Most common 2013 GMC Sierra problems
Share of the 47 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra complaints by model year
Best Sierra years: 2020, 2018, 2009. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 1995, 1996, 1997. Compare all years →
2013 GMC Sierra recalls (3)
Equipment › Other › Labels
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.
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.
Fuel system, diesel
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…
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.
Power train › Automatic transmission
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…
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.
What 2013 GMC Sierra owners say
Air bags
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.
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 strong opinions about this failure, and said that the grill guard was the only thing which saved us, and that having it installed should not have had any effect on the function of the airbags.
Electrical system
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.
Vehicle's volt gauge read's between 16 and 17 volt's. Constantly. Taken to dealer and was told after there testing of the system all reading were at 14.4 to 14.7 volts. They could not duplicate problem. When leaving dealership waited after starting to watch gauge as driving down the highway. Gauge still reading between 16 and 17 volts. Have now contacted GMC customer service for further help.
Transmission & drivetrain
Hello, the date and mileage above is not actual date of first incident, but is the first time I took it in for the first oil change and vehicle inspection which also was the first time I complained to the dealership about the issue. My transmission slips between 2nd and 3rd gear at least 4 times a month. The dealer told me that if I cant prove it or if it doesn't do it when they drive it then they cant perform a diagnostic test to fix the problem. The seller who sold me the vehicle called me twice to see how im enjoying my truck and I complained to him both times about the issue and he told me the same thing about my issue. I even left voicemails to him about it and he never returned my calls until I made a year (3/16/14) owning my truck and claims he don't remember me telling him this the first time. …
At this occurrence the hood latch does not keep the hood tight when closed. The hood rattles at speeds over 35mph and appears as though it is going to open. As a result of attempting to sufficiently securing the hood, I subsequently dented the hood. I have had the body department at the local dealership look at it and they found that the hood latch needed to be adjusted. After another 2500 miles, this rattle has returned. The complaint is that this is the second 2013 Sierra denali that I have owned since October 2012, since the dealership bought back the first one after numerous problems including the transmission being replaced at 6250 miles and numerous efforts to fix the hood. Same problem two trucks is a cause for concern!
2013 GMC Sierra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | RWD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 14 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 12 / 18 / 14 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 12 / 18 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 GMC Sierra a good car?
Based on 47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Sierra rates better than average: 55% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Sierra 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 GMC Sierra?
The air bags — 9 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (5) and transmission & drivetrain (5).
How many recalls does the 2013 GMC Sierra have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2013 GMC Sierra, the most recent from October 30, 2015 (labels). 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 GMC Sierra?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2018 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 1995, 1996 and 1997. See the full GMC Sierra years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 GMC Sierra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 13,000 miles; 81% 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.