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2013 GMC Sierra 1500 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
19%
22 of 115 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 19% of relevant complaints.

Better than 88% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 52 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 13%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 22 of 115 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (19%). For comparison, the 2012 scores 28% and the 2014 scores 25%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
22
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
167
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
6 crashes · 10 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER54 · 32%
AIR BAGS47 · 28%
STRUCTURE30 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM12 · 7%
ENGINE11 · 7%
SUSPENSION10 · 6%

The years either side

2010
22%
27 of 217
2011
26%
58 of 366
2012
28%
12 of 49
2013
19%
22 of 167
2014
25%
156 of 859
2015
32%
202 of 817
2016
37%
16 of 48
2017
47%
195 of 429
2018
64%
185 of 304
2019
67%
424 of 647
2020
69%
317 of 468
2021
77%
441 of 577
2022
58%
336 of 588
2023
63%
298 of 485

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500

What one owner reported

ENGINE09/14/2025
On 9-12-25 I was pulling a utility trailer when I went to back it in the driveway my 2013 gmc 1500 5.3 stalled . I restarted it only to have a lifter claddering !!!! I checked the oil it was good ! Oil pressure was good not over heating . It is just the lifter!!!!!! After doing some investigating I found that this is a…

One of 22 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21V054000 · Feb 2021
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…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21V053000 · Feb 2021
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,…
equipment18V267000 · Apr 2018
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,…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2013 GMC Sierra 1500? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500

Does the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 22 of 115 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (19%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?

No. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which GMC Sierra 1500 years are better?

The 2013 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the GMC Sierra 1500 years we track (19%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2013 GMC Sierra 1500?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.