Chevrolet Tahoe 2000–2006
2nd generation · GMT800 (GMT820/GMT830)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20263,192 complaints, 2,333 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 2,333
- Median of reported failures
- 75,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Electrical system (19.5%)
- Recalls
- 1
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 45,236 and 117,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Chevrolet Tahoe 2000–2006 · 2,333 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 114 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 89 complaints (3.8%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 20,397
- 25%
- 45,236
- Median
- 75,000
- 75%
- 117,000
- 90%
- 160,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 79 | 3.4% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 56 | 2.4% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 43 | 1.8% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 39 | 1.7% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 44 | 1.9% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 56 | 2.4% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 61 | 2.6% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 75 | 3.2% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 105 | 4.5% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 88 | 3.8% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 114 | 4.9% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 84 | 3.6% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 106 | 4.5% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 107 | 4.6% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 91 | 3.9% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 84 | 3.6% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 94 | 4.0% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 92 | 3.9% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 60 | 2.6% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 64 | 2.7% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 72 | 3.1% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 46 | 2.0% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 55 | 2.4% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 66 | 2.8% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 56 | 2.4% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 57 | 2.4% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 57 | 2.4% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 41 | 1.8% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 35 | 1.5% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 26 | 1.1% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 23 | 1.0% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 16 | 0.7% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 22 | 0.9% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 18 | 0.8% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 16 | 0.7% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 21 | 0.9% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 30 | 1.3% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 18 | 0.8% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 16 | 0.7% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 11 | 0.5% |
| 200,000+ | 89 | 3.8% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 3,192 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000–2006 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2,333 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 45,236 and 117,000 miles. The median is 75,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the electrical system (19.5% of complaints, typically around 70,000 miles), the hydraulic brake circuit (11.9% of complaints, typically around 80,000 miles), the brakes (10.8% of complaints, typically around 121,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2000–2006 Chevrolet Tahoe last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2000–2006 Chevrolet Tahoe were filed by 75,000 miles and 90% by 160,000 miles — figures drawn from 2,333 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
89 reports (3.8%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Tahoe reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2000–2006 Tahoe: the 3-minute check
Generated from 2,333 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 4 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 1 campaign cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check instrument cluster on 2003–2006 cars. Stepper motor failure in the instrument cluster causing gauges (most often the speedometer and fuel gauge) to read erratically or stop; GM issued a special coverage program and it was the subject of a class-action…
- Check engine management. Knock sensors sit in the valley under the intake manifold and corrode from water intrusion, setting P0325/P0332 and causing timing retard and poor performance.
- Check brakes. Electronic brake control module fault causing false ABS activation and extended stopping distances at low speed.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 45,000 and 117,000 miles, with a median of 75,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the electrical system and the hydraulic brake circuit are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The electrical system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 70,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Chevrolet Tahoe 2000–2006
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Steering179 reports48,00020,000–80,000Steering: 179 reports, median 48,000 miles, middle half 20,000 to 80,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline157 reports49,00030,000–91,000Transmission and driveline: 157 reports, median 49,000 miles, middle half 30,000 to 91,000 miles.
- Tyres135 reports62,00024,000–104,000Tyres: 135 reports, median 62,000 miles, middle half 24,000 to 104,000 miles.
- Electrical system622 reports70,00048,000–100,000Electrical system: 622 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit381 reports80,00051,000–110,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 381 reports, median 80,000 miles, middle half 51,000 to 110,000 miles.
- Airbag system143 reports85,00055,000–136,000Airbag system: 143 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 55,000 to 136,000 miles.
- Brakes346 reports121,00088,000–160,000Brakes: 346 reports, median 121,000 miles, middle half 88,000 to 160,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 622 | 19.5% | 70,000 | 48,000–100,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 381 | 11.9% | 80,000 | 51,000–110,000 |
| Brakes | 346 | 10.8% | 121,000 | 88,000–160,000 |
| Steering | 179 | 5.6% | 48,000 | 20,000–80,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 157 | 4.9% | 49,000 | 30,000–91,000 |
| Airbag system | 143 | 4.5% | 85,000 | 55,000–136,000 |
| Tyres | 135 | 4.2% | 62,000 | 24,000–104,000 |
| Parking brake | 123 | 3.9% | 45,000 | 28,000–64,000 |
| Body structure | 122 | 3.8% | 84,000 | 57,000–120,000 |
| Fuel system | 101 | 3.2% | 63,000 | 37,000–95,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Chevrolet Tahoe 2000–2006 · 2,333 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 36% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 61% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 76% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 96%: the remaining 3.8% of reports (89) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
36% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 48,000–100,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 51,000–110,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 20,000–80,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 30,000–91,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 55,000–136,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 24,000–104,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Brakes — middle half 88,000–160,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
61% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Steering — median 48,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 48,000–100,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 51,000–110,000 mi
- Brakes — middle half 88,000–160,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 30,000–91,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 55,000–136,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 24,000–104,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
76% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Electrical system — median 70,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 80,000 mi
- Steering — median 48,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 49,000 mi
- Tyres — median 62,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Brakes — middle half 88,000–160,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 55,000–136,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 75,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The electrical system accounts for 19.5% of complaints (622 reports, 501 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 48,000 and 100,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 11.9% of complaints (381 reports, 276 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 80,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,000 and 110,000 miles.
The brakes account for 10.8% of complaints (346 reports, 323 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail late — a median of 121,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 88,000 and 160,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 5.6% of complaints (179 reports, 128 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 48,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 20,000 and 80,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 4.9% of complaints (157 reports, 108 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 49,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,000 and 91,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 4.5% of complaints (143 reports, 85 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 136,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2003 model year drew the most — 628 complaints — while 2006 drew the fewest at 144. The median year sits at 543.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 3,192 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 210 (6.6%)
- Fires
- 77
- Injury reports
- 151
- Fatality reports
- 11
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Instrument Cluster 2003–2006
Stepper motor failure in the instrument cluster causing gauges (most often the speedometer and fuel gauge) to read erratically or stop; GM issued a special coverage program and it was the subject of a class-action settlement.
Engine Management
Knock sensors sit in the valley under the intake manifold and corrode from water intrusion, setting P0325/P0332 and causing timing retard and poor performance.
Brakes
Electronic brake control module fault causing false ABS activation and extended stopping distances at low speed.
Interior
Dashboard cracking above the instrument cluster and passenger airbag, widely reported across the GMT800 family.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 341 | 167 |
| 2001 | 607 | 384 |
| 2002 | 543 | 402 |
| 2003 | 628 | 490 |
| 2004 | 548 | 460 |
| 2005 | 381 | 310 |
| 2006 | 144 | 120 |
Recalls (1) — is your car included?
Mar 2014 · 2005–2006 · Electrical SystemOnce electrically conductive, the material is capable of melting and burning, increasing the risk of a fire.
The defect. Monroe Truck Equipment (Monroe) is recalling certain model year 2006, 2008 and 2009 Chevrolet C7500 vehicles, 2005-2006 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles, and 2009 Ford F-350, and F-450 vehicles, equipped with Sure Power-brand battery equalizers or DC-DC converters containing a particular epoxy sealing, aka 'potting', compound. The specific potting compound used in the subject products for insulation was found to be capable of conducting electricity after being exposed to heat.
What can happen. Once electrically conductive, the material is capable of melting and burning, increasing the risk of a fire.
The free fix. Monroe will notify owners, and Sure Power will replace the equalizers or converters, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2014. Owners may contact Monroe at 1-608-328-8127.
What owners reported
While driving consumer hit a patch of ice which sent the vehicle sliding, and causing an accident. However, the air bags did not deploy, and consumer was injured. Consumer contacted the dealer, and manufacturer. *Ak consumer feels that much of the pain and suffering might have been prevented by the protection of the 4…
2000 · 4,000 miles · Airbag system
The two rear power windows on my 2000 chevy Tahoe developed internal intermittent shorts at the exact same time. I have also experienced trouble with the two front power windows not working at times. The dealership stated they have seen prior problems with the power windows in the Tahoe's. My vehicle only had 23751…
2000 · 21,000 miles · Visibility equipment
Dt: the vehicle speed control failed. When starting vehicle had to apply additional pressure on the accelator, it seemed to be stuck. This only happened when putting the vehicle in park or reverse. This started happening on december 12, 2005. Dealer did look at vehicle but they were going to charge consumer for…
2000 · 25,000 miles · Throttle and speed control
I took my chevy 2000 Tahoe ltd, for its first calif. Smog test and was told "everything was fine except the gas tank cap." "The cap failed the pressure test and escaping fumes could cause an explosion." I had the cap replaced and was further told, "this test failure is happening to all 2000 model year tahoes…
2000 · 26,000 miles · Fuel system
Built from 2,333 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page