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2013 Chevrolet Suburban problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
23%
20 of 88 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 23% of relevant complaints.

Better than 83% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 30 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 17%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 20 of 88 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (23%). For comparison, the 2012 scores 22% and the 2014 scores 20%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
20
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
118
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
2 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER45 · 38%
AIR BAGS28 · 24%
STRUCTURE23 · 19%
ENGINE16 · 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM14 · 12%
SERVICE BRAKES8 · 7%

The years either side

2010
13%
12 of 175
2011
19%
25 of 235
2012
22%
17 of 101
2013
23%
20 of 118
2014
20%
8 of 59
2015
27%
108 of 429
2016
34%
71 of 220
2017
44%
58 of 141
2018
47%
34 of 81
2019
78%
57 of 78
2020
64%
27 of 44
2021
77%
141 of 199
2022
77%
91 of 124
2023
73%
98 of 142

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE11/06/2024
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 …

One of 20 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

4 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21V053000 · Feb 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,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21V054000 · Feb 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…
electrical system14V614000 · Oct 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,…
steering: column locking: anti-theft device13V001000 · Jan 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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2013 Chevrolet Suburban? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban

Does the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 20 of 88 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (23%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban?

No. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Chevrolet Suburban years are better?

Among the Chevrolet Suburban years we track, the 2010 (13%), the 2011 (19%) and the 2014 (20%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2013 (23%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2013 Chevrolet Suburban shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.