2016 Chevrolet Tahoe
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Service brakes is the leading concern among 257 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 14th highest complaint count among 26 Tahoe model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 17 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 13 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, transfer case (4-wheel drive)Do not drive until repairedMay 7, 2026
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.
Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 26V289000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, frontApr 8, 2021
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.
A broken pretensioner cable reduces the effectiveness of the driver's seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 21V245000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, wheel speed sensor/tone ringOct 24, 2019
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 19V761000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, power assist, vacuumSep 6, 2019
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 19V645000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, frontMay 3, 2018
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 18V291000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalJul 10, 2017
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 17V437000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalSep 8, 2016
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 16V651000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, control armDo not drive until repairedApr 28, 2016
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.
Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 16V256000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: suspension
19 reports, newest first. Show all
Suspension, Power train, Nov 13, 2024
Transmission down shifts into gears,causing vehicle to stall out in traffic
Suspension, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 19, 2024
My truck suspension is working smoothly, and every time a hit a small bump in the road.it feels like the wheel is going to feel off.. I have this truck since March .
Suspension, Dec 15, 2023
I’ve had my struts repaired and they still squeak and the truck bounced all over the road. There is a defect with the struts
Suspension, Electrical system, Service brakes, Oct 20, 2023
I have a 2016 Chevy Tahoe LTZ. It has the air ride suspension. I need all new shocks and struts and a new air ride air suspension pump. Reported this issue when the vehicle had 60-66k miles on it. I was never told what was wrong until about 2 weeks ago. The grand total of replacing these issues is over 6k. I called Chevy/GMC theres nothing they will do as it’s out of any warranty even though the problem has been reported/documented way before it hit 84k. Jim Shorkey Chevy is a joke and Boby Rahal has no clue what warranty they’re selling people. This makes for a very loud, very rough ride that’s hard to control going any speed. There was also a valve that would squeak when it went from the V4 to the V8. In order to fix that i needed a whole new exhaust and muffler. Chevy would not cover any of this even though there is warranty for emissions through Chevy I can’t remember the year but i know the miles were 90k. I don’t have that on the car and for whatever reason an exhaust and muffler are not considered emissions even though if there was a hole or malfunction with them I wouldn’t pass the emissions here in PA. Make that make sense. All of these problem were reported within the year of buying this car back in 2020. I didn’t get a diagnosis for these problems until 2023 and 30k miles later. I did and still do have issues with the brake even though the vacuum pump was replaced back when I bought it. My antenna also leaked and I had to pay for that out of pocket. I’d love to stay with a gmc/Chevy but if I’m going to constantly have to pour money into it I’ll never go back.
Suspension, Apr 30, 2023
At 34, 716 right front strut needed to be replaced. At 40,719 both rear air shocks needed to be replaced. Suspension was loose and made steering difficult on surfaces that were not flat and smooth.
Steering, Suspension, Vehicle speed control, Jan 30, 2023
Hello, I purchased my truck last year in December and I told them the problems I was having with the truck when I got. They act like they fixed it but it’s still doing the same thing. I’ve put struts on it and control arms 3 times and it still is giving me problems. My suspension and driver assist warnings always pop up. When I get up to 85 mph, they truck shakes really bad and the speed won’t go over 85 mph. When I got brakes, the trucks pulls to the left and right which I know that could mean a line up but even after I line it up, it still does the same thing. I feel like it’s a defect with the suspension and driver assist systems with those model trucks. I love my truck and really don’t want to get rid of it. I’ve taken my truck to my dealership several times and I don’t want my warranty to run out before I can get my truck fixed. Can you help at all???
Suspension, Dec 14, 2021
2016 Tahoe with 57,000 miles. All 4 of the shocks are locked up. The truck bumps very hard with no give making control at high speeds dangerous. This problem is known to Chevrolet if you look at the reviews but nothing is done to recall or fix. Instead they expect the customer to discover it and pay $4,000 to replace. I discovered because of bad situation on the highway. Are they going to wait until someone is killed? Chevrolet should not only replace them in recall but should pay all customer back for their costs.
Suspension, Sep 8, 2021
This vehicle is less than 5 years old, has less than 63K miles, and the front struts are blown and leaking oil and rear shock is locked up. This makes the vehicle dangerous to drive and difficult to control on bumpy roads.
Suspension, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 22, 2019
SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN 2016 I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH IT. 1.2016 TAHOE W/ 96,000 MILES BEGAN RIDING EXTREMELY ROUGH ANY SPEED. SO MUCH BOUNCE AND JARRING THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON ANY ROUGH ROAD. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL SHOCKS AND STRUTS FAILED AND ARE FULLY EXTENDED. COST TO REPAIR OVER $3,000 FOR 4 SHOCKS/STRUTS. 2. MY FUEL INJECTION IS HORRIBLE AND HAS CAUSED ME TO LOSE MPG ON MY MILEAGE. IT HESITATES ON ACCELERATION AND WHEN IT SET ON CRUISE - BASICALLY ALL THE TIME LIKE ITS CHUGGING CONSTANTLY. 3. MY BRAKES HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND THE PRESSURE IS NOT CONSISTENT ON THE,. ALL OF THIS BEFORE I EVEN HIT 100,000 MILES. I PAID $74K FOR THIS VEHICLE IN 2016 AND I HAVE HAD TO PUT LITERALLY ~$8K IN VEHICLE MAINTENANCE IN IT SINCE. VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED!!
Suspension, Nov 13, 2019
IN MAY 2018, OUR UPPER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLIES WERE LOOSE AND MAKING NOISES WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS. WE TOOK THE CAR TO LES SCHWAB AND THEY FOUND FAILURE OF BOTH FRONT CONTROL ARMS. THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE AS WELL BEYOND WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED. THEY REQUIRED USE OF OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY TO REPAIR THE DEFECTS.
Suspension, Oct 28, 2019
2016 TAHOE W/ 96,000 MILES BEGAN RIDING EXTREMELY ROUGH ANY SPEED. SO MUCH BOUNCE AND JARRING THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON ANY ROUGH ROAD. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL SHOCKS AND STRUTS FAILED AND ARE FULLY EXTENDED. COST TO REPAIR OVER $3,000 FOR 4 SHOCKS/STRUTS.
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Mar 18, 2019
THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN THROUGH THE SHOP FOR REPAIR TO VIBRATIONS AT SPEEDS ABOVE 70+ MPH. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE A SIMILAR PROBLEM OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCE TOO.
Suspension, Mar 8, 2019
DISHONEST, UNTRUSTWORTHY, AND THIEF'S. THEY HAVE LOST MY BUSINESS, RESPECT, AND ETC. I WENT IN 27TH OF FEB 2019 AND LESS THAN 15 HOURS THE SUSPENSION FAILED ON THE DRIVE BACK HOME. THIS WAS A 2.5 HOURS DRIVE SO THE GUY INFORMED ME TO COME BACK SO I CANCELLED PLANS THE MORNING OF THE 28TH TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK. ON 28TH FEB 2019, I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY WHEN I DONE PAID YOU ALMOST $34K CASH FOR THIS VEHICLE WHICH IS MY WHILE SAVINGS FOR THE SAFTEY OF MY WIFE; FOUR KIDS. NOW ITS COSTING ME OVER $2K TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM WHICH SUPPOSEDLY PASSED INSPECTION. I HAVE THE PICTURES THAT PROVE OTHERWISE AND THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS THE WORST THEY HAVE SEEN YET.
Suspension, Aug 10, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL POPPING NOISE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HERTRICH CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (7677 OCEAN GATEWAY, EASTON, MD) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE FAULTY AND THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE'S ALIGNMENT WAS ADJUSTED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,948.
Steering, Suspension, Back over prevention, Jul 30, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE SUSPENSION WAS UNSTABLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT TO RIGHT. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE THAT HAD PROGRESSED WITHIN MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE DEALER (CHEVROLET OF WESLEY CHAPEL, 26922 WESLEY CHAPEL BLVD, WESLEY CHAPEL, FL 33544, (813) 435-3981) PROVIDED A ROAD TEST, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. IN ADDITION, THE BACK UP CAMERA DISPLAYED "SERVICE THE REAR BACK UP CAMERA", BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE, BUT HAD NOT DOCUMENTED ANY INVOICE TO SPECIFY THE DIAGNOSIS OF BOTH FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A PERMANENT REMEDY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Apr 7, 2017
VEHICLE SHAKES AND VIBRATES AT SPEEDS ABOVE70MPH. AT SPEEDS OF 80MPH THE SHAKE IS VERY PRONOUNCED AND THE VEHICLE STABILITY IS AFFECTED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE DAY ONE. DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED REPLACING TIRES MULTIPLE TIMES BUT NOTHING HAS WORKED. DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BETWEEN 70-80 MPH
Steering, Suspension, Apr 15, 2016
LEFT FRONT VIBRATION, SHAKE AT ALL SPEEDS WHEN PULLING A TRAILER. CAN BE REPRODUCED BY PLACING TWO 60# SAND BAGS IN REAR CARGO AREA
Steering, Suspension, Other or unspecified, Mar 28, 2016
WHEN DRIVING, DRIVER AND PASSENGERS GET SEVERE HEADACHES, DIZZINESS, AND DISORIENTATION. THE CAR ALSO VIBRATES QUITE A BIT. THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE CABIN CAN BE FELT UPON TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, AND OPENING THE WINDOWS DOES NOT HELP. THE SENSATION ALMOST FEELS MAGNETIC. THE ORIGINAL TIRES FAILED A ROAD BALANCE TEST AND WERE REPLACED. THIS DID NOT HELP THE ISSUE.
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Jan 17, 2016
WHEN DRIVING MY NEW 2016 CHEVROLET TAHOE, I AM EXPERIENCING A BOOMING NOISE OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD AND EXPERIENCING SEVERE PRESSURE AND PAIN IN MY EARS FROM SOME SORT OF PRESSURE CREATED IN THE VEHICLES CABIN. THE PAIN IS UNBEARABLE, I CANT DRIVE MORE THAN 10 MINUTES DUE TO THE PAIN IN MY EARS WHILE DRIVING.