NHTSA Complaint #11661268 — 2021 CHEVROLET TAHOE

On April 25th, 2025 we were taking our kids to their after school activities when the SUV started to shake, and accelerate very fast by barely pushing the gas pedal, the ETS light along with the forward collision warning also appeared on the dashboard along with the check engine light. This prompted my husband to get our vehicle towed to the nearest shop close to the street where our vehicle started having problems. After several days of diagnostics the shop let us know our vehicle needed the following repairs: Bank One lifters replacement, head gasket service, and a water pump replacement, we ok'd the repairs. Although these components were replaced, we were informed on May 15, 2025, that the vehicle continues to misfire and now requires a camshaft replacement as well. The total cost of the repair has now risen from $5,182.16 to $13,549.79, which is a significant financial burden as the vehicle is just outside of warranty coverage. We are aware that there is an active recall covering similar issues for 2021–2024 Chevrolet Tahoes equipped with 6.2L engines. However, our 5.3L engine model is experiencing the same mechanical failures, including misfires, knocking noises, low RPM idling, and performance degradation. There is growing evidence that the valve lifter issues are not limited to the 6.2L engine variant. Our experience—and the experiences of others reported online—suggests that the 5.3L L84 engine may also suffer from the same design or manufacturing flaws. We respectfully urge NHTSA to investigate whether this issue warrants expanding the scope of the existing recall to include the 5.3L engine models, and we ask that GMC/General Motors be encouraged to provide assistance. Given the severity and known pattern of these issues, we believe GMC should cover at least 75% of the repair costs, or ideally, offer to perform the repair at no charge. Thank you for your time and consideration.