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2013 GMC Truck Yukon Denali

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2013 Yukon Denali.

Body SUV

The 2013 GMC Yukon Denali is an SUV that requires 6.0 quarts of 5W-30 oil for its engine. Owner feedback for this model year includes 145 complaints and two recalls, with the top issue area listed as Unknown or Other. This places it in the middle of the Yukon’s reliability history from 1997 to 2019, where the 2015 model year recorded a high of 606 complaints and the 2018 model year a low of just two.

Model year20132002

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 660 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 660 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP265-70R17OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12690386
Engine air filter22845992 alt 15908916
Spark plug12680072
Front wiper blades22793882 alt 25877402
Serpentine belt19210691 alt 12626222
Thermostat89018168 alt 12587397
Cabin air filter23101674 alt 22759203

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, Synthetic · SAE 75W in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity11.5
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSAE 80W
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.51 qt
Differential Gear OilSynthetic · SAE 75W
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.75 qt
Engine Oil5W-30

Engine torques

Cylinder Head StepsInstall the NEW cylinder head bolts.
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts9.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts9.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)74.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket125.0 plus 90 degrees ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle70.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket70.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Oil GroupPAG
RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.50 lbs
Oil GroupPOE
Oil TypeUse GM part number 88862657 or equivalent
Oil Capacity5.0 oz
Standard BCI Group Number48

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH RPO J92, JD9 / WITH RPO JH6
Torque Caliper to Bracket74 ft-lbs / 28 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle148 ft-lbs / 122 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake ApplicationWITH RPO J92, JD9 / WITH RPO JH6
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0007 in / 0.007 in / 0.0001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in / 0.005 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.181 in / 0.787 in / 1.496 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Installation, 110 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees., step 3: 59 ft. lbs., step 4: 125 degrees, install new bolt.110 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1installation, 110 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees., step 3: 59 ft. lbs., step 4: 125 degrees., install new bolt.110 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts 1-10:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts 11-15:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect) · Engine Assembly (leak inspection)
Every 45,000 miFuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2013 GMC Truck Yukon Denali dominate in one area — the unknown or other, 45 of 145 reports (31%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 4 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the unknown or other pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1742
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
145
Owner complaints
4 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’97’99’02’03’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 145 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Unknown Or Other45
Air Bags27
Structure21
Air Bags,Unknown Or Other14
Air Bags,Structure6
Engine5
Steering,Unknown Or Other2
Power Train2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1742 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Yukon Denali. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 48 batteryVehicles taking 6.0 qtEngine oil filter 12690386Engine air filter 22845992Spark plug 12680072Front wiper blades 22793882

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2013 Yukon Denali take?

6.0 qt of 5W-30 MEETING GM DEXOS 1 SPECIFICATION, per the factory manual.

Does the 2013 Yukon Denali have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.