GMC Sierra Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 304 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the GMC Sierra across 19 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (45). The words owners use most often: “brake lines” (47% of reports).
- 304service brakes complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 31mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- $1,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 13%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.
- Brake lines: mentioned in 142 of 304 complaints (47%)
- Pedal went: mentioned in 85 of 304 complaints (28%)
- Applied brakes: mentioned in 35 of 304 complaints (12%)
- Line rusted: mentioned in 21 of 304 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes repair on the GMC Sierra at $1,400, and half of them between $1,100 and $1,950.
Based on 32 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2018), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 294 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 304 complaints, 31 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
GMC Sierra service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Sierra | 19 | 31% | 54,000 |
| 2015 Sierra | 2 | 4% | 46,750 |
| 2013 Sierra | 4 | 10% | 22,375 |
| 2012 Sierra | 3 | 10% | 54,500 |
| 2011 Sierra | 3 | 7% | 9,873 |
| 2010 Sierra | 3 | 9% | 40,800 |
| 2009 Sierra | 1 | 3% | 31,000 |
| 2008 Sierra | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2007 Sierra | 12 | 20% | 70,000 |
| 2006 Sierra | 20 | 38% | 52,800 |
| 2005 Sierra | 27 | 23% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Sierra | 44 | 23% | 90,390 |
| 2003 Sierra | 45 | 22% | 98,750 |
| 2002 Sierra | 31 | 12% | 117,143 |
| 2001 Sierra | 31 | 12% | 132,000 |
| 2000 Sierra | 28 | 6% | 117,118 |
| 1999 Sierra | 25 | 4% | 150,073 |
| 1998 Sierra | 4 | 2% | 86,000 |
| 1995 Sierra | 1 | 0% | 125,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (5)
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Problem: Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (abs) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
Risk: This can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel speed sensor, and check the peak-to-peak output voltage to ensure the wheel speed signal is within specifications. The recall began september 22, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Model years: 2004, 2005
Problem: Certain trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans equipped with bosch hydro-boost brake assemblies, the hydraulic brake booster pressure accumulator may crack and separate from the hydro-boost assembly during normal operating conditions.
Risk: If a separation occurred and the hood of the vehicle were open, fragments from the accumulator could cause injury to people in the immediate area. The presence of this crack or fractured surface could allow the hydraulic fluid to leak from the accumulator circuit of the booster assembly. The loss of fluid would cause increased steering and braking effort and a crash may occur without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will test the hydro-boost assembly for functional operation of the two-function valve. If the hydro-boost assembly fails the test, dealers will replace the assembly free of charge. The recall began on march 23, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc trucks at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Model years: 2003, 2004
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Risk: Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
Fix: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Model years: 1999, 2000
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a clearance condition between the front right-hand brake pipe and the body cross sill that could decrease to the point of allowing contact during the life of the vehicle. If contact occurs and the brake pipe becomes damaged, in half of the brake system there can be a loss of brake fluid and pressure. The brake warning lamp will be activated when the brake fluid level reaches the indicator limit.
Risk: During braking, the pedal will be lower than normal and stopping distances will be longer. If this occurs when stopping distance is limited, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front right-hand brake pipe for wear. If there are signs of wear, this section of the brake pipe will be replaced with a new designed brake pipe section. If there are not signs of wear on the brake pipe, the dealer will install a spacer clip to ensure sufficient clearance between the brake pipe and the body cross sill.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Model years: 2000
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes. Some of these vehicles have an antilock brake system (abs) motor containing an out-of-specification spring clip. This clip could allow the motor bearing to become misaligned. If misalignment occurs, eventually the abs would be non-functional.
Risk: The base brakes would remain fully functional, but the dynamic rear proportioning (drp) system, which optimizes front to rear brake balance, would become inoperative.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake pressure module valve assembly.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated her husband was driving when the vehicle in front of them applied the brakes unexpectedly, the driver depressed the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle due to the brake pedal being resistant/ rigid causing the vehicle to rear-end…
After parking and backing up when i hit the brakes, they got hard and did not operate properly. When pulling forward the brakes were hard to operate and barely stopped the vehicle. After sitting a while and restarting the truck they operated as they should have. Not sure if this is an operable…
I live in oregon, my truck that i purchased from a private owner from utah in june of 2019 had 37,300 miles today's date march 1 2020 my truck has 39,100 miles. A couple of days ago i changed to my oregon license plate. While under the truck i noticed a lot of rust on many parts of the brakes…
Truck was recalled for brakes. Recall completed was computer issue. That recall caused brake vacuum to malfunction. Almost cost me my life. 70 mph in dallas tx traffic. Had to slow down quickly. Once it slowed down then it wouldn't stop!!! Got it to a parking garage almost hit 3 vehs. It was…
While towing our 42 foot camper with the 1 ton gmc dually truck we had a sudden loss of truck braking causing us to run thru a red signal light. The brake lines had rusted and burst leaving very little braking from truck. The brakes were inspected by a gm dealer only 6 months ago and were deemed ok…

Frequently asked questions
Do all GMC Sierras have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 304 owner complaints about service brakes for the GMC Sierra. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the GMC Sierra service brakes?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes problems on the GMC Sierra?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,400 (half paid between $1,100 and $1,950), from 32 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the GMC Sierra?
The most frequent phrase is “brake lines”, in 142 of 304 complaints, followed by “pedal went” (85).
Other GMC Sierra problems
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (954)
- Visibility problems (343)
- Power Train problems (293)
- Steering problems (248)
- Electrical System problems (241)
- Air Bags problems (193)
- Structure problems (193)
- Suspension problems (160)
See all GMC Sierra problems.