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2013 Chevrolet Tahoe: common problems and reliability
· GMT900One of the better Tahoe years.
233 owner complaints, most about structure. 5 recalls.
Should I buy a 2013 Tahoe?The 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe has 233 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 5 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are structure and air bags. Owners most often flag afm/dod lifter failure leading to engine damage.
Safety record for the 2013 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles (US, public record).
The Year Score compares this year with other Tahoe years only. How we score it
Is 2013 a good year for the Tahoe?
Across the 31 Tahoe model years we track, complaint volume runs from 55 (2020) to 1,177 (2007). With 233 complaints, the 2013 Tahoe sits below the model's median of 302.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2013 Tahoe
steering:column locking:anti-theft device
Campaign 13V001000General 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.
electrical system
Campaign 14V614000General 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.
air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Campaign 21V053000General 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."
air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Campaign 21V054000General 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.
Show 1 more recall
engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan
Campaign 16V868000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit vehicles manufactured August 24, 2009, to December 1, 2013. The affected vehicles, equipped with special equipment options for police or government service, may experience corrosion of the under-hood cooling fan assembly due to fluid intrusion, which may result in an electrical short circuit.
What owners report on the GMT900 Tahoe
Owners of the 2007-2014 GMT900 Tahoe generally regard it as a durable, comfortable, and cheap-to-maintain full-size SUV, with many reporting high-mileage examples still running well.
- Very frequentAFM/DOD lifter failure leading to engine damage
- Very frequentTransmission failure or need for rebuild (4L60E and 6L80)
- RecurrentRust, particularly in the rust belt
- RecurrentTorque converter shudder or failure
- IsolatedWater leaks into the passenger floorboard (windshield or roof rack)
Owner insights for the GMT900 Tahoe. Read the full GMT900 owner report.
Typical used price
Used Tahoe listings typically run $17,995–$37,289.
Other Tahoe model years
Compare every Tahoe year side by side to see how 2013 ranks against the rest.
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