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2013 GMC Yukon Denali

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

145 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 22, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Airbags problems dominate (34% of complaints, typically reported near 50k miles).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#37 of 427Among the 2013 models with a matured record, the 2013 GMC Yukon Denali ranks #37, scoring higher than 88% of them. See the 2013 ranking →

Complaint volume91
Severity89
Recall load100
Trend100

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20132025

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

4/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2013 GMC Yukon Denali SUV 4WD

Front crash
Side crash
Rollover

Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 23%

Stability control: StandardForward collision warning: NoLane departure warning: No

No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2013 GMC Yukon Denali, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miAirbags~50k mi · 50 reportsBody & structure~55k mi · 30 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Engine (11) · Electrical system (8)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Airbags

34%

50 complaints · typically near 50k mi · 1 in the last 2 years

The issue is that we have to sign off on liability for the dealer to install the new safety airbag to state that we are accepting a cracked dashboard. This is ridiculo…

Read the airbags complaints →

Body & structure

21%

30 complaints · typically near 55k mi

The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that he noticed there was a crack on the passenger’s side dashboard. There were no warning lights illuminated. Th…

Read the body & structure complaints →

Engine

8%

11 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

The truck locks start locking and unlocking on their own, the stabilitrac and traction control will cycle between on and off, the motor will shut off, it goes to limp …

Read the engine complaints →

Electrical system

6%

8 complaints

When driving my steering wheel jerks causing vehicle to veer, stabilitrak snd traction lights flash, lights flicker all the while driving. Vehicle nearly lost control …

Read the electrical system complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

We can place 2 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.

Read all 145 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 5 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this GMC before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. Owners of this model report airbags problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 50k miles). Has this car shown any airbags symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Owners of this model report body & structure problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 55k miles). Has this car shown any body & structure symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2013 GMC YUKON DENALI beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2013? See how every Yukon Denali model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2013 GMC Yukon Denali against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2013 GMC Yukon Denali as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.