Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My right side wheel feels like it's going to fall off and indicate the abs and emergency parking brake. I believe it's a wheel hub bearing that's coming loose or tie rods I'm not sure and One time the emergency parking brake engage on me and I had to pull over to the side and wasn't able to drive it. When I turn on the engine or driving , idling I smell gasoline really bad
I was pulling into a local gas station and the ABS cause me to not stop in time.. I ended up hitting the building... Cracking the brick work... The night before u notice the same thing... Hopping when I was at a slow speed trying to stop but this was very brief and I stopped... I looked on line and saw there was a recall for the wheel speed sensor.. This defect cause increase stopping distance... I then called Chevrolet to see if the recall affect my vehicle, but the only open recall was a head restraint.. I took it to a local Chevy dealer to get it fixed, as I was driving there the ABS light came on.. The code the pulled was for the front right wheel speed sensor. They did have the part available due to the recall which fit my vehicle, but yet mine was not recalled...
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with cooper zeon xst tires, size: p305/45r22 (na). While driving 55 MPH, the rear passenger side tire blew out without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was confirmed that the sidewall detached from the tire and caused it to fail. The tire was replaced. The tires were replacement tires. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dot number was unknown. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 198,000 and the tire failure mileage was 7,000.
Had a front end collision into the side of another vehicle whom ran a red light. We estimated our impact speed at 30 MPH upon colliding together. Neither front airbags deployed. Suffered neck and back bruising and muscle strain.
Transmission shifting hard,only 26,000 miles. Ttook to dealership and was told second and third gear was gone. They rebuilt those gears. Pick Tahoe up and within a hr it was doing the same thing. Return to dealership next day, was told it was pump sticking. Replace that. Pick back up and within a hr did the same thing. Return vehicle and they decided to replace for new transmission. A week later it has now starting to have a problem with the power sterring. There appears to be a leak in the lines. This 2002 Tahoe has had problems starting within months of purchase. Sterring colum making clunking nose, required lube twice. Headlights filling with water. Nose in the front drivers side around shock area. They had different repairs such as replacing shocks, greasing. After over a year the dealership added bushings to the shocks, so far OK. …
I am the original owner of a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe that experienced ABS cut-in at low speeds in dry weather in 2005 and was recalled under campaign 05V379000 / NHTSA action number : pe05020. The cut-in problem has recently returned, with exact same symptoms as before. I called GM as the original recall no longer appears to be in effect, but they do not appear to be willing/able to cover any repairs against that recall despite the corrosion treatment and lubrication obviously not being a permanent fix. Other GM vehicles impacted by the ABS issue and which are still in service will begin to experience similar failures and NHTSA and GM need to recognize the original issue has not been resolved and take action.
I am writing to report the second failure of a valve stem from ntb. The tire is a Michelin tire installed on a 2002 Chevy Tahoe. All tires are properly inflated and are maintained at the proper level. The first occurrence was approx. 2 years ago and the tire lost pressure, delaminated and blew out. The current tire lost pressure but is intact. Upon returning home my wife attempted to reinflate the tire to determine where the air is leaking from. It was determined that the air was leaking from the valve stem. Both tires and valve stems were purchased from ntb.
I have had to replace tires, falken ziex s/tz 01 275/55 r 20 this is my 2nd set of 4 tires I have had to replaced. The first set the steel belts crossed over eachother 8 months and less than 10 thousand miles.this second set I just had to replace due to the tires causing my vehicle to vibrate extremely, at highway speeds causing me to slow in order to maintain control of my vehicle. In addition this caused extreme noise in my vehicle. This began approximately 2 years ago, the first set of tires were replaced on a pro rated basis, this second set was not.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact was driving 4 MPH when the tire detached from the assembly. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where they confirmed the failure and advised that the assembly was defective. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number:07e106000 (wheels:cap/cover/hub). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 126,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe with Firestone destination le tires, line size 265/70/r16. The contact stated that the tread was beginning to separate on all for tires. The contact took the vehicle to where the tires were originally purchased and was told that the tires looked as if they were dry rotted. The contact stated that the tires were not old enough to dry rot and believed that failure was a manufacturing defect. The failure mileage was 116,426. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA investigations
Steel wheel rim fracture
There have been less than 2 complaints per 100,000 subject vehicles related to the alleged defect.the oldest vehicles (my 1999) have only 2 complaints in over 140 thousand vehicles after over 4 years in service.the rate of warranty claims potentially related to the alleged defect is less than 0.1%.there are no known incidents involving rapid loss of tire pressure or loss of vehicle control.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Tahoe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe, 10% of the model year's 449 complaints. The component named most often is sidewall (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe, though it has 3 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 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to wheels & tires 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.