2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
On the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, the failure owners report most often is other fuel system problem, with 8 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 72,500 miles. Overall it scores 63 out of 100, high risk for a 2013.
High risk for a 2013 — 274th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. 71 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Owners have reported 21 named failure modes on the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, and the three most-reported carry 27% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other fuel system problem leads with 8 reports and about 0.4 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other brake problem follows with 6 reports, median 50,000 miles.
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure follows with 5 reports, median 170,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (13), fuel (12) and brakes (8).
At what mileage it happens
48 of the reports on the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 72,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 25% by 50,000 miles, 67% by 100,000 miles and 83% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 2 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 50,000 and 60,000 miles, which alone holds 17% of the dated reports.
6% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 21. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 2 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 3 a fire and 3 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.17, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other fuel system problem at $300–$2,200, other brake problem at $300–$1,800, control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure at $700–$3,000 and other engine problem at $300–$4,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
10% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 8 | 5 | — | 130k | — | 0.4 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 6 | 5 | — | 50k | — | 0.3 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 5 | 1 | — | 170k | — | 0.3 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 5 | 3 | — | 133k | — | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 5 | 3 | — | 50k | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 5 | 5 | — | 55k | — | 0.3 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 4 | 3 | — | 12k | — | 0.2 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 170k | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 3 | 3 | — | 88k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 2 | 2 | — | 104k | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 127k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$900 | High |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 101k | — | 0.1 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 68k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 42k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 38k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 10 | 9 | 51k | 60k | 77k | 0.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 draws about 3.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 83rd percentile of complaint rates among 2013 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 18,916 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2013 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other fuel system problem
On aug 2, 2015 about 25 miles east of grand junction co. Driving speed was about 65 MPH on interstae I-70. My chevy silverado 2500 went into a computer shut down.being a skilled professional driver , with a class a cdl I just made it to the shoulder before truck shur down, truck and travel trailer I was towing needed to be towed to ed bozarth gm dealer.on monday I was informed would need to pay $ 775 to determine point of failure. At the time a company called speedco was and maybe suspect as to cause. The did a oil change and fuel filter in w. Memphis ar. This service was done on july 24,2015. On july 25,2015 truck no start, speedco came out with another fuel filter. When first fuel filter taken off , there were no gaskets. However gm appears to be conceling material facts as to internal service bulletins. This bulletin as to point failer was printed aug 3, 2015 , 5 pages . A estimate by said dealer was given to speedco and myself in the amount of $ 8,692.02. When the fuel injection pump went , sent metal shavings though my whole system engine, fuel oil, cooling system ect. Gm has know about this problem for a long time, however…
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet silverado 2500. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel injection system failed from within the inside and the entire system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Other brake problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet silverado 2500. The contact stated that the brakes had a three second delay when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they were not able to diagnose the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and was informed that the failure was due to a manufacturer flaw design by an electrical source. In addition, the trailer light did not illuminate to indicate when a trailer was connected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
By design this truck will turn off my trailer brakes when there is an issue with anything associated with the anti lock brake system. I have had two near misses, catastrophic accidents in the last two weeks as a result of this condition. I load this machine up to its maximum trailer carrying capacity on a daily basis. This machine is operated in the mountains often. The 2 near misses were as described here. 1st: I was approaching a stop sign with a highway cross road. Cross traffic did not have to stop. When I applied the brakes to stop and I heard a tone activate then the dic indicated ABS needs service, stabli-trak needs service, service the trailer brake system. Luckily no one was coming because at this point my trailer brakes were turned off by the truck on a fully loaded trailer. I could not stop at this intersection. 2nd: I was traveling down a slight incline towards a red stoplight. I applied the brakes and received the same warnings and the truck turned off the trailer brakes on a fully loaded trailer again. This time I had a semi truck coming from the right. They had to perform an emergency stop to avoid colliding with me…
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure
The vehicle has been running poorly and throwing many codes (evap, stabilitrak, ABS, cam, ignition, injection, and even throttle errors for the past three months. The transmission has also been bumping (not slipping) in 2nd gear under load. Yesterday the truck started running really rough and the transmission started shifting really hard (up and down) just before the message "reduced engine power" and the "stabilitrak came on again. I shut the truck off and it would not restart. I am towing a 30' tow behind camper with this vehicle and this has effected everything from my fuel economy, handling and now even basic operation of the vehicle. Stabilitrak happens while the vehicle is in motion or stationary. The repair facility has informed me that the ecu/ECM is the most likely culprit and therefore it is being replaced because I will not place myself nor any of my family members or others on the road into harms way nor do I want to end up a statistic of another manufacturer known defect.
Recalls on the 2013 model year
NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, affecting an estimated 30,541 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module and equipment. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
692,526 vehicles 2021-02-05- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- 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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
1,778,128 vehicles 2021-02-05- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- 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…
EQUIPMENT
6,154 vehicles 2018-04-26- Defect
- 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, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough…
- Consequence
- In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2013 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2013 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2013 — 274th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 29 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2013 comes out best at 63 and 2019 worst at 81, with 2013 itself at 63.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2013, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2011–2016 generation specifically, 2013 is the strongest year at 63 and 2015 the weakest at 72.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2011-2016 generation, 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 scores best at 63 and 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 worst at 72.
What this page cannot tell you
71 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 71 reports, 48 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 68% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
The most-reported failures are other fuel system problem (8 reports, median 130,000 miles), other brake problem (6 reports, median 50,000 miles) and control module (ecm/pcm/bcm) failure (5 reports, median 170,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reliable?
It scores 63 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 274th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2013 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 is best?
Within the 2011–2016 generation, 2013 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2015 worst at 72. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed