A woman declaring, “I literally have the worst luck with vehicles,” set out to prove it with a litany about three General Motors models—a Chevy Tahoe, a Chevy Equinox, and a GMC Yukon—that started and ended with bad news.
Creator Erica Kate (@ericakate_/) shared her experience with these models on TikTok, getting more than 410,000 views.
After setting the stage by announcing her bad luck with cars, she laments her Tahoe first.
“I had a Tahoe, and I loved her,” she says. “She was beautiful. She was so fun to drive. Well, guess what? She left me on the side of the road. She almost killed my entire family.”
Erica says it required a tow to the dealership, for which she says, “My neighbors probably thought the repo truck was in my front yard.”
Chevy Equinox rental
She says she got put into a rental Chevy Equinox, noting, “If I went over 45 miles an hour. It sounded like a souped-up golf cart/lawnmower, like I was about to blow up that engine.” After 10 days in the rental car, she got the Tahoe back, believing it to be fixed.
Alas, as she recounts, the Tahoe soon displayed a distressing warning: “Reduced engine power. Drive with care.”
“I’d love to drive with care, but it won’t go,” she cracked. “I can’t drive it back to the dealership. So I was like, You know what? This is ridiculous. I’m not doing this.”
She traded the Tahoe in for a GMC Yukon, which she implied wasn’t as cool by calling it her “granny mobile,” but was initially happier in that car, even going as far as to call it “luxurious.”
But she said on Monday that she received an email notifying her that her Yukon was being recalled for “lack of engine propulsion”—allegedly with no remedy for the issue.
“I am tired of brand-new vehicles not being reliable,” she states.
She continues, “I want the look of a Tahoe, but the reliability of a Honda or Toyota. I need somebody to invent that vehicle.”
A massive recall
It was announced on Wednesday that the Yukon is just one brand caught up in a recall involving 700,000 GM vehicles. The recall is due to an engine defect that could lead to engine damage or failure.
“According to the notice,” that article explained, “the affected vehicles may have defective connecting rods or crankshaft components in the engine. These key parts could suffer from manufacturing flaws, potentially leading to internal damage or even a complete engine breakdown.”
The recall is for cars with 6.2-liter L87 engines, including:
- 2021–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban
- GMC Sierra 1500
- GMC Yukon and Yukon XL
- Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV
While the article does indicate that the issue can be fixed, it could involve anything from higher viscosity oil to a full engine replacement.
Commenters have their say
Her story certainly resonated with some.
“Not just Tahoes, it’s all these new cars,” one said. “Too much technology in the car in my opinion. One wire goes bad and the whole car shuts down.”
“My 6.2 Tahoe had the crankshaft & bearings replaced in the motor at 30k miles,” another shared.
That led someone else to concur, “My 6.2 Tahoe blew at 5400 miles,” adding. “It’s insane.”
“This is just the new normal for the vehicle market,” someone else concluded. “They’re all just overpriced trash cars. Just “the sad reality and it’s going to continue to happen as long as you keep it.”
Erica speaks with the Daily Dot
Erica, responding to the Daily Dot via email, said of her video, “Honestly I’m glad it’s going viral. A lot of people in the comments are sharing similar experiences and recommending vehicles that they love. I think we can agree that manufacturers just don’t make cars like they used to.”
@ericakate_ Beware of these newer high priced SUVs. Especially the Tahoes and now potentially the Yukons too. 😭 #chevytahoe #tahoe #yukon #suv ♬ original sound – Erica Kate 🦋
The Daily Dot has reached out to General Motors via email.
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