Skip to content
GMC Sierra 3500Model year report

2001 GMC Sierra 3500 Problems

Complaints
36filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
63,540miles, 30 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 36 consumer complaints for the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500. The part named most often is brakes, with 16 complaints (44% of the total), followed by fuel system (8) and engine cooling (6). 30 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 63,540 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 143 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 1 NHTSA investigation and 9 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Fuel system complaints overlap with 6 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “I almost ran into another car because the other driver stopped suddenly and I had to pump the brakes over and over to stop when the rusted line broke. I was on a city street driving speed limit and was lucky to be able to stop. I was towing my trailer last week and almost lost the trailer because the entire underbody is rusted. I have had several trucks and never have seen this happen. It was a scary situation in both cases.”

NHTSA complaint #10864689, filed 2016-05, 240,000 miles

Fuel system: “Sold me a good running vehicle that the fuel system failed cause engine to shutdown, caused no braking, vehicle pulled out of center do to steering components, no safety belts in rear of vehicle”

NHTSA complaint #11142741, filed 2018-10, 98 miles

Engine cooling: “About april of 2005 my truck started shutting off while I was driving down the road. At this time it would restart automatically with no other problems. Took it in to the chevrolet dealership and they stated that the truck was missing a stall code and that they had updated it. In september it started to do it all over again, I had asked some mechanics I know about the problem and they said it sounded like an ignition problem. We started checking all ignition connections, fuses, grounds etc. It stopped for about a month and started doing it again. …”

NHTSA complaint #10147760, filed 2006-01, 87,550 miles

Engine: “My 2001 Gmc SIERRA 3500 with a 8.1l v8 engine stalled while on the freeway. It would not restart until a cool down period. This problem surfaced as not being able to start the engine after it had run and then set for 30 - 60 minutes and would not start until several attempts were made to start it. This has been an ongoing problem for the last year and has progressed to the stall on the freeway. I was finally able to get an engine failure code from the vehicle listed as crankshaft position sensor failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #10542659, filed 2013-09, 76,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 30 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 40,000 and 87,550 miles.

10%0–107%10–2517%25–5027%50–7523%75–1007%100–15010%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (30 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 63,540 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’02’055’085’11’14’21
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 143 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 143 bulletins →

Other model years of the GMC Sierra 3500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202652,2502———Too new
20251740,0001———Too new
20245036,0003——Too new to compareToo new
20232833,8001——47 · TypicalToo new
20223231,1543——54 · TypicalRising
202120101,5005———Rising
20205128,7008——95 · MoreRising
20191353,0047———Not enough data
20181453,8006———Not enough data
20171321,0007———Not enough data
20161927,5007———Rising
20153138,5007——50 · TypicalFalling
2014768,0003———Not enough data
20131449,2184———Not enough data
2012931,2004———Not enough data
20112077,2505———Falling
2009536,6005———Not enough data
20082559,0003——0 · FewerFalling
20071636,0003———Rising
20061149,9740———Not enough data
20052450,5000———Rising
20042484,0000———Rising
2003760,5000———Not enough data
20022079,0002———Stable
20013663,5402——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20002657,0072——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19991959,5001———Stable
199812128,0002———Not enough data
19971095,0001———Not enough data

All GMC Sierra 3500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 have?

NHTSA recorded 36 consumer complaints for the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 16 complaints (44% of the total), followed by fuel system with 8.

Has the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 reported?

Among the 30 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 63,540 miles and the middle half falls between 40,000 and 87,550 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.