VehicleVerdict

2013 GMC Sierra 2500 problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 carries two red flags at once: 57 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). It is one of the Sierra 2500 years to avoid.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across other (14), fuel system (9), and airbags (7), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 4 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

57

NHTSA complaints

3

Recalls

1

Investigations · 1 open

2

Crash-involved

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

4

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2013 compare to other Sierra 2500 years?

See all Sierra 2500 years to avoid →

What are the most common 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Other1425%
Fuel System916%
Airbags712%
Transmission59%
Steering59%
Body & Structure47%
Brakes35%
Electrical System35%
Speed Control24%
Tires & Wheels24%
Engine24%
Suspension12%

Does the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 have recalls?

3 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

21V053000AirbagsFebruary 5, 2021 · 692,526 units

Defect

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

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.

21V054000AirbagsFebruary 5, 2021 · 1,778,128 units

Defect

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

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.

18V267000OtherApril 26, 2018 · 6,154 units

Defect

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

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.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA21002

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

SERVICE STABILITRAK WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH. TRUCK WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" . NO TRANS PRIDAL DISPLAY. TRUCK DRIVEN SLOWLY OFF HIGHWAY. AT THE SERVICE DEALER THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE FAILED AT 79,530 MILES. VEHICLE COVERED UNDER THE FEDERAL…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · July 11, 2019

I was traveling east bound on i26 when the Bosch fuel pump exploded and sent metal shavings throughout the fuel system. It's the same pump GM has settled a class action lawsuit when I spoke to the adjuster I was told.my truck wasn't included but yet it has the Bosch fuel pump the lawsuit is for…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Fuel System · March 29, 2022 · crash

I was traveling east bound on i26 when the Bosch fuel pump exploded and sent metal shavings throughout the fuel system. It's the same pump GM has settled a class action lawsuit when I spoke to the adjuster I was told.my truck wasn't included but yet it has the Bosch fuel pump the lawsuit is for…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · March 29, 2022 · crash

I was hauling a load and felt a hard jolt near the transmission. The pickup went into limp mode and would not let me accelerate above 45 mph. Took it to a dealership and was told the valve body had malfunctioned. I have been without a vehicle for over 40 days due to the part being back ordered.

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · July 7, 2024

SERVICE STABILITRAK WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH. TRUCK WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" . NO TRANS PRIDAL DISPLAY. TRUCK DRIVEN SLOWLY OFF HIGHWAY. AT THE SERVICE DEALER THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE FAILED AT 79,530 MILES. VEHICLE COVERED UNDER THE FEDERAL…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Steering · July 11, 2019

2013 GMC Sierra 2500 — common questions

Is the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 57 complaints put the 2013 model at #16 of 31 Sierra 2500 years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Sierra 2500 years to avoid.

What are the most common 2013 Sierra 2500 problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are other (14 complaints), fuel system (9 complaints), airbags (7 complaints).

Does the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns affecting the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which GMC Sierra 2500 years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Sierra 2500 years to avoid are 2003, 2004, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2024, 2020, 2015, 2007, 2011, 2008, 2013, 2012, 2014, 2009, 2010. The cleanest record among Sierra 2500 years belongs to 1994.

How safe is the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 earned an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.