Model Years

2013 GMC Yukon Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 181 owner complaints for the 2013 GMC Yukon. It has 1 open investigation that names this model year.

Recalled components: air bags, electrical system, and steering. Most-reported area: air bags (59 complaints, 33%; median mileage when it happened: 60,000).

Fewer complaints than a typical Yukon year

The 2013 drew 6 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 66 for a typical Yukon year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.

Years to avoid: 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Yukon year ranked

4Safety recalls
181Owner complaints
5Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.

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Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Includes the longer Yukon XL, the heavier-duty Yukon XL 2500, and the Yukon Hybrid.

4 safety recalls for the 2013 GMC Yukon

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Air bags

Feb 5, 2021

frontal · passenger side · inflator module

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.

The fix and full notice

Fix: 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.

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."

NHTSA listings: YUKON, YUKON XL. GMC campaign N212328790.

Air bags

Feb 5, 2021

frontal · passenger side · inflator module

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.

The fix and full notice

Fix: 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.

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."

NHTSA listings: YUKON, YUKON XL. GMC campaign N212328800.

Electrical system

Oct 1, 2014

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.

The fix and full notice

Fix: 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.

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.

NHTSA listings: YUKON, YUKON XL. GMC campaign 14515.

Steering

Jan 2, 2013

column locking · anti-theft device

  • Fails federal standard 102 (transmission shift)
  • NHTSA 13V-001
  • 54,686 vehicles

The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.

Risk: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.

The fix and full notice

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.

General Motors' number for this recall is 12331.Customers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to www.safercar.gov.

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

NHTSA listings: YUKON, YUKON XL. Components: Powertrain: automatic transmission; Steering: column locking, anti-theft device. GMC campaign 12331.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2013 GMC Yukon; it is still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

Desiccated air bag inflator rupture

Engineering analysis EA21002Open since Sep 17, 2021

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant - propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L.

NHTSA listings: YUKON, YUKON XL. Component: Air bags (frontal, driver side, inflator module, passenger side). This investigation names 352 models.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Yukon. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

GMC Yukon recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2013 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Yukon drew the most (287) and the 2013 drew 6.

Owner complaints

2013: 181 complaints

Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, GMC Yukon
Model yearComplaints
2010226
2011388
2012134
2013181
201472
2015974
2016517
2017359
2018126
2019126
202083
2021559
2022349
2023458
2024175
202582
202674

Safety recalls

2013: 4 recalls

Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, GMC Yukon
Model yearRecalls
20103
20115
20124
20134
20143
201510
20165
20173
20185
20193
20204
202114
20225
20234
20243
20252
20263

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

Tested versionOverallFrontalSideRollover
GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 22.8%
GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid SUV RWD
Rollover risk 24.6%
GMC Yukon Denali SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 22.8%
GMC Yukon Denali SUV RWD
Rollover risk 24.6%
GMC Yukon Denali XL 1500 SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 23.7%
GMC Yukon Denali XL 1500 SUV RWD
Rollover risk 23.7%
GMC Yukon Denali XL 2500 SUV 4WD
Not ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated
GMC Yukon Denali XL 2500 SUV RWD
Not ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated
GMC Yukon Hybrid SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 22.8%
GMC Yukon Hybrid SUV RWD
Rollover risk 24.6%
GMC Yukon SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 22.8%
GMC Yukon SUV RWD
Rollover risk 24.6%
GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 23.7%
GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD
Rollover risk 23.7%
GMC Yukon XL 2500 SUV 4WD
Not ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated
GMC Yukon XL 2500 SUV RWD
Not ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated

2013 Yukon MPG

EPA rates the 2013 GMC Yukon up to 17 mpg combined with a gas engine, and 21 mpg as a hybrid.Every version and fuel cost

Questions

What are the most common 2013 Yukon problems?

The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: air bags (59), body structure (44), engine (13). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.

Is the 2013 GMC Yukon safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2013 GMC Yukon earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.

Is NHTSA investigating the 2013 GMC Yukon?

Yes. NHTSA has 1 open investigation that names the 2013 GMC Yukon: desiccated air bag inflator rupture (EA21002, opened Sep 17, 2021). An investigation is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

How do I check if my Yukon has an open recall?

Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.

Sources and method

  • NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
  • NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
  • NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
  • NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
  • NHTSA model names covered: YUKON, YUKON DENALI, YUKON DENALI XL, YUKON XL.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.