YearToAvoid

2005 Chevrolet Avalanche Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA has 26 owner complaints about transmission problems in the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche, 13% of all 200 complaints for this model year. That is the highest transmission complaint count among 9 Avalanche model years. Median mileage at failure: 61,937 miles.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
26
13% of 200
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
61,937 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche transmission complaints were filed

First complaint May 5, 2005, latest Jan 8, 2018.

2005 Chevrolet Avalanche transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month3May 2005Feb 2008Jun 2009Oct 2010Dec 2012Aug 2013Oct 2014Jan 2015
26 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2005 to Jan 2018; peak Jan 2012 (3).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche

  1. NHTSA 05V055000Feb 14, 2005Transmission & Powertrain7,194 vehicles

    Power train:manual transmission:shift pattern indicator

    Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.

    Risk: The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.

    Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Avalanche model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200526 (13%)
  2. 200616 (32%)
  3. 200723 (5%)
  4. 20085 (2%)
  5. 20094 (4%)
  6. 20103 (3%)
  7. 201112 (8%)
  8. 20123 (6%)
  9. 20132 (2%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche have transmission problems?
NHTSA has 26 owner complaints about the transmission in the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Median mileage at failure is 61,937 miles.
Which Chevrolet Avalanche year has the most transmission complaints?
The 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche has the most transmission complaints (26), compared with 26 for the 2005.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche concerns the transmission: 05V055000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.