2002 Chevrolet Avalanche Problems, Recalls & Reliability
747 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 8 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 80,363 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2006, 2009–2013.
Avoid
Where 2002 sits among all Avalanche years
What owners report
“Brake pedal goes to the floor when applying brakes to come to a stop. This has happened five (5) times. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Avalanche
“Both of my tailgate cables snapped while unloading an atv. Luckily i was not injured when the atv, ramps, and the tailgate all fell when both cables snapped at the same time. 2002 chevy avalanche 2500 4x4”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Avalanche
“While driving at 65 mph the engine cut out. Could be the crankshaft position sensor. The truck is a 2500 with an 8.1l engine. Similar issues that the 2001 was recalled for. Same engine and cps as the 2001 but not included in the original recall. This has happened several times at various speeds.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Avalanche
“The incident on may 11, 2002. The driver side rear tire blew out while traveling on the freeway going 65 mph. The vehicle only had 8827 miles and had original wheels and tires. The incident on november 10, 2002: the left front wheel, including the disc brake mechanism, separated and bearing parts,…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Avalanche
“The vehicles headlights are starting to accumulate moisture. Consumer states"once moisture is trap inside, the lights are less noticeable to other drivers and obstructs drivers visibility." cause is unknown. Please provide any further information. Ph”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Avalanche
“Avalanche 4wd selectors started flashing and would not shift out of 4l. Stopped and turned off vehicle. Restarted and service 4wd light lit. Had no forward or reverse gears. Had to have it towed. Dealer said the encoder motor failed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Avalanche
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 540 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 66,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,067 and 104,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE UNWANTED ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) ACTIVATION. THIS CONDITION IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN ENVIRONMENTALLY CORROSIVE AREAS. THIS RECALL WILL BE LAUNCHED IN THE "SALT BELT" STATES OF…
Fix: DEALERS ARE TO REMOVE THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THOROUGHLY CLEAN THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR MOUNTING SURFACE ON THE BEARING, APPLY RUST INHIBITOR TO THE CLEANED SURFACE, GREASE THE MOUNTING SURFACE,…
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE GALVANIZED STEEL TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES THAT RETAIN THE TAILGATE IN THE FULL OPEN (HORIZONTAL) POSITION MAY CORRODE, WEAKEN, AND EVENTUALLY FRACTURE. IF BOTH CABLES FRACTURED, THE TAILGATE WOULD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CABLES. INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 7, 20004. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2004, WHEN REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE AVAILABLE, AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH OCTOBER…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V379000.
Led to recall campaign 05V005000.
Led to recall campaign 04E067000.
Technical service bulletins
606 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Avalanche TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche reliable?
The 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche drew 747 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche are brakes & stability (317 complaints), body & structure (78), and engine (47).
At what mileage do 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche problems around 66,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,067 and 104,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.