2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 has a complaint index of 30 out of 100 and ranks 15th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict. NHTSA lists 26 complaints, 4 recalls, 1 fire, and 1 crash for this year, with steering the top problem area at 27% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 30/100
- #15 of 21 Silverado 3500 years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 26
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 1
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 1
- Top issue
- Steering
Top 2013 Chevy Silverado 3500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Steering7 (27%)
- Engine5 (19%)
- Other5 (19%)
- Transmission & Powertrain5 (19%)
- Electrical System4 (15%)
- Fuel System4 (15%)
- Airbags2 (8%)
- Brakes1 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Steering wheel shakes vigorously side to side at moderate speeds with no diagnosis found by dealer technicians.
- Power steering intermittently loses assist during sharp turns at low speed, especially backing out of driveways or into parking stalls.
- Steering locks up when turning right at slow speed and low rpm, sometimes clearing when the wheel is turned left.
- Rear fuel tank transfer pump malfunctions and pressurizes the forward tank, forcing fuel to spray from the fill-neck.
- Engine compartment catches fire after driving through a car wash, with smoke entering the cabin through heater vents.
- Airbags fail to deploy in a rear-end collision, resulting in neck and back injuries.
2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles
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 A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.
- NHTSA 21V053000Feb 5, 2021Airbags692,526 vehicles
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, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 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 Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 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 Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.
- NHTSA 18V267000Apr 26, 2018Other6,154 vehicles
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. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
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. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.
2013 compared with other Silverado 3500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Silverado 3500 has a complaint index of 30 and ranks 15th worst out of 21 model years, which earns it a Good verdict relative to other years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
- Steering issues account for 27% of complaints, followed by engine problems (19%), transmission and powertrain issues (19%), electrical system problems (15%), and fuel system problems (15%).
- Does the 2013 Silverado 3500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Silverado 3500, covering airbag inflators, a fire extinguisher replacement, and a fuel system issue with the dual fuel tank sensor. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2013 Silverado 3500 compare to other model years?
- The 2013 model's complaint index of 30 is lower than the 2016 (80), 2020 (90), 2021 (95), and 2024 (100) model years, all of which carry an Avoid verdict, and is close to the 2012 model's index of 40.
- What mileage do steering problems appear at in the 2013 Silverado 3500?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 12,500 miles at failure for steering-related complaints on the 2013 Silverado 3500.