Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 4 | 5% | 110,000 miles |
| 2012 | 3 | 8% | 29,000 miles |
| 2011 | 9 | 7% | 71,000 miles |
| 2010 | 6 | 5% | 83,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 3% | 47,000 miles |
| 2008 | 19 | 7% | 100,000 miles |
| 2007 | 27 | 7% | 120,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 9% | 75,000 miles |
| 2005 | 8 | 11% | 58,000 miles |
| 2004 | 7 | 4% | 8,000 miles |
| 2003 | 8 | 4% | 59,000 miles |
| 2002 | 38 | 9% | 40,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I am an owner of a 2013 Chevy Avalanche and must say that i enjoy driving this vehicle. The problem that i have is the vehicle has been going into Engine Power Reduced Mode. This mode makes the vehicle hard to accelerate to highway speeds. The vehicle will have a code of P2128 or P2138 which is an accelator pedel ciruit problem. I changed the acceleator pedal and did not solve the problem. I changed out the Throttle Body Sensor and still the problem remains. On the dashboard it will show Check Engine Light on, Service Stablinktrac light on, and Service Traction Control Light on. I have seen other vehicle owners experience the same problems with their vehicles and told that there was no recall and have to pay for the repairs out of pocket. These are very well made vehicles but when they going into Engine Power Reduced Mode, drive ability is diminished.
Repeated instances of engine misfire/loss of power due to known issue with 5.3L Engines. Chevy/GM have repeatedly not fixed root cause/issues leading to "Stabilitrac/Traction control" error messages during engine misfire while driving in traffic. On 3 of these occasions loss power in roads/intersections with oncoming traffic. Two of these occasions,almost caused collisions. Currently truck at dealership since 4/11/22, with Warranty company (extended warranty) and Chevy dealership discussing mechanical issues with Rings, Pistons, Lifters versus "Carbon build up". Engine very low mileage per year. Total milage under 72k. Carbon is in all engines, failure root cause according to research and service department not related to carbon. In conversation with Service Manager, in past Chevy service departments followed guidelines of "Stick a plug and wire on it, and send it out". …
The vehicle is displaying error messages Reduced Engine Power, Service Stabilitrak, Service Traction Control. It also has the related service indicator lights for the Stabilitrak, the Traction Control, and the Check Engine Light is on. There is a service bulletin for this issue that only addresses the 2008-2011 model years, my vehicle is a 2012 and thus not included in the current bulletin and should be added to the covered vehicle list. #11-06-04-007B : Diagnosis and Repair - Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated, Reduced Power Message Displayed, DTC P2135 Set - (April 16, 2012)
My 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche 5.3l engine has started a oil consumption loss. There was a service bulletin issued oct. 30th 2013 to correct this problem. It does not fix the problem! What I've read is that where the cylinders deactivate to help fuel economy after time those pistons get damaged from not having fuel or fire on them and itdamages pistons and causes oil consumption. In the past few days I have found out that there are 5 people I know with the same issue. Looking on line there appears to be class action law suits all across the country on this issue. GM/Chevrolet know they have a problem but refuse to take care of this problem. There is no recall on this and I'm sure never will be because it happens when the engines reach higher mileage. I have all my maintenance records on my truck and had no intention of trading it, but now the motor will have to be rebuilt or replace.
Traveling at 65mph in -25 degrees f, our check engine light and stabilink traction control lights came on. Dash display said vehicle would lose power and our engine shut-down. We pulled over on a snowy highway and read blogs and found our throttle body sensor would crack and fail at extreme cold temp. We started vehicle and it reset, but same problem happened within 5 miles. I found a auto-zone in princeton, minnesota and bought part and replaced myself. As it was new years eve no GM assistance was available. GM tells us there was a service bulletin but they failed to notify us. Also told us a dealer would fix the problem for free, but failed to tell us how to get to a dealer with the engine shut down. I researched and found this problem common at cold temperatures. GM was dangerously irresponsible by not notifying us. They put us in a bad situation in extremely cold temps. …
Purchased a used 2011 Chevy Avalanche with 87,000 miles one owner from a small dealership. After having the vehicle for about a week noticed it shuddering when pulling any kind of grade. Thinking it was some kind of misfire had all the plugs changed only to find that it also had an oil file problem with 1 of the cylinders. When the vehicle would shudder it was around 1500-2000 rpms. If I would give it more gas it made it past the 2,000 rpms and would shift with no problems. Needless to say the transmission is now toast as it gave out completely and needs replaced. No warning lights of any kind made me aware of a potentially serious problem. After reading more I am seeing that the transmission is something that GM has not fully taken care of as stated with older models. The transmission failed while driving on a major interstate roadway while nearing the top of a hill. …
Immediately upon starting my truck, while in park, the dashboard indicated the vehicle was in reduced engine power mode and the check engine light came on and the stabilitrak was disabled. The truck would not accelerate properly and would only drive approximately 25 MPH. This is the 5th time this has occurred on this vehicle. The dealership informed me that it is the accelerator pedal positioning sensor, which is the same issue it has had each of the previous 4 times time. It happened 7 times on my 2007 tahoe and each time it was the accelerator pedal positioning sensor (which is the reason we sold it). We are thankful that this time it occurred with the vehicle in park, this has happened in this truck on the highway and that was very dangerous!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche. While driving approximately 50 MPH with the windshield wipers activated, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle regained power within less than a minute. The contact stated that the failure recurred an additional two times; however, the windshield wipers were not activated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain trucks equipped with an 8.1l v8 (rpo l8-VIN g) engine have a condition in which the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip May fracture resulting in inadequate retention of the damper.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2006. Owners May contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and GMC trucks at 1-866-996-9463.
NHTSA investigations
Crank position sensor failure - stall
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe06-016) on May 4, 2006 based on eleven vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) and early warning (ewr) data alleging sudden engine shutdown while driving as a result of crank position sensor failures in my 2001-2002 general motors c/k platform vehicles equipped with 8.1l engines.in response to an information request letter sent by odi, general…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Avalanche years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (38), 2007 (27), 2008 (19), 2011 (9) and 2003 (8) model years. Engine complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Avalanche engine problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 06V-289 (engine and engine cooling, Aug 3, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Avalanche engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles; 35% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (12 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (6).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.