2021 Chevrolet Tahoe: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 551 complaints
551
Total Complaints
37,000mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
18
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
8,383
25th Percentile
37,000
Median Mileage
65,643
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Engine
134
Fuel/Propulsion System
83
Power Train
70
Electrical System
52
Unknown Or Other
36
Fuel System, Gasoline
20
Air Bags
19
Service Brakes
16
Engine And Engine Cooling
14
Seat Belts
13
Severity Assessment
18
Crashes
5
Fires
18
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"THE SERVICE SAFETY RESTRAIN SYSTEM WARNING KEEPS COMING ON ALONG WITH THE AIRBAG READINESS WARNING. WE HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE IN THE FIRST MONTH OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE AND WE WERE TOLD THERE IS NO CURRENT FIX. HOWEVER THE MANUAL STATES TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED IMMEDIATELY TO AVO..."
"BRAND NEW VEHICLE BOUGHT TWO WEEKS AGO. I AM GETTING A SERVICE SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM MESSAGE INTERMITTENTLY."
"BRAND NEW VEHICLE BOUGHT TWO WEEKS AGO. I AM GETTING A SERVICE SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM MESSAGE INTERMITTENTLY."
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.
Engine
134 complaints
25th: 12,150 mi
Median: 39,000 mi
75th: 68,078 mi
Power Train
70 complaints
25th: 23,902 mi
Median: 55,532 mi
75th: 73,835 mi
Electrical System
52 complaints
25th: 2,218 mi
Median: 21,950 mi
75th: 50,526 mi
Unknown Or Other
36 complaints
Median: 1,275 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
FL: 93
TX: 79
CA: 34
GA: 27
NC: 21
PA: 20
VA: 19
WA: 19
SC: 18
OH: 17
Chevrolet Tahoe — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (16)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Steering Control Module
Campaign 21V455000 | 17/06/2021
Increased steering effort, particularly at lower speeds, increases the risk of a crash.
The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; or GMC custom
Software
Campaign 21V579000 | 29/07/2021
Overall braking performance may be compromised, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will recalibrate the brake system control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1202; GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212340970.
Driveshaft
Campaign 22V036000 | 27/01/2022
Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. 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.
Seat Belts
Campaign 20V792000 | 17/12/2020
If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service
Seat Belts
Campaign 20V811000 | 23/12/2020
If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recal
Tank Assembly
Campaign 21V064000 | 11/02/2021
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 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 N212327720.
Seats
Campaign 20V735000 | 25/11/2020
If an occupied front seat has loose or missing attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seated occupant.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's n
Control/Drive Module
Campaign 21V739000 | 23/09/2021
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021. 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
Rear/Other
Campaign 21V210000 | 25/03/2021
A passenger in the second-row center will be unable to wear a seat belt, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the trim bezel, correctly position the seat belt latch plate, and reinstall the trim bezel, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212329320.
Srs Malfunction Warning Lamp/Light
Campaign 21V421000 | 10/06/2021
The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrol
Seat Belts
Campaign 21V190000 | 18/03/2021
A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-4
Critical Fasteners
Campaign 22V617000 | 11/08/2022
A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 28, 2022. Owner no
Software
Campaign 22V827000 | 03/11/2022
Daytime Running Lights that do not deactivate as intended may cause a glare, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will provide an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Body Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at
Software
Campaign 24V797000 | 24/10/2024
Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 202
Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical
Campaign 25V274000 | 24/04/2025
Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification le
Tank Assembly
Campaign 25V619000 | 18/09/2025
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
Dealers will inspect for the correct fuel tank and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-878
Extend Your Engine Life
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
- Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
- Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
- Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
- Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
- Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage
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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