2013 Chevrolet Captiva

Routine

Owners filed 97 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. No safety recall has been issued.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
77,000 milesMedian miles at failure

83 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 75,00090,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine39
010
Electrical System27
032
Unknown or Other7
000
Electronic Stability Control (esc)6
000
Structure › Body4
000
Service Brakes4
000
Steering3
000
Air Bags2
100
Visibility1
000
Traction Control System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Jun 1, 2023OH

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that the cruise control intermittently failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 14, 2023OR

Key will lock in ignition and vehicle will not start. Happens intermittently. Battery is fine, alternator is fine, dealership replaced ignition when purchased which helped for about a year, but the problem continues to become more frequent. Rattling the battery fixes the problem, but only temporarily.

Engine
Filed Feb 14, 2023103,416 milesPA

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle was making abnormal sounds. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The contact was informed to closely monitor the oil level. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled and was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the timing chain had failed and bent the valves. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 103,416.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 4, 2022IN

Continus electric drop causing different systems to lose power, fail, or temporarly disable including but not limited to traction control, emergency break, radio and lights. After researching the problem in various forums I noted many owners facing the same problem over various years with no clear solution.

Steering
Filed Feb 17, 2022170,386 milesIA

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering column knuckle detached, causing the steering wheel to become inoperable. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,386. Car was serviced on 12/5/2019 for a KIA warrantied repair; timing belt replacement causing engine failure. The representative restated again that KIA would not repair the car. Consumer stated vehicle sustained a rod bearing failure at 74,000 miles during operation at highway speeds. Consumer did not receive a letter from KIA for corrective maintenance.

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Nov 29, 202192,000 milesNM

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva. The contact stated that on multiple occasions after inserting the key into the ignition switch, the ignition switch would not turn, and the engine could not be started. Also, the key would remain stuck inside the ignition switch and could not be removed. The vehicle was towed to a local service center who replaced the ignition switch, but the failure continued to occur. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.

Electrical System
Filed May 26, 2021AR

UNKNOWN, several times between my husband or myself while driving down the road and on the interstate, the vehicle would just completely shut off no lights, no brakes no nothing. We purchased the vehicle used so we thought that it had something to do with some minor maintenance but this first occurred only after having the vehicle for two weeks. We've taken the vehicle back to where we purchased it, they could not find any issues with the vehicle and taken it to other locations with no luck on solving issue. The vehicle does not give any signs or warning when it will shut down while drive. Here recently when using the turn signals, switching on high beams, or even turning on the radio causes the vehicle shut down.

Engine
Filed Jan 1, 2021880,000 milesOH

PURCHASED CARE USED AT 76,000. CAR WENT FOR REPAIRS ONCE AFTER 4 MONTH OF OWNERSHIP, WAS JERKING. CAMSHAFT ACTUATOR WAS REPLACED AT THIS TIME. OIL CHANGE WAS DONE AT THIS TIME AS WELL. SIX MONTHS LATER CAR BEGINS TO JERK REPEATEDLY IN DRIVE AND REVERSE WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR IDLING, NO WARNING LIGHTS LIT. UPON INSPECTION WAS FOUND WITH NO OIL AT ALL. CAR WAS 3,500 INTO AN OIL CHANGE - BURNED THROUGH ALL OIL. SINCE RESEARCHING, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2.4 L ECO ENGINE, SAME AS CHEVY EQUINOX. ENGINE IS BEING REPAIRED, MAY NEED REPLACEMENT. VERY UPSETTING OWNING VEHICLE UNDER A YEAR, AND UNDER 100,000 MILES. CHEVY NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE CAPTIVA.

Engine
Filed Dec 22, 2020WI

MY CAPTIVA LEAVES NO TRACE OF OIL ON THE GARAGE FLOOR BUT BURNS THROUGH OIL FAST ENOUGH I MUST ADD OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. VEHICLE DOES NOT SMOKE SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT GOES. I KNOW SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH CAPTIVAS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND SOME HAVE HAD THEIR MOTORS REPLACED. I CANT BELIEVE THERE IS NO RECALL ON SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE OIL ISSUE AS I KNOW OF AT LEAST 2 OTHER PEOPLE THAT PROBLEM. NOW I AM DEALING WITH A LEAKY RADIATOR AND HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THAT FIXED. A 7 YEAR OLD CAR WITH JUST OVER 100K ON IT SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. IF I HADN'T CHECKED THE OIL, THE MOTOR NO DOUBT WOULD HAVE SEIZED UP GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE THAT WE FINALLY HAD TO START ADDING OIL BUT IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR. I AM FINALLY TIRED OF HAVING TO CHECK OIL LIKE I OWN A 200K CAR.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 21, 2020LA

I KEY STUCK IN IGNITION. TURN CAR OFF CANNOT REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION

Engine
Filed Jul 16, 2020128,000 milesMS

LAST YEAR IT KEPT GOING DEAD, I HAD JUST HAD OIL CHANGED HAD IT CHECKED BY MECHANIC IT WAS OUT OF OIL, HE REPLACED SENSORS BECAUSE THEY WENT OUT BECAUSE NO OIL, I FAILED COMPLAINT WITH COMPANY I USED FOR OIL CHANGE THINKING THEY DID NOT PUT OIL BACK IN IT, THEY PD FOR REPAIR. IN JUNE HAD OIL CHANGED 2 WKS LATER IT STARTED MAKING CLATTERING SOUND, OUT OF OIL AGAIN AND STILL HAD 3000 MILES LEFT BEFORE ANOTHER CHANGE. TOOK IT TO COMPANY HE INFORMED ME 2.4 ECO MOTOR HAD A LAW SUIT LAST YR FOR OIL USAGE THRU ENGINE PISTONS, I WAS NEVER SENT A NOTICE OF RECALL OR ANYTHING. I BELIEVE THIS HAS BEEN PROBLEM ALL ALONG.NOW I'M STUCK WITH A VEHICLE I'M WORRIED WILL STOP ON ME.AND GM WILL NOT PAY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT OR NOTHING. I CAN NOT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR, AND THIS ONE HAS BEEN SERVICED AND TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF. ANY SUGGESTIONS . CAR WAS IN MOTION

Engine
Filed Jun 21, 2020104,000 milesOH

I HEARD A SMALL NOISE. TOOK MY CAPTIVA TO MY SHOP TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LET ME DRIVE IT TO MY DEALER WHICH WAS 2 MILES AWAY. THEY HAD IT TOWED. THE 2.4L ENGINES ALSO IN GMC'S TERRAIN AND EQUINOX, EAT UP OIL QUICKLY AND BLOW OUT YOUR ENGINE. LUCKILY MY SERVICE PEOPLE FOUND IT. BUT IT COST ME $5,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE I WAS NOW AT 104,000 AND MY WARRANTY RAN OUT AT 100,000. NOW THERE IS A RECALL ON TERRAINS AND EQUINOX BUT NOT THE CAPTIVA'S. AND WE HAVE THE SAME ENGINES.

Engine
Filed May 8, 202085,734 milesMN

BOUGHR THE SUV FROM DEALER WITH 63 K MILES. DID OIL CHANGES ON TIME AND MAINTENANCE. CAR ENGINE IS NLIWN AT 86K MILES. FIRST THE CAR STARTED TI IDKE RIUGH DURING STOPS. CMTOOK IN. THEY REPLACED CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. CLEANED THROTTLE.BODY. RAN OK FOR 2 MONTHS. THEN PROBLEM CAME BACK. HOWEVER THE NEXT DAY THE SUV WOULDN'T START. DID A CRANK NO START I CHANGED THE BATTERY, TRIED THE SPARK PLUGS, FUEL FILTER. STILL NO CRANK. THE MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT IT FOUND THAT. THE TIMING CHAIN LOST TENSION.. BECAUSE A PLASTIC CLIP. WHICH HOLDS TWNSION ON THE TIMING CHAIN WAS MISSING..A PLASTIC PIECE.. CAUSED MY TIMING TO SHIFT WHERE IT MESSED UP THE ECM. THIS CAUSED THE PISTONS TO SHOOT WHEN THE VALVE WAS CLOSED. SO NOW A CAR I BOUGHT FOR 12K. AND PAID OFF.. ONLY TO PUT 20K MILES ON IT.. WILL COST ME 7K FOR A REFURBISHED ENGINE SWAP.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 26, 2020IL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CHASSIS CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Engine
Filed Feb 29, 202080 milesOH

THE CAR IS CUTTING OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING JUSTT. STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC RPM IS NOT REGISTERING THE RIGHT WAY WHERE THE CAR IS CUTTING OFF

Engine
Filed Feb 7, 2020119,000 milesIN

BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO A CHEVY DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS CONSUMING OIL MUCH QUICKER THAN NORMAL. I WAS HAVING TO PUT ROUGHLY 2 QUARTS IN EVERY WEEK. I DO MOSTLY SMALL TOWN DRIVING SO NOTHING TOO EXTENSIVE. THE DEALER SHOWED NO EXTERNAL LEAKS AND SUGGESTED DOING A DIAGNOSTIC TO SEE IF THERE WAS INTERNAL CONSUMPTION. CAME TO FIND THAT THE PISTON RINGS INSIDE THE ENGINE ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THEM, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR CHEVY SUVS MADE DURING THIS TIME. TO REPLACE WOULD MEAN TO REBUILD THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND COSTS AROUND $3,200 IF YOU CAN FIND A SHOP WILLING TO MESS WITH IT. VERY DISAPPOINTED. MY SISTER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN AN EQUINOX. HER RINGS WERE RECALLED AND CHEVY REPLACED FOR FREE. WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM LOOK INTO THIS AS IT SEEMS LIKE MOST PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM...OIL CONSUMPTION AND ENGINE IDLING ISSUES. SUCKS FOR A CAR TO BE LESS THAN 7 YEARS OLD AND BE UNDRIVEABLE. WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE PURCHASING ANOTHER CHEVY.

Engine
Filed Jan 24, 2020100,000 milesIL

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD DOING 50. CAR JUST DIES OUT IF NO WHERE. PULLED OVER AND IT WOULD START. WAITED 15 MINUTES AND IT WOULD THEN START. CAR ENGINE SOUNDED ROUGH. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC. HE TOLD ME THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN. I CONTACT CHEVY. THEY TELL ME TO GET IT LOOKED AT BY CHEVY DEALER. TOWED CAR TO DEALER. THEY HAVE NOW INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED AND THEY BELIEVE NO LONGER GOOD. NEW ENGINE WILL COST 8000. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I SEE ONLINE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM N WITH THE ENGINE IN THIS MODEL. AND THIS ENGINE IS USED IN A FEW OTHER MODELS AND EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC VERIFIED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. REPRESENTATIVE AT CHEVY ALSO VERIFIED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. HIS NAME IS [XXX] WITH FRIENDLY CHEVROLET IN SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS. SHOULD THESE ENGINES BE FAILING? SHOULD CONSUMERS BE FACED WITH THIS ISSUE. PLEASE HELP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Engine
Filed Jan 10, 2020140,000 milesMI

OIL JUST BURNS OUT OF IT. I WOULD HAVE TO PUT OIL IN IT EVERY WEEK TO EVERY OTHER WEEK. I GOT MY REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND IT DIDN'T MATTER STILL NEEDED OIL CONSTANTLY. TILL MY MOTOR FINALLY WAS BLOWN WITH NO OIL EVEN THOUGH I HAD JUST PUT SOME IN. WASN'T LEAKING I HAD IT LOOKED AT TO SEE IF WAS.

Engine
Filed Dec 22, 201971,000 milesNE

STARTING ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO, MY "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT STARTED COMING ON AND THAT IT WOULD START SHAKING WHEN I WAS SITTING IDEL. I TOOK MY CAPTIVA TO A MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD THAT HE BELIEVED IT DEALT WITH OIL CONSUMPTION. I DRIVE ONLY SHORT DISTANCES TO MY WORK, SO I SHOULD NOT BE USING VERY MUCH OIL. EVERY TIME I HAVE HAD THE LIGHT COME ON, I TAKE IT IN AND THEY BASICALLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE MAJORITY OF MY OIL. THE VEHICLE IS BURNING IT MUCH FASTER THAN IT SHOULD BE.

Engine
Filed Dec 20, 2019134,000 milesCT

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN CONSUMING A LOT OF OIL. SO MUCH THAT I NEED TO SET A REMINDER ON MY CALENDAR TO CHECK EVERY 2 WEEKS. IT DID NOT LEAK OIL. ON 12/19/2019 AT 134K, I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED THE CAR'S POWER WEAKENED. IT STALLED, I STARTED AND WENT ON THE HIGHWAY. STABILITY TRACTION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS DECREASED ENGINE POWER. I HAD MY HAZARDS ON AND COASTED TO A GAS STATION OFF THE HIGHWAY. I CHECK MY OIL. I NEARLY HAD ANY. MIND YOU ON 12/9 I HAD TO HAVE MY HEAT FIXED AND PAID FOR A NEW BLEND DOOR HEAT ACTUATOR. THEY ALSO ADDED 2 QUARTS OF OIL ON 12/9. I HARDLY HAD ANY 10 DAYS LATER. A FTER ADDING 2 QTS THE VEHICLE SOUNDED OKAY AND OFF I WENT. WITHIN 5 MINUTES, ON THE HIGHWAY, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN.THE CAR WAS DECREASING ENGINE POWER. IT WAS TERRIFYING. I MADE IT OFF THE HIGHWAY ONTO ANOTHER HIGHWAY AND BROKE DOWN IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE DURING RUSH HOUR.. ENGINE WOULD NOT START. MY MECHANIC SAID THE REAR MAIN SEAL COME OUT AND LOST ALL THE OIL. THERE IS A BULLETIN ABOUT THIS HAPPENING DURING COLD WEATHER. I TOOK GOOD CARE OF THE VEHICLE AND AM ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED IN CHEVY FOR BEING AWARE OF ISSUES AND NOT HAVING A RECALL. I HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER CAR NOW.

20 of 97 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2014
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
201514000Routine
2014138020Routine
2013 — this page97040Routine
201265020Routine
20111100Routine

Compare every Captiva year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.