The Lane Check

CarsChevrolet › Tahoe › 2012

2012 Chevrolet Tahoe: engine and transmission complaints

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
13%
15 of 118 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 13% of relevant complaints.

Better than 95% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 62 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 8%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
Share this car

Looking at a specific Tahoe?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.

Check a VIN
Drivetrain complaints
15
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
180
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
8 crashes · 10 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER101 · 56%
AIR BAGS63 · 35%
STRUCTURE37 · 21%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM13 · 7%
ENGINE9 · 5%
POWER TRAIN7 · 4%

The years either side

2010
8%
16 of 319
2011
9%
25 of 456
2012
13%
15 of 180
2013
13%
24 of 233
2014
14%
11 of 93
2015
23%
136 of 662
2016
29%
70 of 257
2017
45%
73 of 173
2018
40%
39 of 103
2019
64%
61 of 105
2020
51%
26 of 55
2021
75%
296 of 445
2022
63%
111 of 184
2023
78%
158 of 212

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

What owners reported

ENGINE04/29/2025
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 towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle…
POWER TRAIN12/12/2024
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 low gear. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal when the traffic light had changed, the vehicle…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (10/02/2020
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MY VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN ON OCCASION. INTERIOR LIGHTS, RADIO, DASH PANEL, TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. ALSO DOOR LOCKS, LOCK AND UNLOCK. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. LAST YEAR I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED AFTER I WAS NEARLY HIT AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEN T…

Three of 15 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (3)

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…
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, Taho…
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 350…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.