Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 GMC Yukon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's son owned a 2013 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while her son was driving 25 MPH on an icy roadway while slowing down to change lanes he lost control of the vehicle after hitting a patch of ice. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle went off the road ran through a residential fence, then collided with a parked vehicle with the rear end, ricocheted off that vehicle, then slid and collided with a tree on the driver's side door. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact stated her son was not injured. The vehicle was drivable and driven back to the contact's residence. Later the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where an insurance adjuster declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact stated that she had received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags). …
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 20 MPH the driver's side curtain, passenger side curtain and ceiling air bags deployed with no accident occurring. The contact stated her son did not see any warning light illuminated. The contact's son safely pulled over to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. The contact's son attempted to restart the vehicle, however it took several attempts to restart the vehicle. The son suffered injuries to the left side of his face and top of head, but did not seek medical attention. The vehicle had not been taken to local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the air bags inadvertently deployed. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he was not involved in any crash and did not know what caused the failure. The contact stated that there was no injury. The contact stated that he then rolled the air bags up in order to be able to see as he drove the vehicle to his residence. The contact stated that he contacted the dealer who informed him that the failure was not related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that he had not contacted the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 190,000.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, she noticed a vibrating sound coming from the passenger's side dashboard. She stated that there was a split in the dashboard that was causing the sound. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned that in the event of a crash, the air bag would not deploy. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V053000 (Air Bags) and an appointment was scheduled to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Was told by my local dealer that they did not have to complete to recall unless I signed a document holding them blameless if they cracked my dashboard or cracked it worst than it already is. I declined to sign until I could investigate why I absolutely had to sign a document absolving GM of their bad design. I believe it to be unjust and insulting that we are required to choose between the safety of our vehicles vs the possible destruction of the interior due to GM's poor design. I did not get a picture of the document before I left the dealer but was told I could bring it back later if I wanted it fixed but I would have to sign the document.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, upon contacting the dealer, he was informed that since his dashboard was cracked, the recall could not be performed free of charge. The contact was provided an estimate for the dashboard repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer should have covered the cost of the dashboard due to the recall. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I received a safety recall notice for my vehicle and scheduled an appointment for repair, #N212328790. Upon arriving, the dealer advised me there was a very small crack in the dash and if the dash cracked during the removal or installation, GM would NOT reimburse for any damage to the dash. The default was with the manufacturer and if they didn't replace it correctly, I'd be out serious money to replace and maintain the value of the vehicle.
The issue is that we have to sign off on liability for the dealer to install the new safety airbag to state that we are accepting a cracked dashboard. This is ridiculous and the manufacturer (GMC) should have to replace the dashbboard along with the air bag.
A little of a month ago we noticed there was a crack from the corner of the air bag down the dash. The car was stationary and has never been in any accidents. I called the dealership to find out if my service contract was going to cover this since I have only owned this vehicle a little over a year. The informed me it would not be covered. This is a huge safety concern for me and my husband as we have two small kids and always have kids in the car. So I tried to open a case with GM customer care hoping they were going to do something as this was a GM certified vehicle and that warranty just expired 2 months ago. They don't care about any of it. They go back to the original warranty and told me it was not a safety issue because it doesn't have a recall issued on it and they aren't going to do anything for me. …
While driving in tennessee on a family vacation, we heard a crack from the front area of the car and the passenger saw the dashboard had cracked. The crack is in the middle though I'm concerned it May interfere with airbag deployment. It was a sunny day in the summertime. The interior temperature was set to 76 degrees. We were on a smooth highway, going about 50mph. We did not hit any road obstructions or holes. Since the initial crack occurrence, there have been several lengthening cracks, in both summer and winter, (ohio) where we heard cracking sounds both driving and at rest (parked but idling) I don't have pictures at this time, though I can provide current jpg's if needed.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Airbag complaints in other Yukon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2013 GMC Yukon?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the air bags of the 2013 GMC Yukon, 32% of the model year's 146 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 GMC Yukon airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-053 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021); NHTSA recall 21V-054 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 GMC Yukon airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.