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FREE VEHICLE RESEARCH

The 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe has 4 NHTSA safety recalls on file, 232 owner complaints, and gets about 17 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.

FREE PUBLIC RECORD · U.S. GOVERNMENT DATA

2013 Chevrolet Tahoe

  • Engine 8-cyl 5.3L
  • Drive Rear-Wheel Drive
  • Fuel Gasoline or E85
  • Body Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

Should you worry?

Look closer

Something in the public record needs a closer look before you buy.

Caution

Are there open safety recalls?

4 open

Ask the seller for proof each was fixed. Repairs are free — and there’s also an open investigation.

Caution

What do owners report?

6 injuries reported

6 of 232 reports (~3%). On a high-volume model that alone isn’t unusual — look for patterns below.

Good

How did it score in crash tests?

4 out of 5 stars

5 is best. This model scored well in government crash tests.

Open recalls · nearby years

Same make and model. This car is the 2013.

  • 20115recalls
  • 20123recalls
  • 2013 · this car4recalls
  • 20143recalls

Based on free U.S. government safety data · checked August 21, 2026.

SAFETY

Will it protect people in a crash?

These are government crash-test scores. 5 stars is best. They rate this year and model, not your exact car.

Overall
4 / 5 stars
Frontal
5 / 5 stars
Side
5 / 5 stars
Side pole
5 / 5 stars
Rollover
3 / 5 stars

Factory safety & driver-assist equipment

Stability control
Standard
Government crash-test photo
Photo from a government crash test of this model

Tested as: 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV RWD · 2 versions tested

Open safety recalls

4 open

A recall means the manufacturer must fix a safety problem for free at a dealer. Ask the seller for proof the work was done.

  1. Steering

    02/01/2013

    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.

    How they fix it: 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.

  2. Electrical System

    01/10/2014

    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.

    How they fix it: 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). GM’s number for this recall is 14515.

  3. Air Bags

    05/02/2021

    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."

    How they fix it: 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.

  4. Air Bags

    05/02/2021

    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.

    How they fix it: 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.

The government also has an open investigation on this model. Look it up on nhtsa.gov before you buy.

From NHTSA (U.S. safety agency) · checked August 21, 2026.

OWNERS

What problems do owners report?

People file these with the government when something goes wrong. They show patterns, not a diagnosis of any one car for sale.

Owner reports · nearby years

Same make and model. This car is the 2013.

  • 2011456reports
  • 2012180reports
  • 2013 · this car232reports
  • 201493reports

232 owner reports on file

4 crash mentions 6 injury mentions

Parts mentioned most often. Longer bar = more reports. Counts are out of 232 total reports.

  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER 87 of 232

    My dashboard has cracked into pieces, material used for dashboard was no good.

  • AIR BAGS 49 of 232

    Dealer has advised that replacement of airbag will result in damage to interior parts and trim and that replacement parts are not available and that the dealer will not be responsible for replacement and repair of damage. I have refused

  • STRUCTURE 43 of 232

    My dashboard is completely cracked, and the driver side handle on the inside broke off

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 of 232

    Odometer Fraud. The contact intended to purchase a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, the odometer reading displayed 88,000 miles; however, the Carfax history report provided by O'Reilly Auto Parts

  • POWER TRAIN 8 of 232

    Transmission, vehicle stops functioning without notice on the road while driving acceleration stops. The problem was confirmed to be a transmission failure by chevrolet. The inspection was done by chevrolet to confirm the transmission has f

  • ENGINE 8 of 232

    The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that upon start of the vehicle, an abnormal ticking sound was coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contac

Bars are sized relative to the most-mentioned part on this list, not to 100% of all cars.

From NHTSA owner complaints · checked August 21, 2026. Anyone can file a report; they are not verified repairs.

FUEL COST

What does it cost to drive?

EPA estimates for this year and model. Your real cost depends on gas prices, how you drive, and how far you go.

Sold in 4 versions

They range from 17 to 21 mpg combined. Figures below are the base version. Pick yours to see its own numbers.

Combined MPG · nearby years

Same make and model. This car is the 2013.

  • 201117mpg
  • 201217mpg
  • 2013 · this car17mpg
  • 201417mpg

$3,600

estimated fuel cost per year if you drive about 15,000 miles

Miles per gallon. Higher is cheaper to drive.

City driving 15 mpg
Highway driving 21 mpg
Combined (typical mix) 17 mpg

Over 5 years, compared to an average new car

This model is estimated to cost about $7,000 more on fuel.

Spends more Saves more

From EPA fueleconomy.gov · checked August 21, 2026.

HOW IT WAS BUILT

Factory details

What’s on the build record for this VIN or model.

Engine

8-cyl 5.3L

Drivetrain

Rear-Wheel Drive

Transmission

Automatic 6-spd

Fuel

Gasoline or E85

See all factory details (7)
Engine
8-cyl 5.3L
Cylinders
8
Displacement
5.3 L
Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Transmission
Automatic 6-spd
Body
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Fuel
Gasoline or E85

From EPA and NHTSA vehicle records · checked August 21, 2026.

What this free check does not include

We only show free U.S. government data: safety recalls, owner reports, crash tests, and fuel economy. We do not show prior accidents, flood or salvage titles, odometer rollback, insurance history, or a “should you buy” verdict on a specific listing. For that kind of check on one car for sale, use the VINly app.

BEFORE YOU BUY

What to check on this car

Confirm the recalls were fixed

This model has 4 open NHTSA recalls (including the steering). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.

Have a mechanic check the unknown or other

Owners report problems with the unknown or other more than anything else on this model. Call it out specifically during a pre-purchase inspection.

Watch for a pending investigation

NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.

  • Test-drive the basics

    Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.

  • Check the title and the VIN

    Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.

  • Ask the seller the right questions

    Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.

See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.

FOR SALE NEAR YOU

2013 Chevrolet Tahoe listings

    Quick answers

    What is recalled on the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe? +

    NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe, including the steering. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.

    What gas mileage does the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe get? +

    The EPA rates the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe at 17 mpg combined (15 city / 21 highway), about $3,600 a year in fuel.

    How safe is the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe? +

    NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe 4 out of 5 stars overall, with 3 stars for rollover resistance.

    What do owners complain about on the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe? +

    Owners have filed 232 complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe, including 4 involving a crash. The most-reported area is unknown or other.

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