2016 Chevrolet Tahoe problems, complaints & recalls

2016 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls (8)

• Recall 26V289000May 7, 202666 vehiclesDo not drive
  POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

  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. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.

  Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 21V245000Apr 8, 20212,568 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:FRONT

  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. 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.

  Risk: A broken pretensioner cable reduces the effectiveness of the driver's seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 19V761000Oct 24, 2019652,967 vehicles
  ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) · SERVICE BRAKES · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING

  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. 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.

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 19V645000Sep 6, 20193,456,719 vehicles
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

  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. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 18V291000May 3, 201823,004 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:FRONT

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe Police Pursuit and Special-Service vehicles. 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.

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 17V437000Jul 10, 201740,683 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE · SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

  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. 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.

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 16V651000Sep 8, 20163,640,162 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE · SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

  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. 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.

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 16V256000Apr 28, 20163,738 vehiclesDo not drive
  SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

  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. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.

  Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: 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.

NHTSA defect investigations

• PE18012Opened Nov 20, 2018Closed Apr 10, 2022led to recall 19V645000

  Brake Vacuum Pump Failure

  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 with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extendi…

NHTSA 5-Star safety ratings

Recent 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Aug 28, 2026NYBody & Structure

   I am reporting a paint defect on my 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. The paint on the hood and roof is peeling, flaking, and delaminating without any external damage or misuse. The failure appears to be progressive and worsening over time. The clear coat and paint layers are separating, exposing bare metal and increasing the risk of corrosion. This issue is widely reported by other owners of 2015–2020 GM full-size SUVs, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac…

   NHTSA complaint #11760252 · source
2. Filed Jul 30, 2026CTAirbagsOther / UnknownAcceleration & Cruise Control

   On 7/28 while driving my vehicle, the ABS and traction control light came on unexpectedly (the symbol with the car and squiggly line in front of it). Nothing is wrong with the vehicle for these lights to come on as I keep up with all maintenance and repairs to this suv seeing that im the only owner. Then the next day, I noticed my truck keeps accelerating uncontrollably and then out of nowhere, the brakes would activate as if i am driving on ice (its summer time, there is no…

   NHTSA complaint #11753832 · source
3. Filed Jul 25, 2026MOBrakes

   I have been having issues with the brakes on my 2016 Chevy Tahoe for as long as I can remember. When going very slow, such as in a parking lot or pulling into a parking space, my car feels like I am driving on ice when I brake. I am not sure if I am actually going to stop or hit a car/person. The brake pedal also gets very hard. It makes a squeaking sound and also sounds "airy". It is an intermittent problem and does not happen every single time I press on the brakes when…

   NHTSA complaint #11752862 · source
4. Filed Jul 15, 202656,000 miDEEngineSteering

   The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH in sand, the vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off the vehicle, jiggled the steering wheel, and waited approximately 10 minutes before restarting the vehicle to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware…

   NHTSA complaint #11750510 · source
5. Filed Jun 30, 2026CABody & Structure

   There is delamination happening on the hood and roof of my car and is putting the integrity of the car at risk with bare metal being exposed to the elements thus causing rust and break down of the structure of the vehicle.

   NHTSA complaint #11747435 · source
6. Filed Mar 24, 2026COAirbagsSeats & Seat Belts

   I purchased a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe on March 8, 2026, in [XXX] . After the sale, I discovered that the vehicle has serious undisclosed safety defects, including evidence that the airbag (Supplemental Restraint System) had previously deployed and was not properly repaired or restored to working condition, and were actually cut and removed from the vehicle and glued and covered up. This defect was not disclosed prior to purchase and represents a significant safety hazard. It is…

   NHTSA complaint #11726588 · source
7. Filed Mar 5, 2026CABrakesDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical System

   Hello, I has problems driving my car like by brakes braking out of nowhere. There was even a couple times I felt like the car swerved, even though I did not do anything to the steering wheel. Then I found out I had a recall that said not to drive the car because it was dangerous so I parked it in my driveway and I have not driven it for many months as I’ve been getting rental cars. Eventually, I brought it into Antelope Valley Chevrolet and they told me they were going to…

   NHTSA complaint #11722325 · source
8. Filed Jan 30, 2026OHTransmission & Drivetrain

   Vehicle: 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Mileage at failure: 96,700 miles Component: Powertrain – Transmission While driving on the highway returning home from Columbus, OH, my 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe experienced a sudden transmission failure without any warning. We were traveling in the third lane at approximately 70–74 mph when the vehicle abruptly lost power and rapidly slowed down to approximately 15–25 mph. This occurred in active traffic and created an immediate and severe safety…

   NHTSA complaint #11714416 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology