2013 Chevrolet Avalanche Airbags Problems
Airbags account for 28 complaints on the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche, 25% of its 111 total complaints. Owners report non-deployment during crashes and dashboard cracking near the airbag housing, with 3 crashes and 6 injuries logged. Two related recalls (21V054000 and 21V053000) cover front passenger airbag inflator replacement.
- Airbags complaints
- 28
- 25% of 111
- Crashes reported
- 3
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 6
- Median mileage
- 49,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Owners report the airbags failing to deploy during moderate to severe side-impact or t-bone collisions.
- Some owners describe the dashboard cracking near the passenger airbag cover, with cracks spreading toward the defroster or driver-side gauge cluster.
- Several report the cracks extending into the airbag housing itself, raising concern about shrapnel or improper deployment.
- One owner noted the dash loosely vibrating between the instrument panel and the passenger airbag housing at 83,000 miles.
- A few owners connected their non-deployment complaints to the Takata-related recall repair performed on their vehicle before the crash occurred.
When 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 10, 2014, latest Jan 8, 2026.
Airbags recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche
- 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.
- 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.
Airbags complaints by Avalanche model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche have?
- NHTSA lists 28 airbag complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche, which is 25% of its 111 total complaints for the year.
- Is there an airbag recall for the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche?
- Yes. Recall 21V053000, reported 2021-02-05, covers the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche and other GM models for replacement of the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge.
- Did the 2013 Avalanche's airbag problems cause injuries?
- NHTSA records 6 injuries and 3 crashes tied to airbag complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for airbag-related complaints on the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche is 49,000 miles.
- How does the 2013 Avalanche compare to other years for airbag complaints?
- The 2013 model year had 28 airbag complaints (25% share), lower than the 2010 model year's 57 complaints (49% share) and the 2011 model year's 66 complaints (43% share), but higher than the 2012 model year's 9 complaints (17% share).