1997 Chevrolet Tahoe Fuel System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
I PURCHASED A USED 1997 CHEVROLET TAHOE AND SINCE THAT TIME THE FUEL PUMP HAS GONE OUT 5 TIMES, ONCE IN APRIL, JUNE, SEPTEMBER, TWICE IN OCTOBER AND IN NOVEMBER. THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS ON 12/06/06. I HAVE YET TO FIND A MECHANIC WHO CAN TELL ME THE PROBLEM THAT I'M EXPERIENCING. THE WIRING SEEMS TO FAULTY IS ALL I HEAR. PLEASE HELP!!!! *JB
DT*: THE CONTACTED STATED THE ENGINE BUCKED AND HESITATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED, THEN THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.
THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL LINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE DRIVING. *TT
THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS DETERMINED, THE FUEL PUMP MODULE AND CONNECTOR, HAD MELTED. *JB *AK
DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH FUEL PUMP VEHICLE IS NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS WHILE DRIVING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
IN 3 YEARS WE HAVE REPLACED 6 FUEL PUMPS. REPLACEMENTS HAVE RANGED ANYWHERE FROM 1 HOUR TO 2 YEARS. I PAID FOR THE FIRST REPLACEMENT BUT THE 4 OTHERS WERE UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOT WITHOUT A MAJOR BATTLE WITH GM. THE LAST AND MOST CURRENT DEALERSHIP WILL NOT PAY FOR DUE TO A 2 YEAR TIME PERIOD HAD ELAPSED SINCE LAST FAILURE BUT DID ISSUE A $1000 COUPON OFF OUR NEXT VEHICLE.
FUEL PUMP STOPPED WORKING AND WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ANOTHER 1000 MILES WHEN THE REPLACEMENT FUEL PUMP FAILED (CHEVROLET FUEL PUMP NOT AFTER MARKET). THE WIRING HARNESS GOING TO THE FUEL PUMP WAS MELTED AND THERE WERE BURN MARKS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. MECHANIC STATED THE WIRING HARNESS WAS COMING LOSE FROM THE CONNECTION WITH THE FUEL PUMP AND ARCING TO THE VEHICLE UNDERBODY.
VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP HAS FAILED SIX TIMES SINCE NEW PURCHASE ONCE ON EXPRESSWAY CAUSING NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT. *AK
THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS FIRE. MECHANIC REPLIED HE WAS VERY SUPRISED WHEN THE VEHICLE DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE DUE TO THE FULE TANK MODULE WIRES BEING BURNT TO THE INSIDE WALL OF THE GAS TANK. THE ONLY INDICATION OF THE PROBLEM AT TIME OF DRIVING WAS A TOTAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN ON THE ROAD. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
IN JULY THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED IN SANTA FE, NM. IN AUGUST I WAS DRIVING ON I-25 TO CASTLE ROCK , COLORADO AND 1-1/2 MILE FROM THE EXIT TO CASTLE ROCK, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND STOPPED RUNNING. WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER BUT IT WAS VERY SCARY. THERE WAS BARELY ROOM FOR THE CAR BETWEEN THE VERY BUSY INTERSTATE AND THE DITCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SHOULDER. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO CASTLE ROCK, THEY COULDN'T REPAIR IT UNTIL A PART WAS ORDERED AND RECEIVED FROM DENVER, SO I RENTED THE LAST CAR RENTAL IN CASTLE ROCK AND DROVE HOME. THEN WENT BACK TWO DAYS LATER TO PICK UP MY CAR. THIS WAS VERY COSTLY TO ME BECAUSE THE TOWING WAS COVERED BY MY INSURANCE, BUT THE OTHER COSTS WERE MY RESPONSIBILITY. IT COST $130.90 IN SANTA FE TO REPLACE THE FILTER ($91.50 LABOR) AT THE SANTA FE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. THE COST TO REPLACE THE PUMP MODULE AND STRAINER WAS $533.80 ($232.00 LABOR) AT THE SOUTH STREET AUTOMOTIVE AS NO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WAS AVAILABLE. THE RENTAL CAR COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $300.00. I CAN UNDERSTAND REPLACING A FUEL FILTER ON A THREE-YEAR CAR PERHAPS, BUT THE OTHER FAILURE (FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO WARNING) WAS NOT ONLY VERY COSTLY BUT A VERY SCARY SAFETY HAZARD.*AK
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE FUEL PUMP CONSUMER NOTICED THAT INSIDE GAS TANK THERE WERE BURNED WIRES. DEALER HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM TO BE COMMON, AND REPLACED THE TANK. *AK
THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL LINE CAUSES IT TO RUB AGAINST ANOTHER PART WHICH RESULTS IN A A FUEL LEAK, AND MAY CATCH ON FIRE. DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE, COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35MPH, ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. CONSUMER SAYS LUCKILY THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. WITH ENGINE GOING HAD HE BEEN IN A LOT OF TRAFFIC THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ALSO, FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
CONSUMER STARTED CAR. PUT FOOT ON THE BRAKES AND IT FELT LIKE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO DIE. ALSO, WHEN PUTTING FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, IT FELT LIKE CAR WAS NOT CONNECTING. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY SAID IT WAS FUEL INJECTORS. *AK
FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED 4 TIMES DUE TO MELTING OF WIRES WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY. DEALER CAN'T FIND SOLUTION. *AK
FUEL PUMP FAILED AT HIGH SPEEDS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CUT OFF COMPLETELY. SEAL BETWEEN THE HOUSING AND THE TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A GASKET BETWEEN THE PUMP AND HOUSING THAT FAILED.*JB
WIRES ON OUTSIDE OF FUEL PUMP ARE FUSED. SECOND TIME IN 20,000 MILES. AFTER MANY HOURS OF TRACKING DOWN PROBLEM, DEALERSHIP IS STUMPED, SAYS IT IS A FLUKE. THEY ORIGINALLY FOUND A BLOWN FUSE UNDER HOOD, A FAULTY FUEL RELAY WHICH BLEW THE FUSE, AND NOW A FAULTY FUEL PUMP WIRING ASSEMBLY WHICH THEY CLAIM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING. SEEMS RATHER UNUSUAL SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME AROUND FOR THE SAME THING IN A LITTLE OVER A YEARS TIME.
FUEL INJECTOR FAILED.
GAS TANK HAS FAILED TWO TIMES RESULTING IN GASOLINE EXPULSION.
GAS TANK IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD 30 GALONS BUT ONLY HOLDS ABOUT 24 GALLONS.
GAS TANK FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKING.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe has 22 Fuel System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.