Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2010 Chevrolet Tahoe — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2018 to Dec 2016
The most reported issue is unknown or other problems (100 complaints). 3 complaints involved crashes.
Open Safety Recalls (4)
NHTSA Campaign: 21V050000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." 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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 March 1, 2021. 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 N212328760.
NHTSA Campaign: 21V054000
Component: 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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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: 21V053000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 24, 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 N212328790.
NHTSA Campaign: 10E043000
Component: EQUIPMENT
MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE SEAT COVERS ARE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD AND ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SEATS CONTAINING SIDE AIRBAGS. THE HEAVIER SEAT COVER COULD INTERFERE WITH FULL DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
Risk: AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.
Fix: MARATHON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE SEAT COVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MARATHON AT 1-800-735-2769.
Owner-Reported Issues (20 of 319)
Air Bags →6 issues
Your airbags failed to deploy during a serious rollover accident where your vehicle flipped four times. You sustained injuries as a result of the airbags not functioning. This is a critical safety system failure that requires immediate inspection and diagnosis.
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Your airbag warning light has turned on, even though your Tahoe has never had an airbag issue before. Notably, another GM vehicle you own experienced the same problem within 3 days. Your dealership is charging $180 just to diagnose what's causing the warning light to come on.
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Your dealership informed you they can perform an airbag recall, but they're asking you to sign a waiver stating they won't be responsible if your dashboard cracks during the work — and you'd have to pay out of pocket to fix it. Both the dealership and Chevrolet say this is handled case-by-case and they won't guarantee dash repair. The recall work typically involves removing and reinstalling airbag components, which may require dashboard removal.
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Your 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe is subject to a Takata airbag recall (NHTSA Campaign 21V050000), but the replacement parts needed to fix it weren't available when you received the recall notice. You've been waiting longer than seems reasonable for the dealer to get the necessary parts and complete the repair. The dealership knows about the delay, but the manufacturer hasn't been directly notified by you yet. The fix will involve replacing the defective Takata airbag components once parts become available.
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Your 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe is covered by a Takata airbag recall (NHTSA Campaign 21V053000), but the replacement parts needed to fix it weren't available when you tried to get it serviced. Your dealer is aware of the issue, and you're concerned that the manufacturer has taken too long to make the parts available for this recall repair. The problem appears to be a delay in getting replacement parts distributed to dealerships.
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You received recall notices about airbags in your 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe (NHTSA Campaign 21V053000), but your vehicle has been totaled. You've asked to be removed from the recall mailing list since the car is no longer in use.
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Unknown Or Other →3 issues
Your dashboard is cracking around the passenger-side airbag and above the instrument panel. If the airbag deploys, these cracks could cause dashboard pieces to shatter and scatter, potentially damaging the airbag itself or creating sharp projectiles. The manufacturer is aware of this issue but has not issued a recall for 2007-2013 model year vehicles.
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Your dashboard is cracked and appears to be exposing engine components underneath. This could worsen over time and may affect the appearance and functionality of your dashboard.
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Your dashboard has developed a crack. This is a cosmetic issue that doesn't affect how your vehicle operates, but you may want to address it for appearance. Fixing this typically involves replacing the dashboard panel.
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Power Train →2 issues
Your transmission is making knocking and pinging noises and won't shift into reverse. The vehicle is stuck at a maximum speed of 10 mph. Despite regular use and only 128,428 miles, the transmission appears to have failed. A transmission rebuild or replacement will likely be needed to restore normal shifting and performance.
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Your transmission failed completely at 128,000 miles without warning signs. A repair shop diagnosed a failed torque converter and damaged internal clutch packs, requiring a full transmission rebuild costing over $5,000. The 6L80E transmission in your model year has a documented history of similar failures, and GM has issued service bulletins acknowledging related issues but has not recalled the vehicle. Fixing this will likely require a complete transmission rebuild or replacement.
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Structure →1 issue
While your daughter was driving at low speed into a parking area, the passenger side of your vehicle suddenly collapsed without any warning lights. A tow truck operator noted that the vehicle's frame had split down the center, making the car undrivable. This frame failure occurred at 240,000 miles and was not repaired.
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Fuel System, Gasoline →1 issue
You noticed a strong gasoline smell inside your Tahoe while driving. When you inspected the vehicle, you found excessive fuel leaking around the fuel tank area. This is a safety concern that needs immediate attention, as fuel leaks can be dangerous.
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Electrical System,exterior Lighting,engine →1 issue
Your truck randomly loses electrical power while driving, causing the door locks to cycle up and down, the instrument cluster to flicker, engine RPMs to spike, and the steering to become stiff — sometimes all at once. This can happen at highway speeds or while idling, creating a serious safety risk if the engine shuts down unexpectedly. You've already replaced the battery and main fuse without lasting results. The underlying electrical issue likely requires a complete diagnostic of the vehicle's main power distribution system, battery cables, and possibly the alternator or electrical control modules.
Parts you may need:
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Seats →1 issue
Your second-row seat doesn't always latch properly and sometimes gets stuck in the down position, which is a safety concern when your child is riding in it. The seat needs to be inspected and repaired to ensure it locks securely in the upright position. This may require replacing the seat latch mechanism or hinges.
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Air Bags,unknown Or Other →1 issue
Your dashboard has developed multiple cracks that have exposed wires underneath. You're concerned that having the airbag recall work done might cause the existing cracks to worsen further, potentially exposing more wiring to heat and creating a risk of electrical problems, corrosion, or fire. The repair will likely involve carefully removing the dashboard and addressing both the existing cracks and the exposed wiring while completing the airbag recall replacement.
Parts you may need:
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Electrical System,engine,forward Collision Avoidance →1 issue
Your 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe has experienced multiple electrical system, engine, and forward collision avoidance issues since purchase from Capitol Chevrolet in San Jose, CA. The owner is requesting assistance from NHTSA and seeking a refund due to the frequency of problems.
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Air Bags,unknown Or Other,structure →1 issue
Your dashboard has developed cracks on the driver's side near the airbag area. You're concerned this is a safety issue since the cracks are close to where the airbag deploys, and you've found this is a known problem affecting certain GM vehicles. Replacing the dashboard at a dealership costs over $1,500. A dashboard replacement or airbag-safe dashboard repair kit may be needed to address this issue.
Parts you may need:
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Structure,unknown Or Other →1 issue
Your dashboard is cracking and breaking apart, even though the vehicle is parked in a garage daily. This appears to be a material degradation issue with the dashboard itself rather than damage from external causes. Repair would likely involve replacing the dashboard panel.
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Exterior Lighting →1 issue
Your driver's side high beam light keeps going out even after replacing the bulb multiple times, and now it flickers on and off. Strangely, your driver's window won't roll down when the high beam is working. This suggests an electrical wiring issue rather than just a bad bulb.
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Related Vehicles
Other Chevrolet Tahoe years: