2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 453 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 26 Tahoe model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 9 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 9 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, diesel, storage, tank assemblySep 18, 2025
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, 2021, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2022 and 2024 GMC Yukon vehicles equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine. The original fuel tank may have been replaced with an incorrect fuel tank, which can allow fuel to leak in a rollover crash.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
Dealers will inspect for the correct fuel tank and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252512770. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 18, 2025.
Campaign 25V619000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalApr 24, 2025
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.
Campaign 25V274000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module, softwareOct 24, 2024
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
Campaign 24V797000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, lighting control module, softwareNov 3, 2022
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Daytime Running Lights that do not deactivate as intended may cause a glare, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will provide an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Body Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222382220.
Campaign 22V827000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, critical fastenersAug 11, 2022
General Motors, LLC (M) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats. The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.
A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 28, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 1, 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 N222372380.
Campaign 22V617000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, driveshaftJan 27, 2022
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly, possibly resulting in driveshaft failure.
Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. 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 N212351030.
Campaign 22V036000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pump, control/drive moduleSep 23, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine, and cause an unexpected engine stall.
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021. 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 N212332040.
Campaign 21V739000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, power assist, electric, control module, softwareJul 29, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon vehicles. Dealer service technicians may have calibrated the brake system incorrectly, affecting Electronic Stability Control (ESC) , traction control, Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), and braking while towing a trailer.
Overall braking performance may be compromised, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will recalibrate the brake system control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1202; GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212340970.
Campaign 21V579000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, steering control moduleJun 17, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. A software issue may cause a loss of power steering assist at startup or while driving.
Increased steering effort, particularly at lower speeds, increases the risk of a crash.
The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2021. 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 N212333900.
Campaign 21V455000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, srs malfunction warning lamp/lightJun 10, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate.
The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. 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 N212338110.
Campaign 21V421000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, rear/otherMar 25, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The second-row center seat belt latch may be trapped beneath the trim bezel and therefore inaccessible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208. "Occupant Crash Protection."
A passenger in the second-row center will be unable to wear a seat belt, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the trim bezel, correctly position the seat belt latch plate, and reinstall the trim bezel, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212329320.
Campaign 21V210000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsMar 18, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism, which could result in damaged seat belts.
A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313000.
Campaign 21V190000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assemblyFeb 11, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon vehicles. The fuel tank assemblies may be missing adhesive between two layers of the fuel tank shell which may result in a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 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 N212327720.
Campaign 21V064000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsDec 23, 2020
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
Campaign 20V811000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsDec 17, 2020
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.
Campaign 20V792000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsNov 25, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles. During general assembly, a repair involved removal of one or both front seats. The attachment bolts for the front seats may not have been properly reinstalled after the repair was completed.
If an occupied front seat has loose or missing attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seated occupant.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N202312720.
Campaign 20V735000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
88 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 25, 2023
Vehicle is sputtering and jerking while driving When slowing to a stop vehicles engine will shut off. I do know that the 2021 Tahoe has recalls on the fuel pump issues but not sure why my vin number isn’t covered under this recall. This is a 2 year old vehicle and already has recalls on this year model on its fuel pump. At this point it is barely driveable and is a danger for myself and my family to drive.
Power train, Engine, Apr 5, 2023, crash
On three (3) different occasions, I put the SUV in Park and the car engaged, and the "P" lit up as engaged. As I took my foot off the brake, the SUV went into Drive and rolled. This last time, the SUV did this at my kid's school Ater putting it in Park, I took my foot off the brake and turned to get the kids unbuckled, and my foot accidentally pushed the gas pedal. The SUV went into drive on its own and the SUV drove over the sidewalk hitting a rock staircase causing an accident with all 4 kids in my SUV. This is the 3rd time, and I don't know what to do about it. Thankfully there were no kids in front of the SUV.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jan 8, 2023
While driving in traffic the car shut off, engine stopped. When the car stopped it went into park. Could not restart the car. Starter worked and engine started but ran very rough then stopped several times. I could not completely shut off the car in an attempt to basically reboot. Car had to be towed to the dealer.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Oct 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the transmission independently moved into park (P) and the gear shifter would not move after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle because they did not have the adequate tool to unlock the transmission. Upon receiving the tool days later, the dealer diagnosed that water had leaked into the fuel tank, which led to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they would follow up. The contact was still awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Sep 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH with the adaptive cruise control activated, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact indicated that after the adaptive cruise control reduced the speed due to a nearby vehicle instead of resuming the intended speed, the vehicle lost motive power in the middle of the busy highway and would not restart. The tow truck was called to the scene and discovered that the transmission could not be shifted into neutral(N). The vehicle had to be dragged onto the flatbed of the tow truck. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,608.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 26, 2022
I encountered the same issue which most of the other complaints on here saw where the engine lost power (due to one cylinder misfiring) suddenly and it was due to a faulty lifter in the engine. Fortunately, I was able to limp the vehicle back to my house where it could be towed, but had it been worse it could've stalled in an intersection and I'd be unable to move the vehicle due to how the engine must be running in order to put it in Neutral. GM really needs to recall the engines that are affected by the lifter problem as this issue is showing up on several forums online along with this site. My engine date code falls within their TSB, however they only replaced one bank due to my mileage being over 8,000 miles. That means that I most likely get to look forward to more issues soon with the other bank of lifters as they're of the same faulty design.
Power train, Electrical system, Apr 11, 2022
The vehicle was manufactured with a push button transmission gear selector. If there is an electrical issue(ie. dead battery, electrical short, engine failure, etc) you cannot shift transmission gears. If I pull into my garage, notice a burning smell coming from engine area, possibly an electrical short, I cannot put vehicle in neutral to push out of garage in case it does erupt into a fire and not burn down my house. Recently my dead battery caused the tow company to lift the back end and pull it our of garage. General Motors did not install an override to put transmission in neutral in an emergency. The transmission will only shift if the engine is running. Imagine driving on a road or stopped at a traffic light and the engine stalls, will not restart, good Samaritans offer to push you off the road, but can't shift to neutral. Dealerships have a hydraulic lift they place under rear tires to move vehicle around service area. As a retired law enforcement officer, many times we had to move vehicles out of the way until wrecker serviced arrived. I feel this is definitely something that has to be addressed and corrected before major damage occurs or lives are endangered.
Power train, Feb 18, 2022
You cannot put the vehicle into Neutral unless the engine is running. This is a huge safety issue as my Tahoe broke down in the middle of a very busy intersection at night time, and it took 3 hours for a tow truck to show up. If I had been able to get the vehicle into Neutral, I could have pushed it out of the intersection into a safe location.
Power train, Feb 18, 2022
The lifters failed which caused my vehicle to stall in the middle of a very busy intersection. Chevrolet knows this lifters are an issue, but they need to treat it as a Safety Recall. When these fail, it happens while people are driving. It is a HUGE safety issue.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 14, 2021
After turning off a major highway (65 mph) onto a side road after driving for approximately eight hours, the transmission shifted into N...on its own. The engine continued to run but the vehicle would not move. We could not shift into P, R or D. When attempting to shift into P, R or D, an error message appeared on the dashboard that said "Conditions not right for shifting." We turned the vehicle off and then back on and the error cleared. The vehicle continued to drive "normally" for another two hours and the end of the journey. Had this happened in the middle of heavy traffic, a deadly accident could have occurred. Mileage on vehicle is 4,900. Date: 13 July 2021 at 1800 hours. Dealer has been notified but has taken no action to date. There were no warning signs or messages prior to the incident. I'm guessing it is a sensor or software problem related to the engine/transmission. There is a paragraph in the Owner's Manual that states: "Under certain conditions, propulsion will be disabled. Try restarting after the ignition has been off for two minutes." It offers no other explanation as to what "under certain conditions" means.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, May 29, 2021
May 6, on vacation, sudden engine failure, valve lifter and lifter rod. GM told dealer only to replace lifters on one side, Cyl 5 was problem. May 24 car ready, pickup and 68 miles later same problem while on I95 in SC. Did not trust engine and drove in right lane. GM played Russian roulette with our safety and that of other people on road. Sudden engine failure can result quickly in accidents with possible casualties at highway speeds. After pulling of I95, called GM Road assistance. Towed to dealer. They were of no help. Family member from CHS , SC send trailer to bring us all the way home in New Smyrna Beach Fl. While on phone with GM Road assistance we idled the engine to keep cell phone charged. Suddenly engine stopped and on restart heavy smoke came from tail pipe. May 25 car delivered to dealer in NSB where we bought car. May 27 they informed us same lifter/rod problem occurred on other side. Look at Chevroletforum.com and you will see 2021 6.2 engine having these problems within 8000 miles. Have been in contact with GM customer Assistance Center since May 14. We do no longer trust this engine. GM already decided to redesign the lifters as they are aware of the problem. NO recall has been issued yet. Consider this a serious highway safety issue. Do not consider the car a lemon, but yes the engine sure is.
Steering, Power train, Engine, Feb 24, 2021
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR NEW TAHOE (5,101 MILES) DOWN A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET, STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND HIT GAS TO PROCEED INTO A TURN AND ENGINE COMPLETELY TURNED OFF. SHE WAS ABLE TO GLIDE TO A STOP IN FRONT OF A HOUSE, BUT IS TERRIFIED WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE WAS TRAVELING FAR FROM HOME OR ON THE INTERSTATE AT HIGH SPEED WITH THE SAME OCCURRING. CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER/START AFTER STOPPING AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. OCCURRED ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET (ASHLEIGH ROAD IN FAIRFAX, VA)
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Dec 7, 2020
BRAND NEW 2021 TAHOE 1367 MILES CATASTROPHICALLY LOST POWER WITHOUT NOTICE WHILE IN A BUSY INTERSECTION WITH MOTHER AND SON. ONSTAR EMERGENCY SERVICES DID NOT WORK. UNABLE TO PLACE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO MOVE OUT OF BUSY INTERSECTION. POLICE CALLED, VEHICLE TOWED. COULD NOT START, JUMPING NOT SUCCESSFUL. TOWED TO DEALER (HENDRICKS CHEVY 12050 W BROAD STREET RICHMOND VA 23233). CHEVY CERTIFIED MECHANIC STATED CABLE FROM BATTERY TO ALTERNATOR HAD BURNED/MELTED/FRIED, CAR LOST POWER, NO WARNING. WANTED TO SIMPLY "REPLACE CABLE" AND "GET ME BACK DRIVING." FEARFUL OF MAJOR/LARGER ELECTRICAL ISSUE CAUSING FIRE/ELECTRICAL FAILURE.