10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
26,420 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #6

Dec 012005

Avalanche 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • 40,000 miles
2002 Avalanche with approx. 40,000 miles...cannot lock or unlock the back tailgate. Took it into the dealers repair shop and had it fixed and paid for it. They were not willing to work with me on it, even though it was obviously a defect and so close to my warranty expiration. Now at 81,000 miles we have the same problem and cannot lock or unlock the back tailgate. I am afraid that I will break my key off in the lock if I force it too hard. I had the Avalanche at the same service center for recall work and mentioned that I had the same problem again..they told me I would have to pay for it to fix it again. I told them don't bother.

- Afton, NY, USA

problem #5

Dec 172004

Avalanche 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 46,648 miles
I released the tailgate to remove an empty box from the bed of my 2002 Chevy Avalanche. I jumped up in the back of the truck and retrieved the box. When I reached the back of the truck (tailgate), the tailgate gave way like a trap door and I went down with it. I hit both my knee and head on the tailgate as the tailgate hit the ground. Both cables (2) broke about 2 inches below the connector. I cut my knee and had a knot on the side of my head. Asprin seemed help, but there is still pain in the outside knee area (left). When I got to work, I pulled up the recall list. Much to my surprise, there was a recall on the very cables that severed on my Avalanche. I have owned the vehicle since June 2004 and have even had maintenance performed on the vehicle at a local Chevy dealership. I did not receive a recall notice on this part although the defect notice states I should have.

- Greenwood, IN, USA

problem #4

Apr 212004

Avalanche 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Rear/end gate appears closed but opens periodically while driving. It scares the hell out of you and drops belongings from the bed area all over the roadway. It could cause major accidents.

- San Bruno, CA, USA

problem #3

Apr 122004

Avalanche 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 43,874 miles
Pulling out from a stop, the tailgate dropped open and as a result of the cable on the right side breaking, the tailgate fell off and was dragged along by the left side cable scraping the right side of the tailgate badly.

- Johnstown, PA, USA

problem #2

Oct 042003

Avalanche 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,000 miles
2002 Chevrolet Avalanche drivers side tail gate cable failure. Approximately 28,000 mies on the vehicle. Owner was sitting on the tail gate when failure occurred.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #1

Nov 052001

Avalanche 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While driving, tailgate popped open, causing consumer to pull over to close it.

- Kent, WA, USA