The 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe is associated with 256 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 8 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Service Brakes, accounting for 66 reports (26% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 4 certified vehicle configurations spanning 5.3l 8-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 18 to 19 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 256 reports
  • Safety Recall Campaigns: 8 campaigns
  • Top Reported Defect Area: Service Brakes (66 / 26%)
  • Safety Incident Signals: 17 crash / 1 fire / 8 injury reports
  • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
  • EPA Efficiency: 18–19 MPG (4 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
18–19MPG
4 EPA certified variants (5.3l 8-cyl powertrain configurations)
Reported Complaints
256
256 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
8
8 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
4 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Tahoe C1500 2WD 5.3L 8-Cyl Rear-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 16 MPG 23 MPG 19 MPG $3,250 / yr
Tahoe C1500 2WD 5.3L 8-Cyl Rear-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 16 MPG 23 MPG 18 MPG $3,400 / yr
Tahoe K1500 4WD 5.3L 8-Cyl 4-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 16 MPG 22 MPG 18 MPG $3,400 / yr
Tahoe K1500 4WD 5.3L 8-Cyl 4-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 16 MPG 22 MPG 18 MPG $3,400 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV 4WD 22.2%
SUV RWD 22.900000000000002%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe models.
View complete 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Summary of 256 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
256
Crash Reports
17
Fire Reports
1
Complaints w/ Injury
8
Total Injuries
13

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Service Brakes 66 complaints (7 crashes)
Powertrain 29 complaints (1 crash)
Engine 10 complaints
Electrical System 9 complaints
Suspension 8 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe problems & component breakdown (67 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #26V289000 Active Recall
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

Defect Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.
NHTSA Campaign #16V256000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

Defect Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.
NHTSA Campaign #21V245000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT

Defect Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2014-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement tensioner cable assembly as part of a previous recall remedy or a subsequent repair. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the vehicle causing the cable to fatigue and separate.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat belt lap pretensioner, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212330040.
View all 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls & campaign history (8 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

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