Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Two rusted brake lines from the master cylinder to master distribution block under the truck caused the brake pedal to go to the floor at 50 MPH and ran thru a 4 way stop intersection in a rural area, thank you jesus I'm alive, lot's of rust on the lower rockers etc. On both sides
Involved in incident where 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe lost control at approximately 60 MPH and flipped end-over-end multiple times totaling vehicle. Both driver and single passenger injured requiring ambulance transport to er. Airbags did not deploy.
Bought a used 2001 Tahoe June 4, 2004. Opened rear glass on hatch many times with no problems. In late July my husband opened and one of the hinges broke. The metal actually tore. To correct this problem the whole glass must be replaced, the hinge is part of the glass. I have since heard "through the grapevine" that this is a common problem with the Chevy Tahoe. When the service depart. At my local Chevy dealer ordered the new glass, by computer, the part # changed many times, as if many changes had been made and eventually the part (glass) had to come directly from the glass manufacturer. Obviously GM is aware of the problem. …
The liftgate glass hinge has separated from the molding causing the liftgate glass window to become unsafe since it is now held onto the car by only one rubber hinge bracket. The glass in the liftgate will not close and could become separated from the car while the car is moving down the highway causing serious injury to cars following my car. The local dealer stated that he had seen the problem before but there is no recall and my only recourse was to purchase a new rear liftgate window at a cost of nearly $1000. I am now on record as having stated in writing that, in my opinion, this is a serious situation and this manufacture defect could cause the rear glass to become separated from the car at highway speeds and hit another vehicle on the highway. The odometer on my car reads 40,000 miles.
Operating on the rear access road to a mall and noticed brake pedal almost went to the floor and it took a strong effort to stop the vehicle. Tried pumping brakes to see if pedal would rise, it did not. Checked brake fluid reservoir and it was slightly down. Looked under truck and no leak at all four wheels or on inside master cylinder cowl. Drove slowly to nearby mechanic and this time noticed dripping under driver side floor. Mechanic said I needed brake line replacement and am awaiting repair. Vehicle is well maintained, always parked on paved driveway, and waxed along with undercarraige car washes during the winter months. Purchased used from Chevy dealer and found left rear backing plate had almost rotted off exposing rear axle seals which dealer replaced within week of my purchase.
The headliner on my 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe lt has been losing the retainer plugs since I took delivery on the truck in 2001. I have had the dealer replace the headliner because they "claimed" it was the wrong one for the truck. Since it was replaced and plugs replaced numerous times, they decided that it wasn't critical enough to warrant new design or repair. My headliner has dropped down and remains so today. Their fix is to wrap felt around the plugs and "Ram them back in" as the service writer explained to me. This is unexceptable to me and I have tried to get them to fix it another way to no avail.
The rear hatch glass is mounted to the body by a rubber hinge attachment process, the bonding failed which allowed the rear hatch glass to fall off of the body hitting me in the process. This causes a dangerous condition that could harm another motorist if the glass falls off while traveling at highway speed. It is a very common failure that is a manufacturers defect.
Rear window hinge is cracked, could not close window so we to take the piston off. Even with that it was difficult to close. Read other people have had the same problem and also mentioned the window falling off. Truck is garage kept and not expose to too much weather. Think this could be manufacture problem and not the consumers. Thanks
I was stopped at a traffic light and when I accelerated the spare tire hoist cable broke due to fraying causing the spare tire to fall from underneath the truck. The driver behind me ran over the spare. Fortunately, I had just began to pull off so speed was not a factor and there was no damage to the other vehicle or person.
Liftate glass separates from hinges.local dealer and local glass shops say this is common problem. Chevrolet denies ever hearing of this trouble. If this had happened at highway speeds the back window would have shattered and who knows what the end result could have been.
Related recalls
Structure
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.
Remedy: 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…
Structure › Body
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have loose or missing rear wheelhouse plugs. Under certain vehicle operating conditions, exhaust gases can flow forward and accumulate in the rear wheelhouse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle for loose or missing wheelhouse plugs and install new plugs if necessary.
Body complaints in other Tahoe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe, 5% of the model year's 512 complaints. The component named most often is body (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-094 (structure, Mar 7, 2003); NHTSA recall 00V-343 (body, Oct 25, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.