2013 GMC Yukon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
33/100
#11 most-complained of 16 Yukon years
The 2013 GMC Yukon ranks 11th out of 16 model years with a Complaint Index of 33 and a "Good" verdict. NHTSA lists 146 complaints, 4 recalls, and no deaths, with Airbags as the top problem area at 32% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 146
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 4 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 17
- 15 city / 21 hwy
Top 2013 GMC Yukon problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Other67 (46%)
- Airbags47 (32%)
- Structure & Body34 (23%)
- Engine12 (8%)
- Electrical System10 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain5 (3%)
- Steering4 (3%)
- Brakes3 (2%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (2%)
- Fuel System2 (1%)
What owners report
- Dashboards develop hairline cracks near the passenger airbag area that widen over months, sometimes accompanied by an illuminated airbag light and popping or cracking noises while driving.
- Owners report the vehicle rolling away in reverse after being parked and left in what was believed to be the park position, in one case striking a fence with a child nearby.
- A rear liftgate stopped opening intermittently, linked by one owner to the Takata recall, with the issue temporarily fixed by disconnecting the battery.
- One owner reported a tire going flat within a couple of miles after hearing a loud bong-like noise, similar to a wheel or suspension component failing.
- At high mileage, the engine's active fuel management lifters collapsed and tapped against the camshaft, damaging the camshaft and causing abrupt, unsafe changes between V8 and V4 power modes.
2013 GMC Yukon recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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 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 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). GMÂs number for this recall is 14515.
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
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 GMC Yukon reliable?
- Relative to other Yukon model years, the 2013 is rated "Good," ranking 11th out of 16 years with a Complaint Index of 33, well below the worst year (2015 at 100).
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 GMC Yukon?
- NHTSA data shows Airbags account for 32% of complaints (47 of 146) and Structure & Body issues, largely dashboard cracking, account for 23% (34 complaints). Engine and Electrical System complaints follow at 8% and 7%.
- Does the 2013 GMC Yukon have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Yukon, covering airbags, an electrical chassis module, and a steering column inspection related to transmission/powertrain, none marked do-not-drive.
- What year GMC Yukon should I avoid?
- Based on NHTSA complaint data, 2015, 2021, 2023, and 2024 carry "Avoid" verdicts with Complaint Indexes of 100, 93, 87, and 80, all higher than the 2013 model's Complaint Index of 33.
- How many complaints does the 2013 GMC Yukon have compared to other years?
- The 2013 Yukon has 146 NHTSA complaints, fewer than 2015's 602, 2021's 329, and 2016's 285, placing it in the lower-complaint half of the 16 model years tracked.