The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the passenger’s side air bag was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,900.
The worst 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical21
- Airbags11
- Fuel system9
- Transmission9
- Engine8
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical21
- Airbags11
- Fuel system9
- Transmission9
- Engine8
- Brakes5
- Steering4
- Body3
- Visibility3
- Lights2
- Seat belts2
- Tires2
- Driver assistance1
- Suspension1
Recalls 3
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
- Risk
- A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on july 21, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463, or hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493.
Recall number 05V163000 · Recall details
Power train: manual transmission: shift pattern indicator
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.
- Risk
- The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V055000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Certain trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans equipped with bosch hydro-boost brake assemblies, the hydraulic brake booster pressure accumulator may crack and separate from the hydro-boost assembly during normal operating conditions.
- Risk
- If a separation occurred and the hood of the vehicle were open, fragments from the accumulator could cause injury to people in the immediate area. The presence of this crack or fractured surface could allow the hydraulic fluid to leak from the accumulator circuit of the booster assembly. The loss of fluid would cause increased steering and braking effort and a crash may occur without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will test the hydro-boost assembly for functional operation of the two-function valve. If the hydro-boost assembly fails the test, dealers will replace the assembly free of charge. The recall began on march 23, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc trucks at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493.
Recall number 05V043000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche 190
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Equipment: other: owners/service/other manual
- Equipment: electrical
- This preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle...
- This informational bulletin provides information on Part Restriction and Ordering Process Information for...
- This informational bulletin provides information on close coupled converters and there affect on newly...
- Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor
- This warranty administration bulletin provides dealership personnel with policy and procedure requirements...
- This informational bulletin provides information to technicians regarding intake manifold...
- This informational bulletin provides information to advise dealers about seat belt buckles not operating...
- This technical bulletin provides repair information for repairing the IP to body harness connector to...
2005 Chevrolet Avalanche fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | RWD | 13 | 18 | 15 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 13 | 17 | 14 |
What 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Cluster gauge is not read properly all reading are all over the place.
Catastrophic brake failure because of four corroded brake lines. All four lines corroded in the bracket holding the lines to the driver side frame rail. I was driving the vehicle and when I attempted to apply the brakes there was initial resistance and then the brake pedal went straight to the floor. I attempted to apply the brakes again but the vehicle would not stop. I had to apply the parking brake to stop.
The fuel lines rubbing together causing fuel to dump every where right next to the cat on the driver side of the truck n this is not a recall. Then I say its attepmed murder charge agaisnt chevy....
The instrument panel cluster does not light up. Cannot tell what gear I am shifting in and out of. The dic buttons on my steering wheel do not light up, cannot tell if I have a malfunction when driving during the dark. I did check for a recall on this and saw that there was an older one issued in 2005 and that it closed in 2011. I was not aware of any recalls but none the less I feel that with both components failing and not working properly can cause a potential problem when in operation (driving)
Cylinder heads cracked due to poor casting (known issue by gm). This LED to coolant in the engine causing damage to lifters. Expected cost to fix is approximately $1,500 in parts up to $4,000 in labor.
8/15/2014 - service air bag light displayed. Dealer diagnosed the issue as crash sensor (10370149). Dealership replaced sensor - cost $419. 07/10/2015 - service air bag light displayed. Dealer diagnose the issue as another crash sensor (10370149). Dealership replaced sensor - cost $473. I find it concerning that air bag sensors are failing on a vehicle with less than 35,000 miles. I'm not sure if the system is functional when these sensors fail.
Service airbag message appears in the dic (digital information center). Seems to be a very common issue on the chevrolet avalanche.
The speedometer sticks at a speed and will drop to the 6 o'clock position. This is a know issue among owners but gm nor the dealerships are willing to acknowledge or fix it. This is the second issue with my vehicle that gm is not willing to fix or take responsibility. I will never purchase another gm vehicle again.
After driving the smell of fuel comes from the engine by the drivers door. I contacted gm and my vehicle does not show on the list of this known recall. They passed me to a local dealership which stated my vehicle is not one that falls under the recall and admitted they had fixed others with similar issues. This is appalling that a manufacture can assist some customers but not all. I will never purchase another gm vehicle again.
Compare the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
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Questions about the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
Is the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche reliable?
Owners have filed 71 complaints about the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche, fewer than a typical Avalanche model year.
What is the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche year score?
The 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche scores 82 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Avalanche: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Electrical system, with 21 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles. Next is airbags (11).
How many recalls does the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche have?
3 recalls, covering seat belts, power train and service brakes, hydraulic.
What year does the Chevrolet Avalanche have the most electrical problems?
The Chevrolet Avalanche model years with the most electrical complaints are 2004 (60 complaints), 2003 (42 complaints) and 2007 (24 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche get?
Official estimates for the 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche range from 14 to 15 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.3L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 13 city and 18 highway.
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