Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Captiva Sport, most frequently naming the engine, airbags and brakes categories. 204 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 2023 | 2 | 3 |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 4 |
| Mar 2024 | 2 | 6 |
| Jul 2024 | 1 | 7 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 8 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 9 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
On [XXX] while driving this vehicle owned by the state of Arizona I was involved in a collision at 40 mph. The airbags did not deploy and I sustained serious brakes and internal bleeding. There were no warning lamps. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This car is know for engine consumption issues it is the motor and it is know has has been recalled due to issues in prior years. My engine is consuming a half a quart every 40 miles.
The engine light was on and i went to dealership to have it checked out. They told me that it was a computer glich and not to worry about it. Was driving on the highway when the engine exploded and the car stopped. I was able to glide to the side of the road. After talking to dealership again they said that this model had something wrong with a part in the engine that normally would cause the car to stop without warning when reaching around 125,000 miles on it. I made it to 150,00+.
Within 3 days my vehicle stopped working with no warnings (check engine or other warnings) the vehicle made a rattling noise and then would not turn on. Upon inspection mechanic informed me that the engine would need to be replaced. There were no oil leaks or issues that would have caused the engine to die. The vehicle did not give me any signs of warnings that there was a problem. This cost would be more than the total I purchased the vehicle for. The engine has 85,000 miles and vehicle was well cared for. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and unreliable and when researching this car thousands of other people have experienced this same issue. There is a recall on the 2011 and 2012 captivas and this same issue is occurring in the 2013 captivas.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva Sport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the residence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an auto body repair shop, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the manufacturing of the vehicle was discontinued due to engine failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
When describing what happened, try to answer these questions as specifically as possible: What component or system failed or malfunctioned? Is it available for inspection upon request? the engine, when I am at a traffic light or in line at school to pick up my daughter, the car starts to shake suddenly, what I have to do is put it in NEUTRAL so that the movement decreases. Also when I'm driving on the highway they change speeds unpredictably. The engine light comes on intermittently. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It puts my safety and that of my family at risk because if I don't put it in NEUTRAL it can accelerate and collide with the car behind or in front if the distance in the school line is tight. And on the road, having this unpredictable change in speed puts our lives in danger since many cars go at speeds of more than 75 miles per hour. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by an independent dealer or service center? The problem was confirmed by an independent mechanic. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there warning lights, messages or other symptoms of the problem before the failure and when did they first appear? When the engine light came on.
These vehicles are known to use an excess of oil in the engine, when the engine oil is low there is no warning light/system to notify operator of this, I have talked with many other owners and it is the same story. Mechanics report this engine uses oil burnt by the catalytic convertor, they say it can only be fixed if you have a major engine repair, then it will be normal in oil usage. This seems to fit under the lemon law. Chevy knows about this problem, both the usage of excessive oil and also no low warning when oil is low. This can lead to a major cost or damage to the engine. Again this is a known issue. Let me know if questions. [XXX] [XXX] thanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving down the highway when it started losing power. The engine light came on. I had got this car at a dealer, so I took it to them, and they wouldn't do anything. It was low on oil, so I got a gallon of oil and started home which was a half hour away. I could only drive a little way and had to stop and put oil in it. I took it to a mechanic, and they checked the motor and changed the oil. The oil pan had shavings in it. The mechanic said the motor had to be replaced. We found out later that the motor was getting bad when it was traded at the dealer. I had it less than a month. If I had been on the interstate and this happen, I could have been hit. The Better Business Bureau couldn't get anywhere with the dealer either. I talked to a gentleman at General Motors, and they wouldn't help either.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions without utilizing the support of General Motors Technical Assistance Center. If valid vibration frequency or Road Force Variation data has been collected and a repair attempt does not correct the customer complaint, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support. For any vehicles that remains unrepaired after being at the dealer for three days or more and a related bulletin or PI is not found, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support.
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.