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
257 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Mar 22, 2024
Trailer Brake Wirijg Harness
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 .
Other or unspecified, Feb 16, 2024
Vehicles radio changes channels randomly and information system changes functions from radio to handsfree phone, to directional map, to radio again randomly
Other or unspecified, Feb 13, 2024
the paint is failing on the car. i have extensive research on it and it appears this is a big issue over the years 2015-19. there is no recall on this yet. i called the chevy 1(800) number and they told me to file a complaint to you guys.
Power train, Jan 22, 2024
Feeling of significant shudder and shake, especially at highway speeds. This is caused by a defective torque converter manufactured by Chevrolet. Shuddering can be felt when apply light throttle between 20-80MPH. Chevrolet dealership is asking for $8000 to fix their defective Torque Converter (GM 6l80). From all the vehicles that i have owned in the past, I have never received a bill this high for a part that has been proven to have failed in many vehicles manufactured by GM. I appreciate any action that can be taken to issue a recall and prevent any accidents due to this. Thank you.
Power train, Jan 18, 2024
Vehicle purchased new from Chevy dealer October 2016. Recurring vibration/shuddering in drive train with noticeable surge in engine rpms, most noticeable at approximately 30-45 mph. Dealer diagnosed as defective transmission, with following service performed: April 2017 -16,835 miles - Dealer rebuilt some internal parts inside transmission; February 2022 - 86,700 miles - Dealer flushed and replaced ATF fluid; October 2023 - 104,218 miles - Dealer advised defective transmission, replaced transmission; January 2024 - 105,537 miles - Dealer advised no repair needed however manufacturer was well aware of recurring shudder/vibration problem with no resolution
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 5, 2024
2016 Tahoe Fuel problems/ transmission jerking mostly going up an incline/hill. Warning ️ lights/ check engine light flashed only 3 or 4 times, I stopped the vehicle, about 5 minutes then I started back to drive . I took it to Edward Chevrolet in Bham Al , I told them I may have pumped some bad gas, because it was spudding & jerking especially when I when up an incline/ hill. But they told me that the gears going out in the transmission & I need a transmission. I took it to them because the truck was spudding when driving. So when I got my vehicle back now the truck making a winding noise, it’s changing out correctly but when I go up incline/ hill , it hesitates, spudding, jerking. I have two other vehicles, I haven’t drove the vehicle enough to have a transmission problem. I asked other people that have Tahoes, even mechanics, said they been having problems with the transmission in 2016 Tahoe & Chevrolet trucks that carry that particular transmission, having the same problems. I think it need to be a replacement of transmission or recall established on the 2016 Tahoes & pickups!!! Sign please help, I don’t have no 6,200 for no transmission & haven’t even driven my truck enough to have a transmission problem! I have 3 more payments on my 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, I haven’t enjoyed my vehicle it only have 148,000 miles, and the transmission going out , and that’s not right. You all need to check into this and do a Recall!!! [XXX]!! Sign please help INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Service brakes, Dec 26, 2023
While pulling up to the drive thru window to pick up our food, at very low speed, vehicle would not stop had put all of my body weight on brake pedal to get it to stop and avoid hitting car in front of us.
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
Service brakes, Nov 27, 2023
Brake Assist failure at low speed making vehicle extremely hard to stop. GM recall N182202780 does not cover all VIN numbers of the model years affected. GM states this VIN number is not covered yet the vehicle has the exact failure outlined in this recall.
Service brakes, Nov 25, 2023
While driving at low speeds, the brake pedal became very difficult to engage and the car did not stop as intended. This affects the ability of the vehicle to stop in areas with frequent pedestrian traffic such as driveways and parking lots creating a substantial safety risk. The vehicle has not been to a repair shop or dealership to investigate further at this time. There are no warning lights or messages from the vehicle computer system. This issue sounds like an issue researched on the internet for Chevy vehicles, but this VIN is not covered by a prior recall. The symptoms seem to be the same as described in NHTSA Campaign Number 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic).
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Nov 2, 2023
While driving in atleast in awd and I think it happened in 2wd. My abs light comes on with stabilitrack and trailer break. Once that happens driving feels weird like breaks are closing in. Turning is extremely difficult cause it feels like all this are breaking. Then once I stop the car it kicks forward after the car is off
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.
Service brakes, Oct 10, 2023
While driving at low speeds, the brake pedal became very difficult to engage and the car did not stop as intended. This affects the ability of the vehicle to stop in areas with frequent pedestrian traffic such as driveways and parking lots creating a substantial safety risk. The "Service Brake Assist" message also appeared after this incident. I contacted my Chevrolet dealer who cannot schedule an appointment for at least 15 days. The car is currently at an independent mechanic who advised that this sounds like a familiar issue for Chevy vehicles, but this VIN is not covered by a prior recall. The issue seems to be the same as described in NHTSA Campaign Number 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic).
Electrical system, Oct 9, 2023
The vehicle electrical system malfunctions. The vehicle stalls when the turn signal lever is shifted. When the steering wheel is turn to the right or left the vehicle stalls. Upon acceleration, particularly on the highway, and when the turn signal lever is shifted, the vehicle's gauges go haywire. The engine light comes on, the gauges move rapidly back and forth, a "Stabalink" error appears, the doors lock and unlock. My family and I have been put in unsafe conditions because of the electrical issues with this vehicle. We have been traveling on the highway when the vehicle stalled out. We have turned into intersections when the vehicle has stalled in oncoming traffic. The vehicle has accelerated and decelerated spontaneously causing us to loose control. The issue started approximately one year ago. Approximately three months ago, we took the vehicle to a Chevrolet Service Center in Woodbridge, VA to have it inspected. We were advised they could not locate the problem and the vehicle was returned to us without any repairs. The problems with the vehicle have started to occur more frequently. We have stopped driving the vehicle because of concerns for our. One week ago we dropped the vehicle to a Chevrolet Service Center in Baltimore, Maryland, which is over 50 miles from our home to have it inspected. The vehicle currently remains at the service center.
Power train, Sep 27, 2023
WHILE DRIVING ONE EVENING I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HESITANT WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND I NEARLY HAD SOMEONE REAR END ME BECAUSE I COULDN'T GAIN SPEED QUICKLY. THE NEXT DAY I GOT A DIAGNOSTIC AND WAS GIVEN 2 CODES: P0741 AND P0872 - NEVER HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON OR ANY OTHER WARNING THAT I WAS HAVING AN ISSUE. I ALSO TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY ALSO DID A DIAGNOSTIC AND GOT THE SAME 2 CODES ( tORQU CONVERTER FAULTY) SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $6800!!! I HAVE NOT EVEN HAD MY TRUCK FOR 3 YEARS AND BEING TOLD THIS IS OUTRAGOUS! I'M SEEING THIS SAME COMPLAINT LISTED OVER AND OVER SO WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP VEHICLE OWNERS LIKE ME?
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. While driving 10–15 MPH, the brakes operated as designed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the brakes were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact referenced the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) as a possible cause for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 7, 2023
Fuel started leaking from top side of fuel tank. Seems to only leak while vehicle is running. My wife and family where all in the tahoe when this occurred. Also tahoe would shut down while driving just out of nowhere. Total loss off power and control. After a couple minutes it would start right back up. My family and kids were also in the car when this has happened.
Service brakes, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 22, 2023, crash
I was driving down highway and saw a wall of cars and brake lights in the distance, so naturally my foot tried to push the brakes. The pedal was hard, and I panicked because my tahoe was not stopping at all! I continued to stomp on brake pedal all the way until my car actually hit 3 vehicles and then the guardrail! My brakes did not work , because if they did then I would have easily prevented this accident!!
Power train, Aug 21, 2023
I noticed out of the blue that the Tahoe was down-shifting hard and making a slight whining noise. I brought the vehicle to Supreme Chevrolet in Gonzales for them to diagnose the problem. I was absolutely shocked when they told me that my transmission would need to be replaced. This 2017 Tahoe has only one owner and has not been used for towing, I bring the vehicle to the dealership for regular maintenance. the vehicle only has 127,612 miles. This problem is a huge safety concern because the vehicle could just stop and will not be drivable while driving. This is very dangerous! I have seen hundreds of complaints regarding this same problem on the same make, model, and year. Something needs to be done fast to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers.
Vehicle speed control, Aug 11, 2023
My car was acting like it didn’t want to go. I felt the car trying to change gears but it was unable to. Almost caused an accident and I had my two children in the car. No check engine light came on until 2 days later after it began causing problems. I have researched this issue and it is a recurrent problem with Chevrolet Tahoes 2016. My husband had the same problem with his 2016 GMC sierra and had to have his transmission replaced at 118,000 miles. Seems like a recurrent problem with GMCs and CHEVROLET vehicles. It’s very dangerous.
Service brakes, Aug 4, 2023
Purchased the car new for a local dealer in Surprise, Arizona. Over time the brake pedal has become spongy, soft and pulsating. This happens mostly at slow speeds like backing out of the driveway or garage. Did a search of the NHTSA web site and see that there was a recall on my model year vehicle to replace or reprogram the vacuum pump. However I never received a recall notice. I am now afraid to drive the car because I am concerned over a complete brake failure. I do know that during one of my normal service maintenance appointments I was approached by the service advisor about his concern over a suspected brake issue. He wanted to replace my entire brake system, master cylinder, vacuum pump, etc for a cost of about $1,500 as I recall. I declined the repair as I was not aware of that the problem I was experiencing was including in the recall. Again I never received any notice of a recall of the vacuum pump for the brakes but clearly I am experiencing the symptoms as was described in the recall notice on your website.
Electrical system, Jul 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the message "Trailer Brake System" was displayed, and an alarm sounded. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it diagnosed that the trailer brake system module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that he would be charged a repair fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Power train, Jun 26, 2023
Vehicle is not even 10 years old and has only 105,000 miles and the transmission failed while I was on the highway. Needed a complete rebuild.
Other or unspecified, Jun 16, 2023
While braking the engine will try to accelerate. not like normal downshift acceleration. sometimes while my speed is below 5 mph the engine will accelerate to the point that i have to apply extra brake pedal pressure to keep from hitting the car in front of me.