GMC Sierra 1500 Problems by Year
NHTSA has 8,946 owner complaints and 61 safety recalls on file for the GMC Sierra 1500, across 32 model years (1995–2026). The 2014 model year has the most complaints (742). The most reported problem area overall is engine.
GMC Sierra 1500 years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Sierra 1500 year: 2008, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2014 Sierra 1500: 742 complaints, 9 recalls
- 2015 Sierra 1500: 719 complaints, 9 recalls
- 2019 Sierra 1500: 653 complaints, 10 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 1995 Sierra 1500: 3 complaints, 0 recalls
- 1996 Sierra 1500: 5 complaints, 0 recalls
- 1998 Sierra 1500: 59 complaints, 2 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common GMC Sierra 1500 problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 2,079 | 27 | 17 |
| Power Train problems | 1,341 | 30 | 26 |
| Service Brakes problems | 1,224 | 29 | 78 |
| Electrical System problems | 1,212 | 31 | 13 |
| Air Bags problems | 950 | 28 | 90 |
| Steering problems | 614 | 29 | 28 |
| Structure problems | 590 | 30 | 15 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 475 | 27 | 34 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 339 | 25 | 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 288 | 27 | 6 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 260 | 30 | 0 |
| Suspension problems | 218 | 30 | 6 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 168 | 29 | 3 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 124 | 18 | 5 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance problems | 120 | 16 | 4 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 110 | 21 | 1 |
| Seat Belts problems | 102 | 26 | 9 |
| Wheels | 84 | 23 | 10 |
| Visibility | 83 | 23 | 1 |
| Tires | 73 | 24 | 3 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 71 | 21 | 0 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 58 | 13 | 0 |
| Seats | 58 | 19 | 1 |
| Lane Departure | 51 | 12 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 50 | 12 | 4 |
| Parking Brake | 42 | 9 | 1 |
| Equipment | 30 | 16 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Other | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 13 | 8 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Communication | 1 | 1 | 0 |
GMC Sierra 1500 problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2026: engine (96)
- 2025: engine (54)
- 2024: engine (188) · power train (72)
- 2023: engine (209) · power train (91) · structure (89) · electrical system (64)
- 2022: engine (238) · power train (111) · structure (104) · electrical system (83)
- 2021: engine (314) · power train (142) · electrical system (75)
- 2020: engine (239) · power train (97) · electrical system (81)
- 2019: engine (309) · power train (139) · service brakes (107) · electrical system (95)
- 2018: power train (131) · engine (67)
- 2017: power train (118) · service brakes (100) · engine (58) · electrical system (54)
- 2016: service brakes (100) · power train (84) · electrical system (54)
- 2015: service brakes (219) · power train (98) · electrical system (96) · exterior lighting (93) · engine (84) · steering (81)
- 2014: steering (156) · exterior lighting (148) · service brakes (139) · electrical system (129) · engine (69) · power train (69) · electronic stability control (esc) (56)
- 2011: air bags (113)
- 2010: air bags (77)
- 2009: air bags (122)
- 2008: air bags (243)
- 2007: air bags (145)
- 2005: electrical system (67)
- 2004: electrical system (81)
- 2003: service brakes (55) · service brakes, hydraulic (50)
- 2002: service brakes (64) · service brakes, hydraulic (53)
- 2001: service brakes, hydraulic (59)
- 2000: service brakes, hydraulic (78)
- 1999: service brakes, hydraulic (70)
All GMC Sierra 1500 model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sierra 1500 | 141 | 2 | 5★ | Engine | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2025 Sierra 1500 | 118 | 1 | 5★ | Engine | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Sierra 1500 | 367 | 1 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2023 Sierra 1500 | 489 | 3 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2022 Sierra 1500 | 594 | 6 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2021 Sierra 1500 | 585 | 7 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2020 Sierra 1500 | 475 | 12 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2019 Sierra 1500 | 653 | 10 | 5★ | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2018 Sierra 1500 | 305 | 7 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2017 Sierra 1500 | 354 | 6 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2016 Sierra 1500 | 343 | 8 | 5★ | Service Brakes | More complaints than other years |
| 2015 Sierra 1500 | 719 | 9 | 5★ | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2014 Sierra 1500 | 742 | 9 | 5★ | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2013 Sierra 1500 | 116 | 3 | 4★ | Unknown or Other | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2012 Sierra 1500 | 107 | 3 | 4★ | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2011 Sierra 1500 | 284 | 5 | 4★ | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2010 Sierra 1500 | 168 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Sierra 1500 | 234 | 4 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2008 Sierra 1500 | 381 | 2 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Sierra 1500 | 262 | 2 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2006 Sierra 1500 | 145 | 0 | — | Service Brakes | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2005 Sierra 1500 | 177 | 0 | — | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2004 Sierra 1500 | 212 | 2 | — | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2003 Sierra 1500 | 180 | 1 | — | Service Brakes | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2002 Sierra 1500 | 166 | 1 | — | Service Brakes | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2001 Sierra 1500 | 140 | 2 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2000 Sierra 1500 | 181 | 1 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1999 Sierra 1500 | 158 | 1 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1998 Sierra 1500 | 59 | 2 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1997 Sierra 1500 | 83 | 3 | — | Steering | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 1996 Sierra 1500 | 5 | 0 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 1995 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling |
More from GMC: all GMC models · GMC VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which GMC Sierra 1500 years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2008 (381), 2014 (742), 2015 (719), 2019 (653), 2020 (475), 2021 (585), 2022 (594), 2023 (489), 2024 (367) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Sierra 1500 year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the GMC Sierra 1500?
Engine, with 2,079 complaints across 27 model years.
How many recalls does the GMC Sierra 1500 have?
61 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.