Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
Passenger side rear air conditioning blower motor caught on fire and burned vehicle out completely. Fire trucks called to put out fire but is completely burned out. My safety was at risk flames in back by the time I got stopped on highway. Thankful no one was riding in back seat. First issue I had with it and it torched the vehicle. No warnings on dash. Vehicle is waiting to be inspected by insurance adjuster.
My passenger seat cot on fire. My truck was parked in the mall parking lot as my self husband and two children came out from shopping to my the car I opened my passanger door I got in and adjusted my passanger seat for comfort and my husband was getting the gift and kids in the truck and then all of a sudden I smelled smoke.I got out of the car and I started to look where the smell was coming from and looked under my passenger seat and there was sparks coming from under the seat there was a black box under the seat that was sparking I called 911 and the fire department came and put the fire out my whole passanger side burned and the fire department said it was the motor box under the seat that cot fire bad electrical wiring he said. …
Attempted to turn vehicle off, car making a loud noise after I took key out of ignition. Loud noise would not go away until I disconnected the battery from the car. I attempted several days later to turn vehicle back on. Successful without any noise. Turned off after driven that day. Battery did not need to be disconnected this time. Left car in garage for 2 day (48 hours) untouched and not driven. Sitting in my house eating a sandwich and I smell smoke coming from my garage. I look underneath the car and flames have appeared. I grabbed anything I could to put fire out and successfully did. Car has not been driven since. There is damage underneath the car. The quote to fix is $1800 but have not fixed yet until insurance company approves. If I had not been home to put the fire out it would have burned down my home and killed my dogs. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. After removing the key from the ignition switch, the engine remained on. The vehicle would shut off several minutes after removing the key. The contact also stated that the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was unable to be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. When the contact turned off the ignition switch, the vehicle remained on. The contact detached the battery and the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ABS/brake sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the ABS warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
While driving passenger in the rear seat adjusted the passenger seat and noticed sparks coming from under the seat. Later, the sparks turned into flames. The fire department extinguished the fire because the wires kept igniting.
Noticed that the headlights became intermittent; started occurring more frequently once problem started eventually headlights would not stay on; discovered the problem was relative to the position of the tilt of steering column; vehicle was evaluated and repaired; repair included replacing the wiring harness and the multifunction switch; the wiring harness had shorted out apparently from the repeated movement of the tilt being adjusted; old part is available; I'm reporting this because the problem is dangerous when the headlights go off traveling at high speeds at night. It is also a fire hazard per the mechanic that repaired the vehicle. We did smell smoke at one time but didn't notice any other components damaged. Maybe we were just lucky.
When the lights are in the on position and you are traveling at 20 -25 MPH and take your foot off of the accelerator, the lights will dim for approximately 3 - 4 seconds. The vehicle was taken to a local dealership that stated they could not find anything wrong and that if it were a major problem it would show up some day. The battery has also come apart (the positive battery terminal came out of the battery), the windshield washer pump has been replaced due to leaking and is now currently leaking again, therefore the washer pump will have to be replaced again. A tire has separated for no apparent reason; dealer could not find anything wrong with the tire that would have caused the tire to separate.
Mileage-60813. 1. Service engine light come on, engine has lack of power on take off. Took vehicle to north jackson Chevrolet for service, dealer reports rodents have eaten through wires going to transmission, transmission not recieving siginal, repaired wires from fuse box, replace inigtion switch cost $634.00. After 600 miles same problems reoccures 6/16/2003, unable to get to vechicle. Will carry vehicle back today for for additional repair.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician was unable to diagnose a problem. The manufacture was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 143,000 and the current mileage was 139,984. Updated 5/27/14 the consumer stated after the ignition switch and cylinder were installed, there were no more problems.
Electrical complaints in other Tahoe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe, 4% of the model year's 512 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.