AI Damage2013 Chevrolet Captiva Sport reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Chevrolet Captiva Sport filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 78% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 22% of all complaints
- 3 Backover prevention 11% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- Engine: 7 complaints (78% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Backover prevention: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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)
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.
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 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.
Still no MIL Check Engine light. This is IMO a safety issue as there is no warning! I was able to drive short bits to get it home. Only after I got home, car cooled, went to try and drive with scan tool hooked up it threw a code for ABS/TCS system pressure circuit malfunction, DTC C0131-5A!
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,593 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 33% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Captiva Sport has 32 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Backover prevention. Rear camera and parking sensors after a rear impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Captiva Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, air bags, backover prevention. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (67%), airbags did not deploy (11%), engine failure or replacement (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Chevrolet Captiva Sport?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2013 Chevrolet Captiva Sport from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2013 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.