Total Complaints
3 filings
CHEVROLET S UTILITY · model year
2002 CHEVROLET S UTILITY
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002CHEVROLETS UTILITY carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 S UTILITY is steering:gear box:shaft sector with 1 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and parking brake (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2002 S UTILITY, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070323PARKING BRAKE
I OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE, AND THE PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED TO HOLD THE VEHICLE IN PLACE ON ANY TYPE OF INCLINE. THIS PROBLEM GOT PERSISTENTLY WORSE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH I RARELY USED THE BRAKE.*AK
Mileage: 33,000
20050915POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2002 TAHOE. PURCHASED 9/04. 1 WEEK LATER ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP HAD 34000 MILES AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR AND CLAIM TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. SINCE THAT TIME HAVE NOTICED THAT TRANSMISSION MISSES AT 40 MPH AND SLOW ACCELERATION FROM A STOP OR NOT FULL POWER WHEN TRYING TO GET ONTO INTERSTATE ETC THAT A V8 ENGINE SHOULD HAVE. 9/05 TRIED TO DRIVE TO WORK AND GOT TO STOP LIGHT AND ENGINE WOULD ON REV AND NO POWER. HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP THEY ADVISED NEED NEW TRANSMISSION OR REBUILD EXISTING ONE. 50,000 MILES ON VEHICLE NOW, NEVER USED IT TO TOW ANYTHING ETC ONLY DRIVEN 16000 MILES SINCE PURCHASE. THIS COULD NOT BE ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE TO CAUSE THE PROBLEM HAS TO BE MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR EXISTING PROBLEM WHEN PURCHASED AND NO HELP FROM DEALERSHIP AT THIS POINT. THEY WANT 2400.00 TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE AGAIN. *NM
Mileage: 34,000
20050106STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR
CLANGING (NOISE) IN FRONT END/STEERING COLUMN. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS ON BACK ORDER AND THAT AT THIS THERE THERE ARE ALMOST 200,000 (STEERING SHAFTS) ON BACK ORDER ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WITH NO WAY OF KNOWING WHERE THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE. *AK
Compare 2002CHEVROLETS UTILITY to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 CHEVROLET S UTILITY have?▼
The 2002 CHEVROLET S UTILITY has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 CHEVROLET S UTILITY?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 CHEVROLET S UTILITY is STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and PARKING BRAKE.
Is the 2002 CHEVROLET S UTILITY safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.