Total Complaints
143 filings
CHEVROLET CAPTIVA · model year
143 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2013CHEVROLETCAPTIVA carries 143 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 6 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 CAPTIVA is engine with 48 filings, followed by electrical system (30) and unknown or other (16). 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.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2013 CAPTIVA, 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
143 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 48 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 30 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 16 |
| POWER TRAIN | 9 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 7 |
| STEERING | 5 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 4 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 4 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 |
| VISIBILITY | 1 |
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that the cruise control intermittently failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that the cruise control intermittently failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Key will lock in ignition and vehicle will not start. Happens intermittently. Battery is fine, alternator is fine, dealership replaced ignition when purchased which helped for about a year, but the problem continues to become more frequent. Rattling the battery fixes the problem, but only temporarily.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle was making abnormal sounds. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The contact was informed to closely monitor the oil level. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled and was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the timing chain had failed and bent the valves. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 103,416.
Mileage: 103,416
Continus electric drop causing different systems to lose power, fail, or temporarly disable including but not limited to traction control, emergency break, radio and lights. After researching the problem in various forums I noted many owners facing the same problem over various years with no clear solution.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering column knuckle detached, causing the steering wheel to become inoperable. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,386. Car was serviced on 12/5/2019 for a KIA warrantied repair; timing belt replacement causing engine failure. The representative restated again that KIA would not repair the car. Consumer stated vehicle sustained a rod bearing failure at 74,000 miles during operation at highway speeds. Consumer did not receive a letter from KIA for corrective maintenance.
Mileage: 170,386
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that on multiple occasions after inserting the key into the ignition switch, the ignition switch would not turn, and the engine could not be started. Also, the key would remain stuck inside the ignition switch and could not be removed. The vehicle was towed to a local service center who replaced the ignition switch, but the failure continued to occur. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
Mileage: 92,000
UNKNOWN, several times between my husband or myself while driving down the road and on the interstate, the vehicle would just completely shut off no lights, no brakes no nothing. We purchased the vehicle used so we thought that it had something to do with some minor maintenance but this first occurred only after having the vehicle for two weeks. We've taken the vehicle back to where we purchased it, they could not find any issues with the vehicle and taken it to other locations with no luck on solving issue. The vehicle does not give any signs or warning when it will shut down while drive. Here recently when using the turn signals, switching on high beams, or even turning on the radio causes the vehicle shut down.
UNKNOWN, several times between my husband or myself while driving down the road and on the interstate, the vehicle would just completely shut off no lights, no brakes no nothing. We purchased the vehicle used so we thought that it had something to do with some minor maintenance but this first occurred only after having the vehicle for two weeks. We've taken the vehicle back to where we purchased it, they could not find any issues with the vehicle and taken it to other locations with no luck on solving issue. The vehicle does not give any signs or warning when it will shut down while drive. Here recently when using the turn signals, switching on high beams, or even turning on the radio causes the vehicle shut down.
PURCHASED CARE USED AT 76,000. CAR WENT FOR REPAIRS ONCE AFTER 4 MONTH OF OWNERSHIP, WAS JERKING. CAMSHAFT ACTUATOR WAS REPLACED AT THIS TIME. OIL CHANGE WAS DONE AT THIS TIME AS WELL. SIX MONTHS LATER CAR BEGINS TO JERK REPEATEDLY IN DRIVE AND REVERSE WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR IDLING, NO WARNING LIGHTS LIT. UPON INSPECTION WAS FOUND WITH NO OIL AT ALL. CAR WAS 3,500 INTO AN OIL CHANGE - BURNED THROUGH ALL OIL. SINCE RESEARCHING, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2.4 L ECO ENGINE, SAME AS CHEVY EQUINOX. ENGINE IS BEING REPAIRED, MAY NEED REPLACEMENT. VERY UPSETTING OWNING VEHICLE UNDER A YEAR, AND UNDER 100,000 MILES. CHEVY NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE CAPTIVA.
Mileage: 880,000
MY CAPTIVA LEAVES NO TRACE OF OIL ON THE GARAGE FLOOR BUT BURNS THROUGH OIL FAST ENOUGH I MUST ADD OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. VEHICLE DOES NOT SMOKE SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT GOES. I KNOW SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH CAPTIVAS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND SOME HAVE HAD THEIR MOTORS REPLACED. I CANT BELIEVE THERE IS NO RECALL ON SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE OIL ISSUE AS I KNOW OF AT LEAST 2 OTHER PEOPLE THAT PROBLEM. NOW I AM DEALING WITH A LEAKY RADIATOR AND HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THAT FIXED. A 7 YEAR OLD CAR WITH JUST OVER 100K ON IT SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. IF I HADN'T CHECKED THE OIL, THE MOTOR NO DOUBT WOULD HAVE SEIZED UP GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE THAT WE FINALLY HAD TO START ADDING OIL BUT IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR. I AM FINALLY TIRED OF HAVING TO CHECK OIL LIKE I OWN A 200K CAR.
I KEY STUCK IN IGNITION. TURN CAR OFF CANNOT REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION
LAST YEAR IT KEPT GOING DEAD, I HAD JUST HAD OIL CHANGED HAD IT CHECKED BY MECHANIC IT WAS OUT OF OIL, HE REPLACED SENSORS BECAUSE THEY WENT OUT BECAUSE NO OIL, I FAILED COMPLAINT WITH COMPANY I USED FOR OIL CHANGE THINKING THEY DID NOT PUT OIL BACK IN IT, THEY PD FOR REPAIR. IN JUNE HAD OIL CHANGED 2 WKS LATER IT STARTED MAKING CLATTERING SOUND, OUT OF OIL AGAIN AND STILL HAD 3000 MILES LEFT BEFORE ANOTHER CHANGE. TOOK IT TO COMPANY HE INFORMED ME 2.4 ECO MOTOR HAD A LAW SUIT LAST YR FOR OIL USAGE THRU ENGINE PISTONS, I WAS NEVER SENT A NOTICE OF RECALL OR ANYTHING. I BELIEVE THIS HAS BEEN PROBLEM ALL ALONG.NOW I'M STUCK WITH A VEHICLE I'M WORRIED WILL STOP ON ME.AND GM WILL NOT PAY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT OR NOTHING. I CAN NOT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR, AND THIS ONE HAS BEEN SERVICED AND TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF. ANY SUGGESTIONS . CAR WAS IN MOTION
Mileage: 128,000
I HEARD A SMALL NOISE. TOOK MY CAPTIVA TO MY SHOP TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LET ME DRIVE IT TO MY DEALER WHICH WAS 2 MILES AWAY. THEY HAD IT TOWED. THE 2.4L ENGINES ALSO IN GMC'S TERRAIN AND EQUINOX, EAT UP OIL QUICKLY AND BLOW OUT YOUR ENGINE. LUCKILY MY SERVICE PEOPLE FOUND IT. BUT IT COST ME $5,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE I WAS NOW AT 104,000 AND MY WARRANTY RAN OUT AT 100,000. NOW THERE IS A RECALL ON TERRAINS AND EQUINOX BUT NOT THE CAPTIVA'S. AND WE HAVE THE SAME ENGINES.
Mileage: 104,000
BOUGHR THE SUV FROM DEALER WITH 63 K MILES. DID OIL CHANGES ON TIME AND MAINTENANCE. CAR ENGINE IS NLIWN AT 86K MILES. FIRST THE CAR STARTED TI IDKE RIUGH DURING STOPS. CMTOOK IN. THEY REPLACED CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. CLEANED THROTTLE.BODY. RAN OK FOR 2 MONTHS. THEN PROBLEM CAME BACK. HOWEVER THE NEXT DAY THE SUV WOULDN'T START. DID A CRANK NO START I CHANGED THE BATTERY, TRIED THE SPARK PLUGS, FUEL FILTER. STILL NO CRANK. THE MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT IT FOUND THAT. THE TIMING CHAIN LOST TENSION.. BECAUSE A PLASTIC CLIP. WHICH HOLDS TWNSION ON THE TIMING CHAIN WAS MISSING..A PLASTIC PIECE.. CAUSED MY TIMING TO SHIFT WHERE IT MESSED UP THE ECM. THIS CAUSED THE PISTONS TO SHOOT WHEN THE VALVE WAS CLOSED. SO NOW A CAR I BOUGHT FOR 12K. AND PAID OFF.. ONLY TO PUT 20K MILES ON IT.. WILL COST ME 7K FOR A REFURBISHED ENGINE SWAP.
Mileage: 85,734
BOUGHR THE SUV FROM DEALER WITH 63 K MILES. DID OIL CHANGES ON TIME AND MAINTENANCE. CAR ENGINE IS NLIWN AT 86K MILES. FIRST THE CAR STARTED TI IDKE RIUGH DURING STOPS. CMTOOK IN. THEY REPLACED CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. CLEANED THROTTLE.BODY. RAN OK FOR 2 MONTHS. THEN PROBLEM CAME BACK. HOWEVER THE NEXT DAY THE SUV WOULDN'T START. DID A CRANK NO START I CHANGED THE BATTERY, TRIED THE SPARK PLUGS, FUEL FILTER. STILL NO CRANK. THE MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT IT FOUND THAT. THE TIMING CHAIN LOST TENSION.. BECAUSE A PLASTIC CLIP. WHICH HOLDS TWNSION ON THE TIMING CHAIN WAS MISSING..A PLASTIC PIECE.. CAUSED MY TIMING TO SHIFT WHERE IT MESSED UP THE ECM. THIS CAUSED THE PISTONS TO SHOOT WHEN THE VALVE WAS CLOSED. SO NOW A CAR I BOUGHT FOR 12K. AND PAID OFF.. ONLY TO PUT 20K MILES ON IT.. WILL COST ME 7K FOR A REFURBISHED ENGINE SWAP.
Mileage: 85,734
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CHASSIS CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CHASSIS CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
THE CAR IS CUTTING OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING JUSTT. STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC RPM IS NOT REGISTERING THE RIGHT WAY WHERE THE CAR IS CUTTING OFF
Mileage: 80
BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO A CHEVY DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS CONSUMING OIL MUCH QUICKER THAN NORMAL. I WAS HAVING TO PUT ROUGHLY 2 QUARTS IN EVERY WEEK. I DO MOSTLY SMALL TOWN DRIVING SO NOTHING TOO EXTENSIVE. THE DEALER SHOWED NO EXTERNAL LEAKS AND SUGGESTED DOING A DIAGNOSTIC TO SEE IF THERE WAS INTERNAL CONSUMPTION. CAME TO FIND THAT THE PISTON RINGS INSIDE THE ENGINE ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THEM, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR CHEVY SUVS MADE DURING THIS TIME. TO REPLACE WOULD MEAN TO REBUILD THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND COSTS AROUND $3,200 IF YOU CAN FIND A SHOP WILLING TO MESS WITH IT. VERY DISAPPOINTED. MY SISTER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN AN EQUINOX. HER RINGS WERE RECALLED AND CHEVY REPLACED FOR FREE. WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM LOOK INTO THIS AS IT SEEMS LIKE MOST PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM...OIL CONSUMPTION AND ENGINE IDLING ISSUES. SUCKS FOR A CAR TO BE LESS THAN 7 YEARS OLD AND BE UNDRIVEABLE. WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE PURCHASING ANOTHER CHEVY.
Mileage: 119,000
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.