Three problems related to brake disc have been reported for the 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The discs and the cylinder have been replaced twice and now need to be replaced for the third time. If we drive in the nearby smokey mountains the brakes begin to smoke soon after starting downhill where more braking than usual is required. We have been told by the GMC dealer where we purchased the Tahoe that the brakes on the 1996 vehicle were too small and have since been upgraded on later vehicles. Yet they charge us to replace the brake discs or cylinder. We basically can not drive in any mountain areas with just passengers, much less pulling anything.
I sent the follwing to gm>>>I own a 96' Chevrolet Tahoe. I love my truck but I have a major concern. My brakes are horrible, I thought it was the pads, so I had them replaced, then my rotors warped. . . So I had them replaced also, my brakes still felt soft so I kept driving it like that for about 5000 miles, next I'm driving on a flat road and come to a stop. I take off from this country road and see a deer, I hit my brakes and nothing!!!! the brake fade is so bad that I go back to the dealer again. He suggests a master cylinder (ouch) so I foolishly give him my money. Next day I'm going down a slight hill and again major brake fade. I am really upset and honestly frightened of your vehicle. In reading some of the news groups on the internet, I find that many folks have contacted gm and alerted you to this problem, please fix our brakes before one of us and/or an innocent bystander gets seriously injured or killed. Please help save lives, don't be like Ford and deny an obvious problem with your 92-99 Tahoe, suburban, and pickups.
Front disk brake pads wear out in as little as 12,000 miles. My other vehicles have gotten 50-70,000 miles on a set of pads.