Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
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 owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that he noticed there was a crack on the passenger's side dashboard. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Vehicle is kept inside in a garage in Pennsylvania with 53000 original miles. While driving the vehicle a heard a sound that sounded like plastic cracking, low and behold I watched a crack form beginning at the split between the upper dash panel and the larger dash and it continued over the instrument cluster. I also noticed another smaller crack in the panel surrounding the air bag, of which as also been recalled but no solution as of today. Upon researching further I find I am not alone, this is an obvious defect in either part material or assembly and should be covered by a recall. Dealer replacement for this will run around 1,000 dollars. I am worried that if I am involved in an accident not only do I have to worry about pieces of metal being propelled into a passenger now I also have to worry about plastic from a defective dash. Thank you for you attention to this matter.
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.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that she noticed cracks on the dashboard. There was no impact on the dashboard that could have caused the cracks. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I had my grandchild strapped in her car seat in the back seat of my Yukon. However, as we made a stop for me to remove her from the car, I pulled the outside door handle and the entire handle came off for no apparent reason. This was alarming to me because, what if this had been an emergency situation and I had to immediately rescue her from the vehicle. When I went to the dealership the service person informed me this happens a lot where the door handle breaks, and it appears they were 'possibly engineered inappropriately'. They assured me they could fix it but in order to do so, I must pay the deductible. I refused to pay any fees since this is something that happens with these vehicle frequently and refused to let them fix it. I called GMC and they have yet to provide a resolution, with the exception of saying I must pay the deductible. …
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. …
The Yukon that we own has a crack that connects to the passenger airbag. We bought a full warranty (was a pre-owned car) that was supposed to cover all, but when we took it to the GMC dealer, they said it's not covered! I called GMC directly telling them I feel it's a safety concern since it's connected to the airbag and they responded saying that its not a concern and they would not replace it. If there is an accident and my passenger airbag is deployed, I fear that part of the dash will come flying off as well. After researching, I see this is a very common problem with the GMC dash. Yet, GMC won't do anything about it. Vehicle was in motion, going straight on the highway when it just cracked right in front of us.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon denali. While the vehicle was stationary, the contact noticed that the dashboard was cracked near the front passenger side air bag. Silver star Buick GMC (3601 auto mall drive, thousand oaks, california 91362, [phone]) was made aware of the failure and performed an assessment of the dashboard damages in the form of pictures and documented the contact's case file. The dealer then referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was out of warranty coverage and that there was no recall. The contact was provided with case number: 8-4694265955. The failure mileage was approximately 75,500. The VIN was not available.
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.
Our 2013 denali which we purchased new in 2014 has had a cracked dashboard above the passenger side airbag for more than a year (~2 years old). The integrity of the dash and airbag are problematic. There is no tangible support under the dash -- dealership says it's plastic!!! The vehicle was not in motion, just happened one day when it was parked in the driveway. Yesterday the outside passenger door handle broke off --- again, plastic parts instead of metal. If there was an accident, that passenger might not have an airbag properly deployed and nobody could open that door from the outside to rescue them!
Body complaints in other Yukon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 GMC Yukon?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 GMC Yukon, 21% of the model year's 146 complaints. The component named most often is body (27 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 GMC Yukon body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2013 GMC Yukon, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 GMC Yukon body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 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.