NHTSA vehicle safety data

2013 Chevrolet Suburban Recalls & Complaints

The 2013 Chevrolet Suburban has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 118 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Chevrolet dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2013 Chevrolet Suburban owner complaints

Owners have filed 118 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban, describing incidents dated November 27, 2012 to January 21, 2026.

Most-cited components

Unknown or Other 46 complaints
Air Bags 28 complaints
Structure 23 complaints
Engine 16 complaints
Electrical System 14 complaints
Service Brakes 8 complaints

Of the 118 complaints on file, 2 report a crash; across all 118 complaints, owners report 2 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11721627 · Filed March 3, 2026
The dashboard in 2007-2014 gm trucks and subs break apart. These can shatter when in an accident. There is insufficient bracing and supports to keep the dashboards from cracking and coming apart in pieces. Only remedy is to replace the dashboard or get an aftermarket cap that may or may not hold…
ODI #11712550 · Filed January 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V053000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of…
ODI #11708477 · Filed January 3, 2026
On the driver side adjacent to the fuel tank, improper drainage for the body frame caused severe rust. Over time the frame of the vehicle becomes a safety hazard and may cause the frame to crack or split resulting in loss of control to the rear of the vehicle.

Read all 118 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Engineering Analysis EA21-002: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Open since September 17, 2021

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA #21V053000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported February 5, 2021 · General Motors, LLC

Potentially affected: 692,526 vehicles

Repair completion: 56.96% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign N212328790 · Owners notified May 11, 2021 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

Defect description

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."

Safety consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA #21V054000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported February 5, 2021 · General Motors, LLC

Potentially affected: 1,778,128 vehicles

Repair completion: 63.26% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign N212328800 · Owners notified May 11, 2021 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Contamination of the Chassis Electronic Module

NHTSA #14V614000 · Electrical System · NHTSA notice

Reported October 1, 2014 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 106,307 vehicles

Repair completion: 84.77% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 14515 · Owners notified December 26, 2014 · Vehicles built June 25, 2013 – June 29, 2013 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer 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). GMs number for this recall is 14515.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Shifting out of Park/FMVSS 102/FMVSS 114

NHTSA #13V001000 · Steering — Column Locking — Anti-Theft Device · NHTSA notice

Reported January 2, 2013 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 54,686 vehicles

Manufacturer campaign 12331 · Owners notified January 17, 2013 · Vehicles built November 27, 2012 – December 18, 2012 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

General Motors' number for this recall is 12331.Customers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

118 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11721627

Incident: January 1, 2026 · Filed: March 3, 2026

The dashboard in 2007-2014 gm trucks and subs break apart. These can shatter when in an accident. There is insufficient bracing and supports to keep the dashboards from cracking and coming apart in pieces. Only remedy is to replace the dashboard or get an aftermarket cap that may or may not hold during an accident. Especially when the airbags is deployed.

Air Bags

ODI #11712550

Incident: January 21, 2026 · Filed: January 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V053000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Structure

ODI #11708477

Incident: November 28, 2025 · Filed: January 3, 2026

On the driver side adjacent to the fuel tank, improper drainage for the body frame caused severe rust. Over time the frame of the vehicle becomes a safety hazard and may cause the frame to crack or split resulting in loss of control to the rear of the vehicle.

Power Train; Vehicle Speed Control; Engine

ODI #11623850

Incident: September 28, 2018 · Filed: November 6, 2024

Bought 2013 suburban brand new and in 2018, on a trip to the mountains for fall break, the car quit with no warning signs, in the middle of the night. The car would not accelerate when gas pedal was pressed and RPM gauge needle “fluctuated erratically” until car came to a complete stop in the middle of the highway! It was a scary and dangerous situation because it was late at night and we were in the mountains with no phone signal. Cars were coming and going both ways on Highway. Eventually people stopped to help us get suburban towed to local Chevrolet dealership and we had to rent a vehicle to get us to where we were initially going to start our fall break. The dealership called a day later to tell us that there were “lose metal pieces” in the transmission, which meant the transmission had to be replaced. We spent $5000 on that new transmission! It was the only way for us to come back home. The car was out of warranty therefore, the manufacturer did not offer any help! This was a very expensive, frustrating, and dangerous fall break in 2018. Please help! We deserve reimbursement because 7 years later, we bought another 2020 Suburban, also brand new and the same thing happened to transmission, last week! We spent $6000 to replace that transmission!

Unknown or Other

ODI #11617338

Incident: September 25, 2024 · Filed: September 30, 2024

My Suburban's dashboard has a crack that extends now to the edge of the airbag compartment door, with a piece now missing and what appears to be something like an airbag visible. I am concerned the airbag will not deploy correctly if / when it is needed. I have called a certified Chevrolet dealer/ repair garage who said this is not an issue listed under Chevrolet's recall, although I have seen numerous other customers express similar concerns and issues as mine. Thank you.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11585191

Incident: April 22, 2024 · Filed: April 25, 2024

The vehicle has exterior side mirrors that fold in. Once folded in the driverside mirror can be powered back out, but the passager side does not. this makes it unsafe to change lanes and identify a vehicle in your blind spot. This malfunction has happen several times on this vehicle. Prior to this vehicle had another 2013 suburban that the same malfunction occurred on. What are the odds of the same malfunction occurring on two seperate vehicles. The vehicle is currently at a mechanic shop that I have asked to check this out. Without this mirror it is unsafe to drive on a multi-lane freeway where changing lanes is necessary.

Structure

ODI #11569941

Incident: January 22, 2024 · Filed: February 5, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the dashboard had many fractures nearby the air bag enclosure. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 294,000.

Structure

ODI #11548174

Incident: June 1, 2021 · Filed: October 4, 2023

Starting approximately 24 months ago the dash on my Suburban started cracking. Now it has cracked in several locations on both the driver's and passenger side of the dash. The cracks on the passenger side go up to the air bag location. Cracks on the driver's side are numerous and getting worse. The driver's side cracks are such that the pieces would come apart in an accident, even if the air bag was not deployed.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11541877

Incident: July 7, 2022 · Filed: August 31, 2023

On July 8th I went into Sheehy Honda to look at a Suburban that Miss [XXX] said she had on sale. When I arrive Ms [XXX] showed me the vehicle, after looking over the vehicle it was something hanging from the back part of the vehicle they looked at it they got the manager out there he said he was going to take care of it doing, that time I went back into the building and try to see would I be able to purchase this vehicle and as the agreement started they say that I will have to put 4200 down after that the two guys went in the back I was still in the front with Miss [XXX] at her desk and the two gentlemen's came back and ask me do I have $500 more and I can get the vehicle and I told them if I was to give them 4,700 I want them to subtract it from asking price then Finance the balance from, $17,999 and I'll be financing only balance from that $17,999, because they told me the VIP was free for free oil change rotations and looking over your car and also I had warranty on the motor transmission and I want to say drive shaft but come to find out all these are add ones that they told me that was free. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Unknown or Other

ODI #11539075

Incident: August 17, 2023 · Filed: August 17, 2023

The Dash has cracked in several spots and makes loud vibrating noises and I’m worried with one crack being near air bag that air bag will not work correctly or dash will have projectile pieces that may impel into a person if the airbag deploys

Other Chevrolet Suburban model years

Check your 2013 Chevrolet Suburban VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Chevrolet Suburban at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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