The Lemon Index
The 5.3 L V8 in the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Avalanche, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL, model years 2007–2014. Owners filed 9,241 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 8% name the engine, #37 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
Problems owners of cars with this engine name much more often than owners of the other 38 everyday engines we track (at least 1.5× the median, and 10+ complaints):
- Oil consumption (AFM). 122 of 9,241 owner complaints (1.3%) mention burning or losing oil, against a median of 0.5% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Excessive oil consumption, burns 2 quarts of oil per 1000 miles. multiple valve lifters had to be replaced due to damage cause by low oil. had lifters replaced last summer. faulty oil monitor design, doesn't indicate oil is low. this happens during normal use of vehicle. ongoing issue.
2011 owner · NHTSA complaint 11316122 - Lifters and ticking. 161 of 9,241 owner complaints (1.7%) mention a lifter, rocker or ticking, against a median of 0.3% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Afm Lifters are starting to fail and my frame is completely rotted and needs to be totally swapped out.
2011 owner · NHTSA complaint 11618001
Also often talked about, but not standing out in complaints to NHTSA: cylinder deactivation (AFM) (64 of 9,241, 0.7%, peers under 0.1%). That doesn't mean it never happens, only that owners rarely file it with the government.
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 35/100 across 8 model years, from 76 videos about this engine and its cars (#161 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- Collapsed Lifter 5.3 DOD / AFM Silverado & Sierra Replacement, Install, Symptoms, Diagnosing, Noise 1,251,598 views
- No Oil Pressure! It’s back! Chevrolet Silverado 5.3 1,037,372 views
- DOD AFM Delete Yukon, Tahoe, Silverado, Sierra, Escalade 6.2L & 5.3L Replace cam & lifters Part 1 847,775 views
- I Deleted The AFM And VVT From My 5.3L LS V8! - First Startup - 5.3L LC9 Gen IV LS V8 Build Part 4 642,916 views
- 0 or Low Oil Pressure? Chevy Suburban, 5.3l Vortec 2007-2014, Tahoe, Yukon. Diagnose and Fix Easiest 540,635 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
- Chevrolet Suburban20072008200920102011201220132014
- Chevrolet Tahoe20072008200920102011201220132014
- GMC Yukon20072008200920102011201220132014
- Chevrolet Avalanche200720082009201120122013
- Chevrolet Silverado200820092010201120122013
- GMC Sierra200820092010201120122013
- GMC Yukon XL200720082010201120122013
Model years from NHTSA VIN decoding of owner complaints. Only years we have a car page for.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older cars have had longer to collect them, and popular cars draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car rate. Compare the shares below instead.
By car
| Car | Model years matched | Complaints | Name the engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 2007–14 | 2,701 | 5% |
| Chevrolet Silverado | 2008–13 | 1,991 | 10% |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 2007–14 | 1,409 | 10% |
| Chevrolet Avalanche | 2007–13 | 1,165 | 6% |
| GMC Sierra | 2008–13 | 987 | 8% |
| GMC Yukon | 2007–14 | 700 | 8% |
| GMC Yukon XL | 2007–14 | 288 | 11% |
“Name the engine” = the share of that car's VIN-matched complaints that list the engine as a problem area.
What owners complain about
Share of this engine's complaints that name each area (one complaint can name several).
What owners write
| Complaints that | Count | Share | Median, other everyday engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 416 | 4.5% | 14% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 187 | 2.0% | 3.2% |
| Mention a lifter, rocker or ticking | 161 | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Mention burning or losing oil | 122 | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 93 | 1.0% | 2.9% |
| Mention cylinder deactivation (AFM / DFM / VCM / MDS) | 64 | 0.7% | under 0.1% |
| Mention a misfire | 57 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Mention a spark plug | 47 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 27 | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Mention an oil leak | 9 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the car, not only the engine). A share, not a failure rate.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 44,000 and 105,000 miles; the middle report was at 71,850 miles (5,499 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 0
No NHTSA recall on these cars and years names this engine.
NHTSA recalls on these cars and model years whose text names this engine (its size or name). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each car year's page.
In owners' words
I received a code on my dash about my airbag needing service, I know my 2007 Tahoe had a airbag recall and not sure if my 2012 might need the same thing.
2012 owner · NHTSA complaint 11777111
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 108,000. At the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 212,257.
2013 owner · NHTSA complaint 11769734
Severe frame rot on driver side beneath the cab. Just noticed it today July 13, 2026.
2012 owner · NHTSA complaint 11750169
Against the other everyday engines
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Stalled or lost power | Burning oil | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 EcoBoost | 2014–25 | 5,622 | 66% | 15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 6.2 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 7,219 | 65% | 24% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2.4 Theta II | 2010–22 | 21,551 | 51% | 20% | 8.1% | 8 |
| 2.4 Ecotec | 2010–17 | 6,096 | 51% | 21% | 18% | 0 |
| 3.0 EcoDiesel | 2014–23 | 2,871 | 50% | 24% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 3.3 Lambda II | 2013–21 | 3,254 | 50% | 17% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2.0 EcoBoost | 2012–25 | 9,735 | 48% | 12% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 2.0T Theta II | 2011–22 | 3,325 | 44% | 18% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1.4 Turbo | 2011–22 | 3,926 | 39% | 17% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2.4 Tigershark | 2014–22 | 9,631 | 35% | 34% | 4.5% | 5 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2016–25 | 4,471 | 33% | 27% | 0.3% | 1 |
| EA888 2.0T | 2009–25 | 7,443 | 29% | 16% | 3.7% | 5 |
| A25A | 2018–25 | 2,979 | 26% | 12% | under 0.1% | 1 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2017–22 | 6,390 | 26% | 14% | 0.2% | 0 |
| J35 V6 | 2003–25 | 24,038 | 24% | 14% | 0.9% | 4 |
| Skyactiv-G 2.5 | 2014–25 | 2,631 | 22% | 11% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 2.7 Turbo | 2019–25 | 1,090 | 22% | 12% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 2AZ-FE | 2001–09 | 7,176 | 22% | 3.7% | 8.6% | 0 |
| 5.4 Triton | 2005–14 | 3,952 | 21% | 15% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 5.7 HEMI | 2003–24 | 23,895 | 19% | 23% | 0.1% | 6 |
| QR25DE | 2002–20 | 16,161 | 19% | 14% | 1.5% | 4 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 13,191 | 18% | 13% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 3.6 Pentastar | 2011–25 | 34,634 | 18% | 16% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2.3 EcoBoost | 2015–25 | 3,975 | 16% | 9.9% | 0.1% | 12 |
| 3.8 Lambda II | 2020–25 | 4,423 | 16% | 8.0% | 5.6% | 0 |
| FB20 | 2012–25 | 2,336 | 15% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 0 |
| 3.6 V6 | 2009–23 | 14,214 | 14% | 14% | 0.1% | 1 |
| K24 | 2002–19 | 15,062 | 14% | 5.1% | 1.6% | 0 |
| 2GR-FKS | 2016–24 | 3,758 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 3.5 Cyclone V6 | 2007–19 | 21,313 | 12% | 11% | 0.1% | 0 |
| VQ35 V6 | 2002–25 | 12,613 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 3UR-FE | 2007–21 | 1,377 | 12% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0 |
| FB25 | 2011–25 | 9,853 | 11% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 0 |
| 2AR-FE | 2009–18 | 4,673 | 11% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 2GR-FE | 2005–18 | 8,680 | 10% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0 |
| 3.8 V6 | 2007–11 | 7,877 | 9% | 17% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) | 2007–14 | 9,241 | 8% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0 |
| 1GR-FE | 2003–24 | 5,757 | 7% | 4.0% | under 0.1% | 0 |
| 4.8 V8 | 2007–13 | 726 | 6% | 4.8% | 0.1% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often engines break.
Quick answers
Is the GM 5.3 V8 (Vortec, 2007–13) reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 9,241 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 8% name the engine, #37 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most). 122 (1.3%) mention burning or losing oil, against 0.5% for the other engines. 161 (1.7%) mention a lifter, rocker or ticking, against 0.3% for the other engines.
What cars have the GM 5.3 V8 (Vortec, 2007–13)?
In our data: the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Avalanche, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL, model years 2007–2014, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) problems?
In owner complaints to the government: airbags, body structure, electrical.
How many recalls name the 5.3 V8 (Gen IV)?
0 NHTSA recalls on these cars name it.
Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under each car's own NHTSA names (the same ones its car pages count), all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (displacement, cylinders, engine model, turbo, hybrid) and the engine maker's model years; a VIN that doesn't decode to exactly one engine is left out. Older cars have had more years to collect complaints, and popular cars draw more because more were sold. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261111; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (batch); NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and model years: GM.