2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 15, 2025 · 314 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Tahoe years
About as many complaints as other years 12th of 32 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 314 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe. That ranks 12th out of 32 Tahoe model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (139 complaints, 44%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 9 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.

Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 2025. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: RL GNZLZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Unknown or Other139 · ~80,000 mi
Air Bags115 · ~74,000 mi
Structure89 · ~68,000 mi
Electrical System16 · ~64,176 mi
Engine11 · ~93,000 mi
Power Train6 · ~61,255 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)5 · ~71,212 mi
Vehicle Speed Control5 · ~75,659 mi
Seats4 · ~78,000 mi
Exterior Lighting3 · ~1 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Unknown or Other13944%80,000——
Air Bags problems11537%74,000“passenger airbag” (13%)—
Structure problems8928%68,000“passenger side” (34%)—
Electrical System165%64,176——
Engine114%93,000——
Power Train62%61,255——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)52%71,212——
Vehicle Speed Control52%75,659——
Seats41%78,000——
Exterior Lighting31%1——
Steering21%106,500——
Visibility21%7,900——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%———
Fuel System, Gasoline10%142,000——
Latches/locks/linkages10%44,000——
Seat Belts10%62,413——
Service Brakes10%77,788——
Suspension10%———
Tires10%———
Wheels10%63,978——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2016, with 79 complaints
2010: 4201042011: 332012: 2201222013: 662014: 242014242015: 23232016: 792016792017: 59592018: 362018362019: 34342020: 192020192021: 772022: 6202262023: 222024: 5202452025: 55

n = 314 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2010 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V050000 · 2,641,272 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

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

Fix: 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 notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V053000 · 692,526 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

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

Fix: 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 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V054000 · 1,778,128 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

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

Fix: 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 notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
  • Rollover Side Curtain Air Bags (DP15004) — opened Jun 11, 2015, closed Mar 7, 2017.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

We purchased a 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe from a dealership in Wisconsin in 2022. In 2023, the vehicle’s transmission failed completely at only 128,000 miles. After researching the issue, I discovered that the 6L80E transmission installed in this model year has a long history of mechanical failures…

Power Train · received Oct 15, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11693610

I have 2 GM vehicles that the Airbag light came on within 3 days of each other and neither has had any such issue ever. [XXX] 2010 Chevy Tahoe LTZ with 285,000 miles [XXX] 2011 Chevy Silverado LS with only 88,500 miles Local dealership wants $180.00 each just to check out the issue I just think…

Air Bags · received Sep 27, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11690078

2nd row seat doesnt latch sometimes or gets stuck in the down position sparking a concern for my child’s safety…I would like for this to be a goodwill safety bulletin or recall if at all possible! Thank you

Seats · received Jul 28, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11676849

I wanted to express a concern regarding my vehicle. There are several wires exposed on my dashboard where multiple cracks have developed over time. I have been hesitant to bring the vehicle in for the airbag recall replacement because I am concerned that the existing damage to the dashboard could…

Air Bags · received Jul 4, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11671201

The contact owned a 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notifications and cards of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V053000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list because the vehicle was totaled. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted.

Air Bags · received Feb 7, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11641260

Other Chevrolet Tahoe years

← 2009 Tahoe · 2011 Tahoe →

See all Chevrolet Tahoe problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Owners most often report unknown or other, air bags, structure problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 139 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tahoe model years, the 2010 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.