Is the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 a bad year?
302 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Silverado 1500 years.
Keep it. You picked a good year.
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are in line with other Silverado 1500 years. Air bags and body structure stand out for this year: see below.
2th quietest of 20 Silverado 1500 years by owner complaints (years with 7+ years on the road).
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2013 Silverado 1500 owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 60,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 83 (27%) | 39k–90k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Body structureSTANDS OUT | 75 (25%) | 38k–92k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Engine | 34 (11%) | 40k–88k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Suspension | 21 (7%) | 2k–74k miles · around this mileage | Ball joint replacement (one joint) $200–$500 · Control arm replacement (one arm) $200–$900 |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 13 (4%) | 18k–114k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Electrical system | 11 (4%) | 43k–89k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Steering | 10 (3%) | 42k–90k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Visibility and wipers | 8 (3%) | 44k–84k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Brakes | 5 (2%) | 54k–90k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Speed control | 5 (2%) | 39k–87k miles · around this mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 60,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 302 complaints: 8 mention a crash · 4 report an injury · 7 say the car was towed.
11 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Oct 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 2
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. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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… An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Chevrolet: 451
Repair instructions Chevrolet sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal…
Delayed engagement into drive, shudder at a launch, or the transmission is slipping when shifting into 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th gears
Guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large amounts of debris has flowed throughout the oiling system
Measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil
NHTSA defect investigations: 2
Pedestrian alert sounds
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Neighbouring years
2012 Silverado 1500: 216 complaints, keep it · 2014 Silverado 1500: 1,438 complaints, keep it.
Every Chevrolet Silverado 1500 year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Silverado 1500 years side by side
Other Chevrolet models: Chevrolet Astro · Chevrolet Avalanche · Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 · Chevrolet Aveo · Chevrolet Blazer · Chevrolet Bolt EV · Chevrolet Camaro · Chevrolet Captiva · Chevrolet Cavalier · Chevrolet Cobalt · Chevrolet Cobalt SS · Chevrolet Colorado · Chevrolet Corvette · Chevrolet Cruze · Chevrolet Equinox · Chevrolet Equinox EV · Chevrolet Express · Chevrolet HHR · Chevrolet Impala · Chevrolet Malibu · Chevrolet Malibu Classic · Chevrolet Malibu Maxx · Chevrolet Monte Carlo · Chevrolet S10 · Chevrolet Silverado · Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD · Chevrolet Silverado 2500 · Chevrolet Silverado 3500 · Chevrolet Sonic · Chevrolet Spark · Chevrolet Suburban · Chevrolet Suburban 1500 · Chevrolet Tahoe · Chevrolet Tracker · Chevrolet Trailblazer · Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT · Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT 370 · Chevrolet Traverse · Chevrolet Trax · Chevrolet Uplander · Chevrolet Venture · Chevrolet Volt. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 a bad year?
302 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Silverado 1500 years. At 60,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: air bags (83), body structure (75), engine (34), suspension (21), transmission and drivetrain (13).
How many recalls does the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?
2 recall campaigns list this model year: Air bags (NHTSA 21V-054), Air bags (NHTSA 21V-053). A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.