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Total NHTSA Complaints
256
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Brakes & Traction Control
93 reports (36.3%)
Crash Incident Reports
17
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
9
1 fire • 8 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 256 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. Brakes & Traction Control issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 93 complaints (36.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 17 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 8 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 256 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Brakes & Traction Control accounts for 36.3% of submissions (93 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Powertrain & Transmission (47), Electrical System (31).
  • • Crash Incidents: 17 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 1 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 8 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Brakes & Traction Control
93
36.3%
Powertrain & Transmission
47
18.4%
Electrical System
31
12.1%
Steering System
20
7.8%
Suspension
19
7.4%
#1 36.3% SHARE

Brakes & Traction Control

93 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 9 Crash 🩹 5 Injury
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
#2 18.4% SHARE

Powertrain & Transmission

47 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash 🔥 1 Fire
⚠️ 1 Associated Recall Campaign
#3 12.1% SHARE

Electrical System

31 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
#4 7.8% SHARE

Steering System

20 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 2 Crash 🩹 2 Injury
⚠️ 1 Associated Recall Campaign
Deterministic Text Analysis

Recurring Symptoms Identified in Owner Reports

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

Brakes & Traction Control 2.7%

Reduced Braking / Brake Pedal to Floor

7 complaint narratives describe this symptom.

NHTSA Narrative Match
Powertrain & Transmission 2.3%

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

6 complaint narratives describe this symptom.

NHTSA Narrative Match
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #PE18012 CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Opened: 2018-11-20 • Closed: 2022-04-10
Subject / Subsystem
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
Affected Component
SERVICE BRAKES
Recall Linkage
Campaign #19V645000
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Air Bags & Restraints ODI #11753832
Filed: 07/30/2026
Defect Report

"On 7/28 while driving my vehicle, the ABS and traction control light came on unexpectedly (the symbol with the car and squiggly line in front of it). Nothing is wrong with the vehicle for these lights to come on as I keep up with all maintenance and repairs to this suv seeing that im the only..."

Incident Date: 07/29/2026 NHTSA Component: AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Brakes & Traction Control ODI #11752862
Filed: 07/25/2026
Defect Report

"I have been having issues with the brakes on my 2016 Chevy Tahoe for as long as I can remember. When going very slow, such as in a parking lot or pulling into a parking space, my car feels like I am driving on ice when I brake. I am not sure if I am actually going to stop or hit a car/person. The..."

Incident Date: 07/21/2026 NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Steering System ODI #11750510
Filed: 07/15/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH in sand, the vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off the vehicle, jiggled the steering wheel, and waited approximately 10 minutes before restarting the vehicle to..."

Incident Date: 04/15/2026 NHTSA Component: STEERING,ENGINE
Body & Structure ODI #11747435
Filed: 06/30/2026
Defect Report

"THERE IS DELAMINATION HAPPENING ON THE HOOD AND ROOF OF MY CAR AND IS PUTTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE CAR AT RISK WITH BARE METAL BEING EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS THUS CAUSING RUST AND BREAK DOWN OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE."

Incident Date: 06/25/2026 NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Other / Miscellaneous ODI #11727362
Filed: 03/26/2026
Defect Report

"I live in Lake Charles Louisiana. I have a 2016 Tahoe LTZ my transmission went out ."

Incident Date: 03/23/2026 NHTSA Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Multi-Year Trend

Complaint History for Chevrolet Tahoe

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Chevrolet Tahoe 661 30 14 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Current Page 256 17 8 Current
2017 Chevrolet Tahoe 173 3 4 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Chevrolet Tahoe 102 6 3 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Chevrolet Tahoe 103 8 2 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Chevrolet Tahoe 55 4 3 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe 435 9 16 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Chevrolet Tahoe 179 3 4 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe 207 3 5 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Chevrolet Tahoe 60 1 3 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Chevrolet Tahoe 43 1 1 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Chevrolet Tahoe 0 0 3 View 2026 Problems →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 67 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 66 7 0 4 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 29 1 1 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 28 2 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 10 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 8 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 6 2 0 5 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 6 1 0 1 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 2 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
CHEST CLIP, BUCKLE, HARNESS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 1 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS,WHEELS 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 1 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Related Workstations

Related Official Reports for 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe

Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year

← 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Overview

Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.

2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Safety Recalls (8) →

Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.

2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Safety Ratings →

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.

2016 Chevrolet Tahoe MPG & Range →

EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe

What are the most common reported problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe is Brakes & Traction Control, appearing in 93 records (36.3% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Powertrain & Transmission (47) and Electrical System (31).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 256 consumer defect complaints and 8 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Cross-reference official safety recall campaigns →
Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, 17 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 8 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?

NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe (all closed).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.