IllustrationTHE DASHBOARD IS CRACKED WHICH IS EXPOSING THE AIRBAG
2013 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avalanche 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
50–25K
825–50K
950–75K
375–100K
1100–150K
0150K+
26 reports with mileage · 3 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
29 reportsMY DEALER WORKED ON MY AC COMPONENTS IN 2015 (NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE) TO REPLACE THE AC CONTROLLER COMPONENTS, SHORTLY AFTER THE REPAIR MY DASH CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY ABOUT TO CRANK THE VEHICLE. ON THE DRIVER SIDE OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS IT HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN SIZE AND NOW IS CRACKED COMPLETELY CAUSING T…
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MY DEALER WORKED ON MY AC COMPONENTS IN 2015 (NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE) TO REPLACE THE AC CONTROLLER COMPONENTS, SHORTLY AFTER THE REPAIR MY DASH CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY ABOUT TO CRANK THE VEHICLE. ON THE DRIVER SIDE OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS IT HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN SIZE AND NOW IS CRACKED COMPLETELY CAUSING THE DASH TO BE TWO SEPARATE PIECES. SAFETY ISSUES AND CONCERNS ARE IF A CRASH OCCURS WILL THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE BE SAFE OF SHARP FLYING DEBRIS WITHIN THE CAB. MY CONCERN IS NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF BUT MY PASSENGERS. I HAVE INQUIRED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT REPLACING THE PART BUT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AT THE TIME IT INITIALLY CRACKED. MILEAGE OF INITIAL CRACK WAS APPROX 75,000.
DASH BOARD CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES
THE ADHESIVE SECURING THE 4 PIECES OF DOOR TRIM IS BREAKING DOWN AND THE TRIM PIECES WILL EVENTUALLY FALL OFF ON THEIR OWN, A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO OTHER MOTORISTS DEPENDING ON WHEN AND WHERE IT HAPPENS. THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A NO MAINTENANCE ITEM. REPORTED TO CHEVROLET, CASE # 8-4199057982, AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERN…
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THE ADHESIVE SECURING THE 4 PIECES OF DOOR TRIM IS BREAKING DOWN AND THE TRIM PIECES WILL EVENTUALLY FALL OFF ON THEIR OWN, A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO OTHER MOTORISTS DEPENDING ON WHEN AND WHERE IT HAPPENS. THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A NO MAINTENANCE ITEM. REPORTED TO CHEVROLET, CASE # 8-4199057982, AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED THAT THIS "LIFE OF THE VEHICLE" INSTALLATION IS DEFECTIVE AS THE 3 YEAR BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. AS A PRINCIPLE ENGINEER IN BOEING'S RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DIVISION (WE TEST STUFF TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE), MY INFORMED OPINION IS THE DEFECT IS CAUSED BY POOR SURFACE PREPARATION PRIOR TO BONDING, ADHESIVE MATERIAL USED PAST IT'S WORKING LIFE, ADHESIVE MATERIAL PAST ITS SHELF LIFE, OR USE OF AN ADHESIVE MATERIAL WHICH IS NOT DESIGNED FOR THE INTENDED ENVIRONMENT. AS THIS SAME TRIM IS INSTALLED ON NUMEROUS CHEVY, GMC AND CADILLAC TRUCKS AND SUV MODELS ANY CAUSE OTHER THAN THE FIRST TWO I LISTED WOULD INDICATE A PROBLEM WITH NUMEROUS VEHICLES.
AT +/-83000 MILES THE DASH DEVELOPED A CRACK LEADING INTO THE PASSENGER AIR BAG HOUSING. IT ALSO IS BROKEN AND, WHEN DRIVING, LOOSELY VIBRATING BETWEEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG HOUSING. GIVEN THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH AIR BAGS, THIS IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO ANYONE IN THE VEHICLE.
DASHBOARD CRACKING NEAR AIRBAG. SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE THE MORE I DRIVE.
SERIOUS LARGE CRACKS APPEARING IN PLASTIC DASHBOARD, AROUND AIRBAG AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ABOVE STEERING COLUMN.
THIRD BRAKE LIGHT NOT SEALED ALLOWING THE LIGHT TO GET IN MOISTURE AND RESULT IN FAILURE OF LIGHT TO FUNCTION AS REQUIRED BY LAW. MANUFACTURING DEFECT ALLOWS THIS LIGHT TO FAIL AT ANY TIME WHICH COULD RESULT IN VEHICLE BEING HIT FROM BEHIND.
. WANT MY AIRBAGS TO WORK IF I NEED THEM. RECOVERED A LETTER IN MAIL TODAY 10/31/2017
CRACKED DASHBOARD. ABOVE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND ON RIGHT SIDE BY AIRBAG. VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN HARD OR IN 4X4 MODE. ONLY ABOUT 7500 MILES A YEAR. TREATED VERY WELL.
Official recalls
113V001000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission; Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
Jan 2, 2013
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
Consequence: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.
Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
Consequence: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.