GMC Sierra 1500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 9,025 consumer complaints across the 32 model years of the GMC Sierra 1500 (1994–2026) that have at least 5 complaints. 2014 has the most, with 743. Across all years, the part named most often is engine (2,114 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Sierra 1500 years →
All Sierra 1500 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 147 | 3,900 | 2 | 207 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2025 | 124 | 16,000 | 1 | 455 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2024 | 377 | 19,650 | 1 | 925 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2023 | 501 | 30,115 | 3 | 1,264 | 81 · More | Too new |
| 2022 | 601 | 39,541 | 6 | 1,605 | 82 · More | Rising |
| 2021 | 596 | 50,000 | 7 | 1,452 | 75 · More | Rising |
| 2020 | 483 | 35,930 | 12 | 1,538 | 77 · More | Rising |
| 2019 | 658 | 14,250 | 10 | 1,754 | 89 · More | Rising |
| 2018 | 305 | 34,000 | 7 | 955 | 46 · Typical | Rising |
| 2017 | 355 | 38,984 | 6 | 1,018 | 43 · Typical | Stable |
| 2016 | 343 | 47,000 | 8 | 1,214 | 54 · Typical | Stable |
| 2015 | 720 | 47,000 | 9 | 1,441 | 76 · More | Falling |
| 2014 | 743 | 55,000 | 9 | 3,022 | 76 · More | Falling |
| 2013 | 116 | 70,000 | 3 | 984 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2012 | 107 | 60,440 | 3 | 891 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2011 | 284 | 55,250 | 5 | 801 | 16 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2010 | 168 | 63,750 | 4 | 825 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2009 | 234 | 72,750 | 4 | 679 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2008 | 381 | 75,000 | 2 | 642 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2007 | 263 | 73,462 | 2 | 722 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 145 | 52,000 | 0 | 353 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 177 | 70,000 | 0 | 251 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 212 | 60,000 | 2 | 195 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 180 | 75,000 | 1 | 181 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2002 | 166 | 80,000 | 1 | 146 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 140 | 97,000 | 2 | 130 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 181 | 90,506 | 1 | 109 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1999 | 158 | 107,000 | 1 | 26 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 59 | 80,500 | 2 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1997 | 83 | 82,500 | 3 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1996 | 5 | 132,500 | 0 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
| 1994 | 13 | 129,775 | 0 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine2,114 22%
- Brakes1,746 18%
- Transmission and drivetrain1,355 14%
- Electrical system1,218 13%
- Air bags952 10%
- Other or unknown899 9.5%
- Steering615 6.5%
- Body and structure603 6.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2017: “On 9/2019 they supposedly did the reprogram to fix the hydraulic braking issue on my truck. It is now doing the very same issue again. I go to slow down or stop and feel like its not slowing down and I pump the pedal to get a good pedal to stop. It does this quite frequent now. Is there anyone who can help me see if this can be done again under recall?”
NHTSA complaint #11398454, filed 2021-03, 105,000 miles2015: “Paint is literally falling off in chunks. I baby my truck. Its mint condition, but I noticed the paint is not adhering to the primer in atleast 2 spots. After some rain, the paint just fell off the vehicle. Gm refuses to assist in repairing. For the cost of the vehicle this is absolutely a major issue. This vehicle has no claims or previous body damage.”
NHTSA complaint #11404446, filed 2021-03, 30,000 miles2021: “The auto stop feature on my truck is dangerous! There is no way to permanently disable it. When pulling into traffic from a stop, there is a significant delay for the car to restart and get moving! I have almost been in several accidents because of this. Forget the $20 in gas this junk might save someone over a year! It is dangerous”
NHTSA complaint #11413684, filed 2021-04, 10 milesOther GMC models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology