GMC Sierra 1500 Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Recent Safety Incidents — Last 5 Model Years
Own a GMC Sierra 1500? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
GMC Sierra 1500 — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Best | Excellent | — | 35 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2025 | Good | — | 69 | 6 | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2024 | Caution | 1 | 177 | 5 | 7 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2023 | Caution | 1 | 219 | 6 | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2022 | Caution | 3 | 312 | 13 | 1 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2021 | Caution | 3 | 312 | 4 | 1 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2020 | Caution | 6 | 314 | 4 | 5 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2019 | Avoid | 6 | 396 | 8 | 8 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2018 | Caution | 1 | 195 | 8 | 4 | — | Power Train | Full report → |
| 2017 | Caution | 3 | 233 | 10 | 5 | — | Power Train | Full report → |
| 2016 | Caution | 4 | 223 | 4 | 1 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2015 | Avoid | 4 | 432 | 13 | 11 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2014Worst | Avoid | 4 | 499 | 13 | 12 | 1 | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2013 | Good | 1 | 80 | 1 | 1 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2012 | Good | 1 | 71 | 1 | — | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2011 | Caution | 3 | 203 | 5 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2010 | Good | 2 | 113 | 2 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2009 | Good | 2 | 135 | 3 | 2 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2008 | Caution | 1 | 229 | 6 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2007 | Good | 2 | 149 | 4 | 7 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2006 | Good | 2 | 97 | 7 | 5 | 2 | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2005 | Good | 2 | 121 | 5 | 6 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2004 | Good | 3 | 142 | 8 | 6 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2003 | Good | 3 | 118 | 9 | 5 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2002 | Good | 3 | 104 | 7 | 1 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2001 | Good | 4 | 84 | 5 | 2 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2000 | Good | 1 | 97 | 5 | 2 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 1999 | Good | 2 | 102 | 6 | 7 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
28 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common GMC Sierra 1500 Problems
Based on 5,261 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — GMC Sierra 1500 (2022–2026)
General Motors (GM) has decided that certain 2022 model year Chevrolet Silverado, and GMC Sierra vehicles equipped with an accessory sport bar. The accessory sport bar contains a high-mounted brake light that may not function. In addition, it may block the vehicle's existing high-mounted brake light. As such, these vehicles may fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the installation of the accessory bar and provide the correct vehicle wiring, if necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters advising owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 10, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 27, 2023. Owners may contact GM's customer service on 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.. GM's recall number for this recall is N222368110.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Cadillac CT4 and CT5; 2021-2023 Buick Envision; and 2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy: The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2023. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222386380. This recall expands previous recall number 22V-827.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Remedy: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with chrome front grille deflectors. The attachments that hold the front grille deflectors in place may fracture, resulting in grille detachment.
Remedy: Dealers will reinforce or repair all attachment points on the chrome front grille deflector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may call GM customer service for GMC at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N242490120.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.
General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252516560. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 12, 2026.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Escalade ESV vehicles. The electronic brake control module software may fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid occurs. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Remedy: The Electronic Brake Control Module (eBCM) software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2024. Owners can contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N242447990.
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. Please refer to Rollx's recall report for specific model year information. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Remedy: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.
General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”
Remedy: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.
Showing 9 recalls from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
Recent Owner Complaints
Direct reports filed with NHTSA by GMC Sierra 1500 owners — 2022–2026 model years.
I am reporting two separate stall/loss of propulsion events on my 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Limited (VIN: [XXX] ), which is subject to NHTSA Recall #25V274000 and GM Special Coverage XXX (L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion). INCIDENT 1 — April 16, 2026: While decelerating off a highway exit ramp, the vehicle stalled without warning. The dashboard prompted me to shift to neutral and restart. I performed a rolling restart successfully and continued driving. This stall occurred while decelerating on a highway exit ramp with vehicles traveling at highway speeds behind me. The sudden and unexpected loss of propulsion created a significant rear-end collision risk. INCIDENT 2 — April 17, 2026 (next day): While traveling at approximately 40 MPH and climbing a hill under load, the vehicle stalled a second time. The dashboard again prompted a neutral restart. This time the vehicle would not restart. All I heard was a single click from the starter, followed by a complete dash reboot. The vehicle lost all power repeatedly upon restart attempts. I was stranded on a narrow, high-speed rural road in Standish, Maine during rush hour, with vehicles passing at speed. I was in serious danger. The vehicle was towed to Weirs GMC in Arundel, Maine (the selling dealer), where it currently remains for diagnosis under RO# XXX. Both stall concerns are documented as Warranty Pay. Additional concern: Since the day after purchase (March 28, 2026), I have noticed a pronounced cold-start tick originating from the bottom end of the engine, confirmed by an independent mechanic as coming from inside the engine. This vehicle passed a Recall #25V274000 inspection on December 28, 2025 at 98,233 miles. The tick and stall events began after that inspection. I am requesting this be formally documented as a safety complaint tied to Recall #25V274000 and Special Coverage XXX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving and lost engine power in the left lane of a freeway, cut across traffic and coasted to the shoulder. Had truck 6' off of road, though with semis and cars passing at 70mph, I left and waited in the ditch for the tow truck. The electronics worked, but the engine was dead and would not start. When the tow truck arrived, the wheels were locked up and they used rollers to haul the truck to the dealership. After the dealer inspected the truck, they sent a message saying they could not turn the engine over by hand. The engine had metal shavings in the oil filter and after removing a valve cover, found metal contamination circulated throughout the engine. The engine, radiator, oil cooler lone, and battery junction box all require replacement. This truck has a 6.2L L87 engine, and the dealer has had several other vehicles with the same blown engine failure. The truck was in for the recall on this issue about a month before the engine went out, they placed a pico scope in the engine to check the drive shaft, and then added a heavier oil. No warning lights came on until the engine died.
I did not receive an owners manual when my vehicle was purchased new on January 15 2025. I reported it to the dealership and to GMC both times they said too bad, access it online. I contacted GMC again after recall N252540430 was issued but they still refuse to provide an owners manual because 2025 Sierra 1500 isn't listed it's only the 26 model year.
I bought a brand-new GMC 1500 6.2L AT4 back in 2025. Never have an engine recall. At 39K miles, lost power, and ended up replacing the camshaft and lifters. 2K miles later went back to the dealer for engine replacement.
I bought the truck brand new from Gregg Young in Atlantic, IA. While an hour into the drive home, the truck began shuttering as if the transmission was having problems finding the gear. I immediately made an appt with their parent dealership of Gregg Young in Plattsmouth, NE. They had the truck for a week and couldn’t duplicate the transmission issues after I reported several occurrences and symptoms, they also didn’t provide a service invoice of the work performed while I found was unusual. As I was driving the truck home from repairs it started hesitating and having difficulty finding gears. I didn’t think much of it since the dealer claimed there was nothing wrong. This past weekend while going 65 mph down the freeway the transmission started shuttering as well as the truck and the tires began to lock up to the point of almost losing control, there was also metal on metal noises. I had to pull over and luckily driving real slow I made it home. The Gregg Young dealership were I bought it will take no responsibility and provided falsification since no service was provided nor upon checking app gps there was no indications it left the dealership while in there possession for a week, will contact GMC in the AM since this has now become a safety issue and there was metal on metal contact noises and the serious risk of a crash.
2022 GMC Sierra Denali 6.2 L Engine failure at 32,000 miles/924 Hours on 9/2024. Was driving truck dashboard lit up, popped into neutral entering a main road. Thankfully my son wasn’t hit by oncoming traffic. Vehicle would not start called Police, tow truck and was found to be total catastrophic engine failure. New engine was replaced. New engine has roughly 22,000 trouble free miles.
After completion of recall repair, changing oil weight from 0w20 to 0w40, I encountered loud squealing and knocking sounds from the engine bay. As catastrophic failure has been reported the vehicle was immediately taken to the closest GM dealership, Southern Chevrolet of Chesapeake, VA.
Engine seized
Safety Complaint – Delayed Acceleration from Automatic Engine Stop/Start I am reporting a safety concern regarding the automatic engine stop/start system in my GMC truck. During normal operation, the system shuts the engine off when the vehicle comes to a complete stop. When I release the brake and press the accelerator, there is a noticeable delay while the engine restarts before power is delivered to the wheels. This creates a hesitation between driver input and vehicle response. This delay presents a safety concern because it affects my ability to react quickly in situations that require immediate acceleration. I have experienced multiple real-world scenarios where this hesitation impacts safe operation: While stopped at an intersection preparing to turn, I observed oncoming traffic approaching faster than expected. When I attempted to accelerate to complete the turn, the delay caused by the engine restart reduced my ability to clear the intersection promptly. In stop-and-go traffic, I needed to move forward quickly to maintain safe spacing or respond to changing traffic conditions. The hesitation before acceleration limited my ability to react immediately. When pulling into traffic from a parking lot or side street, heavy traffic often creates small gaps that require prompt acceleration. Due to the delay in engine restart, it is difficult to accurately gauge and anticipate the truck’s response when pressing the accelerator. With this hesitation, safely merging into traffic in these conditions becomes extremely difficult and, at times, effectively impossible. In situations where a vehicle encroaches into my lane or a hazard develops unexpectedly, the delayed throttle response reduces my ability to maneuver out of the way quickly. This is not simply a convenience issue. The system introduces a delay between driver input and vehicle response, which can reduce reaction time in situations where immediate acceleration is necessary to avoid a potential hazard.
OnStar module failed. Unable to fix and needs replaced. Thousands of other individuals having same issue. Car can shutdown without warning while driving. This issue must be addressed by GM.
I brought this truck brand new. Had issues the first couple days of purchase that was a quick fix, but as time went on things got worse. Truck always stalling out, engine has been replaced once already due to a recall and months after the first replacement, it stalled out on me again in the middle of the freeway and I just got a call from the dealership that it needs another new engine! How is this right! How is this safe! I could've lost my life on every occasion it has happened.
I took my truck in for routine maintenance. When i got it back and turn the truck on, the instrument cluster was completely black. I couldn't get it to turn on. I went back into the dealer and informed them of the issue. The claimed they had not done anything electrical The dealer has told me that they are not sure why it has stopped working but they did let me know they had to replace several instrument clusters with other customers. I am unsure if they had paid for the replacement or not. I've looked online as well and seen multiple GMC truck owners having the same issue and getting their instrument clusters replaced as well. I've noticed this is happening with 2022 models and above. Please look into. Thank you
1250 total complaints retrieved from NHTSA for 2022–2026. For older model years, see individual year pages.
Sierra 1500 Years to Avoid
Best Sierra 1500 Years to Buy
Not enough data to identify standout low-problem years.
Years with fewest complaints and recalls.
GMC Sierra 1500 Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — GMC Sierra 1500 Reliability
What year Sierra 1500 has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 499 complaints and 4 safety recalls. See the full 2014 report for specific defects.
Is the GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
The GMC Sierra 1500 has accumulated 5,261 owner-filed complaints and 68 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. There have been 3 reported deaths associated with complaints. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used Sierra 1500.
What are the most common Sierra 1500 problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Engine (809 reports), Service Brakes (619 reports), Power Train (577 reports), Electrical System (548 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my Sierra 1500 has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific GMC Sierra 1500 VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
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