2002 GMC Sierra 3500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sierra 3500 years
- About as many complaints as other years 11th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 GMC Sierra 3500. That ranks 11th out of 31 Sierra 3500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (4 complaints, 20%), typically at around 137,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 20owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 GMC Sierra 3500 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 | 4 | 20% | 137,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 15% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 15% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 15% | 49,100 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 15% | 137,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 10% | 52,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 10% | 145,582 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 10% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 10% | 59,345 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 5% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 5% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% | 154,163 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 GMC Sierra 3500 recalls (2)
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.
Interior lighting
Problem: Vehicle description: certain pickup trucks equipped with 6.6l diesel engines fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems." these vehicles have a brake system warning light in the instrument cluster that may not illuminate when the brake fluid is low. In addition, when the brake fluid is low, the vehicle may not meet the partial system requirements of fmvss no. 105.
Risk: These conditions could result in reduced braking capability, which could lead to a crash.
Fix: Dealers will change the location of a wire connection in the underhood bussed electrical center. Owner notification began july 9, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
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
- Hydraulic pump shaft failures (PE04004) — opened Jan 8, 2004, closed Apr 30, 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 gmc sierra 3500. While operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was noticeable inside the cabin. Upon inspection, the contact discovered fuel had leaked from the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel…
This truck has the same problems as the 2007 model. The ignition switch, parking brake, and fuel lines all have issues as similarly described for the 2007 model. The fuel lines actually broke through causing a leak of the diesel fuel. This happened after the vehicle was driven a short distance of…
While driving down a very busy street, the engine died. I lost all my power steering and brake. I was very lucky that i was not on a very busy highway. I had it towed to hedrick's chevrolet in clovis ca. It took 2 days for them to check it out. They said when they went to bring it in to the shop it…
Slowing down to a red traffic light and brake pedal went to the floor. Tried to pump brake pedal to get more pressure but did not work. Drove off onto shoulder and got it slowed down . Drive very slow with hazard lights on to get it back to my house. I was only about a mile away. Got home and…
I first noticed that the anti-lock brakes were activating at slow speeds ( 5-10 mph ) under dry road conditions. This was prior to brake line incident on 4-14-2012 but i am not sure of exact date. I researched the anti-lock brakes and found nhtsa id campaign #05v379000 action # pe05020 but this did…
Other GMC Sierra 3500 years
← 2001 Sierra 3500 · 2003 Sierra 3500 →
See all GMC Sierra 3500 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 3500?
Owners most often report service brakes, fuel/propulsion system, parking brake problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 4 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 GMC Sierra 3500?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 GMC Sierra 3500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sierra 3500 model years, the 2002 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.