2013 Chevrolet Express Owner Complaints
Complaint Summary
The 2013 Chevrolet Express has 31 reported complaints.
- Top issues involve engine and service brakes.
Reliability Score
Reliability Score
Based on 31 complaints
Most Frequent Issues
ENGINE
7 22.6%
SERVICE BRAKES
6 19.4%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5 16.1%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
3 9.7%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
2 6.5%
Quick Insights
The top category is ENGINE, accounting for 22.6% of all complaints.
Owners have reported issues across 12 distinct vehicle systems.
Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.
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What owners keep reporting on the 2013 Chevrolet Express
The 2013 Chevrolet Express has 31 owner complaints in this dataset. ENGINE is the most common complaint category, representing about 23% of the reports shown here.
Most common complaint categories
The top complaint groups for the 2013 Chevrolet Express are ENGINE (7), SERVICE BRAKES (6), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (5).
Are these complaints a serious red flag?
Potentially. 24 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.
What should buyers inspect on a used 2013 Chevrolet Express?
Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.
Detailed Complaint Log
Showing 12 of 12 systems
ENGINE
7 Reports23% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
THE FIRST AND SECOND (OF THREE INCIDENTS) BOTH APPEARED MINOR, LASTING ONLY A FRACTION OF A SECOND. ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH A 150-MILE DRIVE, THE ENGINE WENT DEAD BUT AS QUICKLY FIRED UP AGAIN SO AS NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY ME. BUT A THIRD INCIDENT WAS WORRISOME. WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH ON A STRAIGHT, FLAT-AND-LEVEL STRETCH OF A MACADEM FARM ROAD, THE VAN SUDDENLY, VERY ABRUPTLY, SHIFTED INTO WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN ITS LOWEST GEAR, AND DURING ABOUT 15 OR 20 SECONDS THEREAFTER IT JERKED BACK AND FORTH AS IF IT WERE STRUGGLING TO CLIMB A VERY STEEP HILL. I HAD NOT BEEN SHIFTING OR TRYING TO SHIFT GEARS, AND HAD BEEN TRAVELING UNEVENTFULLY BEFORE I WAS THROWN AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL. (NO BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD HAVE WARNED OTHER VEHICLES THAT THE VAN WAS ABRUPTLY SLOWING DOWN, HAD I BEEN IN BUSIER, FAST MOVING TRAFFIC.) I VISITED THE (FAIRFIELD, LEWSIBURG, PA) DEALER FROM WHOM I BOUGHT THE BRAND NEW VAN, AND HE APPEARED UNABLE TO DISCOVER ANYTHING WRONG BUT "BRUSHED" CLEAN THE CONTACT POINTS WITHIN ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS (AS I UNDERSTOOD HIS EXPLANATION) ON THE DASHBOARD . BUT THE INCIDENT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED JUST BY TEST DRIVING. HOWEVER, MY CONCERNS GREW AT THE PROSPECT OF AGAIN DRIVING LONG DISTANCES ON BUSY HIGHWAYS. I EMAILED CHEVROLET (AS DIRECTED IN THE VAN'S MANUAL).. LAST I RECALL, CHEVROLET ASKED THAT I RETURN A SURVEY SENT TO ME OVER THE INTERNET, BUT EACH OF NUMEROUS TIMES THAT I TRIED TO, USING THE PASSWORD THEY PROVIDED, I COULD NOT ACCESS THE SURVEY. THAT SURVEY SNAFU MAY BE WORTH MENTIONING BECAUSE WHEN I COMPLAINED ABOUT THEIR WEB SITE NOT FUNCTIONING, THEY REPLIED THAT THEY HAD NO PROBLEM ACCESSING THE SURVEY! ODD REACTION? SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY, WHICH IS PARTLY WHY I AM SENDING THIS MESSAGE INSTEAD TO YOU. (THE VAN TO DATE HAS FEWER THAN 2,000 MILES DRIVEN.) *TR
1/14/2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
6/29/2015
SERVICE BRAKES
6 Reports19% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE ENGAGED AND THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN AND THE LIGHT TURNED OFF AND THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500.
6/25/2013
THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY AND AUTONOMOUSLY APPLIES THE BRAKES AND CUTS ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE STATES "SERVICE STABILITRAK" AND THE ICON FLASHES THAT I AM SKIDDING, WHICH I AM NOT (I HAVE VIDEO PROOF OF THIS OCCURING). AFTER 4 TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME FOR THIS TO OCCUR WHILE MERGING, OR MAKING A LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC AND CAUSE A SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL COLLISION.
7/14/2015
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5 Reports16% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A WARNING LIGHT THAT RANDOMLY FLASHED, INDICATING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY STALLED MORE THAN ONCE. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO A DEALER, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE TOOLS TO PROVIDE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.
7/28/2016
THIS VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN OFF WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS REMOVED. THIS POSES A GREAT RISK TO ANY PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE AS IT CAN BE MOVED WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE REMAINS FULLY POWERED WITH THE KEY REMOVED.
9/25/2017
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
3 Reports10% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
THIS IS A C CLASS RV BY THOR MOTOR COACH. THE COACH SERIAL NUMBER IS [XXX]. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TAKE FUEL. I BOUGHT IT TO TWO CHEVROLET DEALERS WHO WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT HAD A MOTORHOME BODY. ONE DEALER HOOKED IT UP TO A FAULT FINDER AND FOUND THERE WAS A FUEL VENTING PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE MOTOR COACH MANUFACTURER HAD CHANGED THE FUEL VENTING SYSTEM AND MOVED THE TANK. I FINALLY WAS SERVICED, UNDER WARRANTY, BY AN RV DEALER IN TULSA OKLAHOMA. THEY TOLD ME THE FUEL TANK HAD BEEN MOVED WHICH CAUSED A KINK IN THE FUEL FILLER HOSE TO THE TANK. THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS SOLVED BY CUTTING A SECTION OF THE FUEL FILLER HOSE TO MAKE IT SHORTER AND ELIMINATING THE KINK. MY CONCERN IS IN A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT WILL FUEL NOW LEAK? THIS IS A MEDIUM DUTY CHEVROLET CHASSIS SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF THE SAME STANDARDS APPLY AS DO CARS RE. FUEL CUTOFF WITH ROLLOVER ACCIDENTS OR IF I SHOULD REPORT THIS TO ANOTHER AGENCY? THANK YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
5/10/2013
V=INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER WHO "CORRECTS" THE PROBLEMS. LESS THAN A 1000 MILES LATER, PROBLEM REOCCURS. VEHICLE WILL BE TRAVELLING WHEN CHECK ENGINE & DEF INDICATOR LIGHTS COME ON. MESSAGE ON ODOMETER READS "EXHAUST FLUID QUALITY POOR" ... XX MILES UNTIL SPEED REDUCED TO 65 MPH. AFTER EACH INCIDENT THE DEALER INDICATES IT IS A SENSOR PROBLEM, NOT A FLUID QUALITY PROBLEM. THIS UNIT IS AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE AMBULANCE IN A RURAL AREA THAT MUST TRANSPORT EMERGENCY PATIENTS AT LEAST 30 MILES TO NEAREST HOSPITAL. *JS
7/28/2014
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
2 Reports6% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY AND AUTONOMOUSLY APPLIES THE BRAKES AND CUTS ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE STATES "SERVICE STABILITRAK" AND THE ICON FLASHES THAT I AM SKIDDING, WHICH I AM NOT (I HAVE VIDEO PROOF OF THIS OCCURING). AFTER 4 TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME FOR THIS TO OCCUR WHILE MERGING, OR MAKING A LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC AND CAUSE A SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL COLLISION.
7/14/2015
VEHICLE GOES INTO ENGINE REDUCED SPEED AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE STABILI TRACK WARNING LIGHTS TURN ON. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM STARTING A WEEK AFTER I PURCHASED MY VAN AND WAS "REPAIRED" ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THE PROBLEM KEEPS REOCCURRING. THE INCIDENTS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN STATIONARY WHILE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PETAL ASSEMBLY A COUPLE OF TIMES AND ALSO REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY POSITION SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES. THE LAST TIME I TOOK IT IN THE DEALER PUT DIELECTRIC IN THE HARNESS AND SAID I MIGHT HAVE A MOISTURE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED AGAIN A FEW WEEKS LATER. I DON'T SEE HOW MOISTURE COULD BE THE PROBLEM SINCE IT STARTED A WEEK AFTER PURCHASE AND CONTINUES 4 YEARS LATER.
4/28/2017
AIR BAGS
2 Reports6% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING 43 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IN ADDITION, THE SHOULDER OF THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT'S BODY TO BE JERKED AROUND IN THE SEAT. THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT FRACTURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, THUMB, LOWER TORSO, AND KNEES. THE CONTACT ALSO SUFFERED WHIPLASH. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.
10/12/2016
AIR BAG FRONT CRASH SENSOR FAILURE. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON ON START UP.
8/29/2017
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1 Report3% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
WILL NOT TAKE FUEL. *JB
9/18/2013
VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 Report3% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACTIVATE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DURING EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID FROZE AND THE WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,100.
1/20/2015
SEAT BELTS
1 Report3% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING 43 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IN ADDITION, THE SHOULDER OF THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT'S BODY TO BE JERKED AROUND IN THE SEAT. THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT FRACTURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, THUMB, LOWER TORSO, AND KNEES. THE CONTACT ALSO SUFFERED WHIPLASH. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.
10/12/2016
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 Report3% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
VEHICLE GOES INTO ENGINE REDUCED SPEED AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE STABILI TRACK WARNING LIGHTS TURN ON. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM STARTING A WEEK AFTER I PURCHASED MY VAN AND WAS "REPAIRED" ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THE PROBLEM KEEPS REOCCURRING. THE INCIDENTS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN STATIONARY WHILE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PETAL ASSEMBLY A COUPLE OF TIMES AND ALSO REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY POSITION SENSOR AND THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES. THE LAST TIME I TOOK IT IN THE DEALER PUT DIELECTRIC IN THE HARNESS AND SAID I MIGHT HAVE A MOISTURE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED AGAIN A FEW WEEKS LATER. I DON'T SEE HOW MOISTURE COULD BE THE PROBLEM SINCE IT STARTED A WEEK AFTER PURCHASE AND CONTINUES 4 YEARS LATER.
4/28/2017
POWER TRAIN
1 Report3% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND I ONLY HAVE 77,000 MILES. IS THIS NORMAL? THE VAN IS ONLY A 2013 MODEL.
12/28/2017
TIRES
1 Report3% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
DRIVING ALONG INTERSTATE 10 OUR MOTOR HOME BEGAN TO SHAKE LIKE TIRES BEING OUT OF BALANCE. I STOPPED AT EXPRESS TIRE IN FREDERICKSBURG, TX. THEY FOUND THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING ON THREE OF THE SIX TIRES. BECAUSE WE WERE TRAVELING I ONLY REPLACED THE THREE PROBLEM TIRES. CONTINUING OUR TRIP WE TRAVELED ANOTHER 1,000 MILES AND A FOURTH TIRE SEPARATED. AT THAT TIME I WAS ONLY 200 MILES FROM RETURNING HOME SO HAD THE SPARE PUT ON AND CONTINUED HOME WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. I DO INTEND ON PURCHASING FOUR MORE NEW TIRES BEFORE OUR NEXT TRIP.
7/1/2018
Data and Methodology
Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.
What are the most common owner complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Express?
Are complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Express a serious warning sign?
How should buyers use complaint data for the 2013 Chevrolet Express?
Are complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Express severe?
Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.
Chevrolet Express: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?
Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.
- Complaint entries
- 31
- Top-topic view
- 5 grouped topics shown
- Primary source
- NHTSA ODI owner complaint records
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