The Chevrolet Tahoe is a full-size, body-on-frame SUV based on Chevrolet's Silverado pickup platform. It seats up to nine and is offered with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The Tahoe is widely used by families, fleets and police departments, and every version through 2024 uses a V8 engine except a turbodiesel inline-six offered from 2021. Below, each Chevrolet Tahoe model year from 2010 to 2024 sits on the same scale, which makes the noisy years and the quiet years easy to spot.
Chevrolet Tahoe by model year
Complaints per 100,000 sold. Red: more than twice the model average. Green: the fewest, among years at least three years old.
| Year | Per 100k sold | Complaints | Recalls | Top system | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 420 | 318 | 3 | Airbags | |
| 2011 | 565 | 455 | 5 | Airbags | |
| 2012 | 260 | 179 | 3 | Airbags | |
| 2013 | 279 | 233 | 4 | Body and structure | |
| 2014 | 92 | 90 | 3 | Electrical | Fewest |
| 2015 | 746 | 659 | 14 | Brakes | Most complaints |
| 2016 | 248 | 256 | 8 | Brakes | |
| 2017 | 177 | 175 | 4 | Transmission | |
| 2018 | 101 | 105 | 3 | Engine | Fewest |
| 2019 | 108 | 109 | 2 | Transmission | |
| 2020 | 65 | 57 | 3 | Engine | Fewest |
| 2021 | 437 | 463 | 16 | Engine | |
| 2022 | 186 | 197 | 4 | Engine | |
| 2023 | 211 | 233 | 5 | Engine | |
| 2024 | 66 | 69 | 3 | Engine |
Why these years stand out
2015: most complaints. The 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe scored 746 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.9 times the model average. Of its 659 complaints, 103 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are service brakes (185), electrical system (130) and steering (69). NHTSA lists 14 recalls for this model year and 1 defect investigation.
2014, 2018 and 2020: fewest complaints. The 2014 drew 90 complaints, or 92 per 100,000 sold; The 2018 drew 105 complaints, or 101 per 100,000 sold; The 2020 drew 57 complaints, or 65 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.
What Chevrolet Tahoe owners report most
Engine complaints lead for the Chevrolet Tahoe, at 18% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 31%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.
When problems are reported: mileage
1,697 Chevrolet Tahoe complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 36% were reported before 50,000 miles and 16% after 100,000. The reports are spread across the mileage range rather than bunched at one point.
Chevrolet Tahoe compared with other large suvs
In 10 of 15 model years the Chevrolet Tahoe drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average large suv we track for the same year. For 2024, the Chevrolet Tahoe scored 66 against a class average of 114. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.
Chevrolet Tahoe generations
- 2005-2006GMT800 (second generation)
4.8L V8; 5.3L V8 · 4-speed automatic
Stability control became standard for 2006, the final year of this generation.
- 2007-2014GMT900 (third generation)
4.8L V8 (2007-2009, 2WD); 5.3L V8; 6.0L V8 hybrid (2008-2013) · 4-speed automatic (2007-2008); 6-speed automatic (2009-2014); CVT-type two-mode hybrid
This redesign added cylinder deactivation, and a two-mode hybrid version was sold from 2008 to 2013.
- 2015-2020K2XX (fourth generation)
5.3L V8; 6.2L V8 (2018-2020 RST option) · 6-speed automatic (2015-2017); 10-speed automatic (2018-2020)
The hybrid was dropped for this generation and the 10-speed automatic arrived for 2018.
- 2021-2024T1XX (fifth generation)
5.3L V8; 6.2L V8; 3.0L turbodiesel inline-six · 10-speed automatic
The redesign switched to independent rear suspension, which lowered the floor and enlarged the third row.
For 2017 the top LTZ trim was renamed Premier. The 6.2L V8 became available in the Tahoe with the RST trim in 2018; before that it was offered in the related GMC Yukon Denali. The 3.0L Duramax turbodiesel inline-six was introduced with the 2021 redesign.
Chevrolet Tahoe fuel economy
The 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe is rated at 16 to 24 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.
Crash test stars
NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the Chevrolet Tahoe these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2011: 4, 2012: 4, 2013: 4, 2014: 4, 2015: 4, 2016: 4, 2017: 4, 2018: 4, 2019: 4, 2020: 4, 2021: 4, 2022: 4, 2023: 4, 2024: 4. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.
Questions
What is the best year for the Chevrolet Tahoe?
By complaints filed with NHTSA per 100,000 sold, 2014, 2018 and 2020 had the fewest among model years at least three years old. 2014 scored 92, against a model average of 254.
What years of the Chevrolet Tahoe have the most complaints?
2015. The 2015 scored 746 per 100,000 sold, with 103 engine or transmission complaints. A complaint is a report from an owner and does not prove a defect.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Tahoe owners report problems?
Across 1,697 complaints that list the odometer reading, 36% were filed before 50,000 miles and 16% after 100,000 miles. These are miles at the time of the reported problem, not how long the vehicle lasts.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Tahoe have?
NHTSA lists 80 recall campaigns across model years 2010-2024 (a campaign that covers several years counts once per year). Check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaint counts are reports filed by owners with NHTSA. NHTSA does not verify them, and a complaint does not prove a defect. Scores are our calculation, explained on the Method page. Not affiliated with any automaker.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (complaints, recalls, investigations), data through October 2026; U.S. sales from manufacturer reports, compiled by motorwick; fuel economy: U.S. EPA estimates; crash tests: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.