Recalled components: powertrain, suspension, air bags, brakes, and 1 more. Most-described problem: brake failure or a soft or hard pedal (26 complaints, 10%). Most-reported area: brakes (92 complaints, 36%; median mileage when it happened: 50,000).
More complaints than a typical Tahoe year
The 2016 drew 62 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 46 for a typical Tahoe year.
Years to avoid: 2015, 2021, and 2023; best year: 2018. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated
Year to avoidBest year
Crash ratings for the Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle are left out. NHTSA files most of its recalls and complaints under the regular Tahoe name, so they appear here.
8 safety recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe
Parts with a do-not-drive or park-outside recall come first, then the rest, largest first. Within a part, do-not-drive and park-outside recalls come first, then the newest. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for what is wrong, the fix and the full notice.
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
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 NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.
66 vehicles.
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.
NHTSA listing: TAHOE. Chevrolet campaign N262557620.
Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
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.
3,738 vehicles.
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.
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.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
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.
40,683 vehicles.
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.
NHTSA listing: TAHOE. Components: Air bags: frontal; Air bags: frontal, sensor/control module-inactive; Seat belts: pretensioner. Chevrolet campaign 17287.
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.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
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.
3,640,162 vehicles.
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.
NHTSA listing: TAHOE. Components: Air bags: frontal; Air bags: frontal, sensor/control module-inactive; Seat belts: pretensioner. Chevrolet campaign 16007.
Brakes 2 recalls
antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · wheel speed sensor/tone ring
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.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
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.
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.
652,967 vehicles.
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.
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.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
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.
3,456,719 vehicles.
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.
NHTSA listing: TAHOE. Chevrolet campaign N192268490.
Risk: A broken pretensioner cable reduces the effectiveness of the driver's seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
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.
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.
2,568 vehicles.
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.
NHTSA listing: TAHOE. Chevrolet campaign N212330040.
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.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
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.
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.
23,004 vehicles.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe Police Pursuit and Special-Service vehicles.
NHTSA listing: TAHOE. Chevrolet campaign 18156.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Brake vacuum pump failure
Preliminary evaluation PE18012Closed Apr 10, 2022 (opened Nov 20, 2018)
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 19V-645, listed above.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 256 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Tahoe. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal26 · 10%
Median 56,500 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Median 50,000 miles at failure, from 53 reports with mileage
Powertrain47 · 18%
Median 55,000 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Electrical system31 · 12%
Steering20 · 8%
Engine19 · 7%
Suspension19 · 7%
Fuel and propulsion system14 · 5%
Unknown or other45 · 18%
Median 45,500 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Chevrolet Tahoe recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2015 Tahoe drew the most (150) and the 2016 drew 62.
Owner complaints
2016: 256 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Tahoe
Model year
Complaints
2010
318
2011
455
2012
179
2013
233
2014
90
2015
659
2016
256
2017
175
2018
106
2019
109
2020
58
2021
467
2022
198
2023
236
2024
69
2025
53
2026
30
Safety recalls
2016: 8 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Tahoe
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
5
2012
3
2013
4
2014
3
2015
14
2016
8
2017
4
2018
3
2019
2
2020
3
2021
16
2022
4
2023
5
2024
3
2025
1
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 256 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, the problems described most are brake failure or a soft or hard pedal (26), shaking, shuddering or vibration (25), and transmission failure or replacement (14). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Apr 10, 2022.
How do I check if my Tahoe has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TAHOE.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.