Exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide are entering my cabin. I have replaced Exhaust manifold gaskets (both sides), Exhaust manifolds, Exhaust manifold donut seals to the y-pipe and i still get carbon monoxide entering cabin giving my headaches. Please help
Chevrolet Tahoe fuel smell problems
49 of the 10,079 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Tahoe describe gas smell in the cabin, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 49
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical mileage
- 98,000
Is there a fix? There are 5 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Fuel pump 19Fuel leak 16Fuel gauge 4Check engine light 4Stalling 3Fire or smoke 3Knocking 3Grinding brakes 2
What owners say
Vehicle cranked longer than usual, noticed slight smell of fuel. After arriving home noticed fuel smell was very strong and a puddle of raw fuel under vehicle. Fuel line appears to have rubbed/vibrated against the frame of the vehicle causing the line to rupture. Date of incident 12-26-2025. No MIL or warning messages were present. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than myself for this incident. I feel this issue could have resulted in serious injury or death of my entire family and possibly others on the road. The vehicle has not been modified in anyway and is in OEM configuration. We will have to have the vehicle repaired but will document as best we can. I would like to add that after a quick internet search I found this to be a common issue so I was amazed there was no recall on our Tahoe. Thank you.
The check engine light came on on my Chevy Tahoe, November 2023. The system started to fail it would say for collision not able service ESC system. I would bring it into the shop. They would hook it up to the computer and they would say oh nothing wrong we just reset it. Then it started to shut down and it would say proceed with caution, low acceleration, no front and collision service ESC and I would have. Luckily I was in a city so I took it to the shop. They gave me a print off. Said there was no technician cleared it. I was able to make it home and I made an appointment. They put it on the computer. they said oh nothing‘s wrong. Everything‘s fine then it did it again and I was going through the mountains. I noticed that my car smelled of gas and that the gas gauge was just sucking fuel and I knew this was a problem.. they finally found out what was going on, but I feel the damage had already been done. The part that got replaced was over $1000. I had to pay out-of-pocket for it. Now my vehicle’s engine is shot.
Check engine light illuminated then went off and came back on after another drive cycle. Vehicle began to idle rough and experienced hard shifting and acceleration hesitation. I checked the oil and noticed a fuel odor smell on the dip stick and the oil appeared thin. Upon mechanic inspection they found a malfunctioning high pressure fuel pump. This part was recalled on other vehicles of the same model year due to bad welds. This could have resulted in fire if left unchecked.
Instrument panel has failed twice and is unresponsive. The gauges move and stay to the left after moving left to right. All lights begin to cycle through error messages. I have video of the issue both times it happened. When it occurs, you don't know your speed you have to guess, the full tank reads empty etc., and it is dangerous to back up. The vehicle has been diagnosed by one independent mechanic and is currently at the dealership. There was no warning before the instrument cluster failed other than a cycling through of warning messages service transmission check 4X4, service suspension system, service Power Steering Drive with care. -The center screen goes in and out. -When in reverse, the rear camera is black, the screen blinks intermittently. - Dealer has stated that the wires are put on incorrectly- if that is the case, I am not sure who would have done that other than the manufacturer. -previously reported there was a strong gasoline smell in the cabin that made it really hard to breathe. Dealer corrected. Right passenger side is intermittently wet with no cause from the interior creating stale smells, making it hard to breathe. It is important to note this is the side where the electrical wires are "put in incorrectly" according to the dealer. I also have a video of what occurs
Exhaust system failure. Was told by manufacturer vehicle dealer service center that cause of the failure was not from normal use or misuse but due to manufacturing and weak metal/poor materials. No warning lights or messages ever appeared on vehicle information system. First report of exhaust smell in vehicle cabin on 4/9/24 at 38,874 miles. Vehicle dealer service center tested for leaks and found no leak. Second report of exhaust smell in vehicle cabin on 8/6/24 at 48,106 miles. Vehicle dealer service center tested for leaks and found no leak. Third report on exhaust smell in cabin on 10/31/24 to service manager who confirmed he could smell the exhaust in vehicle cabin. Car went to shop on 11/5/24 at 55,077 miles. Two exhaust leaks detected. From dealer: "Smoke tested exhaust system and checked for leaks, found a hole in the exhuast pipe right before the muffler and is likely the source of the smell." Additionally from dealer, after first repair: "After exhaust repair the vehicle was started and heard and audible exhaust leak on the drivers side. After further inspection found the drivers side exhaust manifold is leaking as well." I have been driving this vehicle for at least seven months with exhaust leaks and with exhaust coming into the cabin of my vehicle exposing myself and passengers to carbon monoxide. Reported twice to dealer and they reported no issues.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the cabin from the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor was stronger while the heater was activated. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) was cracked and leaking gasoline. The contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,264.
The high pressure fuel pump may leak resulting in fuel odor and increased evaporative emissions. The engine may also fail to start or provide less power when driven due to insufficient fuel pressure. Recall came out on February 2015 Bulletin No.: 14858 Part Number: 12626354 Description Intake Manifold Gasket 12618337 Intermediate Fuel Feed Pipe 8/V8 Engine 12625817 Fuel Pump SERVICE PROCEDURE
While driving up a hill on a road trip the vehicle felt as if it wouldn't speed up when pressing on the accelerator- this was short lived. Upon parking in the driveway after the trip my husband noticed a fuel smell coming from the rear driver side of vehicle. The next day it was difficult to start and fuel smell was even more pronounced. As it was the weekend we did not drive it and waited to contact the dealer on Monday. Drove the vehicle to the dealership to have the smell diagnosed and while the engine was running and vehicle was in park, fuel began pouring out underneath. There were NO warning lights whatsoever. Fortunately our granddaughter had just been taken back to her parents as she had previously been in the vehicle! This could have caught fire!!! The vehicle is currently at the dealership and a leak in the fuel line has been diagnosed and is scheduled for repair as soon as the part comes in.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the vehicle, the contact observed an excessive fuel leak around the fuel tank. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 142,000.
Related recalls
Fuel system, diesel: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, 2021, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2022 and 2024 GMC Yukon vehicles equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine. The original fuel tank may have been replaced with an incorrect fuel tank, which can allow fuel to leak in a rollover crash.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for the correct fuel tank and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N252512770. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on September 18, 2025.
Recall number 25V619000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump: control/drive module
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine, and cause an unexpected engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212332040.
Recall number 21V739000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon vehicles. The fuel tank assemblies may be missing adhesive between two layers of the fuel tank shell which may result in a fuel leak.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212327720.
Recall number 21V064000 · 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
Fuel system, gasoline
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 27,188 my 2009 cadillac escalade, escalade hybrid, escalade esv, and escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, suburban, tahoe, tahoe hybrid, and colorado; and gmc yukon, yukon hybrid, yukon xl, and canyon vehicles. The fuel system control modules may have a condition in which an adhesive separation of the room temperature vulcanizing (rtv) seal between the seal and the housing may allow water to seep into the module.
- Risk
- Water in the module could cause a short or open circuit, illumination of the service engine soon lamp, setting of diagnostic trouble codes or the engine may be hard to start, may not start or may stall increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new fuel system control module free of charge. The recall began on may 18, 2009. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 09V154000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Tahoe fuel smell
Which Chevrolet Tahoe years have gas smell in the cabin problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (15 complaints), 2007 (6 complaints) and 2004 (4 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Tahoe?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history