Total Complaints
250 filings
CHEVROLET TAHOE · model year
250 NHTSA complaints, 15 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012CHEVROLETTAHOE carries 250 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 15 crashes, 3 fires, 15 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 TAHOE is unknown or other with 99 filings, followed by air bags (61) and structure:body (29). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2012 TAHOE, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
250 filings
Crashes Reported
15 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 99 |
| AIR BAGS | 61 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 29 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 |
| ENGINE | 9 |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 6 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 5 |
| STRUCTURE | 4 |
| STEERING | 4 |
| WHEELS | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 |
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
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, m
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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, Californi
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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,
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 replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the same diagnostic information was provided. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Mileage: 81,000
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 changed, the vehicle hesitated before responding and was jerking and shuddering while changing gear and accelerating. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure became a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and had referred the contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Mileage: 86,000
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?
I was rear ended while stopped by another truck that was going 60+ mph. None of the airbags in my 2012 Chevy Tahoe deployed. The backside of the driver and passenger seats fell off - unsure if that is airbag related but nothing deployed. My car was totaled my insurance.
Warning light for break trailer system.
While barely moving, (about 2 mph), in a parking lot & preparing to make a sharp left turn, knuckle of driver's side wheel assembly suddenly broke, causing the wheel assembly to collapse, wheel top tilted inward and bottom tilted outward, causing major damage to upper and lower control arms, tie rod and significant body damage to two body parts at the wheel opening. Mechanic reported that there had been very excessive âplayâ before the collapse At 86,000 miles, this is a very low-mileage for this degree of wear and complete failure, on a full-size, PPV SUV, with many heavy-duty features, designed to tolerate high stress usage. FORTUATELY, the car was barely rolling. If this had happened 5 minutes later, I would have been driving 65 mph and this would have caused a catastrophic wreck, could have involved several other cars, and could have injured or even killed many people. I am now very concerned about the condition of the knuckle on the passenger side. It could be developing micr
While barely moving, (about 2 mph), in a parking lot & preparing to make a sharp left turn, knuckle of driver's side wheel assembly suddenly broke, causing the wheel assembly to collapse, wheel top tilted inward and bottom tilted outward, causing major damage to upper and lower control arms, tie rod and significant body damage to two body parts at the wheel opening. Mechanic reported that there had been very excessive âplayâ before the collapse At 86,000 miles, this is a very low-mileage for this degree of wear and complete failure, on a full-size, PPV SUV, with many heavy-duty features, designed to tolerate high stress usage. FORTUATELY, the car was barely rolling. If this had happened 5 minutes later, I would have been driving 65 mph and this would have caused a catastrophic wreck, could have involved several other cars, and could have injured or even killed many people. I am now very concerned about the condition of the knuckle on the passenger side. It could be developing micr
While barely moving, (about 2 mph), in a parking lot & preparing to make a sharp left turn, knuckle of driver's side wheel assembly suddenly broke, causing the wheel assembly to collapse, wheel top tilted inward and bottom tilted outward, causing major damage to upper and lower control arms, tie rod and significant body damage to two body parts at the wheel opening. Mechanic reported that there had been very excessive âplayâ before the collapse At 86,000 miles, this is a very low-mileage for this degree of wear and complete failure, on a full-size, PPV SUV, with many heavy-duty features, designed to tolerate high stress usage. FORTUATELY, the car was barely rolling. If this had happened 5 minutes later, I would have been driving 65 mph and this would have caused a catastrophic wreck, could have involved several other cars, and could have injured or even killed many people. I am now very concerned about the condition of the knuckle on the passenger side. It could be developing micr
The vehicle was involved in a "T-Bone" collision where two vehicles drove into the driver side of my vehicle. I was not at fault and yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. In February of 2022 I took the vehicle to Felix Chevrolet to have the airbag recall repaired. In late January 2023, the "T-Bone" collision occurred. My elderly mother (front passenger) and my two sons (13 and 14 rear passengers) were also in the vehicle. ZERO airbags deployed in my vehicle. The vehicle has been parked at my residence since the incident. The vehicle or component has NOT been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others since the incident. I noticed the dash cracking after the recall was performed in 2022. I contacted Felix Chevrolet and spoke the Asst Manager Sergio who told me that GM is NOT replacing the cracked dash boards and if I could take a photo and text it to him--which I did.
My dash is very cracked. I do keep it covered, but it doesnât make the issue disappear. Upon research I have seen that this is a very common issue and that legal action was taken in 2018. It causes a safety concern.
Developed cracks in dash starting in 2018 and progressively got worse. Rattles when you drive. Driver door pull has also broken in several places and has pinched my hand multiple times. Dealer is aware this is a common problem but will need to replace whole door panel and dash at my expense. Transmission went at 81,000. Chevy, you can do better. I was warned not to buy this, but I took my chances. It feels very lemony sour now.
Dash panel cracked in multiple spots - was like this when we bought it used from a Dealer.
We took our vehicle to the Chevrolet dealer: Don Mealey Chevrolet 17185 State Road 50 Clermont, Fl. 34711 (352)394-6176. They said they would not replace the defective air bag part unless we agreed that they would destroy our dash by completing the recalled part replacement. We purchased the vehicle brand new and have taken excellent care of it and the dash is in excellent condition, how can they refuse to do the required FREE recall unless we agree that if they destroy our dash. Please help us get this important safety recall completed. My name is [XXX]. Iâm sure if Chevrolet is doing this to us there are other Consumers that they are doing this to that will not speak up. My familyâs safety depends on the safety equipment that they placed in the vehicle that we purchased in good faith. I wanted to try this option prior to engagement of a Consumer Attorney. Thank you in advance of your assistance. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S
4-5 inch crack in dash above instrumemt panel 1 inch crack on each corner at the top of each corner of the passanger air bag on the top dash no further cracks at this time a report of this has been made two years ago just incase they deside to recall and replace the dash in the near future
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair would be available within 3 months. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
Front inside door handle to pull door close plastic broke. To replace you need a whole new inside door panel just to replace the cracked pull handle.
Dashboard cracked in several places
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that there were two cracks on the dashboard located near the passengerâs side front air bag housing and near the steering column. There was no impact that could have caused the cracks. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall for the dashboard and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 162,000.
Mileage: 162,000
took car to dealer for nys inspection* {recall must be done to pass} service advisors work on commision, so i get a $5500 quote on "" seriously needed work"" yet my concerns were overlooked. & unauthorized work yet Recalls are to be done free so there no commison, so they upsale you and put off the takata airbags as"" on order""= profit over safety. now im on the hook for $6000 or they keep the car then sell as "certified pre- owned" this is part of a serious flaw within the automotive industry. my car is a decommisioned nj police k9 car. so it was a fleet car + very well maintained. the service advisor is grossly over billing and padding the work order. i had to put a stop work order as a disabled person who needs his car to be mobile and i bought a used car to avoid financing and large financial obligations that i can not afford. i even got corperate involved { but they are all chevy team leaders}
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact contacted the dealer and another dealer Carl Black Chevrolet (535 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37210) but was informed by both dealers that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.