Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
NHTSA data on file today
The 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 444 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #09E012000 FMVSS 108/AFTERMARKET COMBINATION LAMPS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #06E043000 AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS/FUEL LEAK NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #05V379000 UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #04V129000 GM/TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic 115 complaints
- Structure 67 complaints
- Service Brakes 54 complaints
- Parking Brake 37 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 35 complaints
- Tires 34 complaints
Of the 444 complaints on file, 38 report a crash; across all 444 complaints, owners report 31 injuries and 3 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$8,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche has an average reliability record due to 444 complaints and 4 recall campaigns. Issues with the brakes and body structure are most notable. With a significant portion of complaints linked to service brakes, potential owners should be aware of this concern. The recall campaigns also highlight problems such as tailgate support cable corrosion and ABS activation issues. While not severe or frequent enough to warrant a below-average rating, these issues merit consideration.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| service brakes | 60,000–90,000 miles | $300–$600 | common |
| body structure | 80,000–120,000 miles | $200–$500 | occasional |
| parking brake | 70,000–100,000 miles | $150–$300 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake fluid replacement
- Tire rotations and alignments
- Transmission fluid servicing
- Inspection of belts and hoses
- Cooling system flush
- Replace spark plugs
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Unresponsive braking
- Tailgate not aligning
- Check engine light on
- Poor fuel efficiency
- Squeaky suspension
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.