2021 Chevrolet Tahoe

◆ Worse than typical
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
BUILT 2026-08-02

This year had 30% to 100% more complaints than this model's typical year.

This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.

How is this computed?

COMPLAINTS PER YEAR

Complaints per year, Chevrolet Tahoe Bar chart of distinct NHTSA complaints filed per model year, 2021 highlighted. 1988: 1 complaints 1988 1991: 3 complaints 1992: 6 complaints 1993: 8 complaints 1994: 19 complaints 1995: 246 complaints 1995 1996: 283 complaints 1997: 410 complaints 1998: 263 complaints 1999: 552 complaints 2000: 282 complaints 2000 2001: 512 complaints 2002: 449 complaints 2003: 507 complaints 2004: 466 complaints 2005: 292 complaints 2005 2006: 114 complaints 2007: 1176 complaints 2008: 528 complaints 2009: 283 complaints 2010: 314 complaints 2010 2011: 446 complaints 2012: 178 complaints 2013: 231 complaints 2014: 90 complaints 2015: 657 complaints 2015 2016: 252 complaints 2017: 168 complaints 2018: 98 complaints 2019: 101 complaints 2020: 53 complaints 2020 2021: 421 complaints 2021 2022: 174 complaints 2023: 196 complaints 2024: 60 complaints 2025: 34 complaints 2025 2026: 17 complaints 2026
2021: 421 complaints
View as data table
YearComplaints
19881
19913
19926
19938
199419
1995246
1996283
1997410
1998263
1999552
2000282
2001512
2002449
2003507
2004466
2005292
2006114
20071176
2008528
2009283
2010314
2011446
2012178
2013231
201490
2015657
2016252
2017168
201898
2019101
202053
2021421
2022174
2023196
202460
202534
202617

KNOWN PROBLEM AREAS

ENGINE 36%

36% of complaints: engine — 151 distinct reports on file.

CRASH FIRE
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 21%

21% of complaints: fuel/propulsion system — 90 distinct reports on file.

POWER TRAIN 19%

19% of complaints: power train — 80 distinct reports on file.

CRASH FIRE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%

13% of complaints: electrical system — 54 distinct reports on file.

CRASH FIRE INJURY
Show complaint excerpts

The airbags failed to deploy in my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe after being involved in an accident where another vehicle t-boned my vehicle on the passenger side front end to rear end causing severe damage and pushing my vehicle with great force.

NHTSA ODI report, 20240120

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE VEHICLE IDLED AND LOSS POWER. THE CONTACT DETECTED A SMOKE ODOR AND SMOKE CAME INSIDE THE VEHICLE FROM THE REAR SEATS.

NHTSA ODI report, 20210419

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 5%

5% of complaints: fuel system, gasoline — 21 distinct reports on file.

SAFETY TIMELINE

R 20201221 — seats

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles. During general assembly, a repair involved removal of one or both front seats.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020.

Campaign 20V735000 — check if this car was fixed

2021 — complaint volume: 421
R 20210126 — seat belts

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021.

Campaign 20V792000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20210129 — seat belts

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and...

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021.

Campaign 20V811000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20210306 — fuel system, gasoline

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon vehicles. The fuel tank assemblies may be missing adhesive between two layers of the fuel tank shell which may result in a fuel leak.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782.

Campaign 21V064000 — check if this car was fixed

I 20210409 — PE (closed 20230824)

Air Bag Malfunction

R 20210414 — seat belts

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The second-row center seat belt latch may be trapped beneath the trim bezel and therefore inaccessible.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the trim bezel, correctly position the seat belt latch plate, and reinstall the trim bezel, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2021.

Campaign 21V210000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20210421 — seat belts

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021.

Campaign 21V190000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20210701 — air bags, electrical system

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles.

Remedy: The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021.

Campaign 21V421000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20210713 — steering

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. A software issue may cause a loss of power steering assist at startup or while driving.

Remedy: The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2021.

Campaign 21V455000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20210827 — service brakes, hydraulic

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon vehicles.

Remedy: Dealers will recalibrate the brake system control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1202; GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782.

Campaign 21V579000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20211014 — fuel system, gasoline

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021.

Campaign 21V739000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20220314 — power train

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022.

Campaign 22V036000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20221101 — seat belts

General Motors, LLC (M) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge.

Campaign 22V617000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20221215 — exterior lighting

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on.

Remedy: Dealers will provide an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Body Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022.

Campaign 22V827000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20241212 — power train

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel...

Remedy: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve.

Campaign 24V797000 — check if this car was fixed

I 20250116 — PE (closed 20251023)

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

R 20250618 — engine and engine cooling

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual.

Campaign 25V274000 — check if this car was fixed

I 20251023 — EA (open)

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

R 20251105 — fuel system, diesel

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, 2021, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2022 and 2024 GMC Yukon vehicles equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect for the correct fuel tank and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2025.

Campaign 25V619000 — check if this car was fixed

I 20260116 — RQ (open)

Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy

BUY-SMART CHECKLIST

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe — pre-purchase inspection

  • Test/inspect for engine issues (151 reports on file for this year).
  • Test/inspect for fuel/propulsion system issues (90 reports on file for this year).
  • Test/inspect for power train issues (80 reports on file for this year).
  • Verify recall 20V735000 (seats) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 20V792000 (seat belts) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 20V811000 (seat belts) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 21V064000 (fuel system, gasoline) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 21V210000 (seat belts) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 21V190000 (seat belts) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 21V421000 (air bags, electrical system) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 21V455000 (steering) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 21V579000 (service brakes, hydraulic) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 21V739000 (fuel system, gasoline) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 22V036000 (power train) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 22V617000 (seat belts) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 22V827000 (exterior lighting) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 24V797000 (power train) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 25V274000 (engine and engine cooling) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 25V619000 (fuel system, diesel) has been completed.

OTHER YEARS OF THIS MODEL

BEST YEARS

▲ 2025 ▲ 2020 ▲ 2024

WORST YEARS

■ 2007 ■ 2015 ■ 1999

See all years ranked →

FAQ

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe reliable?

Based on NHTSA complaint volume compared to this model's typical year, the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe is rated "worse than typical".

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe?

The most-reported component is engine, accounting for 36% of complaints on file.

How many recalls does the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe have?

16 recalls on file for this model year.

Data updated 2026-07-11 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.