2013 GMC Sierra 2500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jan 3, 2025 · 46 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Sierra 2500 years
About as many complaints as other years 16th of 30 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
2–4 out of 5 stars (varies by version)

Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500. That ranks 16th out of 30 Sierra 2500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (14 complaints, 30%), typically at around 45,489 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

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

Compare with another car

Most common 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 problems

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

Unknown or Other14 · ~45,489 mi
Air Bags7 · ~20,500 mi
Fuel/propulsion System7 · ~110,000 mi
Power Train5 · ~118,116 mi
Steering5 · ~43,000 mi
Structure4 · ~62,500 mi
Electrical System3 · ~79,530 mi
Service Brakes3 · ~37,500 mi
Tires2 · ~84,596 mi
Vehicle Speed Control2
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Unknown or Other1430%45,489——
Air Bags715%20,500——
Fuel/propulsion System715%110,000——
Power Train511%118,116——
Steering511%43,000——
Structure49%62,500——
Electrical System37%79,530——
Service Brakes37%37,500——
Tires24%84,596——
Vehicle Speed Control24%———
Engine12%———
Engine and Engine Cooling12%———
Fuel System, Diesel12%49,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline12%106,000——
Suspension12%———

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2023, with 10 complaints
2016: 2201622017: 8201782018: 7201872019: 2201922020: 4202042021: 6202162022: 3202232023: 102023102024: 3202432025: 120251

n = 46 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2013 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls (3)

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

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V053000 · 692,526 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V054000 · 1,778,128 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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.

EquipmentApr 26, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V267000 · 6,154 vehicles

Problem: 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

Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

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.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.

Recent owner reports

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

The contact owns a 2013 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road, where a mobile independent mechanic diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed. The mechanic determined…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Jan 3, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11633823

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…

Air Bags · received Dec 18, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11631474

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.

Power Train · received Aug 21, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11610040

I get a recall notice from GM but the dealer won't do the repair without me signing a waiver for any damage they may cause to the dashboard during the recalled airbag removal. Can anyone get GM dealers to do the necessary repair and have accountability for any damage they may do?

Air Bags · received Aug 21, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11610068

On 9/20/23 my truck suffered a brake failure in which one of the front calipers ruptured and there was a complete loss of braking. The brakes were repaired the following day and an "ABS" light remained on after the brakes were repaired and the brake lines were bled. The vehicle codes were checked…

Service Brakes · received Oct 24, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11551659

Other GMC Sierra 2500 years

← 2012 Sierra 2500 · 2014 Sierra 2500 →

See all GMC Sierra 2500 problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.

Similar GMC models

Embed this 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 badge on your site

Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500?

Owners most often report unknown or other, air bags, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 14 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500?

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

Was the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sierra 2500 model years, the 2013 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 2–4 out of 5 stars (varies by version) overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.