The Lemon Index

All cars · Chevrolet Tahoe · 2008

2008 Chevrolet Tahoe. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index71100 = average car
Complaints73NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold91,578U.S. model year
Per 100K sold80complaints
Year rank#14 of 23#1 = fewest complaints

Engines and drivetrains 6

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
4.8L 8-cylAuto 4-spdRWD14 / 19 / 16Regular$3,900
5.3L 8-cylAuto 4-spdRWD14 / 20 / 16Regular$3,900
5.3L 8-cylAuto 4-spd4Wheel or AWD14 / 19 / 16Regular$3,900
6.0L 8-cyl hybridAuto (variable gear ratios)RWD21 / 22 / 21Regular$2,950
6.0L 8-cyl hybridAuto (variable gear ratios)4Wheel or AWD20 / 20 / 20Regular$3,100
6.2L 8-cylAuto 6-spdRWD12 / 19 / 14Premium$5,550

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 42,100 and 110,000 miles. Median 75,000, from 341 complaints with a mileage.

SystemMedianMiddle halfComplaints
Airbags96,00070,000–127,60071
Electrical62,50035,100–105,20076
Body structure78,00058,000–90,00059
Doors, locks & latches39,00034,000–52,00059
Engine91,40062,500–134,80028

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Doors, locks & latches47%
Electrical21%
Suspension5%
Body structure5%
Fuel system, gasoline4%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
586751606

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 4

  • 21V052000 Feb 2021 Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain

    Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-

  • 21V050000 Feb 2021 Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-200

    Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-2

  • 10V240000 Jun 2010 Electrical System

    Defect. GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN N

    Risk. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SA

  • 08V441000 Aug 2008 Electrical System

    Defect. GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.

    Risk. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWN

NHTSA investigations

StatusSubjectOpenedClosed
OpenDesiccated air bag inflator rupture2021–
ClosedPedestrian alert sounds20232023
ClosedInterior door handle laceration risk20092010
ClosedNon-crash engine compartment fires20082008
ClosedNon-crash engine compartment fires20082008

Manufacturer communications 1399

Chevy filed 1399 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Various electrical concerns - intermittently functioning or inoperative component, ip warning…
  • A no crank/no start condition with dtc b009f set in the serial data gateway module (sdgm) of…
  • No start, no crank, intermittent electrical operations (check for poor connections within…

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardNoNo

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
20057180152,307Electrical
20061921161,491Transmission & drivetrain
2007112148146,259Electrical
2008717391,578Doors, locks & latches
2009503073,254Electrical
2010171575,675Body structure
2011373580,527Body structure

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data