2,045 of the
12,903 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Tahoe
are about the braking system —
16% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2001.
I have been having issues with the brakes on my 2016 Chevy Tahoe for as long as I can remember. When going very slow, such as in a parking lot or pulling into a parking space, my car feels like I am driving on ice when I brake. I am not sure if I am actually going to stop or hit a car/person. The brake pedal also gets very hard. It makes a squeaking sound and also sounds "airy". It is an intermittent problem and does not happen every single time I press on the brakes when going slow. I received a recall notice back in 2019 for increased brake pedal effort and the dealer reprogrammed something. This however, ultimately did not fix the issue and I have never received any follow up information or recall alerts pertaining to this issue. I have mentioned this a few times to both the dealership and an independent mechanic in the last 6+ years, but the car never has the issue when it is in for service. I was told the last 2 times that I took my car in for service that I needed new brake pads and rotors. so both have been replaced twice in the last 4 years. The issue with the brake pedal happened again the other day, only this time, I received a warning message to service brake assist and I smelled what I can only describe as burning brake dust. I also noticed what looks like brake dust on the floor of my garage. I was once again irritated and decided to start googling and that is when I found a special coverage warranty on GM's site for the exact issue I have been having all of these years. The warranty expires December 15, 2026 or at 150211 miles. I called the dealership and GM to see if they would honor the warranty since I only had 150,350 miles on my car, however they both said no. What can I do? I guess they would rather I hit and injure someone than fix an issue they are obviously aware of? Why was I never notified that there was a special coverage warranty on my car? When these incidents occur it is scary and poses a danger to both myself and others.
NHTSA complaint #11752862 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
was moving vehicles around in driveway and vehicle was running and in parked position in the driveway on slight hill and after 4-5 mins of sitting there idle vehicle rolled down the hill towards kids playing and struck another vehicle. when i got back into vehicle, the vehicle was in park and the reverse lights and reverse camera were on while the vehicle was in park.
NHTSA complaint #11741890 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the brake pedal would harden upon depression of the brake pedal as the "Service Brake System" warning light would appear on the instrument panel. As the failure persisted, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic the entire brake system was replaced. The vehicle was taken to other independent mechanic who informed him that the brake vacuum assist pump needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the recall was closed and was no longer covered. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #11737536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11737487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine, lane departure modular and the brake master cylinder. The contact was informed that the engine, lane departure modular and the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the lane departure module was in back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,026.
NHTSA complaint #11737018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving home after dropping my kids off at school and when I was almost home my dash lit up with the traction control light, check engine light, ABS light, red break light, service ESC message, forward collision system unavailable message and break system failure 62 MPH top speed ( was switching between 43 MPH top speed and 62 MPH top speed ), I went to slow down and I had no brakes at all. The pedal sunk to the floor with zero resistance no matter how many times I pushed it. I live on a dead end road and thank god I had already crossed the major highway before my road because it would have been an incredibly bad accident. I finally got it to switch into neutral to stop and into park where I sat with my foot on the brake in park until someone could come out to me. I called my local dealership whom had it towed to them. My vehicle is a 2021 Tahoe with 23,014 miles at the exact moment this happened. The dealership said it was the master cylinder/brake module which is not covered under the power train warranty I still have. This is a major safety issue and it seems it is not isolated due to a simple google showing reports on other forums of other newer chevy/gms in different models have this same issue with brakes going out while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11736321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier for repeated brake assist/braking failures. Most recent incident: While driving, the check engine light came on. I turned the vehicle off for approximately 10 minutes and restarted it, but the check engine light remained on. Approximately 20 minutes later, multiple warnings appeared on the dash including: “Brake Assist Failure Press Hard to Brake,” “Speed Limited,” and “Service ESC.” At that point, braking ability was severely reduced. I was close to my destination and approached a stop sign. I intended to roll through the stop sign because the brakes were not functioning normally, but another vehicle suddenly approached. I pressed the brake pedal with both feet. The brakes were stiff and hard to press. The vehicle still did not stop properly and came to a stop in the middle of the road past the stop sign. After arriving at my destination, the vehicle sat for approximately 1–2 hours. When restarted, the brakes appeared normal again, but the check engine light remained on. In the MyChevrolet diagnostics app, it then showed warnings for Engine and Transmission System, Transmission System, and Four Wheel Drive System. While driving to the dealership afterward, the vehicle also began shaking. This same issue previously occurred on April 16, 2026. I was driving on the interstate when the brakes lost assist and the dash displayed “Service ESC,” “Brake Assist Failure Press Hard to Brake,” and “Speed Limited.” After reaching my destination, I was told by someone at the dealership to turn the vehicle off for 10 minutes to see if that would fix things, so I turned the vehicle off for about 10 minutes. When restarted, all warning lights were gone and braking returned to normal. I still drove the vehicle to the dealership that same day for service. This is a repeated, intermittent brake failure / brake assist failure creating a serious safety hazard and near collision risk.
NHTSA complaint #11733952 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11733810 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The park assist enabled flashed and when I brake it studders or I have to slam on my brakes because my car won’t stop. I see this is a recall on other tahoes but not mine!
NHTSA complaint #11731763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the braking system's failure message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle had stopped independently. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and continued driving, but stated that the warning light was illuminated while driving downhill. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V761000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The contact was advised by the dealer that the recall repair had been completed in June 2020. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,916.
NHTSA complaint #11729416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the braking system's failure message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle had stopped independently. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and continued driving, but stated that the warning light was illuminated while driving downhill. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V761000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The contact was advised by the dealer that the recall repair had been completed in June 2020. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,916.
NHTSA complaint #11729416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while reversing, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was difficult to depress. The vehicle eventually stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with brake vacuum assist pump failure. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum assist pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that the recall was closed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
NHTSA complaint #11726635 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On March 21, 2026, I rented a Chevrolet Tahoe (approx. 24,450 mileage driven). While operating the vehicle on a freeway at approximately 40–50 mph, the braking system and ABS failed suddenly without any warning. Barely no brakes were able to apply to stop the vehicle. It also started to show that ECS service (Electronic Stability Control) and Service Brake Pad Monitor. Many faults started to show.
NHTSA complaint #11726810 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2025 Chevy Tahoe and the automatic braking system is way too sensitive. When I’m reversing, it constantly slams on the brakes even when I still have enough space and nothing is in my way. It also brakes when people are nearby but not actually in my path. One time I was stopped and about to move forward, and the car suddenly braked because a construction worker was a few feet away, not in front of me. It caught me off guard and didn’t feel safe. The braking is very sudden and aggressive, and it makes normal driving and parking difficult. It feels unreliable and could cause a dangerous situation.
NHTSA complaint #11725987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the failure occurred after the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,500.
NHTSA complaint #11724946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hello, I has problems driving my car like by brakes braking out of nowhere. There was even a couple times I felt like the car swerved, even though I did not do anything to the steering wheel. Then I found out I had a recall that said not to drive the car because it was dangerous so I parked it in my driveway and I have not driven it for many months as I’ve been getting rental cars. Eventually, I brought it into Antelope Valley Chevrolet and they told me they were going to fix it but then they actually told me that I had to pay around $1000 for a part that I found out later only cost under $100 and takes three minutes to put in. This is apart from Chevrolet and not some knock off from China that I found for under $100 online. So I’m a little upset that I came in for a recall and they’re trying to get me to do a repair for almost $2000. They never even offered me a rental car and they’re threatening me saying that if we don’t move forward with it, they’re gonna charge me $50 a day for storage. I feel like they’re intimidating me to try to make me traded in for a new one, but I am not ready to get a new one. I just want to get my car on the road again.
NHTSA complaint #11722325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At 64000 miles my 2019 Chevy Tahoe has to be replaced due to lifters failing. GM/Chevy wants to charge me $17000 to install a new 6.2L - V8 engine. (Same engine that had the lifter problem). That engine has been recalled on earlier and later models. What do I do to fight the cost of new motor ?
NHTSA complaint #11721709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
It has happened several times when going slow the breaks get really hard to stop the vehicle. Otherwise breaks are new work well. One time I hit my garage as I tried to move it slightly forward. Another time I was slowly moving forward & tried to stop at a driveway as person was walking by. I pressed breaks down as far as the could go.
NHTSA complaint #11721473 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving when I noticed my vehicle lagging and possibly misfiring, and then the "Service Four-Wheel-Drive" warning appeared. I was just down the road from my house, so I pulled into the driveway and put the car in park, but it wouldn’t turn off. I realized the parking brake was engaged and wouldn’t release either. I was stuck in two-wheel drive and couldn’t switch to four-wheel drive, and the emergency brake wouldn't disengage when I pressed the button, so the vehicle still wouldn't shut off. I had to put it in reverse physically step on the gas, which Is the only way The parking brake finally disengaged And allowed the vehicle to shut off.
NHTSA complaint #11721544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.