YearToAvoid

2013 Chevrolet Tahoe Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe has a complaint index of 35 and ranks 14th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict. It carries 232 complaints and 4 recalls, with Structure & Body and Airbags as the top problem areas.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
35/100
#14 of 21 Tahoe years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
232
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
4
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
6
Top issue
Structure & Body
Best nearby year
2014
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 21 hwy
Injuries / deaths
6 / 0

Top 2013 Chevy Tahoe problems

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

  1. Other122 (53%)
  2. Structure & Body56 (24%)
  3. Airbags51 (22%)
  4. Electrical System16 (7%)
  5. Engine16 (7%)
  6. Brakes11 (5%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain9 (4%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (3%)
  9. Steering5 (2%)
  10. Fuel System3 (1%)

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

What owners report

  • Vehicles in park with the engine running have rolled forward unexpectedly, in one case striking a building.
  • Front wheel suspension bearing assemblies have failed during turns, with the wheel bearing race separating.
  • Airbags have failed to deploy in a frontal-corner collision despite occupants sustaining whiplash.
  • Brakes have reportedly failed to provide adequate stopping power during a sudden stop at 30 mph, forcing evasive steering.
  • The 4wd control knob is hidden behind the steering wheel, making it hard to engage without taking eyes off the road.
  • Tires have failed at highway speed with low mileage, and doors have failed to drain water, risking electrical shorts and rust.
2013 Chevrolet Tahoe complaints: complaints filed per quarter202014 Q12015 Q32017 Q12018 Q32020 Q12021 Q32023 Q22025 Q2
232 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q3 (20).

2013 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls

4 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 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 Tahoe →

2013 Chevrolet Tahoe 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 Tahoe 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
2011Avoid75446517
2012Good45178317
2013Good35232417
2014Best590317
2015Avoid9065814 !18

All Chevrolet Tahoe years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Tahoe has a complaint index of 35, ranking 14th worst among 21 model years and earning a Good verdict relative to other Tahoe years.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Structure & Body issues account for 24% of complaints and Airbags account for 22%, followed by smaller shares tied to Electrical System and Engine complaints.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Tahoe, covering airbag inflators, an electronic chassis module, and a steering column inspection/replacement.
How does the 2013 Tahoe compare to other Tahoe years?
The 2013 model's complaint index of 35 is much lower than the worst years like 2007 (100) and 2021 (95), and it is close to the 2012 model's index of 45.

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.