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2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 447 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe, most often about the other or unspecified (47% of complaints, typically around 70,000 miles). It is 9th of 27 Tahoe model years by number of complaints and has 5 recalls.
Most common 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Other or unspecified
212 complaints · 47%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles.
Came out to take the kids to school and there was a crack in my dash near the passenger air bag. Crack appeared over night, car was parked in oceanside ca. Concern for passenger and flying debris or if airbag will even work properly. This seems to be a common problem.
The dashboard in my 2011 chevy Tahoe began cracking at approxmately 70k miles. In the event of a crash I'm concerned for my family's safefty as the dashboard continues to crack in a spiderweb fashon. I've contacted my Chevrolet customer service and have been told that my vehicles original 3 year/36,000 mile warranty…
Air bags
185 complaints · 41%Half of these problems showed up before 67,000 miles. Parts named most often: passenger side frontal, srs malfunction warning lamp/light.
The dashboard on my Tahoe has began to crack. It originally began to crack on the drivers side and has spread up over the control panel. Last week I noticed a crack on the passenger side that leads right to the airbag. Now that the airbag is involved I definitely feel that this is a major safety hazard. Seeing the…
I attempted to trade in my truck and was told that since my car has an open recall, the value is greatly decreased. Why is the governement allowing me to drive a vehicle that could potentially cause me harm and not properly protect me in the event of a wreck
Body and structure
81 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 64,500 miles. Parts named most often: body, interior panels.
2011 chevy Tahoe dash crack, 6/19/16, no trauma, parked in car port, 64k miles. Once researched found this to be a frequent issue with no solution from gm/chevy. Requesting recall for defective dash material, risk of airbag deployment if continues to crack.
Driving and there was a loud pop, the dashboard above the steering wheel cracked and the dashboard on passenger side where the air bag cracked.
Electrical
17 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 62,500 miles. Parts named most often: wiring.
I was driving when the suddenly the engine power was reduced and traction control stability track came on and said to service engine I was going 70 and the speed dropped down to 40. I have no idea why this happen I'm going to see if the dealer will fix problem tomorrow.
2 issues--- 1st--dashboard has cracks in it, which 1 crack is on the passenger side. It could be a safety hazard and cause the airbag to explode causing great harm to a person. These cracks are in the same position as many other consumers who have made complaints. 2nd--engine shuts down while driving; no steering or…
Stability control
15 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 56,000 miles.
2 issues--- 1st--dashboard has cracks in it, which 1 crack is on the passenger side. It could be a safety hazard and cause the airbag to explode causing great harm to a person. These cracks are in the same position as many other consumers who have made complaints. 2nd--engine shuts down while driving; no steering or…
I was driving on the long island expressway ( 495) at about 2 pm on 1/28/13, I was in the middle lane at about 65mph when suddenly the check engine light came on and a message came up saying, service stabilitrak, then engine power reduced. This caused my vehicle to slow down to that 65mph to about 35 rapidly. I was…
Engine
11 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 74,000 miles.
I was driving on the highway with my child, when then engine light came on. Seconds later the "stabilitrak off and traction control off" came on. "service traction" came on and within seconds the power steering left and the brakes seemed as if they were not working properly. Thank god there was not a lot of traffic!!…
Stabilitrak and ABS light comes on while driving, the door locks go crazy, radio goes in and out and you lose the ability to accelerate. Engine acts like it wants to die out. The first time I had it taken in, they said it was a sensor so I paid $600 to have it fixed. 6 months later it started doing the same thing so…
Fuel system
7 complaints · 2%I was driving on the long island expressway ( 495) at about 2 pm on 1/28/13, I was in the middle lane at about 65mph when suddenly the check engine light came on and a message came up saying, service stabilitrak, then engine power reduced. This caused my vehicle to slow down to that 65mph to about 35 rapidly. I was…
So when ever I fuel my car at the pump by clicking the fuel pump to auto start, the pump usually stop pumping after about 15 sec, and then you will have to manual fill again with your hang or start the auto fueling again. So today when I started fueling my car again after about 4 or 5 gallon of fueling had already…
Speed control
6 complaints · 1%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles.
I started to encounter the following errors on my 2011 chevy Tahoe; service traction control, service stabilitrak, engine power reduced during the winter months of 2012-2013. I could be simply doing the task of warming the vehicle up in the morning, driving on a paved road going 35mph, or full blown in the middle of…
Was driving highway when suddlenly the engine power was reduced and traction contriol stability track cam on and said to service was going 65 dropped to 45 almost got hit by rig.was near exit pulled off but car accelerated through light even though foot was on brake, took corner very fast and back into a gas station…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls
Air bags: inflator module
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.
Full defect summary
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, missou
Air bags: inflator module
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'
Full defect summary
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, sub
Electrical: ignition
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Steering: linkages
Risk: This could allow the joints to separate, and the driver could experience loss of steering increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm dealers will inspect and ensure that the intermediate steering shaft bolts are tightened to the proper specification. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about july 13, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Full defect summary
Gm is recalling certain model year 2011cadillac escalade, escalade esv; chevrolet silverado hd, silverado ld, suburban, tahoe; and gmc sierra hd, sierra ld, yukon, and yukon xl vehicles. The intermediate steering shaft attaching bolts may not have been tightened to the proper specification.
Suspension: spindle
Risk: The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, colorado, express, silverado, suburban, tahoe; and gmc canyon, sierra, savana, yukon and yukon xl vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Questions about the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: other or unspecified (212 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles); air bags (185 complaints, typically around 67,000 miles); body and structure (81 complaints, typically around 64,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe have?
- 5 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from February 5, 2021 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Chevrolet Tahoe?
- It is 9th of 27 Tahoe model years by number of complaints, with 447 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.