Chevrolet Avalanche Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 206 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Chevrolet Avalanche across 11 model years. The 2004 model year has the most (60). The words owners use most often: “instrument cluster” (8% of reports).
- 206electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $690typical repair cost reported by owners
- 59%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Instrument cluster: mentioned in 16 of 206 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the Chevrolet Avalanche at $690, and half of them between $630 and $990.
Based on 14 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 162 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 206 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 11 a fire, 2 an injury.
Chevrolet Avalanche electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Avalanche | 4 | 5% | 156,000 |
| 2012 Avalanche | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2011 Avalanche | 4 | 3% | 129,137 |
| 2010 Avalanche | 8 | 7% | 50,000 |
| 2009 Avalanche | 4 | 5% | 74,000 |
| 2008 Avalanche | 21 | 8% | 59,107 |
| 2007 Avalanche | 24 | 6% | 116,000 |
| 2005 Avalanche | 21 | 30% | 60,000 |
| 2004 Avalanche | 60 | 36% | 50,800 |
| 2003 Avalanche | 42 | 21% | 70,000 |
| 2002 Avalanche | 17 | 4% | 42,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Electrical system:ignition
Model years: 2011, 2012
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.
Electrical system
Model years: 2007, 2008, 2009
Problem: Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.
Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
Fix: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Electrical system
Model years: 2007, 2008
Problem: Gm is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 buick lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; my 2007-2008 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, saturn outlook; and my 2008 buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system. A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire.
Risk: This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on september 12, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; cadillac at 1-800-982-2339 or http://www.cadillac.com; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or http://www.saturn.com, gmc at 1-866-996-9436; or hummer at 1-800-732-5493; or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact attempted to purchase a 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 142,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,000, and at the time of…
In October of 2020, my avalanche only would start in winter after disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. It was also on numerous occasions go into limp mode while driving at normal city speeds meaning it wouldnât go above 25 miles an hour. The entire dash would light up. It threw numerous…
Code p2128 Code p2122 Have replaced TPS, THROTTLE BODY, ACCELERATOR PEDAL (Ã3) AND bypassed connectors WITH DIRECT WIRING from ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO ECM Continue to get codes with CHECK ENGINE LIGHT with DECREASED ENGINE POWER, CHECK STABILITRAK, and STABILITRAK DISABLED. HAVE TO CLEAR CODES WITH…
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and independently turned off. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Avalanches have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 206 owner complaints about electrical system for the Chevrolet Avalanche. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Avalanche electrical system?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the Chevrolet Avalanche?
Owners report a typical cost of $690 (half paid between $630 and $990), from 14 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Chevrolet Avalanche?
The most frequent phrase is “instrument cluster”, in 16 of 206 complaints.
Other Chevrolet Avalanche problems
- Air Bags problems (591)
- Structure problems (275)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (164)
- Service Brakes problems (147)
- Power Train problems (100)
See all Chevrolet Avalanche problems.