9.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$6,500
Average Mileage:
127,000 miles
Total Complaints:
2 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (1 reports)
  2. replace engine (1 reports)
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problem #2

Sep 062013

Tahoe V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 107,000 miles

Are you tired and fed up with corporate America yet? Well, I am and I think it is time to fight back. But the only way I know to do that is exposure of that which is wrong. Exposure of giant corporations that want you to spend your money on their products but do little or nothing to stand behind those products. Let me tell you what happened to us. I hope this doesn’t just sound like a “sour grapes” attitude, because that is not what it is meant to be. I hope that by sharing this I can help save other General Motors consumers some big bucks! Friday late afternoon Sept. 6, 2013 I was going to go to the library to return some books. When I went out to start my car (2004 Chevrolet Tahoe), it wouldn’t start. It would turn over but would not fire. Now, I’m no expert on cars but I do know a few things. I knew that it was not the battery-just had that checked about 3 months ago. Maybe it was the fuel pump or whatever. Well, I couldn’t get anyone to look at it over the weekend but that didn’t surprise me. Monday morning I called my insurance company to make sure that my roadside service would cover the towing bill, which it did. So I called a tow truck and had the car hauled over to the local garage that has taken care of much of the servicing on the vehicle. I’ve learned to trust them & don’t think they would steer me wrong. When we got to the garage the mechanic’s initial assessment was that the compression was off-doesn’t sound right were his exact words. Well, then they ran tests on the car & Tuesday morning they called me to say that their computer had not determined what exactly was wrong, all it showed was a couple of sensors that were apparently not working. So they wanted to start a physical investigation (taking things apart) to really see what was wrong. I told them to call my husband & gave them his cell phone number. Well, about 2 hours later he called me & said, “You’re not going to like this”! The engine on the car is shot. Well, after about a dozen phone calls back and forth and to the mechanic, and the mechanic doing some research of his own (internet, and checking around with some of his other contacts, and going back and reading information sent out by GM) we finally got down to what really happened. At least 3 of the injectors stuck open when the car was turned off allowing the chambers to fill with gas. When I tried to start the car, the gas was still in the chambers causing the rod and the cam shaft to bend in each of these cylinders. The mechanic has informed us that it will be cheaper to replace the engine than to try to replace all the damaged parts. So, we are looking at around $5500.00-$6500.00 by the time it is all said & done. Well, here is the part of the story that really burns me! General Motors knows that these vehicles have this problem- but they won’t do anything about it. They will not recall the vehicles, and they will not pay for any of the repairs. The reason I know this is the mechanic told us that there has been information given out by GM stating that this is a problem in these vehicles. Isn’t it ironic that they will notify the mechanic but not the consumer? If the injectors had been changed-cost around $500.00-$600.00 this would not have happened. Seeing as how they have since corrected the problem which apparently is in a faulty design of the original injectors for this engine. Also, GM wants $10,000 for the same engine if our mechanic buys it from them. Not sure where he is getting the new engine but the price he quoted us was $4000.00 plus other miscellaneous parts and labor. Now I do recognize that this is a reconditioned engine, but does come with a 3 year warranty. We purchased this vehicle brand new and have taken good care of it. There was no indication that there was any problem. It did not burn oil, and did not smoke when started or upon acceleration, no engine knocking or power loss. NOTHING! The mechanic stated that this vehicle is rated for 300,000 miles regular road use. We have 107,000 on it now. That seems to me like a far cry short of 300,000 miles. He ran a full diagnostic test on the transmission, rear end & ect. to help us decide if it was worth fixing or not & verified that as near as he can tell the vehicle is mechanically sound in all other areas-also, straight body, good paint, good interior ect. ect. We have decided to have the reconditioned engine put in it-3 year warranty. Keep the car one or possibly two years & get rid of it. As for me, I don’t want any more GM made vehicles. So, if anyone who reads this has a Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, or pickup made around 2004, 8 cylinder engine, you may want to check into having your injectors replaced. I don’t know how wide spread this problem is, but, it may save you a lot of money.

- Linda A., Boise, ID, US

problem #1

Dec 252010

Tahoe LT 5.3L V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 147,000 miles

started acting up on christmas day came back home was told it was the fuel pump changed the fuel pump fuel filter and fuel pressure regulator but still the problem continues wtf could possibly be wrong

- roger.hayes2, Clinton, SC, US