2013 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Recalls & Reliability
170 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Other leads the reports, typically around 70,925 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2013 sits among all Suburban years
What owners report
“Dashboard cracking - started right by the passenger airbag on the dash. Concerned about impact on airbag deployment.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Suburban
“Dashboard is cracked where dash meets passenger airbag and also on driver's side.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Suburban
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 111 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 36,000 and 92,721 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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,…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Technical service bulletins
1,759 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2013 Suburban 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 2013 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
The 2013 Chevrolet Suburban drew 170 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (1994).
What are the most common 2013 Chevrolet Suburban problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban are other (52 complaints), airbags (28), and body & structure (24).
At what mileage do 2013 Chevrolet Suburban problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Chevrolet Suburban problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 36,000 and 92,721 miles.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. 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.