YearToAvoid

2013 Chevrolet Avalanche Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#2 most-complained of 4 Avalanche years

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

The 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche has a Complaint Index of 67 and ranks 2nd-worst of 4 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 111 complaints, 3 recalls, and Airbags as the top problem area with 28 complaints (25% share).

Complaints
111
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
3 / 0
Injuries / deaths
6 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 21 hwy

Top 2013 Chevy Avalanche problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other54 (49%)
  2. Airbags28 (25%)
  3. Structure & Body27 (24%)
  4. Electrical System11 (10%)
  5. Engine6 (5%)
  6. Brakes3 (3%)
  7. Fuel System3 (3%)
  8. Steering3 (3%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (2%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain2 (2%)

What owners report

  • Airbags reportedly fail to deploy in moderate-speed collisions, including t-bone crashes, sometimes with injuries.
  • Dashboard panels crack near the airbag cover, a pattern owners describe as recurring across multiple model years with this dash style.
  • Chrome door handles pull away from the door where they attach, requiring repeated replacement of the same handle.
  • Electrical system loses power to compressors, locks, windows, and seats while driving, triggering a suspension warning light.
  • Fuel trim runs lean, causing an intermittent rough idle that dealers were unable to resolve.
  • Stabilitrak and ABS-related warnings appear alongside speed fluctuations and sensations of stalling or reengaging.
2013 Chevrolet Avalanche complaints: complaints filed per quarter112014 Q22016 Q12017 Q22018 Q32019 Q42021 Q12022 Q32026 Q1
140 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q2 to 2026 Q1; peak 2020 Q3 (11).

2013 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  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 13V001000Jan 2, 2013Transmission & Powertrain54,686 vehicles

    Power train:automatic transmission

    General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.

    Risk: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.

2013 Chevrolet Avalanche fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
21 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
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.

2013 compared with other Avalanche years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002010201120122013
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Avoid100155517
2012Best052317
2013Caution67111317

All Chevrolet Avalanche years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2013 Avalanche a Complaint Index of 67 and a Caution verdict, ranking 2nd-worst among the 4 model years with data. It has fewer complaints than 2011 but more than 2012 and 2010.
What is the biggest problem with the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 28 of 111 complaints (25% share), including reports of airbags failing to deploy in crashes.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2013 Avalanche, two covering airbag inflator replacement and one covering steering column inspection and replacement. None are do-not-drive recalls.
Should I avoid the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Compared to other Avalanche years, 2013 ranks 2nd-worst with a Complaint Index of 67, behind 2011 (Avoid, index 100) but worse than 2012 (Best, index 0) and 2010 (Good, index 33).

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.