YearToAvoid

2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe has a complaint index of 75, ranks 6th worst of 21 model years, and carries an Avoid verdict. It logged 446 complaints, 5 recalls, and airbags account for 41% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
75/100
#6 of 21 Tahoe years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
446
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
5
reported in complaints
Fires
2
Injuries
3
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2014
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 21 hwy
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0

Top 2011 Chevy Tahoe problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other213 (48%)
  2. Airbags185 (41%)
  3. Structure & Body82 (18%)
  4. Electrical System18 (4%)
  5. Brakes16 (4%)
  6. Engine14 (3%)
  7. Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (2%)
  8. Fuel System7 (2%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain5 (1%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers5 (1%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Front tire separated from the vehicle during low-speed driving, leading to a crash and driver injury.
  • A rear tire blew out at highway speed with only 1,320 miles on the odometer.
  • Vehicle reportedly shifted out of park into reverse on its own and rolled backward into a crash.
  • Rear driver-side door handle stopped working and would not open after only a few days of normal use.
  • Windows fogged up on the inside during driving, sometimes clearing slowly and obstructing visibility.
  • Vehicle lost power unexpectedly at highway speed with ABS, traction control, and check engine lights illuminating.
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe complaints: complaints filed per quarter442010 Q42013 Q22015 Q12016 Q42018 Q32020 Q22022 Q12024 Q4
446 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q4 to 2025 Q4; peak 2017 Q4 (44).

2011 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. 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 N212328760.

  2. NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    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, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 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 N212328800.

  3. NHTSA 14V827000Dec 30, 2014Electrical System84,192 vehicles

    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, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

    Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

See all 5 recalls for the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe →

2011 Chevrolet Tahoe fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
21 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2011 compared with other Tahoe years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2009Caution65284516
2010Caution55314317
2011Avoid75446517
2012Good45178317
2013Good35232417

All Chevrolet Tahoe years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe reliable?
NHTSA data gives it a complaint index of 75 and a rank of 6th worst out of 21 model years, earning an Avoid verdict relative to other Tahoe years. Airbags are the top problem area, making up 41% of its 446 complaints.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Airbags lead with 185 complaints (41% share), followed by Structure & Body with 82 complaints (18%). Electrical System, Brakes, and Engine issues follow at lower shares.
Does the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe have recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2011 Tahoe, covering airbags, electrical (ignition lock housing), steering, and suspension components. None are do-not-drive recalls.
At what mileage do 2011 Tahoe airbag problems tend to show up?
The median mileage at failure for airbag-related complaints is 66,900 miles, based on NHTSA complaint data.
Which Tahoe model years are worse than 2011?
The 2007 Tahoe has the highest complaint index at 100 and 1,177 complaints, followed by 2021 at 95 and 2015 at 90, all also rated Avoid.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.