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2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 4WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2011 Avalanche 4WD.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 4WD is a passenger car whose engine requires 6 quarts of 5W-30 oil. Its reliability record shows 77 owner complaints, with the engine as the most frequently cited area, yet it has zero recalls. This places the model year in a position where researchers should note a notable volume of reported issues without any formal safety actions.

Model year2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 615 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 615 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP265-70R17OEM · verified

Wheel / rim8.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12690386
Engine air filter	22845992 alt 15908916
Spark plug	12680072
Front wiper blades	22793882
Serpentine belt	19210691 alt 12626222
Thermostat	89018168 alt 12587397

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	218.1 in
Overall width	79.1 in
Overall height	73.2 in
Wheelbase	130.3 in
Curb weight	5437 lb
Track (front / rear)	68.5 / 67.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	52/48

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, Synthetic · SAE 75W in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	6
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	Synthetic · SAE 75W
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	2.75 qt
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	6 qt

Engine torques

Engine Valve Cover Bolts

8.85 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)	74.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket	125.0 plus 90 degrees ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle	70.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket	70.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Standard BCI Group Number	48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	615 cca
Optional BCI Group Number	48
Optional BCI Cranking Performance	730 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60 w/o FPCM
RPM	43-45 @ Idle rpm

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH RPO J92, JD9 / WITH RPO JH6
Torque Caliper to Bracket	74 ft-lbs / 28 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	148 ft-lbs / 122 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake Application	WITH RPO J92, JD9 / WITH RPO JH6
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0007 in / 0.007 in / 0.0001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in / 0.005 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.181 in / 0.787 in / 1.496 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

3.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.4

3.7 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., step 2: 15

11 ft. lbs

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

3.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.4

3.7 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., step 2: 15

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 4WD top in one area — the engine, 9 of 77 reports (12%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 10 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

914

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

10 involved a crash · 1 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 77 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine9

Electrical System7

Air Bags6

Unknown Or Other5

Service Brakes4

Power Train4

Engine & Engine Cooling4

Electrical System,Engine2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 914 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4902S	2025-06-09	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
21-NA-043	2025-01-31	Electrical System	This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full…
22-NA-074	2025-01-30	Engine	This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to…
PIT5962B	2024-12-06	Electrical System	This Preliminary information communicates a GM part number for reflective high…
21-NA-043	2024-11-04	Structure	This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Avalanche 4WD. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 48 battery Vehicles taking 6 qt Engine oil filter 12690386 Engine air filter 22845992 Spark plug 12680072 Front wiper blades 22793882

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2011 Avalanche 4WD take?

6 qt of 5W-30 MEETING GM DEXOS 1 SPECIFICATION, per the factory manual.

Does the 2011 Avalanche 4WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.