"How reliable is the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe?"

"Based on 252 NHTSA complaints, the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe has a median complaint mileage of 70000 miles. The most common issue is Unknown Or Other."

"What are common problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe is Unknown Or Other, accounting for a significant portion of the 252 total complaints filed."

2012 Chevrolet Tahoe: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 252 complaints

252

Total Complaints

70,000mi

Median Mileage

Unknown Or Other

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

54,500 25th Percentile

70,000 Median Mileage

86,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Unknown Or Other

100

Air Bags

Body

Electrical System

Engine

Power Train

Service Brakes

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Structure

Steering

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"2012 CHEVROLET TAHOE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH OIL GAUGE AND STATES INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL IS DEFECTIVE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, HE NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE SHOWED ZERO PRESSURE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED HIM ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE INSTRUMEN..."

"2012 CHEVROLET TAHOE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CRASH WHILE DRIVING SAFELY *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ACROSS A PARKING LOT, WHEN SUDDENLY HE STRUCK A LIGHT POLE AND CAUSED OVER $10,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. THE DRIVER MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE VEHICLE HAVING A HUG..."

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60 MPH AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICL..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Unknown Or Other 100 complaints

25th: 54,500 mi Median: 69,000 mi 75th: 84,000 mi

Air Bags 61 complaints

25th: 60,750 mi Median: 74,000 mi 75th: 83,700 mi

Body 30 complaints

25th: 42,000 mi Median: 65,238 mi 75th: 75,605 mi

Electrical System 12 complaints

25th: 74,000 mi Median: 80,000 mi 75th: 82,000 mi

Engine 9 complaints

25th: 40,030 mi Median: 81,000 mi 75th: 107,058 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 58 FL: 25 NC: 21 LA: 12 TN: 12 GA: 10 MS: 10 CA: 9 WA: 8 NY: 8

Chevrolet Tahoe — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1994	20	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	2
1995	296	120,000	Seats	31
1996	390	110,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	31
1997	515	89,950	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	29
1998	315	84,614	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	24
1999	677	93,537	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	53
2000	341	79,300	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	28
2001	607	67,250	Parking Brake	52
2002	541	83,500	Service Brakes	53
2003	628	72,518	Instrument Cluster/Panel	26
2004	548	71,127	Instrument Cluster/Panel	30
2005	379	85,000	Electrical System	15
2006	144	85,000	Electrical System	6
2007	1532	79,000	Air Bags	32
2008	683	75,000	Air Bags	11
2009	386	79,300	Air Bags	5
2010	405	75,000	Unknown Or Other	3
2011	571	66,000	Unknown Or Other	8
2013	308	61,000	Unknown Or Other	6
2014	118	55,000	Unknown Or Other	5
2015	880	60,000	Service Brakes	43
2016	345	45,000	Service Brakes	25
2017	217	50,000	Power Train	3
2018	123	41,500	Unknown Or Other	5
2019	155	28,000	Power Train	11
2020	55	16,000	Electrical System	5
2021	551	37,000	Engine	18
2022	216	44,400	Engine	3
2023	250	30,000	Engine	8
2024	82	9,000	Engine	1
2025	39	-	Engine	0

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Ignition

Campaign 14V827000 | 30/12/2014

If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for th

Inflator Module

Campaign 21V051000 | 05/02/2021

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notifica

Inflator Module

Campaign 21V054000 | 05/02/2021

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notifica

General Vehicle Maintenance

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28