YearToAvoid

2010 Chevrolet Avalanche Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche has a complaint index of 38, the 6th-worst among 9 model years, earning a 'Good' rating relative to other Avalanche years. Owners logged 117 complaints, mostly about airbags (49%) and dash cracking, plus 3 airbag inflator recalls.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
38/100
#6 of 9 Avalanche years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
117
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
0
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2012
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
15.5
13.5 city / 20 hwy
Injuries / deaths
1 / 0

Top 2010 Chevy Avalanche problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags57 (49%)
  2. Other52 (44%)
  3. Structure & Body18 (15%)
  4. Electrical System9 (8%)
  5. Engine6 (5%)
  6. Brakes4 (3%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain3 (3%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (1%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers1 (1%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Dashboard plastic cracks near the passenger airbag, raising concern that airbag deployment could send fragments into the cabin.
  • Some owners report sudden loss of engine power with the check engine light on, sometimes paired with traction control and StabiliTrak warnings.
  • Electrical faults involving door locks cycling and unexpected downshifts to first gear were reported at highway speeds.
  • Adjustable-pedal wiring was reported to rub and short, causing communication errors and loss of power.
  • One owner reported the original tow hitch corroding and fracturing while towing a trailer.
  • Excessive window fogging was reported in cold weather, with the manual HVAC unable to run air conditioning to clear it.
2010 Chevrolet Avalanche complaints: complaints filed per quarter102011 Q22015 Q12016 Q22017 Q32018 Q42020 Q12021 Q2
117 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q2 to 2024 Q4; peak 2017 Q2 (10).

2010 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles

    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.

    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 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.

  2. NHTSA 21V053000Feb 5, 2021Airbags692,526 vehicles

    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.

    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 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.

  3. NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    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.

    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.

2010 Chevrolet Avalanche fuel economy and fuel cost

City
13.5 MPG
Highway
20 MPG
Combined
15.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,225
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other Avalanche years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100200520062007200820092010201120122013
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2008Avoid88295416
2009Caution6396516
2010Good38117315.5
2011Avoid75155517
2012Best1352317

All Chevrolet Avalanche years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche reliable?
Compared to other Avalanche years, 2010 ranks 6th-worst out of 9 with a complaint index of 38 and carries a 'Good' verdict. It has fewer reported problems than the 2007, 2008, and 2011 model years, which are rated 'Avoid'.
What are the most common complaints on the 2010 Avalanche?
Airbags account for 49% of complaints (57 of 117), often involving dashboard cracking near the airbag housing at a median mileage of 70,500. Structure and body issues make up 15% of complaints.
Does the 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2010 Avalanche, all involving front passenger airbag inflators that GM replaces free of charge. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2010 Avalanche compare to the 2012 and 2013 model years?
The 2012 Avalanche has the lowest complaint index at 13 and is rated 'Best', while 2013 has an index of 25 and is rated 'Good'. The 2010 model's index of 38 is higher, meaning more reported problems relative to those years.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche?
The 2010 Avalanche gets an EPA-rated 15.5 mpg combined (13.5 city, 20 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,225.

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.