2017 Chevrolet Tahoe transmission and drivetrain problems
53 of the 173 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 157 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 53 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 11 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 4
Half of the 15 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 81,000 and 110,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
173 complaints in all about the 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Chevrolet Tahoe transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
I have a 2017 Chevy Tahoe with 77,000 miles on it. I will have it 4 years Labor Day Weekend. I get all the regular service and oil changes on it in a timely fashion. Last week I was driving my daughter to a friends house and there was a tapping sound. The car did not sound right. Suddenly the engine light illuminated and was blinking.
My wife was driving on the interstate through birmingham, al and my 2017 chevy Tahoe lt lost power. The transmission had one instance of a hard shift during highway driving, then just failed. She was luckily able to make it to the side of the interstate safely, tried to shift it into drive and the car rolled backwards.
At approximately 90 thousand miles the transmission on my 2017 Tahoe premier went out and we had to get a new transmission installed. I was stopped in traffic on the highway and when I went to accelerate the vehicle would not move. I was able to get the Tahoe to lurch to the slow lane and off of the road.
At around 70k miles started having issues. Went to pull out on the highway rolled FWD and it would not go almost like it was knocked out of gear. Then at 100300 miles the transmission is gone. Paid 47k for a Tahoe and now having to spend $4200 to replace a transmission. I'm lucky that we didn't get hit when the transmission came out.
My 2017 Tahoe felt like it was skipping last night(3/11/21), I was thinking it could be bad gas; however, this morning when leaving for work it drove good for about 2 miles then it started skipping again, making a funny noise when I took off from a stop sign, it doesn't want to change gears.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- May 7, 2026 · 66 vehicles
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
157 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 53 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (31% of everything owners filed about it), and 157 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 26V289000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 100,300 miles; half of them between 81,000 and 110,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.