2012 Chevrolet Tahoe Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Apr 24, 2026 · 178 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Tahoe years
Fewer complaints than other years 23rd of 32 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
4 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 178 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. That ranks 23rd out of 32 Tahoe model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (100 complaints, 56%), typically at around 69,000 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 1 fire, 10 injuries. There are 3 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.

Compare with another car

Most common 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe problems

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

Unknown or Other100 · ~69,000 mi
Air Bags61 · ~74,000 mi
Structure37 · ~69,000 mi
Electrical System13 · ~80,000 mi
Engine9 · ~81,000 mi
Power Train7 · ~54,991 mi
Service Brakes6 · ~63,000 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)5 · ~95,616 mi
Steering4 · ~63,000 mi
Wheels3 · ~102,683 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Unknown or Other10056%69,000——
Air Bags problems6134%74,000“passenger side” (30%)—
Structure3721%69,000——
Electrical System137%80,000——
Engine95%81,000——
Power Train74%54,991——
Service Brakes63%63,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)53%95,616——
Steering42%63,000——
Wheels32%102,683——
Latches/locks/linkages21%87,500——
Suspension21%———
Vehicle Speed Control21%8,510——
Equipment11%———
Fuel/propulsion System11%82,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2016, with 43 complaints
2012: 2201222013: 112014: 4201442015: 332016: 432016432017: 29292018: 212018212019: 17172020: 212020212021: 24242022: 2202222023: 662024: 2202422025: 112026: 220262

n = 178 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 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 21V051000 · 284,645 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL 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." 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 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 N212328770.

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.

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 contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side and passenger’s side doors failed to open manually or while using the power door lock button. The contact was concerned because rear-seat occupants could be trapped and injured during a crash or a vehicle…

Latches/locks/linkages · received Apr 24, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11733627

The AC in the front stopped working on and off but the AC in the back continues to work that's one warning a situation. The second is the oil light constantly shows low oil even when you get an oil change. The park tire pressure always moves back and forth to 40% to all the way down to 30.

Unknown or Other · received Mar 3, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11721634

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be…

Engine · received Apr 29, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11657526

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to slow for a traffic light and the vehicle jerked while shifting into low gear. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal when the traffic light had…

Power Train · received Dec 12, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11630320

My 2012 Chevy Tahoe Dashboard is completely cracked up. This seems to be a very common issue as I read online. I am very concerned about the Safety with the Dashboard being cracked in multiple areas. What do I need to do to get Chevy to replace this at no cost to me?

Air Bags · received Apr 25, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11585169

Other Chevrolet Tahoe years

← 2011 Tahoe · 2013 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 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Owners most often report unknown or other, air bags, structure problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 100 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe?

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

Was the 2012 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 2012 has fewer 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.