2002 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems

What owners report

Most complaints on this model year are about the brakes. Owners describe brake lines rusted through, a pedal that sinks to the floor, and low-speed ABS activation that lengthens stopping distance. Many of these reports come in between roughly 50,000 and 150,000 miles, and several mention salted winter roads or the truck sitting unused. Smaller groups mention parking brake adjustment, front hub and bearing noise, tailgate and spare-tire cable problems, and transmission gear failure.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Rusted-through brake lines, pedal to the floor

   Mentioned in 33 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the brake pedal going to the floor while driving or reversing, with fluid leaking under the truck near the rear axle or along the frame rail. Mechanics most often found the steel lines to the rear brakes corroded through, and in several cases they replaced all the lines. Some drivers used the parking brake to stop, and several reported that the parking brake did not hold either. Reported from roughly 25,000 to 200,000 miles, with many in the 60,000-140,000 mile range; several owners mention winter road salt or the truck sitting unused.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect the steel brake lines along the frame and above the rear axle for rust, and ask for receipts if they were replaced. A service bulletin covers pre-formed replacement brake pipe kits for this work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My husband was leaving our neighborhood in the morning with my kids in the truck. He got to the end of our street to stop and pull out onto very busy road, but the truck failed to stop. He ended up having to hit the emergency brake, but luckily he was not hit, nor did he hit anything. We found that the brake lines to the back brakes were rusted through.”

   NHTSA complaint #10469343, filed 2012-08, 80,000 miles

   “I was driving about 45 miles an hour coming down an overpass. The brake pedal went completely to the floor and I narrowly avoided a crash. I took to my mechanic. They said that the brake lines were completely rusted out. I am not getting this fixed as it is an older truck but I do think that someone could die from this defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #11375020, filed 2020-11, 196,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   ABS activates at low speed, longer stopping distance

   Mentioned in 12 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the ABS kicking in for no apparent reason during low-speed stops, usually just before coming to a halt, with the pedal pulsing or sinking and the truck taking longer to stop. Some say it happens on the first stop of the day when cold. Dealers often pointed to worn front hubs or wheel-speed sensors, or told owners the earlier sensor campaign had already been applied once; some owners disabled the ABS fuse. Reported from under 30,000 to about 100,000 miles, most often during stops at or below about 5 mph.

   What to check: Test several slow, rolling stops and note whether the pedal pulses or the ABS light stays on. Ask whether the front hub assemblies or wheel-speed sensors have been replaced, and get any ABS work documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When operating vehicle at slow speed and attempting to stop anti lock brakes engaged and increased stopping distance is required. This vehicle was recalled for same problem in 2005. I made an attempt at my local Gmc dealer to remedy this continuing problem, however, I was informed that general motors would only make one attempt to remedy issue and that I already had used that. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10461798, filed 2012-06, 96,000 miles

   “2002 Gmc sierra, concerning ABS. At low speeds ( less than 5mph) brakes release, will not hold..recall in 2005, was fine ,lasted 2 years, then same thing, virtually no braking at low speeds, dealer said it could be $400 or $500 to fix, I don't think so. I asked him to pull the fuse, refused, found location of fuse and yanked it and the trucks brakes work fine. This is a dangerous situation and should be fixed permanently by Gmc.”

   NHTSA complaint #10302013, filed 2010-01, 18,000 miles
3. 3
   Suspension

   Front hub and bearing noise, shaking, vibration

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe a clunk or vibration felt through the steering column at low speed, and in one case violent front-end shaking at 30-45 mph that was not resolved after bearing replacement. Dealers and mechanics often diagnosed failed front hub assemblies, sometimes one side shortly after the other, and an ABS warning light often came on with it. Reported from very low miles up to about 170,000 miles; several in the 80,000-170,000 mile range.

   What to check: Drive at highway and moderate speeds and listen for humming or clunking from the front, and ask whether either front hub assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1. Anti-lock brakes activation at low speeds 3-5 MPH. 2. Always the first time applied when cold after that at various times 3. This is the same conditions as NHTSA 05v379000 or GM 05068 which started in 2005. The truck was looked at then when there was no problems but when the problem is happening now GM says that it is only a one time recall. The dealer looked at the truck and said the hub was worn and needed replaced for $500 per side. When I questioned the service rep if the bearing was worn he said no. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10326514, filed 2010-04, 81,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2002 Gmc SIERRA 1500. The contact received a recall notice in september of 2006 for the ABS. The dealer kept the vehicle for a month and performed the recall repair. Since the repair, the vehicle does not roll back while parked on an incline with the emergency brake engaged; however, it rolls back on level ground. The contact repaired the rotors and the brake system himself in november of 2007 because the rotors were corroding, which caused the brakes to pulsate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10224676, filed 2008-04, 24,000 miles

Buying note. Brake line condition is the first thing to check on this model year: have the lines inspected for rust, especially on trucks from salted-road areas, and ask for records of any ABS or hub work. Testing the parking brake, front hubs, tailgate cables and spare tire hoist takes only a few minutes and can reveal repairs that are easy to miss.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Counts refer to that sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.