2013 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems and Recalls (114 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 is Airbags (22% of 114 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?
25 of 114 filings named Airbags (22% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Body / frame (20 reports).
There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2012 has 107 reports on file; this year has 114. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 2
- Fires 1
- Injuries 2
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 25 | 21.9% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 20 | 17.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 6 | 5.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 5 | 4.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 3 | 2.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 2 | 1.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 2 | 1.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 2 | 1.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 2 | 1.8% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 65 | 57.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 21V053000 was reported 1,737 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V054000 was reported 1,737 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V267000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V053000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V054000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22005 |
Safety Recalls (3)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags.
-
Recall campaign 18V267000
Safety recall 18V267000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.
-
Recall campaign 21V053000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.
-
Recall campaign 21V054000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?
Owners named Airbags most often — 25 of 114 reports (22%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.