2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 447 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Tahoe years
More complaints than other years 10th of 32 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
4 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 447 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe. That ranks 10th out of 32 Tahoe model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (212 complaints, 47%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 2 fires, 3 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation 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.

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Most common 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe problems

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

Unknown or Other212 · ~70,000 mi
Air Bags185 · ~66,901 mi
Structure81 · ~64,500 mi
Electrical System17 · ~62,704 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)15 · ~56,000 mi
Engine11 · ~74,242 mi
Fuel/propulsion System7 · ~51,894 mi
Vehicle Speed Control6 · ~65,000 mi
Power Train5 · ~38,760 mi
Service Brakes4 · ~87,121 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Unknown or Other21247%70,000——
Air Bags problems18541%66,901“takata air bags” (16%)—
Structure problems8118%64,500“passenger side” (28%)—
Electrical System174%62,704——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)153%56,000——
Engine112%74,242——
Fuel/propulsion System72%51,894——
Vehicle Speed Control61%65,000——
Power Train51%38,760——
Service Brakes41%87,121——
Suspension41%45,000——
Seat Belts31%46,000——
Steering31%78,000——
Tires31%54,660——
Visibility31%12,456——
Wheels31%89,000——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility20%57,800——
Visibility/wiper20%85,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling10%———
Exterior Lighting10%89,000——
Latches/locks/linkages10%1,328——
Seats10%———

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 113 complaints
2010: 1201012011: 332012: 5201252013: 12122014: 122014122015: 39392016: 972016972017: 1131132018: 652018652019: 45452020: 242020242021: 16162022: 4202242023: 332024: 5202452025: 222026: 120261

n = 447 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls (5)

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 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.

Electrical system:ignitionDec 30, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V827000 · 84,192 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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 this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

Steering:linkagesJun 28, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V339000 · 739 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling certain model year 2011cadillac escalade, escalade esv; chevrolet silverado hd, silverado ld, suburban, tahoe; and gmc sierra hd, sierra ld, yukon, and yukon xl vehicles. The intermediate steering shaft attaching bolts may not have been tightened to the proper specification.

Risk: This could allow the joints to separate, and the driver could experience loss of steering increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Gm dealers will inspect and ensure that the intermediate steering shaft bolts are tightened to the proper specification. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about july 13, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Suspension:rear:axle:spindleJan 6, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V007000 · 30,566 vehicles

Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, colorado, express, silverado, suburban, tahoe; and gmc canyon, sierra, savana, yukon and yukon xl vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.

Risk: The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.

Fix: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

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.

Recent owner reports

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

The plastic used to make the dash is not made to with hold the exposure of sun and heat. My dash is cracking and becoming very brittle. It is exposing the electrical components in the dash and around the air bag is cracked and continues to Crack in more places. Even the lower parts not exposed to…

Unknown or Other · received Oct 4, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11768815

Fuel pump failure caused my vehicle to stall not once, not twice, but THREE times in the middle of the interstate on my way back home from out of state. This was terrifying, especially since my kids were in the car with me. The entire vehicle shut off in the middle of traffic and I was in the far…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Oct 16, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11693784

Tailgate opens on its own repeatedly. Has been happening for several months, even when just sitting parked. Afraid it will happen while driving. Will drain battery as well, as it happens constantly.

Unknown or Other · received Apr 17, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11655202

I confirmed the vehicle has a recall. Called the Dealer and they informed me that the dash may crack while performing the recall but is not included in the recall. Any cracks in the dash would be customer pay. This doesn't seem right.

Air Bags · received Dec 27, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11632752

Stability track issues Trunk issues want open or go up Tires keep having to replace for no reason at all Airbag recall Traction control

Air Bags · received Nov 15, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11625438

Other Chevrolet Tahoe years

← 2010 Tahoe · 2012 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 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Owners most often report unknown or other, air bags, structure problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 212 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 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 2011 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.