2010 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the instrument-panel pad cracking near the passenger airbag cover and above the cluster, sometimes more than once on replacement dashes, and many say the crack appeared while the truck was parked. A second recurring theme is an airbag warning light that stays on, with owners reporting that dealers had no remedy part available for the inflator campaign. A smaller group describes sudden power reduction with throttle and stability-control messages, broken exterior door handles, and rusted frame or subframe areas.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Cracked dashboard around passenger airbag cover

   • 59 complaints (35%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (45 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Complaints describe cracks starting at the upper-left corner of the passenger airbag cover, and often a second crack above the instrument cluster. Many owners say the crack appeared with the truck parked and no impact, and several report that a dealer-replaced dash cracked again in the same spot. Dealers are described as either replacing the dash under warranty in the earlier years or telling owners the truck was outside coverage and offering a reduced-cost replacement. Owners frequently connect the cracking to concerns about how the airbag cover will open in a crash. Most complaints fall between roughly 35,000 and 100,000 miles, though a few appear earlier and a few past 150,000; several owners in warm climates note the crack showed up while the truck sat parked.

   What to check: Open the passenger door and look closely at the top-left corner of the airbag cover and above the cluster for hairline cracks or a repaired or replaced pad. Ask whether the dash has already been replaced and, if so, when.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Passenger side dash is cracking right behind the air bag. Had a similar issue fixed in february or march of 2014. Almost 3 years later the new dash is cracked. Seems to be a common problem in 2007-2013 GM trucks and SUV's. I just noticed the crack yesterday december 11th, 2016. The crack has started within the last month that I can recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10934675, filed 2016-12, 51,000 miles

   “My dashboard has cracked around the passenger side airbag and on top of the driverside dash. I am afraid that the cracks around the airbag are a safety hazard for my family. Both cracks are growing rapidly. Vehicle has less than 44,000 miles and is in excellent condition.”

   NHTSA complaint #10994324, filed 2017-06, 42,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on, no remedy part available

   • 12 complaints (7%)
   • median 80,500 mi at 7.9 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2015–2021

   Owners describe a service-airbag or airbag warning indicator that comes on and stays lit, in some cases intermittently. Complaints mention dealers confirming an open inflator campaign but telling owners that parts were not yet available, sometimes over repeat visits across many months. A few reports trace the lamp to a chafed or crimped airbag wire, or to corrosion in the under-hood fuse block interrupting power to the airbag module. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 110,000 miles, on trucks that were several years old at the time of the complaint.

   Recall 21V050000

   What to check: With the key on, confirm the airbag indicator goes out after the bulb check. Ask the seller for paperwork showing whether the inflator campaign was completed, and have the airbag circuits scanned for stored codes before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall. Service airbag keeps intermittently displaying on the vehicle display. Contacted midway chevrolet in phoenix az who confirmed the recall and parts are not available. Nhtsa recall notice indicates that GM had until august 2017 to complete its investigation, and the recall is still incomplete with no remedy available in 2019.”

   NHTSA complaint #11186592, filed 2019-03, 83,000 miles

   “Passenger air bag light went on indicating that the air bag was not functional. Took the vehicle to an independent repair shop and they could not diagnose the problem. Then took it to a Gmc dealer and they determined that it was due to loss of power to the air bag module attributed to corrosion within the under-hood fuse block.”

   NHTSA complaint #10721445, filed 2015-05, 106,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Reduced engine power with throttle and StabiliTrak warnings

   • 10 complaints (6%)
   • median 66,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2023

   Complaints describe the truck dropping to a low speed or losing throttle response while driving, accompanied by reduced-engine-power, service-traction-control and StabiliTrak messages and an erratic idle. Owners report the condition appearing while merging, climbing a grade or accelerating, and clearing after a restart in some cases. Dealer and shop responses described in the complaints include throttle body replacement, throttle position sensor code resets, and diagnoses pointing to the brake sensor switch or intake system. Reported from under 15,000 miles up to about 118,000 miles, often during acceleration, merging or hill climbs.

   What to check: Road-test with a deliberate hard acceleration from a stop and at highway speed, and check that no warning messages appear on the driver information center. Ask whether the throttle body or pedal assembly has been replaced and whether stored codes have been cleared.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We were driving on a 2 lane highway going 60mph when all of a sudden the truck went to 20mph. The vehicle behind me almost rear ended me. I pulled over to the shoulder and saw the check engine light was on, and also there were other messages saying that traction control was out, vehicle stability was out, etc. I was a couple of miles away from the dealership so I called them. Luckily they were open on saturday. I took it there and had the throttle body replaced. The truck has only 18,500 miles on it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10692855, filed 2015-03, 18,500 miles

   “While driving down a steep hill, lost engine power and truck speed was dramatically reduced. Dash warning reduced engine power displayed. Could not accelerate. This could have resulted in a an accident because this situation caused difficulty controlling the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10817495, filed 2016-01, 66,000 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Exterior door handles breaking

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe exterior door handles that break or stop releasing the latch, in several cases on more than one door and again after replacement. One owner reports chrome flaking on an interior handle and cutting a hand. Owners describe paying for the repair themselves and being told by dealers that the part failure was a common occurrence on these trucks and not covered by a campaign. Reported from roughly 23,000 to 85,000 miles, with several owners noting repeat failures over a few years.

   What to check: Operate every door handle from outside and inside, including the rear doors, and look for chrome lifting or a handle that feels loose or sticks. Ask whether any handles have already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Inside driver door handle chrome is flaking. 3/9/13 it cut my index finger fairly deep and approximately 1/2 inch in length. Of course it bled all over my suit as I was heading to be the best man at a wedding. 7/21/13. My son was getting out of the drivers door and received the same injury.”

   NHTSA complaint #10526022, filed 2013-07, 60,000 miles

   “I contacted Gmc on 10/26/2015 to inform them there was a crack in the dashboard on the upper left side of the passenger airbag. This is the second time this has happened. The first time brian harris Gmc, the dealer I purchased the truck from, replaced the dashboard under the manufacturer's warranty. I also told andre at Gmc I have had to replace all 4 door handles and now the 2 back door handles are broken again. Andre told me to have the dealer asses the problem. David, the service rep. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10852486, filed 2016-03, 84,662 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Rusted subframe and underbody corrosion

   • 12 complaints (7%)
   • median 105,000 mi at 8.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2011–2025

   Complaints describe swaying over bumps or bridges and, on inspection, a subframe or frame area found badly rusted, with shops recommending replacement. One owner reports the receiver hitch rusted through with the spare tire hanger heavily corroded, and another describes undercoating coming loose in pieces shortly after purchase. Owners say the condition was found during service visits or a pre-purchase inspection rather than after a single event. Reported from about 15,000 miles on the newer trucks up to roughly 178,000 miles, generally on vehicles several years old and in rust-belt use.

   What to check: Get underneath the truck, or pay for an inspection, and look at the frame rails, crossmembers, subframe mounts, hitch and spare tire hanger for flaking scale or holes. Ask where the truck was driven and stored, since road salt is a common factor in these reports.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2010 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that upon inspection it was discovered that the receiver hitch was rusted and caused several holes. In addition, the spare tire hanger was also severely rusted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 104,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11426623, filed 2021-07, 104,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2010 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving over a bump or bridge, the vehicle swayed abnormally. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the entire subframe was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,900.”

   NHTSA complaint #11507257, filed 2023-02, 125,900 miles

Buying note. Inspect the dashboard around the passenger airbag cover and above the cluster closely, since cracking is the most frequent report and replacement dashes have cracked again. Also confirm the airbag campaigns were completed, scan for stored airbag and throttle codes, and check the frame and underbody for rust before agreeing on a price.

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. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the 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.