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2002 Chevrolet AvalancheProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 444 owner complaints about the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
19
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid4.2× the Avalanche median · #1 of 12 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints44459 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage43kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 9, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Rutger van der Maar, CC BY 2.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche has problems

444 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic11512
Structure675
Service brakes545
Parking brake370
Engine and engine cooling351
Tires342
Power train250
Air bags2221
Visibility220
16 other systems11511

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2002 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

Recall 05V-379 · Aug 29, 2005 · 1,353,718 vehicles

Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKE APPLICATIONS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Tailgate: hinge and attachments

Recall 04V-129 · Mar 17, 2004 · 3,662,211 vehicles

Risk. ANYONE SITTING OR STANDING ON THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE TAILGATE WHEN BOTH CABLES FRACTURED COULD BE INJURED BY FALLING FROM THE TAILGATE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?

43kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 95 service brakes, hydraulic complaints. 83% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
22under 30k miles79under 100k miles16100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Service brakes, hydraulic

10 owners mentioned a cost

$988median

Middle half: $607 – $1,150

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2002 vs. every other Avalanche year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Avalanche median. How we score

'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2002 Chevrolet Avalanche safety ratings

2002 Chevrolet Avalanche 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 Chevrolet Avalanche frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Rollover: 2 stars (0.0% risk)
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
7 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, and the recalls they led to.

  1. PARKING BRAKE FAILUREDP05009 · closed May 31, 2006
    No recall
  2. THROTTLE STICKING CLOSEDEA02015 · closed Jan 12, 2004
    No recall
  3. TAILGATE CABLE BREAKAGEEA04005 · closed Sep 28, 2004
    Led to recall 04E-067
  4. HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILRESEA04012 · closed Feb 28, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-005
  5. UNWANTED LOW-SPEED ABS ACTIVATIONPE05020 · closed Sep 13, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-379
  6. CRANK POSITION SENSOR FAILURE - STALLPE06016 · closed Sep 14, 2006
    No recall
  7. Brake line corrosion failurePE10010 · closed Jan 5, 2011
    No recall
In owners' words

What Avalanche owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE AND FUEL LINES WAS RUSTED AND LEAKING FLUID. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS…
Complaint 10616269 · Jul 25, 2014 · 110,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE ABS ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER…
Complaint 10568534 · Mar 11, 2014 · 180,000 miles
I WAS DRIVING HOME AROUND 9:30 PM. AS I WAS GOING DOWN A HILL I STEPPED ON MY BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. NO BRAKES AT ALL, NO SAFTEY FEATURES KICKED IN, NO WARNING LIGHTS. JUST A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE. LUCKILY FOR ME IT WAS A SMALL HILL AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY GOING INTO LOW…
Complaint 10567281 · Mar 4, 2014 · 62,000 miles

Own a 2002 Avalanche?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.