2016 Chevrolet Tahoe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (75) · Power Train (38) · Suspension (14)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Tahoe model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
131 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (8)
Power Train:transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive) 2026-05-07 · campaign 26V289000 · 66 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on
Seat Belts:front 2021-04-08 · campaign 21V245000 · 2,568 vehicles
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2014-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement tensioner cable assembly as part of a previous recall remedy or a subsequent repair. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the vehicle causing the cable to fatigue and s
Risk: A broken pretensioner cable reduces the effectiveness of the driver's seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat belt lap pretensioner, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212330040.
Service Brakes 2019-10-24 · campaign 19V761000 · 652,967 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum 2019-09-06 · campaign 19V645000 · 3,456,719 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Seat Belts:front 2018-05-03 · campaign 18V291000 · 23,004 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe Police Pursuit and Special-Service vehicles. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the vehicle causing the cable to fatigue and separate.
Risk: If the pretensioner cable becomes fatigued or breaks, the driver may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pretensioner cable and seat side-shield, free of charge. The recall began June 19, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18156.
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2017-07-10 · campaign 17V437000 · 40,683 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2016-09-08 · campaign 16V651000 · 3,640,162 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
Suspension:front:control Arm 2016-04-28 · campaign 16V256000 · 3,738 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.
Service bulletins (1,769)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pi to help diagnose a/c concern
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
Unknown Or Other 2026-05-14 · PIT5509M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
Unknown Or Other 2026-05-04 · PIT6247B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates direction to find information at www.gmupfitter.com for police and special service vehicles.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,769 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-08-28 · Structure:body“i am reporting a paint defect on my 2016 chevrolet tahoe. the paint on the hood and roof is peeling, flaking, and delaminating without any external damage or misuse. the failure appears to be progressive and worsening over time. the clear coat and paint layers are separating, exposing bare metal and increasing the risk of corrosion. this issue is …”
2026-07-30 · Vehicle Speed Control“on 7/28 while driving my vehicle, the abs and traction control light came on unexpectedly (the symbol with the car and squiggly line in front of it). nothing is wrong with the vehicle for these lights to come on as i keep up with all maintenance and repairs to this suv seeing that im the only owner. then the next day, i noticed my truck keeps accel…”
2026-07-25 · Service Brakes“i have been having issues with the brakes on my 2016 chevy tahoe for as long as i can remember. when going very slow, such as in a parking lot or pulling into a parking space, my car feels like i am driving on ice when i brake. i am not sure if i am actually going to stop or hit a car/person. the brake pedal also gets very hard. it makes a squeakin…”
2026-07-15 · Steering · 56,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet tahoe. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph in sand, the vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel seized. the contact turned off the vehicle, jiggled the steering wheel, and waited approximately 10 minutes before restarting the vehicle to continue driving. the vehicle was taken to a certified m…”
2026-06-30 · Structure:body“there is delamination happening on the hood and roof of my car and is putting the integrity of the car at risk with bare metal being exposed to the elements thus causing rust and break down of the structure of the vehicle.…”
2026-03-26 · Unknown Or Other“i live in lake charles louisiana. i have a 2016 tahoe ltz my transmission went out .…”
2026-03-24 · Seats“i purchased a 2016 chevrolet tahoe on march 8, 2026, in [xxx] . after the sale, i discovered that the vehicle has serious undisclosed safety defects, including evidence that the airbag (supplemental restraint system) had previously deployed and was not properly repaired or restored to working condition, and were actually cut and removed from the ve…”
2026-03-05 · Service Brakes“hello, i has problems driving my car like by brakes braking out of nowhere. there was even a couple times i felt like the car swerved, even though i did not do anything to the steering wheel. then i found out i had a recall that said not to drive the car because it was dangerous so i parked it in my driveway and i have not driven it for many months…”
2026-01-30 · Power Train“vehicle: 2016 chevrolet tahoe mileage at failure: 96,700 miles component: powertrain – transmission while driving on the highway returning home from columbus, oh, my 2016 chevrolet tahoe experienced a sudden transmission failure without any warning. we were traveling in the third lane at approximately 70–74 mph when the vehicle abruptly lost power …”
2026-01-26 · Service Brakes“at first it started with my brakes. i was at dq and all of a sudden the brake peddle was hard and would barely go down. i then put my car in park. now i have all new brakes, rotors, etc. then now the car after 139,000 miles and only owning it for 3 years has this hesitation to go. it stumbles and once would go at all. i had to park right where i wa…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.