2012 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
NHTSA has received 253 complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 24% of them involve air bags. Next are body & structure (15%) and electrical system (5%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 253 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 15 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 15 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 72,000 miles 184 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 12 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 13 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 35 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 59 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 31 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 17 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 13 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 184 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 72,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 74,000 miles (38 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 15 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 15 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 22nd most-complained-about out of 32 model years of the Chevrolet Tahoe with enough data (138 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
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.
There was a wreck, where the opposing driver pulled out to take a left turn into oncoming traffic, 10 ft in front of [xxx] (owner of tahoe). Impact was on front passenger side. Airbag did not deploy effectively resulting in [xxx] have a broken neck and bone fusion. Airbags were exploded open. These events might not have occurred if proper equipment was there.
Takata recall---a code "service air bag" note appeared on the dash and is now at the dealer to replace the passenger air bag. The cost is over $1000. The vehicle was not in an accident, the code just came on while driving.
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.