Most common 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems
Share of the 26 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints by model year
Best Silverado 3500 years: 2014, 2017, 2012. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020, 2022. Compare all years →
2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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,…
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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…
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.
Equipment
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.
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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Auxillary tank
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks equipped with dual fuel tanks. The low fuel level sensor for the front tank may stick causing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear tank fuel pump or update the fuel-level sensor software, as well as inspect the front tank, replacing it as necessary, free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500:
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.
What 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 owners say
Steering
Steering has locked up momentarily while turning at low speed into a parking lot. This has happened numerous times, but it is very brief. Recently it has happened several times while driving in deep snow in the mountains in four wheel drive. It completely locks up for a second or so then breaks free. It is not to be confused with becoming difficult to steer, as if the power steering belt is slipping - no it completely locks up. No noise is present when this happens. No squealing belts, no grinding - no different noise of any kind. It just locks up, then breaks free. Since it happens momentarily, it is very difficult to investigate or duplicate. This has happened numerous times since the truck was brand new.
When making turns at slow speeds the steering randomly seems to lock-up and I have to put my full strentgh into the steering wheel to get the truck to turn. It will only happen for a split second and then act normally. But it has caused me to almost have several collisions with other vehicles. It has been happening since the vehicle was new but seems to be progressively happening more often, I have taken the vehicle to the dealership where I purchased the truck but they can not find any problems nor can they get the vehicle to replicate the problem. Also--it seems to happen more when I am turning to the right,
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with failed temperature sensors and a failed heating element in the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank. The contact was informed that the heating element and the temperature sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that an unknown repair was performed four years ago on the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,639.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated but the vehicle started operating normally. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the engine control module (ECM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and stated that the ECM was not available. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 56,000.
Transmission & drivetrain
The truck started shifting hard. Had it towed home. Then towed to dealership. They diagnosed it with a faulty TCM #24256861. Then said it could be up to 18 months for the part. This is unacceptable in our opinion. Additional expenses, time missed from work, etc.
General Motors produces several years of vehicles with a faulty transmission control module (TCM). From 2008 thru 2015, Chevrolet and GMC 2,500 & 3,500 trucks with the 6.6 L Duramax engine and Allison 1,000 transmission all used the same TCM; part number 24256861. This part has experienced a very high failure rate. During the summer of 2022, the stock of replacement parts was exhausted and GM seems to be postponing the manufacture or new parts. An estimated 5,000 vehicles are currently unusable due to the failure of this part and no new parts available.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 a good car?
Based on 26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Silverado 3500 rates better than average: 42% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
The steering — 7 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (5) and transmission & drivetrain (5).
How many recalls does the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, the most recent from February 5, 2021 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2017 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Silverado 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 56,000 miles; 38% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.