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 Tahoe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated notice that there were cracks on the dashboard by the passenger's side air bag. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that no failure was found. The contact stated that over the years the crack started to expand. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The drivers side door handle has broken on my Tahoe. In the event of having to urgently egress from my vehicle it would be very difficult to do so because of the handle. Now before you think I'm just a disgruntled owner you should look at the rate of occurrence. I've checked online nationally and locally with used auto part sellers and there are none to be found. If a Tahoe comes in that actually does have one intact every auto yard has a waiting list of buyers and the part is immediately gone. Shouldn't the high rate of failure of trigger at least questions from the NHTSA. I did not mention the passenger door but since it is of the same construction it would fail too if under the same use I feel. My claim is easy enough to substantiate, place a call to any used car part dealer of your choice and search for the driver's side door interior. …
The purpose for this communication is to let you know I've been having issues with the dashboard on my car that mechanics believe will effect the airbag. At this point I'm at a bit of a loss for words and understanding with this particular situation. The dashboard has multiple cracks throughout. The car has 87,000 miles and has been garaged for its entire ownership and well maintained. The biggest issue surrounding the cracks in the dashboard is that they've formed around the front passenger airbag, which multiple dealerships have told me is a safety hazard. That being said, the dealerships and the associate I spoke to at Chevrolet customer assistance team has said they've seen this issue multiple times and they're surprised there hasn't been a recall issued. I honestly wouldn't care about the cracks if they weren't surrounding the airbag. Pictures of my car included. …
The dashboard is cracking right above the steering wheel. I do not know it the crack starting while in motion or stationary. I know it happened in May 2018. It is cracking more everyday. This is my dream car and I think it's a shame to pay this kind ot money for such a expensive car and it starts falling apart. My husband and I are nothing but Chevy buyers we have owned a number of blazers and Tahoe and have never had this problem . My husband's Tahoe is a 2004 . Looks great. Also on the 2013 Tahoe the door pull is broke and the dealer said I had to buy the hold door panel thst would be over $500. I only need the the pull handle not the entire door panel. This is nonsense. Is Chevrolet getting cheap on their quallty . This will make be look into other vehicles (Ford, Toyota, Jeep , etc. ## VIN passed ## Chevy Tahoe 2013 ##
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked from the top driver's side to the front passenger side air bag area. The crack was rapidly expanding and the contact was concerned that the front passenger air bag could deploy. The vehicle was taken to nelson hall Chevrolet (1811 south frontage road, meridian, ms 39301, [phone]) where they stated that they were aware of the defective dashboard and determined that the driver's door panel was fractured. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the dashboard had premature extensive cracks that could affect the structural integrity of the air bag components. The cracks extended on both sides, but primarily near the front passenger side. The dealer (pinkerton Chevrolet, 925 n electric rd, salem, va 24153, [phone]) inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and refused to assist with the dealer's repair to replace the part. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked along the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact was concerned that the air bags May not deploy properly in the event of a crash, which could lead to serious injury or death. The vehicle was taken to asheville Chevrolet (205 smokey park highway, asheville, nc 28806, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The dashboard has cracked in multiple locations including 3 cracks around the passenger airbag which I believe leads to a safety hazard should the bag deploy. If deployed, the shattered plastic would be sent as projectiles through the car resulting in serious injury to the driver and passengers. Also, if the airbag is deployed, the plastic shards could cut the airbags rendering them ineffective. I'm asking for this to be reported to general motors as a sever safety concern and issue a recall to correct the problem before there is serious injury. Thank you.
My dashboard has cracked in two places as shown on the attached photos. One crack is near the housing for the airbag, and the other is forming above the steering wheel. The cracks result in the dashboard shacking on any uneven road surface, so eventually the smaller crack will progress across the entire dashboard. I understand there is a class action lawsuit against Chevy due to a safety hazard from this defective part. Replacement or repairs are estimated to be $1200-$2000. This has happened over the course of normal driving.
Cracked dashboard. This started as a small problem a year ago when I took it to the dealer and was told it was not covered under warranty and I would have to pay $1600 to get it replaced. The four cracks continue to get bigger and neither the dealership nor manufacturer will recognize it for anything more than cosmetic damage I need to fix even though I did nothing to cause this damage. I can hear the crack continue to get bigger both when it's parked in the driveway and driving down the road in all conditions.
Body complaints in other Tahoe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe, 24% of the model year's 233 complaints. The component named most often is body (46 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe, 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 Tahoe body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 7% 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.