YearToAvoid

2013 GMC Sierra 1500 Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 44 airbag complaints for the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500, 27% of that year's total 162 complaints, tied to 5 crashes, 8 injuries, and 1 fire. A related recall (campaigns 21V053000 and 21V054000) covers front passenger air bag inflator replacement.

Airbags complaints
44
27% of 162
Crashes reported
5
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
8
Median mileage
55,500 mi
Related recalls
2

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy during moderate to high-speed collisions, including head-on and side impacts, leaving occupants unprotected.
  • Owners report the truck sliding, spinning, or rolling after a collision without airbag deployment, sometimes resulting in injury.
  • Dashboard cracks form around the passenger airbag panel over time, raising concern that a deployment could send plastic shards into the cabin.
  • Some dashboard cracks appeared well within the vehicle's service life, prompting owners to seek dealer repair, occasionally at their own expense.
  • Non-deployment complaints span a wide range of impact speeds and crash types, from single-vehicle ditch impacts to multi-vehicle intersection crashes.

When 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 24, 2014, latest Jul 10, 2023.

2013 GMC Sierra 1500 airbags complaints: complaints filed per month4Jan 2014Mar 2016Sep 2016Aug 2017Jun 2019Jul 2021Feb 2022Jul 2023
44 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2014 to Jul 2023; peak Oct 2021 (4).

Airbags recalls for the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

Airbags complaints by Sierra 1500 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201087 (41%)
  2. 2011133 (37%)
  3. 201246 (32%)
  4. 201344 (27%)
  5. 201431 (4%)
  6. 201542 (5%)
  7. 201614 (4%)
  8. 20176 (1%)
  9. 20188 (2%)
  10. 20197 (1%)
  11. 20206 (1%)
  12. 20216 (1%)
  13. 20223 (1%)
  14. 20232 (0%)
  15. 20242 (1%)
  16. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA lists 44 airbag complaints for the 2013 Sierra 1500, which is 27% of the 162 total complaints filed for that model year.
Did airbag problems cause crashes or injuries in the 2013 Sierra 1500?
Yes. NHTSA data tied to these airbag complaints shows 5 crashes, 8 injuries, and 1 fire, with a median mileage at failure of 55,500 miles.
Is there a recall for the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 airbags?
Yes, two related recalls exist: campaign 21V053000 and 21V054000, both reported February 5, 2021, covering replacement of the front passenger air bag inflator.
What is the most common airbag complaint on this truck?
Owners most often report that airbags failed to deploy during a crash, along with dashboard cracking around the passenger airbag panel.
How does the 2013 Sierra 1500 compare to other years for airbag complaints?
The 2013 Sierra 1500's 27% airbag complaint share is lower than 2010 (41%) and 2011 (37%) but higher than 2014 (4%) and later years.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.