2002 Chevrolet Tahoe Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tahoe years
- More complaints than other years 9th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 449 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. That ranks 9th out of 32 Tahoe model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (90 complaints, 20%), typically at around 136,500 miles. Complaints mention 42 crashes, 8 fires, 45 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
- 449owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 42complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems | 90 | 20% | 136,500 | “brake lines” (44%) | $1,950 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 68 | 15% | 85,000 | “anti lock” (18%) | $1,200 |
| Steering | 40 | 9% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 37 | 8% | 40,172 | — | — |
| Tires | 37 | 8% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 31 | 7% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 30 | 7% | 91,500 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 24 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 19 | 4% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 18 | 4% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 17 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 16 | 4% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 3% | 23,492 | — | — |
| Equipment | 9 | 2% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 2% | 85,945 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 2% | 158,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 2% | 53,464 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 2% | 87,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 5 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 94,335 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 1% | 87,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 1% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 1% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 115,207 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 108,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Problem: Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (abs) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
Risk: This can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel speed sensor, and check the peak-to-peak output voltage to ensure the wheel speed signal is within specifications. The recall began september 22, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Structure
Problem: Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Risk: This overheating condition can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began march 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096.
Seats:front assembly:head restraint
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with rearward folding head restraints on the second row seats, two potential pinch points exist on each of the folding head restraints when the restraints are folded rearward as the seatback is folded down.
Risk: If a person were to insert their finger(s) into the pinch point when the head restraint folds, it could trap and pinch the finger(s) causing injury.
Fix: Dealers will install protective covers over the pinch points. Owner notification began november 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or cadillac at 1-800-458-8006.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Brake line corrosion failure (EA11001) — opened Jan 5, 2011, closed Apr 8, 2015.
- Parking brake failure (DP05009) — opened Dec 20, 2005, closed May 31, 2006.
- Unwanted low-speed abs activation (PE05020) — opened Apr 28, 2005, closed Sep 13, 2005, led to recall 05V379000.
- Steel wheel rim fracture (PE03026) — opened Jun 12, 2003, closed Nov 3, 2003.
- Throttle sticking closed (EA02015) — opened Aug 1, 2002, closed Jan 12, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owned a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH occupied with his sister-in-law and her children, the contact smelled smoke coming from the driver seat of the vehicle the contact mention he pulled to the right side of the road, exiting everyone out the…
My vehicle has been diagnosed as needing the exhaust manifold bolts replaced. I have read that this is an ongoing issue that poses a risk to drivers and passengers due to the fumes, but has not been recalled by the manufacturer.
We were sitting in car with it idling, the right-side air bag just deployed without collision. We turned the ignition off waited a few moments and turned it back on and the right-side dash airbag deployed without any warning. The vehicle has not been in any collisions.
My right side wheel feels like itâs going to fall off and indicate the abs and emergency parking brake. I believe itâs a wheel hub bearing thatâs coming loose or tie rods Iâm not sure and One time the emergency parking brake engage on me and I had to pull over to the side and wasnât able…
I have an 02 tahoe z71 that recently i've been having brake problems at slow speeds when trying to stop like the abs is trying to kick in randomly between about 5 to 15 mph when slowing for red-lights or stop signs there's times i have to let off and reapply brake 2 to 3 times at least before it…
Other Chevrolet Tahoe years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tahoe | 27 | 3 |
| 2025 Tahoe | 49 | 1 |
| 2024 Tahoe | 68 | 3 |
| 2023 Tahoe | 229 | 5 |
| 2022 Tahoe | 193 | 4 |
| 2021 Tahoe | 457 | 16 |
| 2020 Tahoe | 57 | 3 |
| 2019 Tahoe | 107 | 2 |
| 2018 Tahoe | 105 | 3 |
| 2017 Tahoe | 174 | 4 |
| 2016 Tahoe | 256 | 8 |
| 2015 Tahoe | 658 | 14 |
| 2014 Tahoe | 90 | 3 |
| 2013 Tahoe | 233 | 4 |
| 2012 Tahoe | 178 | 3 |
| 2011 Tahoe | 447 | 5 |
| 2010 Tahoe | 314 | 3 |
| 2009 Tahoe | 284 | 5 |
| 2008 Tahoe | 528 | 4 |
| 2007 Tahoe | 1,177 | 4 |
| 2006 Tahoe | 114 | 3 |
| 2005 Tahoe | 293 | 5 |
| 2004 Tahoe | 467 | 2 |
| 2003 Tahoe | 507 | 4 |
| 2002 | 449 | 3 |
| 2001 Tahoe | 512 | 5 |
| 2000 Tahoe | 282 | 6 |
| 1999 Tahoe | 552 | 1 |
| 1998 Tahoe | 263 | 2 |
| 1997 Tahoe | 410 | 0 |
| 1996 Tahoe | 283 | 3 |
| 1995 Tahoe | 246 | 6 |
See all Chevrolet Tahoe problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Owners most often report service brakes, service brakes, hydraulic, steering problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 90 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tahoe model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.