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2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500, most often about the air bags (39% of complaints, typically around 65,000 miles). It is 9th of 12 Avalanche 1500 model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 problems
Air bags
11 complaints · 39%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles.
Cracked dashed board part gm #19331336 panel. Cracked driver side and on passenger side near airbag. Local chevy dealer will only replace for parts and labor fee. Unkown cause of crack.
Safety issue. Dash is cracking near airbag. This could possibly cause premature deployment of airbag or shrapnel from dash causing harm during deployment. Dash is also cracking over steering wheel area.
Other or unspecified
11 complaints · 39%Half of these problems showed up before 55,000 miles.
Cracked dashed board part gm #19331336 panel. Cracked driver side and on passenger side near airbag. Local chevy dealer will only replace for parts and labor fee. Unkown cause of crack.
Dashboard has cracked into multiple pieces around and behind the instrument cluster and near the airbag. Numerous calls with chevy have failed to resolve the problem and chevy refuses to guarantee, in writing, that the airbag will still discharge properly in an accident and remain seated properly and that the radio…
Engine
4 complaints · 14%Reduced engine power , engine dies no power steering or power brakes almost rear ended on I-25. Trouble code says p2135 throttle body has happened 20 times or more in 8 months. Dealer where purchased say they never heard of this problem then said new wiring harness might fix it,knew the price without looking it up?…
At @4000 miles on the vehicle the engine light came on. The dealership found that there was no oil in the engine and #1 spark plug was bad. They replaced the plug & oil. Again about another 4000 mile it did the same thing. They replaced the valve guide seals, that stopped the spark plug from going bad, but I have to…
Electrical
4 complaints · 14%Reduced engine power , engine dies no power steering or power brakes almost rear ended on I-25. Trouble code says p2135 throttle body has happened 20 times or more in 8 months. Dealer where purchased say they never heard of this problem then said new wiring harness might fix it,knew the price without looking it up?…
I was in line at a drive through at burger king and as I pulled up to the cashiers window to pay for my food the engine started to accelerate. I put my foot on the brakes as hard as I could while the truck was shaking and lurching trying to go forward. I can't say for sure how high the tachometer was, but it seemed to…
Body and structure
4 complaints · 14%Parts named most often: body.
2011 Chevrolet avalanche ltz. Dashboard is cracking above the instrument cluster, almost directly above the speedo. Finding a lot of forums on this problem with gm trucks and SUV's.
Dash cracked right above passenger airbag deployment area. No discoloration in the area or any warning. One day fine, the next day a crack appeared. Truck was parked most of the day and my work commute is 6 miles round trip. I don't off road and I have normal sized tires so no vibration occurred.
Stability control
3 complaints · 11%Reduced engine power , engine dies no power steering or power brakes almost rear ended on I-25. Trouble code says p2135 throttle body has happened 20 times or more in 8 months. Dealer where purchased say they never heard of this problem then said new wiring harness might fix it,knew the price without looking it up?…
I was driving my truck at about 45 MPH when the traction control light came on the dash and my truck suddenly went from 45mph to 20 MPH and the motor began to miss fire and buck. If there would have been someone following me they would of hit me in the rearend due to the sudden slowing of my vehicle.
Transmission
3 complaints · 11%I was in line at a drive through at burger king and as I pulled up to the cashiers window to pay for my food the engine started to accelerate. I put my foot on the brakes as hard as I could while the truck was shaking and lurching trying to go forward. I can't say for sure how high the tachometer was, but it seemed to…
When slowing down the vehicle surges forward even when brake is being applied. It does not appear to be related to engine surge as it does with sudden gear change as if the vehicle is speeding up from a stand still. This occurred as I was turning into a parking space which caused the vehicle to veer uncontrollably to…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 recalls
Suspension: spindle
Risk: The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, colorado, express, silverado, suburban, tahoe; and gmc canyon, sierra, savana, yukon and yukon xl vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.
Suspension: spindle
Risk: The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade ext, chevrolet avalanche, silverado ld and gmc sierra ld vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (11 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles); other or unspecified (11 complaints, typically around 55,000 miles); engine (4 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 6, 2011 (suspension). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Chevrolet Avalanche 1500?
- It is 9th of 12 Avalanche 1500 model years by number of complaints, with 28 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.