Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Chevrolet Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the dashboard had many fractures nearby the air bag enclosure. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 294,000.
Starting approximately 24 months ago the dash on my Suburban started cracking. Now it has cracked in several locations on both the driver's and passenger side of the dash. The cracks on the passenger side go up to the air bag location. Cracks on the driver's side are numerous and getting worse. The driver's side cracks are such that the pieces would come apart in an accident, even if the air bag was not deployed.
On the driver side adjacent to the fuel tank, improper drainage for the body frame caused severe rust. Over time the frame of the vehicle becomes a safety hazard and may cause the frame to crack or split resulting in loss of control to the rear of the vehicle.
Feb. 15 , 2019 transmission went out in car. Brought car earlier in the year because it was jerking but they said it was normal. Went out of town and transmission went out at 93,721 miles. Extended warranty went out on feb. 14, 2019. Only hours before and no company would help! We paid 5,000 for a replacement and noticed that my dash had a crack in it after being repaired. Chevrolet company said they didn't do it. Now the dash is almost cracked all the way to my steering wheel. I understand the wear and tear of any vehicle, but for the warranty to go out hours before hand was unbelievable. Plus, the repair man that installed my transmission said my motor drinks oil. Yes, we know that. He explained to us why and said that Chevy should have replaced my motor when we brought it in during our bumper to bumper warranty. We no longer use chevyland because of their lack of service department. …
Vehicle dash crached while driving, making quite a loud noise like a pop. Then the dash cracked across the right side. Previously owned 2008 Suburban with a lot more cracking than this one but this one just started. The 2008 Suburban actually broke into chips and would blow across a persons face while driving. I repaired it through a paint and body shop at cost of nearly $1,350.00 dollars. These dash problems are in most of suburbans and tahoes and a very serious danger to people driving these vehicles and g.m. Has not stepped up and recalled/repaired them. When someone gets a serious injury or lose an eye then maybe they will repair them but this will not return an eye, arm, leg or life due to this not repairing them.
The dashboard near the passenger side airbag has split/cracked. I am concerned that it could comprise the deployment of the airbag in an accident given the location of the crack. The vehicle was less then 2 years old when the cracking began, but Chevrolet would not investigate the integrity of the airbag without me incurring a cost due to being slightly past the 36K mile warranty. Upon some simple internet searching, it seems this is cracking is a common occurrence for owners of these trucks. But, no one seems to know if it will compromise the airbag deployment. I know I would prefer to not find that out in an accident and believe Chevrolet should take accountability.
I previously filed a report concerning the dashboard cracking in 2 spots. On the passenger side the crack is at the top left corner of where the airbag sits. This has been brought to GM's attention they've fought replacing these dashboards. Now you have issued a recall on the airbags. How are they to be repaired correctly and made safe when the plastic seated around them is cracked and defective thus leaving us still exposed to shattered plastic from a defective dashboard. The dashboard replacement should also be part of the recall!
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the passenger side of the dashboard fractured. The contact was concerned that the front passenger side air bag would deploy violently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.
The dash has cracked in 2 places - above the instrument panel and above the passenger side air bag. The potential for flying shards from the dash into persons after deployment of the passenger air bag is high. I request a recall to correct. My wife's 8 year old Toyota sienna's dash was recalled for the same reason.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that all four door handles on the vehicle fractured without warning. The dealer diagnosed that the handles failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Body complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban, 19% of the model year's 118 complaints. The component named most often is body (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Chevrolet Suburban body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Chevrolet Suburban body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
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.