2013 Chevrolet Silverado Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 26, 2024 · 64 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Silverado years
Far fewer complaints than other years 21st of 23 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado. That ranks 21st out of 23 Silverado model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (11 complaints, 17%), typically at around 33,163 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.

Chevrolet Silverado
2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD photographed in Montréal , Québec , Canada at the 2023 Montréal International Auto Show .. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2013 Chevrolet Silverado problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags11 · ~33,163 mi
Power Train11 · ~3,500 mi
Structure9 · ~12,000 mi
Steering8 · ~13,819 mi
Engine7 · ~17,770 mi
Unknown or Other7 · ~29,325 mi
Electrical System6 · ~12,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control6 · ~6,050 mi
Fuel/propulsion System3 · ~17,770 mi
Seat Belts3 · ~18,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags1117%33,163——
Power Train1117%3,500——
Structure914%12,000——
Steering813%13,819——
Engine711%17,770——
Unknown or Other711%29,325——
Electrical System69%12,000——
Vehicle Speed Control69%6,050——
Fuel/propulsion System35%17,770——
Seat Belts35%18,000——
Tires35%700——
Visibility/wiper35%7,000——
Service Brakes23%14,947——
Wheels23%475——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)12%60,232——
Engine and Engine Cooling12%2,000——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility12%7,321——
Exterior Lighting12%10——
Seats12%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 28 complaints
2013: 162013162014: 282014282015: 102015102016: 7201672022: 2202222024: 120241

n = 64 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2013 Chevrolet Silverado recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Equipment:other:labelsOct 30, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 13V544000 · 1,808 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD, Chevrolet Express, and GMC Sierra HD vehicles, and model year 2013 GMC Savana compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles that fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 303 "Fuel System Integrity of Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles." In the affected vehicles, the text of the CNG fuel-only label is smaller than the required size, and as a result, may be less noticeable.

Risk: Text that does not conform to the required labeling size could inhibit fuel tank inspection practices and safe refueling, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners and will send them a replacement label, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 13365.

Fuel system, dieselDec 11, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V615000 · 9,733 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD vehicles, equipped with 6.6L diesel engines and dual fuel tanks. In the affected vehicles, the transfer pump which moves fuel from the rear tank to the front tank could malfunction and cause the fuel gauge to indicate an inaccurate reading.

Risk: If the fuel gauge indicates an inaccurate reading it may result in the vehicle unexpectedly stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: General Motors will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel transfer pump, as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 13420.

Power train:automatic transmission; steering:column locking:anti-theft deviceJan 2, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V001000 · 54,686 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.

Risk: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

See attached document for complaint.

Air Bags · received Sep 26, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11616558

2013 chevrolet silverado. Consumer writes in regard to takata airbag safety recall. The consumer stated after having the recall repair performed, the airbag warning light illuminated. The dealer stated the airbag was not receiving any power. The dealer informed the consumer that the engine wiring…

Air Bags · received Jun 8, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11468309

2013 chevrolet silverado. Consumer writes in regards to passenger side frontal airbag safety recall. The consumer stated the airbag light was illuminated.

Air Bags · received Mar 11, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11456288

Cracked dash. My vehicle only has 30k miles and already has a crack

Air Bags · received Apr 17, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10859941

Dash has cracked above passenger side airbag. This has caused safety concerns such as the possibility of the air bag deploying or pieces of the dash coming out and injuring someone if it was to deploy in an accident. I purchased this vehicle used and have only had it about 5 months.

Structure · received Apr 8, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10854300

Other Chevrolet Silverado years

← 2012 Silverado · 2014 Silverado →

See all Chevrolet Silverado problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado?

Owners most often report air bags, power train, structure problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 11 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Silverado model years, the 2013 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.