Total Complaints
43 filings
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 · model year
43 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2011CHEVROLETAVALANCHE 1500 carries 43 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 AVALANCHE 1500 is air bags with 11 filings, followed by unknown or other (11) and electrical system (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2011 AVALANCHE 1500, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
43 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 11 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| ENGINE | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:SPINDLE
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 CO
SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:SPINDLE
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 FRAC
SERVICE STABILITRAC SYSTEM INDICATION COMES ON, WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED. HAPPENS RANDOMLY, CANNOT FIND A "COMMON CAUSE" SPENT LOTS OF MONEY ON PCM, BCM, MEMORY SEAT MODULE, BATTERY CABLES, BATTERY, BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, ETC. ETC. DANGEROUS CONDITION WHEN VEHICLE DROPS INTO POWER REDUCTION MODE.
Mileage: 65,000
SERVICE STABILITRAC SYSTEM INDICATION COMES ON, WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED. HAPPENS RANDOMLY, CANNOT FIND A "COMMON CAUSE" SPENT LOTS OF MONEY ON PCM, BCM, MEMORY SEAT MODULE, BATTERY CABLES, BATTERY, BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, ETC. ETC. DANGEROUS CONDITION WHEN VEHICLE DROPS INTO POWER REDUCTION MODE.
Mileage: 65,000
SERVICE STABILITRAC SYSTEM INDICATION COMES ON, WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED. HAPPENS RANDOMLY, CANNOT FIND A "COMMON CAUSE" SPENT LOTS OF MONEY ON PCM, BCM, MEMORY SEAT MODULE, BATTERY CABLES, BATTERY, BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, ETC. ETC. DANGEROUS CONDITION WHEN VEHICLE DROPS INTO POWER REDUCTION MODE.
Mileage: 65,000
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.
Mileage: 80,000
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.
Mileage: 80,000
TAKATA RECALL; NO GM REMEDY FROM TN CHEVROLET DEALERS. LIVE IN MARTIN, TN. 38237 NOTR: BELOW DATE FIELD WILL NOT ALLOW PRIOR YEAR DATE; RECALL +2 YEARS OUTSTANDING WITH NO REMEDY VIA GM TO DATE.
TAKATA RECALL - MY AIRBAG IS UNDER RECALL AND I CONTACTED MY DEALER WHO DOES NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT OR KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT HOW I CAN GET A NEW PART. I AM FEARFUL TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. TAKATA
DASH IS CRACKED ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE.
Mileage: 90,000
2011 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE HAS DASHBOARD CRACKING ALL AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. MY CONCERN IS IF THE AIR BAG IS DEPLOYED FOR ANY REASON THE HARD PLASTIC DASHBOARD MATERIAL WILL SHATTER A SCATTER ALL THROUGH THE CABIN INJURING MYSELF, OR WORSE MY FAMILY. MY UNDERSTANDING AFTER READING ALL THE REVIEWS THIS IS NOT A CONCERN OF GM EVEN THOUGH MOST VEHICLES HAVE THIS ISSUE. IT SEEMS THEY ARE SIMPLY WAITING FOR ENOUGH PEOPLE TO GET INJURED BEFORE THEY HAVE TO DO A RECALL DUE TO USING INFERIOR PRODUCTS. THIS WAS MY FIRST CHEVROLET AND WILL BE MY LAST, WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT.
Mileage: 110,000
AIR BAG SERVICE LIGHT IS ON THE TRUCK WILL SURGE WITH NO WARNING CAUSE THE INSTRUMENT TO BLACK OUT AND WOULD CAUSE THE TRUCK TO STOP CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON WITH NO KEY AND CONTROL ON THE STEERING NOT FUNCTIONAL
AIR BAG SERVICE LIGHT IS ON THE TRUCK WILL SURGE WITH NO WARNING CAUSE THE INSTRUMENT TO BLACK OUT AND WOULD CAUSE THE TRUCK TO STOP CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON WITH NO KEY AND CONTROL ON THE STEERING NOT FUNCTIONAL
GENERAL MOTORS DASH CRACKS ON VARIOUS AVALANCHE MODEL YEARS. MY RESEARCH SUGGEST OTHER GM VEHICLES SIMILAR TOO THE AVALANCHE. MY METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AVALANCHE IS TYPICAL. COMPARING TOO OTHER GM VEHICLES OF OTHER OWNERS. CRACK ARE NEAR IDENTICAL IN LOCATION. PRESENTLY ONE AT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. SECOND CRACK ON THE INSTRUMENT DASH HUMP. I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF A DESIGN FLAW. CRACK PICTURE ARE THE BEST I CAN DO. AIRBAG CRACK IS NEAR THE QUARTER. TWO PICTURES SHOW THE VEHICLE IS NOT ABUSED. GENERAL MOTORS CONTACT HAVE PROVED USELESS. "IF I WANT THE CRACK REPAIRED, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FROM MY OWN POCKET."
GENERAL MOTORS DASH CRACKS ON VARIOUS AVALANCHE MODEL YEARS. MY RESEARCH SUGGEST OTHER GM VEHICLES SIMILAR TOO THE AVALANCHE. MY METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AVALANCHE IS TYPICAL. COMPARING TOO OTHER GM VEHICLES OF OTHER OWNERS. CRACK ARE NEAR IDENTICAL IN LOCATION. PRESENTLY ONE AT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. SECOND CRACK ON THE INSTRUMENT DASH HUMP. I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF A DESIGN FLAW. CRACK PICTURE ARE THE BEST I CAN DO. AIRBAG CRACK IS NEAR THE QUARTER. TWO PICTURES SHOW THE VEHICLE IS NOT ABUSED. GENERAL MOTORS CONTACT HAVE PROVED USELESS. "IF I WANT THE CRACK REPAIRED, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FROM MY OWN POCKET."
MY DASHBOARD RIGHT ABOVE THE DRIVE SEAT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS A LARGE CRACK AND GETTING BIGGER. POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE WHEN TRAVELING THE VIBRATION OF THE ROAD INCREASE CRACKING
Mileage: 83,000
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.
Mileage: 33,028
THE DASHBOARD ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS CRACKED.
Mileage: 55,000
DASH IS CRACKED AROUND THE AIR BAG AREA
Mileage: 95,000
DASH IS CRACKED AROUND THE AIR BAG AREA
Mileage: 95,000
DASHBOARD CRACKING (MAJOR) NEXT TO AIRBAG AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
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.
Mileage: 50,000
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.