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2012 Chevrolet Tahoe LS

The 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe LS is a 5.3-liter with an automatic 6-spd and rear-wheel drive. It starts at $38,755 MSRP and is rated at 17 mpg combined.

EPA fuel-economy estimates are 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway (17 mpg combined).

Spec Value
Vehicle
Body TypeSUV
PowertrainGas
Price
MSRP$38,755 ($54,858 *)
MSRP with Destination$39,750 ($56,266 *)
Destination Charge$995
Engine
Engine Type5.3L V-8
Displacement5.3 L
Drivetrain
Drive TypeRWD
Transmission
TransmissionAutomatic 6-spd
Fuel Economy
City15 MPG
Highway21 MPG
Combined17 MPG
* Amount adjusted for inflation to 2026 dollars

Safety & Recalls

NCAP safety ratings

Overall ★★★★★
Frontal crash ★★★★★
Side crash ★★★★★
Rollover ★★★★★ (24.6 % risk)
Tested variant: 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV RWD
Other tested variants (1)
  • 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV 4WD: 4 ★ overall

Recalls

3 recalls on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet TAHOE. Not every recall applies to every trim or VIN — check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Feb 5, 2021 · 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.

Consequence: 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 campaign 21V051000

Feb 5, 2021 · 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.

Consequence: 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 campaign 21V054000

Dec 30, 2014 · 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.

Consequence: 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.

NHTSA campaign 14V827000

180 owner complaints to NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet TAHOE

Owner Complaints

180 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet TAHOE (8 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 5 an injury). See all on nhtsa.gov

Most-cited areas
Unknown Or Other101
Air Bags63
Structure37
Electrical System13
Engine9
Power Train7
A complaint can cite more than one area.
Most recent complaints
Apr 24, 2026 · Latches/Locks/Linkages
“The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side and passenger’s side doors failed to open manually or while using the power door lock button. The contact was…”
Mar 3, 2026 · Structure, Unknown Or Other
“The AC in the front stopped working on and off but the AC in the back continues to work that's one warning a situation. The second is the oil light constantly shows low oil even when you get an oil…”
Apr 29, 2025 · Engine
“The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was…”
Dec 12, 2024 · Power Train
“The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to slow for a traffic light and the vehicle jerked while shifting into…”
Apr 25, 2024 · Air Bags
“My 2012 Chevy Tahoe Dashboard is completely cracked up. This seems to be a very common issue as I read online. I am very concerned about the Safety with the Dashboard being cracked in multiple areas…”

Complaints are unverified reports submitted to NHTSA by owners. They cover the whole model year, not a specific trim, and a count alone doesn't show how common a problem is.

Source: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (nhtsa.gov), matched as 2012 CHEVROLET TAHOE. US-market vehicles only; data cached for up to 7 days.

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