79, which is a significant financial burden as the vehicle is just outside of warranty coverage. We are aware that there is an active recall covering similar issues for 2021–2024 Chevrolet Tahoes equipped with 6.2L engines. However, our 5.3L engine model is experiencing the same mechanical failures, including misfires, knocking noises, low RPM idling, and performance degradation. There is growing evidence that the valve lifter issues are not limited to the 6.2L engine variant. Our experience—and the experiences of others reported online—suggests that the 5.3L L84 engine may also suffer from the same design or manufacturing flaws. We respectfully urge the federal safety agency to investigate whether this issue warrants expanding the scope of the existing recall to include the 5.3L engine models, and we ask that GMC/General Motors be encouraged to provide assistance. Given the severity and known pattern of these issues, we believe GMC should cover at least 75% of the repair costs, or ideally, offer to perform the repair at no charge. Thank you for your time and consideration.
While traveling on the highway one day, my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe began warning lights on the dashboard. Shortly after, it running roughly,, and jerking, so I pulled over to investigate. There no visible smoke, so I drove to the nearest auto parts store, where they ran a diagnostic test that returned a code of P0306. I then took vehicle back to the dealership where have always received oil changes and repairs. I have never visited any other dealership, relying on certified GM/Chevrolet dealerships. After inspecting the vehicle, they informed me that the lifters needed replacement advised that it would be best to replace the engine entirely. Upon further research, I discovered that issue has been affecting many people in our area and across the United States. This needs to be addressed, as the vehicle is only three years old, purchased brand new with zero miles, and I have not done anything out of the ordinary to cause this problem. The vehicle being 70,000 and 12.000 for repairs is insane.
My 2021 tahoe engine light came on 4/26/2025 as well as it began riding rough. Scheduled service on 5/01/2025 which I was informed cost of failure engine diagnosis repair would cost me $5,000 up to $15,000 to repair. My vehicle is basically new and why is my vehicle not included in the engine failure recall? Hopefully it is an oversight. As a valued customer please advise, thanking you in advance.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The message "Loss of Oil Pressure" was displayed, and the vehicle made an abnormally loud banging sound. The contact was able to continue driving at slow speeds with the hazard lights engaged. The contact drove to the dealer, where he was employed. The dealer diagnosed that the engine lifters had failed. The vehicle was then towed to the Chevrolet dealer, where it was diagnosed that the lifters had failed. The dealer provided an estimated fee for the repair. The vehicle was towed to Redline Performance LLC, where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the oil pump, camshaft, and in other unknown parts, along with the lifters failure. The mechanic replaced the lifters, the connecting rod, the camshaft, the oil pump, and other unknown parts; however, the failure recurred after picking up and driving the vehicle to the residence. Additionally, there was smoke coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to Stan McNabb Chevrolet Columbia (101 S James Campbell Blvd, Columbia, TN 38401), who informed the contact that the vehicle would not be diagnosed by the dealer. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), which the contact related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
On May 14, 2023 I was on a trip driving the Tahoe (midnight blue Tahoe in the pictures) about 60 mph, on highway 41 (middle of nowhere, no cell reception) south of kettleman city, CA when, without any warning or symptoms of any problem whatsoever, the engine lost propulsion and died. I was able to coast onto the shoulder and tried starting it. It started again and I continued driving and about 35 minutes later I stopped at a red light on Highway 41 in Lemoore, CA. Again the Tahoe engine died without warning and would not restart. When I tried starting it I could smell a burning smell. The engine cranked but wouldn’t start, and then the check engine light came on. I was at a stoplight on a major highway and was unable to move the vehicle, and was scared to sit in it, so I put on the vehicle hazard lights, got out of the car and ran to the side of the road for safety. Luckily I did not have my children with me. I called 911 and a police officer came and parked behind my vehicle with his lights on so hopefully no other vehicles would hit it. A tow truck was immediately dispatched as high priority by the police. I had it towed to Hedricks Chevrolet dealership in Clovis, California, who informed me there was metal parts in the oil and that the engine was destroyed and had to be replaced. It took several months to get the engine replaced and in the meantime, I bought a new 2023 Cadillac Escalade so I would have a vehicle to drive. The Cadillac Escalade ended up having an extremely similar problem (and I will file a separate report for that vehicle). A few months later when the Tahoe replacement engine was installed I picked up the Tahoe from the dealership and sold it to Carmax.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud revving and knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that later after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated with the knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the engine made knocking sounds. The message "Service Transmission" was displayed. The contact's husband pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart immediately. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the camshaft retainer, valve tensioner kit, gaskets, seals, lifters, engine bolts, rods, and pipes; however, the "Service Transmission" message displayed again while driving. The dealer was made aware of the failure, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 89,678.
Sudden engine failure while driving. Was able to pull to the side of the road with a few hundred feet. Repair required full engine replacement. Have to other friends that drive similar gm products that also experience engine failure with 3 weeks of our incident.
Engine burning through oil excessively. Has been noted on multiple occasions and requires early changes and top off. Is also happening with 3 friends with the same make and model with the 6.2L. No warnings but was informed it is common at shop.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no associated recalls. VIN tool search showed: the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,440.
Traction control light came on and the vehicle felt like it was going to die/low idle. I took to dealership on 9/13/22 (5months after getting vehicle) and the codes P03000 00 which is an engine misfire, P050D 00 which is cold start rough idle and it was noted by service tech that engine making a clunk and ticking noise. There was a misfire on cylinder 6. They removed the valve cover and the intake valve rocker arm was not moving at all and when the rocker arm was removed they noticed the push rod was also bent. They verified the DFM lifter was collapsed.
I was driving along the highway at 11pm when I the vehicle started shaking and I heard strange sounds coming from outside the vehicle. I pulled over to inspect and realized it was coming from the engine bay. The engine was making knocking, rattling, and belt slipping noises and the entire vehicle was shaking and the engine also stuttering. I was able to drive the vehicle to a nearby plaza where I had it towed the following morning. There were no warning signs, the vehicle ran properly up until this occurred. The dealership inspected it and told me the engine needs to be replaced and it was likely that a rod bearing that went bad. This happened nearly 2 months ago and I am still waiting for a new engine.
2nd glow plug failure
After I washed my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe, I went to run some errands. As I pushed the start button, the car would try to start but did not. I tried several times without success. I had the truck towed to Ed Morse Chevrolet in Sunrise, Florida. My odometer is at approximately 43,000 miles. About 3-4 months ago, at 42,000 miles, I had the same situation. I had to have the truck towed to Ed Morse. At the time, the Service Writer told me it was probably the fuel cell module and that Chevy has been a problem with them. The Service Writer surprisingly admitted that this issue could cause the truck to stop in the middle of your commute! I told him that an issue this serious needs a recall. So, today, when AAA picked up my truck, he said that this happens frequently and he towed many Chevrolet Tahoes and pickup trucks with this issue. The AAA technician even reiterated that the fuel cell modular failure shuts down your vehicle while driving! This is insane and troubling. Within 1000 miles, I will need 2 fuel cell modules and there is no guarantee that this one will last. Thanks [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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