2013 Chevrolet Avalanche

Trims, performance, features, fuel economy, safety and known problems — with the pros and cons against similar 2013 models.

Class
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Body styles
1500 P/U Crewcab S/Box 2WD, 1500 P/U Crewcab S/Box 4WD
Engines
5.3L 8-cyl
Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive
Fuel
FFV
MPG (best)
17 combined · 15 city / 21 hwy
Length
218.1 in
Curb weight
5,437–5,679 lb
NHTSA rating
Not rated
Recalls
3 campaigns

Pros & cons

What's good

  • AWD / 4WD available

Watch out for

No weak spots against similar models in the data.

Calculated from EPA, NHTSA and vPIC data against 3 similar 2013 models — not a review. How we calculate this →

Overview

The 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche is a standard SUV offered with a 5.3L 8-cyl engine and rear-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive.

It measures about 218 inches long and 79 inches wide on a 130-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 5,437 lb (1500 P/U Crewcab S/Box 2WD).

EPA rates its most efficient version at 17 MPG combined (15 city / 21 highway), 3% worse than the 2013 standard SUV average of 17.6 MPG, for an estimated $3,950 a year in fuel.

NHTSA has not published a 5-Star overall rating for this model year.

It has 3 recall campaigns on file and owners have filed 108 complaints with NHTSA since 2015, most often about the unknown or other.

What changed for 2013

No changes to engines, powertrains, drivetrains, size, EPA ratings or NHTSA crash rating compared with the 2012 Avalanche — a carry-over year in the data.

Compared with 2012; trim, feature and price changes aren't covered. See the 2012 Avalanche →

Dimensions & weight

BodyLengthWidthHeightWheelbaseTrack F / RCurb weightWeight F/R
1500 P/U Crewcab S/Box 2WD218.1 in79.1 in73.2 in130.3 in68.5 / 67.7 in5,437 lb52/48
1500 P/U Crewcab S/Box 4WD218.1 in79.1 in74.4 in130.3 in68.5 / 67.7 in5,679 lb52/48

Transport Canada CVS (Open Government Licence – Canada), Canadian-market figures.

Will it fit your garage? Check with your measurements →

Engines, MPG & running costs

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCity / Hwy / Combvs. classFuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Avalanche 1500 2WD FFV5.3L 8-cylAutomatic 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive15 / 21 / 17-3%$3,950520
Avalanche 1500 4WD FFV5.3L 8-cylAutomatic 6-spd4-Wheel Drive15 / 21 / 17-1%$3,950520
4/10EPA fuel economy score (best version)
4/10EPA greenhouse gas score
Spend $7,750Fuel over 5 years vs. average new car
17.6 MPG2013 Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD average

EPA estimates; "vs. class" is combined MPG against the 2013 EPA class average. How we calculate this →

Safety ratings & technology

NHTSA has not published 5-Star ratings for the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche.

Similar 2013 standard SUVs

ModelBest MPG / rangeNHTSA overallRecalls
2013 Chevrolet Avalanche (this car)17 MPGNot rated3
2013 Toyota Land Cruiser15 MPGNot rated2
2013 Chevrolet Suburban17 MPGNot rated4
2013 GMC Yukon21 MPGNot rated4

Recalls (3)

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module · Feb 5, 2021

NHTSA campaign 21V053000 · 692,526 vehicles

Problem
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."
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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 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.
Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module · Feb 5, 2021

NHTSA campaign 21V054000 · 1,778,128 vehicles

Problem
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.
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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 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.
Power Train › Automatic Transmission · Jan 2, 2013

NHTSA campaign 13V001000 · 54,686 vehicles

Problem
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.
Risk
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.
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 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.
Check your VIN for open recalls at NHTSA ↗

Not every 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche is affected — only a VIN check confirms your car.

Owner-reported problems

108Complaints to NHTSA since 2015
3Involved a crash
0Involved a fire
6Injuries reported
54,000 miTypical mileage at failure
Unknown Or Other54
Air Bags27
Structure › Body20
Electrical System5
Exterior Lighting5
Engine5
Structure4
Service Brakes2
Complaints received per month (last 24 months with reports)
20/03: 220/06: 320/07: 220/08: 120/09: 420/10: 120/12: 321/01: 221/02: 121/04: 421/05: 121/06: 121/07: 221/10: 121/12: 122/06: 322/08: 122/09: 123/07: 123/08: 123/10: 124/04: 125/11: 126/01: 120/0320/0820/1221/0421/0722/0623/0724/04max 4

Unverified owner reports; best-sellers collect more.

Used 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche buyer's checklist

  1. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 3 recalls this year — ask for proof of repairs.
  2. Air Bags — 27 owner reports. Confirm the airbag warning light turns off after start-up and any airbag recall was completed.
  3. Structure › Body — 20 owner reports. Open and close every door, the hood and tailgate; look for rust or misaligned panels.
  4. Electrical System — 5 owner reports. Test every window, lock, light, screen and USB port; check the battery age.
  5. Mileage to watch. Owners typically reported problems around 54,000 miles; ask what was repaired near that point.
  6. Before you pay: service records, a history report and an independent inspection.

Generated by DecodedCars from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche. Not a substitute for a professional inspection.

Other Avalanche years

Compare all years →
YearMPG (best)LengthOverallRecallsComplaints
2012 Avalanche17218.1 inNot rated345
2011 Avalanche17218.1 inNot rated5138
2010 Avalanche17218.1 inNot rated3108
2009 Avalanche16218.1 inNot rated483
2008 Avalanche16218.1 inNot rated3237
2007 Avalanche16218.1 inNot rated3368
2006 Avalanche14221.7 inNot rated027
2005 Avalanche15221.7 inNot rated035

Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Transport Canada, Wikimedia Commons. Not affiliated with NHTSA, the EPA or Chevrolet. How we calculate this →