YearToAvoid

2013 Chevrolet Suburban Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Best The 2013 Chevrolet Suburban ranks 18th worst out of 21 model years, with a complaint index of 15 and a Best verdict. It has 118 complaints, 4 recalls, 2 crashes, and 2 injuries, with airbags as the top problem area.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
15/100
#18 of 21 Suburban years
Verdict
Best
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
118
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
2
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2014
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
14.5
12.5 city / 18.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Top 2013 Chevy Suburban problems

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

  1. Other46 (39%)
  2. Airbags28 (24%)
  3. Structure & Body25 (21%)
  4. Engine19 (16%)
  5. Electrical System15 (13%)
  6. Brakes12 (10%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain6 (5%)
  8. Fuel System5 (4%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers3 (3%)
  10. Steering2 (2%)

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

What owners report

  • Owners report the front passenger airbag failing to deploy in a rear-end collision, resulting in neck, back, head, and mouth injuries.
  • Some describe electrical and transmission clunking that persisted for years without resolution from dealers.
  • Others report the driver's side mirror could not tilt high enough to give a clear view of the blind zone.
  • One owner reported the vehicle stalling after driving over a bump, traced to a fuel pump fuse that needed replacement and later failed again.
  • A new owner found the fuel tank sagging 8 to 10 inches lower at the front than the back shortly after taking delivery, with the securing strap nearly detached.
  • One owner described a jerking, back-and-forth motion when braking or on hills, tied to the engine switching between V4 and V8 mode.
2013 Chevrolet Suburban complaints: complaints filed per quarter72012 Q42014 Q42016 Q22017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42023 Q12024 Q3
118 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q4 to 2026 Q1; peak 2017 Q2 (7).

2013 Chevrolet Suburban recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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). GM’s number for this recall is 14515.

See all 4 recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban →

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

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Caution70235514.5
2012Best20101414.5
2013Best15118414.5
2014Best559317
2015Avoid10042811 !18

All Chevrolet Suburban years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2013 Suburban carries a complaint index of 15, ranking 18th worst out of 21 model years, and earns a Best verdict relative to other Suburban years.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA data shows airbags account for 24% of complaints (28 total), followed by structure and body issues at 21% (25 complaints) and engine problems at 16% (19 complaints).
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Suburban, covering airbags (front passenger inflator replacement), an electrical chassis module, and a steering column inspection/replacement.
Were there any injuries reported for the 2013 Suburban?
NHTSA data shows 2 injuries and 2 crashes tied to complaints for the 2013 Suburban, with no fires or deaths reported.
How does the 2013 Suburban compare to other years like 2015 or 2007?
The 2013 Suburban's complaint index of 15 is far lower than the 2015 model's index of 100 or the 2007 model's index of 95, both rated Avoid, making 2013 one of the stronger years for this model.

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.