2002 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sierra 1500 years
- Fewer complaints than other years 21st of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 166 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500. That ranks 21st out of 32 Sierra 1500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (64 complaints, 39%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 8 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 166owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems | 64 | 39% | 100,000 | “brake lines” (42%) | $1,700 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 53 | 32% | 65,625 | “brake lines” (34%) | $1,300 |
| Suspension | 9 | 5% | 72,041 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 8 | 5% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 5% | 75,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 4% | 45,411 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 3% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 3% | 76,287 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 2% | 252,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 52,577 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 1% | 65,001 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 47,997 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 1% | 36,940 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 68,830 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 165,050 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 72,552 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Problem: On certain vans equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the wheelchair may not be adequately secured possibly resulting in injuries to a wheelchair occupant.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok will handle the repairs for this campaign. Owners should contact sure-lock at 1-908-231-1804 or mobilityworks at 1-800-769-8267.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Parking brake failure (EA04011) — opened Apr 9, 2004, closed May 10, 2005, led to recall 05V161000.
- Parking brake failure (PE03057) — opened Dec 8, 2003, closed Apr 9, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving about 45 miles an hour coming down an overpass. The brake pedal went completely to the floor and i narrowly avoided a crash. I took to my mechanic. They said that the brake lines were completely rusted out. I am not getting this fixed as it is an older truck but i do think that…
Vehicle was parked in garage. Metal support bar in the back upper portion of driver seat broke. Seat was being used as ordinary and snapped when i went to retrieve item from back seat by reach over center console and to back seat to grab purse. I weight 135 pounds and am small person. No…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 gmc sierra 1500. While driving 30 mph, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when it was depressed and failed to stop the vehicle. The abs and brake system warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where the brake lines were…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 gmc sierra 1500. While driving 30 mph, the front of the vehicle shook and wobbled so violently that it left the contact disoriented. The contact had no control over the vehicle and had to pull over for a while. When the contact retuned to the road, the vehicle continued…
161131 miles frame rusted real bad body looks great for the year i just bought the truck looked real clean inside and out from origanal owner put it on a lift and the frame is so rusted out did some googleing and found that most all these trucks were built to rot out in 3 years
Other GMC Sierra 1500 years
← 2001 Sierra 1500 · 2003 Sierra 1500 →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sierra 1500 | 142 | 2 |
| 2025 Sierra 1500 | 119 | 1 |
| 2024 Sierra 1500 | 368 | 1 |
| 2023 Sierra 1500 | 490 | 3 |
| 2022 Sierra 1500 | 594 | 6 |
| 2021 Sierra 1500 | 587 | 7 |
| 2020 Sierra 1500 | 479 | 12 |
| 2019 Sierra 1500 | 653 | 10 |
| 2018 Sierra 1500 | 305 | 7 |
| 2017 Sierra 1500 | 354 | 6 |
| 2016 Sierra 1500 | 343 | 8 |
| 2015 Sierra 1500 | 719 | 9 |
| 2014 Sierra 1500 | 742 | 9 |
| 2013 Sierra 1500 | 116 | 3 |
| 2012 Sierra 1500 | 107 | 3 |
| 2011 Sierra 1500 | 284 | 5 |
| 2010 Sierra 1500 | 168 | 4 |
| 2009 Sierra 1500 | 234 | 4 |
| 2008 Sierra 1500 | 381 | 2 |
| 2007 Sierra 1500 | 263 | 2 |
| 2006 Sierra 1500 | 145 | 0 |
| 2005 Sierra 1500 | 177 | 0 |
| 2004 Sierra 1500 | 212 | 2 |
| 2003 Sierra 1500 | 180 | 1 |
| 2002 | 166 | 1 |
| 2001 Sierra 1500 | 140 | 2 |
| 2000 Sierra 1500 | 181 | 1 |
| 1999 Sierra 1500 | 158 | 1 |
| 1998 Sierra 1500 | 59 | 2 |
| 1997 Sierra 1500 | 83 | 3 |
| 1996 Sierra 1500 | 5 | 0 |
| 1995 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 0 |
See all GMC Sierra 1500 problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500?
Owners most often report service brakes, service brakes, hydraulic, suspension problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 64 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sierra 1500 model years, the 2002 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.