YearToAvoid

2013 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint 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.

  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%)

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 complaints: complaints filed per quarter92012 Q42014 Q42016 Q22017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42023 Q12024 Q3
164 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q4 to 2026 Q1; peak 2017 Q2 (9).

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)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Caution73235514.5
2012Best13101414.5
2013Good33118414.5
2014Best059317
2015Avoid10042811 !18

All Chevrolet Suburban years: best and worst →

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.

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.