2016 GMC Sierra 1500 Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 100 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 44,261 miles. The words owners use most often: “vacuum pump” (14% of reports).
- 100service brakes complaints
- 44,261median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 11%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.
- Vacuum pump: mentioned in 14 of 100 complaints (14%)
- Hard stop: mentioned in 9 of 100 complaints (9%)
- Parking spot: mentioned in 9 of 100 complaints (9%)
- Brake pedal becomes: mentioned in 7 of 100 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 68 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 100 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 4 an injury.
GMC Sierra 1500 service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sierra 1500 | 4 | 3% | — |
| 2025 Sierra 1500 | 7 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Sierra 1500 | 10 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Sierra 1500 | 14 | 3% | 28,550 |
| 2022 Sierra 1500 | 28 | 5% | 9,700 |
| 2021 Sierra 1500 | 23 | 4% | 21,270 |
| 2020 Sierra 1500 | 49 | 10% | 6,400 |
| 2019 Sierra 1500 | 107 | 16% | 7,000 |
| 2018 Sierra 1500 | 40 | 13% | 11,500 |
| 2017 Sierra 1500 | 100 | 28% | 38,984 |
| 2016 Sierra 1500 | 100 | 29% | 44,261 |
| 2015 Sierra 1500 | 219 | 30% | 55,500 |
| 2014 Sierra 1500 | 139 | 19% | 68,190 |
| 2013 Sierra 1500 | 2 | 2% | 33,295 |
| 2012 Sierra 1500 | 5 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2011 Sierra 1500 | 6 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2009 Sierra 1500 | 4 | 2% | 61,752 |
| 2008 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 1% | 116,000 |
| 2007 Sierra 1500 | 16 | 6% | 90,100 |
| 2006 Sierra 1500 | 40 | 28% | 78,500 |
| 2005 Sierra 1500 | 33 | 19% | 89,240 |
| 2004 Sierra 1500 | 43 | 20% | 89,900 |
| 2003 Sierra 1500 | 55 | 31% | 89,863 |
| 2002 Sierra 1500 | 64 | 39% | 100,000 |
| 2001 Sierra 1500 | 40 | 29% | 110,356 |
| 2000 Sierra 1500 | 40 | 22% | 115,000 |
| 1999 Sierra 1500 | 30 | 19% | 152,446 |
| 1998 Sierra 1500 | 1 | 2% | 167,525 |
| 1997 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 4% | 111,087 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Service brakes; service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:wheel speed sensor/tone ring; electronic stability control (esc)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My vehicle a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 upon lower idle speeds loses vacuum pressure. As the vacuum level drops the brake assist decreases, increasing the braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, which increases the risk of a crash. I have had a warning light come on advising…
1- transmission issue, itâll occasionally slip from 1-2 gear and engine rpmâs will shoot up making it when you release the gas pedal itâll kick into second gear itâll also do minor kicks into other gears (8l90 transmission) 2- breaks issue, unsure of what the problem is but at very low…
While traveling at low speeds in parking lots and in the operation of parking, my 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 gets a hard brake pedal that goes to the floor but I have no brakes. I almost hit a person in a local grocery store parking lot, at the bank driving up to the ATM, and I almost lost my truck over…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 GMC Sierra 1500s have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 100 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 (29% 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 service brakes?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 44,261 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “vacuum pump”, in 14 of 100 complaints, followed by “hard stop” (9).
Other 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
See all 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems or service brakes problems across all Sierra 1500 years.