2013 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
33/100
#11 most-complained of 16 Suburban years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2013 Chevrolet Suburban has a Complaint Index of 33 and ranks 11th out of 16 model years, earning a "Good" verdict. NHTSA logged 118 complaints and 4 recalls, with airbags as the top problem area (28 complaints).
- Complaints
- 118
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 2 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 14.5
- 12.5 city / 18.5 hwy
Top 2013 Chevy Suburban problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Other46 (39%)
- Airbags28 (24%)
- Structure & Body25 (21%)
- Engine19 (16%)
- Electrical System15 (13%)
- Brakes12 (10%)
- Transmission & Powertrain6 (5%)
- Fuel System5 (4%)
- Visibility & Wipers3 (3%)
- Steering2 (2%)
What owners report
- Owners report electrical faults paired with a transmission clunking sensation that dealers were reportedly unable to resolve.
- Some drivers say the airbags failed to deploy during a rear-end collision, resulting in injury.
- The driver's side exterior mirror was reported to be physically restricted from pivoting high enough to clear the blind spot.
- Owners describe the fuel tank sitting unevenly after delivery, with the mounting strap nearly detaching and causing a grinding noise.
- Some owners report the vehicle jerking forward and back when braking or on inclines, tied to the engine switching between 4-cylinder and 8-cylinder modes.
- A few owners say the brakes activated on their own during a turn while the airbag warning light and horn also failed.
2013 Chevrolet Suburban recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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 14V614000Oct 1, 2014Electrical System106,307 vehicles
Electrical system
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
Risk: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GMÂs number for this recall is 14515.
2013 Chevrolet Suburban fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 12.5 MPG
- Highway
- 18.5 MPG
- Combined
- 14.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $4,600
- 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 Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 model has a Complaint Index of 33 and ranks 11th of 16 Suburban model years, which earns it a "Good" verdict relative to other years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 28 complaints, or 24% of all complaints, with a median failure mileage of 57,900 miles.
- Does the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Suburban, covering airbags, the electrical system (chassis electronic module), and the transmission/powertrain (steering column inspection).
- How does the 2013 Suburban compare to other years?
- The 2013 Suburban's Complaint Index of 33 is much lower than the worst years, such as 2015 (100) and 2021 (87), both rated "Avoid," making 2013 a comparatively safer choice.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban?
- EPA rates the 2013 Suburban at 14.5 mpg combined (12.5 city / 18.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,600.