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2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 26 owner complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, most often about the steering. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 18V-267 the manufacturer reports only 14% of affected cars repaired.

66
CarFlaw IndexSolid year49% below the Silverado 3500 median · #22 of 27 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 14%Owner complaints263 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage13kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 24, 2025. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 has problems

26 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering70
Power train50
Engine40
Electrical system41
Engine and engine cooling31
Fuel/propulsion system30
Air bags21
Wheels10
Fuel system, diesel10
1 other systems10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

43%repaired · 2023 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-053 · Feb 5, 2021 · 692,526 vehicles · 298,205 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

51%repaired · 2023 Q4

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-054 · Feb 5, 2021 · 1,778,128 vehicles · 900,275 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

14%repaired · 2019 Q3

Equipment

Recall 18V-267 · Apr 26, 2018 · 6,154 vehicles · 844 repaired

Risk. In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

53%repaired · 2019 Q2

Storage: auxillary tank

Recall 17V-664 · Oct 19, 2017 · 35,292 vehicles · 18,701 repaired

Risk. If the front tank overfills, the excess pressure may cause the front tank to expand and contact the driveshaft, possibly resulting in a hole in the tank.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Best & worst years

2013 vs. every other Silverado 3500 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Silverado 3500 median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 safety ratings

2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 PU/RC 4WD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Silverado 3500 owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

STEERING HAS LOCKED UP MOMENTARILY WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED INTO A PARKING LOT. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT IT IS VERY BRIEF. RECENTLY IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN DEEP SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. IT COMPLETELY LOCKS UP FOR A SECOND OR SO THEN BREAKS…
Complaint 10981605 · May 1, 2017 · 33,000 miles
WHEN MAKING TURNS AT SLOW SPEEDS THE STEERING RANDOMLY SEEMS TO LOCK-UP AND I HAVE TO PUT MY FULL STRENTGH INTO THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET THE TRUCK TO TURN. IT WILL ONLY HAPPEN FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN ACT NORMALLY. BUT IT HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST HAVE SEVERAL COLLISIONS WITH OTHER VEHICLES. IT…
Complaint 10781869 · Oct 13, 2015 · 98,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS…
Complaint 10759057 · Aug 25, 2015 · 100,000 miles

Own a 2013 Silverado 3500?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.