2016 GMC Sierra 1500 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 66,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear window” (28% of reports).
- 54electrical system complaints
- 66,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rear window: mentioned in 15 of 54 complaints (28%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 21 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 54 complaints, 9 a fire.
GMC Sierra 1500 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sierra 1500 | 17 | 12% | 4,300 |
| 2025 Sierra 1500 | 25 | 21% | 25,319 |
| 2024 Sierra 1500 | 42 | 11% | 19,170 |
| 2023 Sierra 1500 | 64 | 13% | 23,250 |
| 2022 Sierra 1500 | 83 | 14% | 51,000 |
| 2021 Sierra 1500 | 75 | 13% | 31,150 |
| 2020 Sierra 1500 | 81 | 17% | 5,100 |
| 2019 Sierra 1500 | 95 | 15% | 7,997 |
| 2018 Sierra 1500 | 43 | 14% | 36,000 |
| 2017 Sierra 1500 | 54 | 15% | 53,000 |
| 2016 Sierra 1500 | 54 | 16% | 66,000 |
| 2015 Sierra 1500 | 96 | 13% | 46,000 |
| 2014 Sierra 1500 | 129 | 17% | 63,200 |
| 2013 Sierra 1500 | 6 | 5% | 55,500 |
| 2012 Sierra 1500 | 8 | 7% | 141,000 |
| 2011 Sierra 1500 | 17 | 6% | 124,000 |
| 2010 Sierra 1500 | 10 | 6% | 100,993 |
| 2009 Sierra 1500 | 20 | 9% | 65,000 |
| 2008 Sierra 1500 | 31 | 8% | 57,880 |
| 2007 Sierra 1500 | 22 | 8% | 43,000 |
| 2006 Sierra 1500 | 20 | 14% | 86,000 |
| 2005 Sierra 1500 | 67 | 38% | 70,000 |
| 2004 Sierra 1500 | 81 | 38% | 51,804 |
| 2003 Sierra 1500 | 43 | 24% | 72,151 |
| 2002 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 2% | 252,000 |
| 2001 Sierra 1500 | 7 | 5% | 62,000 |
| 2000 Sierra 1500 | 5 | 3% | 143,500 |
| 1999 Sierra 1500 | 8 | 5% | 90,000 |
| 1998 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 5% | 57,000 |
| 1997 Sierra 1500 | 2 | 2% | 191,065 |
| 1996 Sierra 1500 | 1 | 20% | 140,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while idling in the drive-through at a pharmacy, the contact noticed smoke coming from the rear window, and the rear window shattered. The contact stated that the defroster was activated at the time of the failure. There was no injury…
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that her husband remote started the vehicle. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the defrosters automatically activated. The vehicle warmed up for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. The contact stated that while leaving the…
Loose steering and sometimes steering wheel wants to return to center When this happens I loose all electrical - dash goes blank engine dies etc. the hot battery cable is very hot to the touch. I disconnected the ground cable and wait a few minutes and power returns This is going to cause a wreck…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 GMC Sierra 1500s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 54 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 (16% of the 343 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 66,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “rear window”, in 15 of 54 complaints.
Other 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
- Service Brakes problems (100)
- Power Train problems (84)
See all 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems or electrical system problems across all Sierra 1500 years.