YearToAvoid

2013 GMC Yukon Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2013 GMC Yukon has a complaint index of 35 and ranks 14th out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict. NHTSA lists 146 complaints, 4 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls, with Airbags as the top problem area.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
35/100
#14 of 21 Yukon years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
146
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
4
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
3
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2014
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 21 hwy
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0

Top 2013 GMC Yukon problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other67 (46%)
  2. Airbags47 (32%)
  3. Structure & Body34 (23%)
  4. Engine12 (8%)
  5. Electrical System10 (7%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain5 (3%)
  7. Steering4 (3%)
  8. Brakes3 (2%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (2%)
  10. Fuel System2 (1%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Dashboard cracks develop near the passenger airbag area, starting small and spreading over several inches over weeks.
  • Airbag warning light illuminates along with popping or cracking noises while driving.
  • The rear hatch intermittently fails to open, sometimes tied to the Takata airbag recall and resolved temporarily by disconnecting the battery.
  • A tire went flat after a loud snapping noise from the suspension while driving at highway speed.
  • The engine's hydraulic lifters (AFM system) collapsed, damaging the camshaft and causing abrupt loss of power during acceleration.
  • One vehicle rolled away in reverse while parked and secured, despite the keys not being in the ignition.
2013 GMC Yukon complaints: complaints filed per quarter162013 Q22016 Q22017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42022 Q22023 Q4
146 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q3 (16).

2013 GMC Yukon recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  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.

  3. NHTSA 14V614000Oct 1, 2014Electrical System106,307 vehicles

    Electrical system

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.

    Risk: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM’s number for this recall is 14515.

See all 4 recalls for the 2013 GMC Yukon →

2013 GMC Yukon fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
21 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2013 compared with other Yukon years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Caution65254517
2012Best1591317
2013Good35146417
2014Best1056316.5
2015Avoid906021017.5

All GMC Yukon years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 GMC Yukon reliable?
Compared with other Yukon model years, 2013 rates Good, with a complaint index of 35 and a rank of 14th out of 21 years tracked.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 GMC Yukon?
NHTSA complaints show Airbags as the top problem area (47 complaints, 32% share), followed by Structure & Body (34 complaints, 23% share) and Engine (12 complaints).
Does the 2013 GMC Yukon have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Yukon covering airbags, electrical system, and transmission/powertrain, none of them do-not-drive recalls.
At what mileage do 2013 Yukon airbag problems usually appear?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 60,500 miles for Airbags complaints on the 2013 Yukon.
How does the 2013 Yukon compare to other model years?
The 2013 Yukon's complaint index of 35 is lower than years like 2007 (95), 2015 (90), and 2021 (100), which are rated Avoid.

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.