Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The oil keeps disappearing in the car I fill it with 7 Quartz of oil and two months or less it's all gone I heard there was a issue with this before but no recall my engine almost blew two weeks after a oil change I thought that's wrong I have oil so I had it reset then three months later my engine was ticking so I took it in and there was no oil they put 7 more quartz of oil and no again it's all gone I had more put back in and I think this should be a recall I called the dealer and they said they won't do anything unless I pay for it to be fixed but it's been a known issue for years and they don't do nothing about it I am a young person that doesn't have $3,000 to pay to fix this issue I believe Chevy should.
The first problem was the cluster , it completely went off . I took it to a mechanic he said he fixed it . It works for one day then completely shut off again, I can not see what gear I am in , any alert that I need to see for warning and saftey completely off in the cluster . . Shortly after the first issue I noticed 2 cracks on my dashboard ,on both driver and passenger side of the vehicle . I had not put a lot of thought into that as it didn't seem like a safety concern up until I've read several post of others with same issue . ( I'm guessing a fire should be expected anytime because of others stories I have read off here the cracks have lead to fires ) Another issue is I have to add quart oil to my Tahoe atleast every 2 -3 weeks . I've taken it to have that fixed and each time was told there is no leak . …
Our 2007 Chevy Tahoe had been driven for about an hour and then parked for approximately two hours. Upon starting the Tahoe with cold engine and pulling away from the curb there was an immediate smell of something toxic coming from the air vents followed by black smoke from the engine compartment. The vehicle was stopped and turned off and less than a minute later there were flames emanating from under the hood and within a couple of minutes the hood was blown open and the entire front of the car was engulfed in flames.
Drove car across town (2 miles @ 25 MPH); parked car for 15 seconds. Car started to smoke in engine compartment. Got out, popped hood and engine already on fire. Called 911, fire department arrived within 10 minutes. Car towed. Car totaled by insurance company. GM contacted, looked at pictures of burnt engine we emailed to them, GM will not physically inspect vehicle, but told us the Tahoe was too burnt up to determine cause of fire.
I own a new 2007 Chevy Tahoe that I purchased on 2/22/07 for $49K. On dec 31st, 2007 I came home from work at 3 pm and parked my car in our attached garage (car obviously turned off). At 3:45 pm my wife started to smell smoke -- upon entering the garage I noticed that the car was smoking (fire dept thinks its electrical in nature - definitely smelled like it was). I have not had a problem at all with this car and kept up with all maintenance only using the GM dealership for work. We immediately called the fire dept -- when the police and fire made it to the scene the engine burst into flames. My one year old son was sleeping in his room right above the garage. There are a lot of "what ifs" that go through your head if we had not smelled the smoke and the car blew up. Not even taking into account that there was another car right next to the Tahoe which was full of gas. …
I have been dealing with the same problem as the previous complaint...ironically, my vehicle was manufactured in tx too, but, I purchased it used in va in 2011 odometer-73,625. To date, I only have 101,225- I started having constant stabilitrack/traction control issues right after 100,000- caused steering wheel to lock up and loss of power in addition to door locks suddenly locking/unlocking, car alarm going off, and hazard blinkers not working (all while in the middle of rush hour traffic)! After this constant issue was "repaired"-for 6th time, a few months later, I experienced a different problem. After waiting at a stop light, the vehicle would not accelerate-I had to push gas all the way to the floor, barely reaching 20mph, then, the car started shaking & to make matters worse, the brakes were barely working. Thankfully, I was near a parking lot & was able to pull over. …
My issues started almost two years ago when dropping my child off at daycare. I was on the highway and noticed a loud ticking noise coming from the engine. At first I was not sure what it was until I pulled in the daycare and it was evident something was wrong. At that point the stablitrak and traction control light started flashing. I had to have the vehicle towed because I tried to move it and when I put it in gear it jerked so hard I was scared the engine blew. I took it to the certified Chevy mechanic, cylinder 6 misfire. We replaced the plugs, coil packs etc, trying to see what the issue could be. He finally replaced all 16 lifters, cam, head gaskets and oil pump as well. Once he got it together, it was still a misfire on cylinder 6. He took it apart to look at the pistons, they were fine. The top of the motor he practically everything brand new on it. …
Tl contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. The vehicle had not been driven for 10 hours when a fire started under the hood and caused the front tire to explode. The entire front of the vehicle melted on the ground. The vehicle was approximately a foot from the house and as high as the two story house. After hearing the explosion, the contacts husband used a garden hose to keep the flames away from the house. An additional vehicle that belongs to the contact was damaged by the fire. There was also property damage to the siding and bricks on the house. The fire department extinguished the fire, filed a report, and stated that the cause was an electrical short. The insurance company towed the vehicle to general motors to conduct an investigation. There were no injuries. The failure and current mileages were 9000.update 09/10/08 updated 09/17/08.
My 2007 Tahoe all of the sudden started shaking and bucking while driving with my wife and two small kids (on valentines! Wife was not happy). The service engine light came on as well as warning messages saying the traction control failed, check brake system and service stabilink system. It limped to our house and then it stalled and eventually was very hard to start. I took it to the dealership next morning and was told that the #6 lifter collapsed and they needed to check the camshaft to see if that was damaged. I'm still waiting on the call to see what the total damage is but I was told it was the active fuel management system. I also saw a lot of people's complaints online of the same thing. GM needs to own up and recall this issue. The estimate I got was around $3,500-$4,500 to repair this.
The vehicle has a faulty throttle body and throttle position sensor that cause the vehicle to go into "engine power reduced" mode which basically means the vehicle doesn't move. The engine is still running, but the vehicle is inoperable. This has happened to me dozens of times, in intersections, and I have to roll off the side of the road. Additionally, the intake gaskets leak allowing fluid into the engine. The dash cracked. We have also replaced the air ride shocks (ltz model), the connector will wear a hole in the shock. We have also replaced broken motor mounts and tie rod ends. Additionally, the vehicle was constantly running hot and we replaced the thermostat and radiator. The vehicle leaks oil and our mechanic said that it's the rear main seal that needs to be replaced.
Engine complaints in other Tahoe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe?
NHTSA has 79 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe, 7% of the model year's 1,177 complaints. The component named most often is engine (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe, though it has 4 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 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 106,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 8 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.