2012 Chevrolet Tahoe Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe has a complaint index of 45, ranking 12th out of 21 model years, with a Good verdict. NHTSA lists 178 complaints and 3 recalls, with airbags as the top problem area at 34% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 45/100
- #12 of 21 Tahoe years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 178
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 8
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 10
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 17
- 15 city / 21 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 10 / 0
Top 2012 Chevy Tahoe problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Other101 (57%)
- Airbags61 (34%)
- Structure & Body39 (22%)
- Electrical System13 (7%)
- Brakes11 (6%)
- Engine10 (6%)
- Transmission & Powertrain7 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (3%)
- Steering4 (2%)
- Fuel System1 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy during frontal or head-on collisions, in some cases resulting in serious injury.
- Drivers reported brakes that failed to respond when applied, leading to crashes at highway speed.
- The instrument panel and oil pressure gauge were described as defective, showing false zero-pressure readings.
- Some owners reported the engine and instrument panel cycling on and off before the vehicle shut down while driving.
- One owner described total engine failure while passing another vehicle at speed, with no warning lights.
- Traction control and stability control systems reportedly switched off intermittently with no clear cause.
2012 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V051000Feb 5, 2021Airbags284,645 vehicles
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, 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." 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 May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.
- 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.
- 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.
2012 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.
2012 compared with other Tahoe years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Tahoe ranks 12th out of 21 model years with a complaint index of 45 and a Good verdict relative to other Tahoe years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe?
- NHTSA data shows airbags are the top problem area, making up 34% of complaints, followed by structure and body issues at 22% and electrical system issues at 7%.
- Does the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Tahoe, two covering airbag inflator replacement and one covering ignition lock housing inspection and replacement.
- At what mileage do 2012 Tahoe airbag problems tend to appear?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 74,000 miles for airbag-related complaints on the 2012 Tahoe.
- How does the 2012 Tahoe compare to other Tahoe years?
- The 2012 Tahoe's complaint index of 45 is lower than Avoid-rated years like 2007 (100), 2015 (90), and 2021 (95), placing it among the better Tahoe years.