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GMC · NHTSA safety record

2013 GMC Sierra

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

39

Complaints

4

Crashes

1

Fires

7

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2013 GMC Sierra have filed 39 safety complaints with NHTSA between October 2012 and October 2023. The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 7 of them (18%). The typical failure was reported at 7,250 miles, the median across the 36 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (3)

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

13V544000 · October 30, 2015

The defect
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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

General Motors LLC · up to 1,808 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

13V615000 · December 11, 2013

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

General Motors LLC · up to 9,733 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE

13V001000 · January 2, 2013

The defect
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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

General Motors LLC · up to 54,686 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 39.

AIR BAGS 7 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 13%
POWER TRAIN 5 13%
STEERING 5 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 10%
ENGINE 3 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 8%
STRUCTURE 3 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 5%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2014 at 15.

2012 2014 2023
2012 to 2023

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · 18,000 miles

WHILE DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS, I SWERVED TO MISS AN ANIMAL, TOOK THE DITCH, HIT TWO TREES, SOME BOULDERS AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 47 MPH. THE ACCIDENT REPORT SHOWED DAMAGES TO EVERY PART OF THE TRUCK EXCEPT THE ROOF AND TAILGATE. WE HAD A GRILL GUARD INSTALLED AT A GMC DEALERSHIP UPON PURCHASE, AND HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THAT GUARD, THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN OUR LAPS. THE TRUCK SUSTAINED 20,000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGES, YET ALL GM HAD TO SAY WAS THAT THE AIRBAGS OPERATED AS DESIGNED. I SAY THAT THE DESIGN IS FATALLY FLAWED IF A CRASH OF THIS MAGNITUDE DOES NOT CAUSE THIS VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE TO OPERATE. THE FOLKS WHO TOWED THE VEHICLE HAD SOME VERY

NHTSA complaint 10574287, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · 35,000 miles

ON APRIL 7, 2014, I WAS INVOLVED IN CAR ACCIDENT. MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THROUGH A SOLID GREEN LIGHT WHEN THE OTHER THE VEHICLE MAKING A LEFT TURN TRIED TO SPEED UP TO GET PASS. I SAW THE OTHER THE VEHICLE AND PRESS THE BRAKES HARD BUT THE TRUCK SLID AND HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE. I WAS GREAT IMPACT AND I WAS SHOCKED THAT OUR AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. I'M VERY CONCERN THAT MY EQUIPMENT ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY....PLEASE ASSIST ME IN MATTER. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10578193. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · fire · crash · 19,700 miles

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME IN TRAFFIC WHEN A WOMAN DRIVING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION DECIDED TO PASS A VEHICLE. HE SWERVED TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION WHICH MEANT HE HAD TO GO OFF OF THE ROAD. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD THE TRUCK SHOT ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DPS OFFICER TOLD MY HUSBAND HE HIT A CULVERT AND FLIPPED 5- 6 TIMES. WITNESSES HAD TO PULL HIM OUT OF THE TRUCK AND HAD MENTIONED THERE WAS A SLIGHT FIRE THAT THEY PUT OUT. DURING ALL OF THIS NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. HE WENT TO THE DOCTOR THE FOLLOWING DAY TO GET CHECKED OUT. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10588319. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS

1 injured · 2 miles

THE HEAD RESTS OF OUR NEW TRUCK (PURCHASED DEC 2012) PROJECT SO FAR FORWARD THAT IT FORCES MY HEAD TO TILT DOWNWARD. THERE IS NO FORWARD/BACK ADJUSTMENT TO THE HEAD REST, AND TURNING THE HEAD REST BACKWARDS TO MAKE IT BEARABLE MEANS IT NO LONGER WILL SERVE WELL TO PREVENT NECK INJURIES IN A CRASH. FOR SHORTER DRIVES, THE FORCED HEAD TILT IS UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT FOR LONGER DRIVES IT CAUSES ENOUGH PAIN THAT I HAD TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR (AND I'M AN ATHLETIC, HEALTHY PERSON!). THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER CONTEND IT WORKS AS DESIGNED FOR SAFETY IN A CRASH. BUT IF I CAN'T SIT IN IT FOR NORMAL DRIVING WITHOUT EXPERIENCING NECK/BACK PAIN, HOW "SAFE" IS THAT? I NOTICED THE NEW 2014 GMC 1/2-TON PICKUPS

NHTSA complaint 10547121, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

100,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle veered to the side of the road and was restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer multiple times where the failure was not able to be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA complaint 11549542. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · 115,000 miles

Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2013 GMC Sierra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags).The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 mph, the drivers seat and both side air bags deployed without warning or impact. The contact sustained injuries to his face, experienced blurred vision and medical attention was provided. The contact called the local dealer but vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000. GM was contacted , sent an engineer who pretty much indicated parts failure. Since then consumer has not been contacted.

NHTSA complaint 11455493. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
2013 GMC SIERRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL N212328790.

NHTSA complaint 11436375. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

20,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY LOOSE. WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE HEARD FROM THE STEERING COLUMN TO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V339000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. UPDATED 05/03/16*LJ THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, FOUND TWO SPLINE SHAFTS IN THE STEERING COLUMN WORN. THE REPAIRS WERE DONE AT NO CHARGE. UPDATED 05/05/16.*JB

NHTSA complaint 10852250. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

42,053 miles

I HAVE A 2013 SIERRA DENALI HD. I AM VERY OCD WITH THIS VEHICLE AS TO I ONLY DRIVE IT ON WEEK-ENDS, ETC. TRUCK IS STORED IN CLIMATE CONTROLLED GARAGE. JUST TURNED OVER 42K MILES. I HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DETAILING SERVICE DETAIL THIS TRUCK. I PICKED UP MY TRUCK TODAY AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY FOUND A CRACK IN THE DASH LOCATED BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. ONLY 6K MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. HOW CONVENIENT FOR GM. I PLAN ON TALKING TO DEALER THAT SERVICES MY TRUCK TOMORROW AND GET THEIR INPUT.

NHTSA complaint 10851520. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

45,000 miles

"TAKATA RECALL". CRACKED DASH STATIONARY

NHTSA complaint 10851656. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the GMC Sierra

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2017 61 0 —
2015 53 6 —
2014 101 11 —
2012 29 2 —
2011 43 2 —
2010 34 0 —

Other 2013 GMC models

Terrain 363 Acadia 135 Yukon 117 Sierra 1500 115 Sierra 2500 46 Yukon XL 22 Sierra 3500 14

Every GMC on this site — 144 vehicles, 425 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst