2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Reliability

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

What Owners Say

4WD/AWD components

"not working, needs new electronic component, very expensive"

Anonymous, IL (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 4.8-L V8)

"could not use 4-wheel drive"

Anonymous, MN (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure 5.3-L V8)

"Encoder motor that shifts between 2wd & 4wd became intermittent requiring replacement at 191000 miles."

G C., NC (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"would not go into four wheel."

Allen I., MN (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3-L V8)

Electrical failure

"I have driver, passenger and rear air, over 3 months all systems began blowing warm air intermittently. All 3 systems had to have some part replaced costing around $900 each time. When the driver side went bad the whole dash had to be removed to replace the part"

Daniel A., SD (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Stability control (ESC)

"When I bought the car, it had an issue with the autoride suspension. It turned out to be the sensor that reads the suspension movement. It was completely shattered and needed to be replaced."

Andrew D., WA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"Elecrtronic stabilizer leveler needs replaced. The cost is more than the vehicle is worth and mechanic says don't need it"

Anonymous, OR (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"light kept coming on"

Allen I., MN (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3-L V8)

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

What Owners Say

Emission control devices (includes EGR)

"Had to replace the evap canister and assorted items for the 2nd time"

Anonymous, MD (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"the evap sensor failed about 18 months ago, it was replaced with OEM equipment. Now it triggers whenever it is raining. When reset with a OBDII reader the alarm does not trigger again until the next heavy rain event when it may or may not trigger."

T H., TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"replaced evap cannister"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Fuel cap

"If the cap is not tightly sealed it will turn on your engine light"

Anonymous, OR (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor)

"Engine light kept coming on. Once it was the gas cap, once it was the air filter, the other times they could'n't figure it out so they replaced the sensor"

Anonymous, OR (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"Engine light would come on frequently."

Anonymous, MD (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4.8-L V8)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling)

"Extreme peeling and milkiness of clear coat. Car is washed and waxed regularly, and not in an extreme heat environment"

Scot O., CA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"TRIM GETTING YELLOWISH AND CHALKY"

Allan S., CA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT)

"Paint oxidizing mainly on the hood."

Anonymous, (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 4.8-L V8)

"Vehicle is peeling paint everywhere. Hood, root, doors, rear panel"

Anonymous, (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Rust

"Rust occurred on the driver and passenger sides from the rear passenger doors to the wheel well on the panels under the doors. the panels on both sides had to be replaced with new metal"

Fred J., WV (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe)

"Rusting under door. Entire section needs to be removed and replaced"

Anonymous, (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Ball joints

"I had to replace all of the ball joints. 2 were worn (one on both sides). I replaced all four, because its kind of a while you are in there type deal. But it would have been very expensive for a shop to do it."

Andrew D., WA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Power steering leaks

"It's 12 years and I had it repaired, works fine now"

Billie S., TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.3-L V8)

Power steering pumps and hoses

"Power steering lines failed and caused the system to fail"

Dennis H., MI (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Steering linkage (includes rack and pinion)

"Replaced the front pitman arm on my 4x4 Tahoe. After almost 15 years of use and lots of off road driving the steering “feel” had become slightly less precise than I liked and replacing the pitman arm returned the steering to “like new”l."

John L., CA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"Steering became sloppy and steering box was worn and had ti be replaced."

Russell M., TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Automatic climate control

"Rear air conditioning gets hot in summer and cold in the winter. This was serviced for the same issue about a year and a half ago"

Taylor P., OH (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"When using the a/c, sometimes one side will put out cold air while the other puts out hot. The roof air often puts out hot air when cold air is choosen. Although a mechanic has looked into this, it has yet to be resolved. I tolerate it, change around different a/c and heat controls until eventually, most times, I get the air temperature I want."

Anonymous, NC (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"Diverter door actuator had to be replaced (this is the second time in the past several years)"

Russell M., TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe)

Heater system

"Heater control system on drivers side inoperative"

Anonymous, AK (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.3-L V8)

Refrigerant leaks

"the service station cannot find the leak even after adding dye"

Anonymous, WI (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure Unsure)

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

Exterior lights (other than headlights)

"The evening following a dealer oil change and 17point inspection, I was stopped at a traffic light and told none of my back lights were working. That should have been caught during the oil change. I bought the parts and replaced the brake lights"

Robin L., GA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"Had to replace daylight bulb - I notice a lot of similar vehicles have this problem"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT)

"The taillight at the top of the back quit working, they can't discover why"

Anonymous, OR (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Heated or cooled seats

"The system comes on and goes off when ever it chooses. GM has no answer for repair other than replace and keep and keep replacing"

Michael M., NY (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Interior lights

"Misc. courteous lights on steering wheel controls and on dash, including instrument lights, have gone out as well as campus and temperature displayed in rear view mirror. None are inexpensive fixes so they hav not been repaired, car is too old."

Anonymous, MI (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

What Owners Say

Antilock system (ABS)

"ABS control module failure. Known problem with this vehicle."

Anonymous, (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 4.8-L V8)

"Brakes failed, issues with ABS and brake lines"

Anonymous, FL (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3-L V8)

Parking brake

"It completely stopped working even after replacing pads."

Anonymous, MD (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4.8-L V8)

Rotors

"Needed a full brake job; turned 4 rotors"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 4.8-L V8)

Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Squeaks or rattles

"The front suspension has popped loudly when the steering is turned sharply since the car was new"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT)

"Belt tensioners sqeak. Had 2 replaced already but still noisy."

Anonymous, MD (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"loud popping noise when turning sharply at a low spweed"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe)

Wind noise

"It's a 2005 the wind noise is more noticeable then our other vehicle Toyota FJ. The Tahoe is in great shape no rust and the engine runs and sounds great. Looking into replacing the seals to reduce wind noise"

Anonymous, IN (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

CD player

"will not eject CD. does not play"

Anonymous, IL (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 4.8-L V8)

Display screen goes blank

"The display system, where the radio is, will completely shut off at times. It is brief and turns back on by itself, but it typically happens at least once a week. I've investigated into this issue with mechanics, but have been told that Chevrolet had problems with their electrical system through several years, among them being 2005."

Anonymous, NC (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Speakers

"Left front speaker pops on and off. Sometimes only right read speaker is working. Don't know if it's head unit or speakers - but it's annoying!"

Scot O., CA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

What Owners Say

Coolers and lines

"While getting an oil change, the mechanic discovered that the transmission cooler lines were leaking and needed replaced. So, I had them replaced. I had no noticeable problems driving but the problem was caught before I did."

Anonymous, IN (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

"I needed new spark plug wires because they were arcing and while in the shop the mechanic noticed that the transmission cooler lines were leaking (all three of them). It was not an emergency but I went ahead and had them replaced while there. Total of $900 for both repairs."

Anonymous, IN (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Transmission sensor or solenoid

"Can't shift into 4 wheel drive, shifted into 4 wheel low range by itself before total failure to be able to shift at all, traction control disabled"

Anonymous, FL (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3-L V8)

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

What Owners Say

Cylinder head

"cylinder head needed to be replaced. mechanic had the vehicle for a month to do so."

Anonymous, GA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Engine rebuild or replacement

"Oil pressure loss. Mechanic found metal shavings in oil pan so had to replace engine"

Anonymous, IA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3-L V8)

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

What Owners Say

Locks and latches

"pARKING BRAKE CABLE HAS BROKEN 2 TIMES AND LEFT ME WITH BRAKE ON--MANUAL RELEASE UNDER DASH IS VERY DIFFICULT AND EASY TO GET FACE INJURED. MOST AAA PEOPLE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO RELEASE!!! HAD TO CALL DEALER TECH AND LEARNED BY CELL PHONE PICTURES"

Allan S., CA (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LT)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

What Owners Say

Catalytic converter

"it makes a noise when you first start the vehicle, once it's warmed up the noise it's not as loud"

Anonymous, NE (2005 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.3-L V8)

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