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2018 Chevrolet Tahoe: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
40%
39 of 103 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

40% of relevant owner complaints on the 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 54% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
39
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
103
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
6 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER26 · 25%
POWER TRAIN20 · 19%
ENGINE20 · 19%
SERVICE BRAKES19 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM13 · 13%
STEERING11 · 11%

The years either side

2010
8%
16 of 319
2011
9%
25 of 456
2012
13%
15 of 180
2013
13%
24 of 233
2014
14%
11 of 93
2015
23%
136 of 662
2016
29%
70 of 257
2017
45%
73 of 173
2018
40%
39 of 103
2019
64%
61 of 105
2020
51%
26 of 55
2021
75%
296 of 445
2022
63%
111 of 184
2023
78%
158 of 212

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other full-size SUVs with no elevated signal

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE08/28/2026
05/15/23 - AFM Lifter failure - Complete Top End Rebuild under extended warranty purchased when i bought the Tahoe - Preowned certified. Cost $2,000.00 Out Of Pocket ( Days Chevrolet Repaired 86,350 miles) 09/06/23 - Transmission failed - Warranty paid except $2,000.00 (94,000 Miles) 02/02/26 - Broken Driver Side Motor…
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE07/27/2026
Out of nowhere without any warning light all of a sudden couldn’t back up when geared into reverse to reverse. Turned the vehicle off and back on, then was able to reverse. Left parking lot and was on the road and vehicle started loosing speed, then put into park with hazard lights. When attempting to get off the road …
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTH07/02/2026CRASH
Unexpected acceleration

Three of 39 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (3)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicl…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equip…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.