Full-size SUVs · 7 model years, 2015 to 2022
Chevrolet Tahoe vs Ford Expedition: problems and reliability
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Expedition looks better on 3 and the Tahoe on 2, with 2 too close to call.
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026
Scorecard
| Measure, 2015 to 2022 | Tahoe | Expedition |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints that report a crash | 3.8% | 3.1% |
| Complaints that report a fire | 0.5% | 1.5% |
| Complaints that report an injury | 2.4% | 3.9% |
| Median miles when problems are reported | 60,000 | 68,000 |
| Recall campaigns per model year | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Do-not-drive recalls | 3 | 0 |
| NHTSA investigations | 6 | 3 |
The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.
What owners complain about
The system Tahoe owners complain about most is engine; for the Expedition it is transmission and drivetrain. Complaints citing brakes make up 19% of all Tahoe complaints, against 5.9% on the Expedition. The Expedition leans the other way on transmission and drivetrain: 31% of its complaints, against 17% for the Tahoe.
Chevrolet TahoeFord Expedition
Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
The most reported problems
The most reported problem on the Tahoe is brake wear (20% of its complaints). On the Expedition it is stalling (11% of its complaints), against 14% on the Tahoe.
| Problem | Tahoe | Expedition |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes grind, pulse or wear early | 20% 390most in 2015 · 65k mi | 8.3% 162most in 2017 · 67k mi |
| Engine stalls or loses power while driving | 14% 273most in 2021 · 61k mi | 11% 217most in 2019 · 64k mi |
| Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard | 4.2% 8085k mi | 11% 212most in 2019 · 69k mi |
| Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails | 6.0% 116most in 2015 · 48k mi | 7.8% 153most in 2017 · 90k mi |
| Check engine light or misfire | 8.6% 166most in 2021 · 70k mi | 4.6% 90most in 2019 · 78k mi |
| Seat belt or seat problems | 2.4% 4760k mi | 6.5% 128most in 2019 · 73k mi |
| Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing | 7.0% 134most in 2021 · 67k mi | 1.2% 2383k mi |
| Timing chain or cam phaser rattles | 0 | 7.6% 149most in 2019 · 77k mi |
Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.
When problems start
Tahoe owners report problems earlier. Half the Tahoe complaints that give a mileage come before 60,000 miles; for the Expedition the halfway point is 68,000. 39% of Tahoe reports and 31% of Expedition reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.
Chevrolet TahoeFord Expedition
Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 973 for the Tahoe and 914 for the Expedition.
Worst and best years
The 2021 Tahoe draws 3.4 times the complaints of a typical Tahoe year for its age. The 2019 Expedition draws 2.5 times the complaints of a typical Expedition year for its age.
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet TahoeFord Expedition
Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.
Recalls and investigations
The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 5.0 campaigns per model year for the Tahoe and 5.0 for the Expedition. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.
Chevrolet Tahoe
35 recall campaigns and 6 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: seat belts (7), transmission and drivetrain (6) and steering (4).
- Do not drive 14V-246 (steering), model years 2015
- Do not drive 16V-256 (suspension), model years 2016
- Do not drive 26V-289 (transmission and drivetrain), model years 2016, 2017 and 2019
- 19V-761 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 5 model years
- 19V-645 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 4 model years
Investigations
- EA26005: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (open)
- RQ26001: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (closed)
- EA25007: Loss of motive power due to engine failure (open)
Ford Expedition
35 recall campaigns and 3 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: visibility (5), backup camera (5) and transmission and drivetrain (4).
- 23V-420 (equipment) covers 4 model years
- 24V-852 (equipment) covers 4 model years
Investigations
- RQ24015: Seat belt retractor pretensioner inadvertent deployment (closed, led to a recall)
- PE24019: Low-pressure fuel pump failure (closed, led to a recall)
- PE23021: Seat belt pretensioner inadvertent deployment (closed, led to a recall)
Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Crashes, fires and injuries
A larger share of Tahoe complaints report a crash: 3.8%, against 3.1% for the Expedition. Fire reports: 10 for the Tahoe and 30 for the Expedition. Complaints on file report 2 deaths in the Tahoe and 0 in the Expedition for these model years.
Chevrolet TahoeFord Expedition
Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.
Questions
Is the Chevrolet Tahoe or the Ford Expedition more reliable?
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Expedition looks better on 3 and the Tahoe on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Tahoe has 1,924 complaints and the Expedition 1,960 for the 7 model years from 2015 to 2022 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.
Which has more recalls, the Tahoe or the Expedition?
The Tahoe has 35 recall campaigns and the Expedition 35 across the 7 model years from 2015 to 2022 that both have on file. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 5.0 campaigns per model year for the Tahoe and 5.0 for the Expedition.
What are the most common problems on the Tahoe and the Expedition?
The most reported problem on the Tahoe is brake wear (20% of its complaints). On the Expedition it is stalling (11% of its complaints), against 14% on the Tahoe.
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