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Reliability report · 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe · Updated July 2026 · ~$3,650/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The engine story hardens — this is a near-pure 6.2L failure year, and owners report the recall fix not sticking.

2023 is where the fifth-generation Tahoe's engine problem stops being one issue among many and becomes the whole story. The recent complaint file is overwhelmingly 6.2L V8 failures — total engine failure, a spun bearing under 24,000 miles, metal in the oil, and the truck shutting off at 55 to 77 mph. Recall 25V274 (2021–2024) is meant to catch it with an inspect-repair-or-replace remedy and a 10-year/150,000-mile special coverage, but the standout pattern here is owners reporting that their truck passed the recall inspection and then died anyway — a reason to treat a passed inspection as reassuring, not conclusive.

GM also acknowledged the family directly on 2023 builds with two Customer Satisfaction Programs: one replaces the engine for oversized lifter bores (a DFM-lifter root cause), the other replaces the transmission for low-hardness pinion gears. Away from the engine, 2023 adds an independent-rear-suspension control-arm-bolt recall (23V642) and a low-brake-fluid-warning software recall (24V674). A 5.3L 2023 without engine history is a far calmer buy than a 6.2L; on any 6.2L, the engine paperwork is the purchase.

Evidence: 196 NHTSA complaints · 5 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Squawking

What that means: 196 federal complaints and five recalls, and the recent file is dominated by one thing: 6.2L V8 engine failure under recall 25V274. The alarming pattern in the complaints is owners whose trucks passed the recall inspection and then failed anyway. GM also ran two 2023 engine/transmission replacement programs, one tied to the Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) cylinder-deactivation lifters. On a 6.2L this is the year to be most careful; a 5.3L is a calmer buy.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

196

Federal complaints

5

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV 2WD (NHTSA VehicleId 17215)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

6.2L V8 engine failure — recall 25V274, and the fix that doesn't always stick

major
  • 6.2L V8

This is the 2023 story. GM's recall 25V274 covers 2021–2024 6.2L Tahoes for connecting-rod and crankshaft defects that cause sudden engine failure, and the 2023 file is dominated by it — total engine failure, spun bearings under 24,000 miles, metal in the oil, and the truck dying at highway speed. The remedy inspects and repairs or replaces the engine free with higher-viscosity oil, plus a 10-year/150,000-mile special coverage. The pattern owners report on 2023 specifically is the worrying part: several passed the recall's inspection test and then had the engine fail anyway. Treat a completed inspection as necessary but not a guarantee; prefer a truck that got a replacement engine, and keep the special coverage in mind on any 6.2L.

This is a 6.2L V8 problem. The 5.3L V8 and 3.0L Duramax diesel don’t share it.

Which engine is in the one you found? →

Under recall 25V274 (inspect/repair/replace)

$0

Under the 10yr/150k special coverage

$0

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recall 25V274; 2023 engine and transmission replacement programs; recall documents)

Engine and transmission replacement programs (lifter bores, pinion gears)major

  • 5.3L V8
  • 6.2L V8

GM acknowledged the drivetrain family on 2023 builds with two Customer Satisfaction Programs — the quiet, VIN-specific version of a recall. One covers engines whose lifter bores were machined oversized (a root cause of the Dynamic Fuel Management, or DFM, lifter failures), with the remedy being a full engine replacement. The other covers transmissions with low-hardness pinion gears, with the remedy being a transmission replacement. Neither states a mileage cap in the bulletin. On a 2023, run the VIN against both programs and ask whether either was performed — a replaced engine or transmission on this year is a plus, not a red flag.

Sources: NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recall 25V274; 2023 engine and transmission replacement programs; recall documents)

10-speed transmission harsh shiftingmoderate

The 10-speed automatic can shift harshly, hesitate, or fail to shift, with the file showing deceleration events and transmission failures that in some cases accompanied the engine trouble. The 15-year/150,000-mile control-valve Special Coverage was scoped to 2021–2022, so it does not cover 2023 — meaning an out-of-warranty transmission repair here is out of pocket unless the pinion-gear replacement program applies. Test-drive for harsh or delayed shifts and factor a 2023 10-speed's lack of the control-valve coverage into the price.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe · Independent mechanic and owner transcripts (T1XX Tahoe/Yukon; AFM/DFM lifter deep-dives)

Rear-suspension control-arm-bolt recallmoderate

Recall 23V642 covers 2023 Tahoes whose rear suspension outer control-arm bolts may not have been properly heat-treated and can break, misaligning the rear wheel — an item specific to the fifth generation's independent rear suspension. Dealers replace both bolts free. It's a straightforward fix, but confirm by VIN that it was done; a broken suspension bolt is a handling hazard.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recall 25V274; 2023 engine and transmission replacement programs; recall documents)

Our vehicle passed their inspection required test for the engine recall and then at an intersection just died with absolutely no warning.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Chevrolet dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 25V2746.2L V8 connecting-rod/crankshaft manufacturing defect can cause sudden engine failure (2021–2024); inspect and repair or replace the engine free, higher-viscosity oil.open
  2. 23V642Rear suspension outer control-arm bolts may not be properly heat-treated and can break, misaligning the rear wheel (2023); both bolts replaced free.open
  3. 24V674EBCM software may fail to show a low-brake-fluid warning, an FMVSS 135 noncompliance (2023–2024); software updated free, over-the-air.open
  4. 22V903Daytime running lights may not deactivate with the headlights on, an FMVSS 108 noncompliance (2022–2023); body-control-module software updated free, over-the-air.open
  5. 25V619Diesel-only: an incorrect replacement fuel tank can leak in a rollover (2023 diesel); correct tank inspected and installed free.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2023 Tahoe

Three sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

17 MPG combined (15 city / 20 highway) for the RWD, 5.3L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 45623 (Tahoe 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: 4WD, 5.3L 16 MPG · RWD, 6.2L (premium fuel) 16 MPG · 4WD, 6.2L (premium fuel) 16 MPG · Diesel 4WD, 3.0L turbo 22 MPG.

$3,650/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Theft

Stolen about 17% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2022–24 models, published May 2025 (report WT-24). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Chevrolet Tahoe 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Chevrolet Tahoe 4dr 79, where 100 = average.

83 vs 100

17% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Under recall 25V274 (inspect/repair/replace)$0
Under the 10yr/150k special coverage$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01If it's a 6.2L, confirm recall 25V274 — and prefer a truck that received a replacement engine, since owners report the inspection-only remedy failing afterward.
  2. 02Run the VIN against the 2023 engine (oversized lifter bores) and transmission (low-hardness pinion gears) replacement programs and ask whether either was done.
  3. 03If it's a 5.3L, cold-start and listen for a DFM valvetrain tick or misfire; a 5.3L 2023 is the calmer buy.
  4. 04Verify the rear-suspension control-arm-bolt recall 23V642 and the low-brake-fluid-warning recall 24V674 are closed by VIN.
  5. 05Test-drive the 10-speed for harsh or delayed shifts — the 15yr/150k control-valve coverage does not extend to 2023.
  6. 06If it's the 3.0L diesel, check the fuel-tank recall 25V619 and confirm the AC and infotainment work on a pre-purchase inspection.

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