2016 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 45,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

My vehicle a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 upon lower idle speeds loses vacuum pressure. As the vacuum level drops the brake assist decreases, increasing the braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, which increases the risk of a crash. I have had a warning light come on advising to service the brake assist system. I…Owner complaint, filed 2026

While traveling at low speeds in parking lots and in the operation of parking, my 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 gets a hard brake pedal that goes to the floor but I have no brakes. I almost hit a person in a local grocery store parking lot, at the bank driving up to the ATM, and I almost lost my truck over a bank because the brakes failed. This…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 45,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Loss of power, shuddering, hesitation upon attempt to accelerate. 8-speed automatic transmission failure, known to GMC at the time of purchase (2017). GM Service Bulletin 39370 dated April 2016.Owner complaint, filed 2026

since we have had this truck the transmission has not worked right to where no longer works plus we have paperwork from other dealship have said this truck should have never been sold to us by the other deal they told us this truck has a lot of issues and is not road safe we where told by that dealer they cant help us so we need help…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 66,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear Window wire exploded on [XXX] at about [XXX] I heard a loud pop coming from Walmart and got 3 doors from my home, haven’t drove it since it was 7 degrees that night but when I took it in to get a hand car wash today January 17, 2025 I shop immediately told me my rear window was broken but since don’t leave my home often it didn’t…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The 2016 GMC have an open recall for the Transmission Temp Sensor. It is throwing the code P0711 and P0700. For some unknown reason, my VIN is not qualifying for the recall.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 77,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

Catastrophic engine failure while traveling 40 mph. Dealership diagnosed as cylinder walls being scorched and rods blown through. No warning signs existed - just had a loud thud before the check engine light started flashing and grinding sound started coming from engine.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Engine has developed a serious lifter / cam issue. dealer identified it as a result of Displacement on Demand design. Total engine replacement recommended by dealer but since the mileage on that vehicle is over 100,000 warranty, the repair is not covered. Known issue, should have been pointed out by dealer / manufacturer before warranty…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Steering tried returning to center loss of electrical power service stabilitrack message service brake assist message engine tried to die had to disconnect battery to reset.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the power steering assist became inoperable. While driving at slow speeds, the power steering assist was intermittently inoperable. The power steering warning light was illuminated was intermittently inoperable. The local dealer was contacted, but the…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 90,200 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 59,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the contact enabled the remote start, however, the remote start did not function as intended. The contact stated that the temperature was below freezing. The contact stated that the remote start simultaneously enabled the defroster…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 102,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH with the defroster engaged, she noticed smoke on the rear electric sliding glass window and smelled a burning odor. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road, disengaged the defroster and the smoke gradually…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 64,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 29,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that the steering wheel failed to turn into the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was 15 meters from center. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle drove abnormally rough. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 59,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70- 85 mph, the vehicle was shaking. The stability track warning indicator light was illuminated and flashing on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but they were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 15,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 54,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a deer, causing significant damage to the front end. During the crash, no airbags deployed. The cause of the air bag's failure to deploy was not determined. The vehicle was repaired at the local collision center.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 HD. The contact stated that while driving at 64 MPH, he crashed head-on with a 350-pound deer. The deer went underneath the vehicle, and the driver ran over it with the passenger front tire. The driver's side air bag did not deploy. The air bag warning light was illuminated. There were no reported…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 85,379 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

i began getting a service engine light that went on and off a few times randomly. the vehicle would not switch down to 4cylinder as designed. there was an odd shudder as the vehicle slowed at 10mph increments which would randomly happen or not happen dependent upon the moment. i was outside of warranty so i went to a shop which has been…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2016 gmc sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle leaked fuel onto the driveway. The contact also smelled fuel inside the vehicle. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The contact called autonation buick gmc henderson at 702-979-2044 (located at 330 north gibson road, henderson, nv 89014) and was…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 30,500 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 15,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Drivers side seat belt cable broke off where it connects to left side of drivers seat. It looks like a clean break I can send picturesOwner complaint, filed 2024

Neither of the two rear seat head rests stay up. Also, they are too low when extended to full height to protect an adult from head injury in a crash or hard stop. Your head hits the rear glass window. I am 5'-9" tall. The head rest does not lock or remain up in any position. Applying very light pressure to the head rest causes it to drop…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Parts named most: Body (6).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that she had noticed the frame had rusted in two places. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The other night, I was backing into a parking spot at the market. As I slowed I noticed the brake pedal was getting harder to depress and it felt as though I was going to back into the car behind me. It took more effort to stop the truck.Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

I purchased a set of Firestone Destination A/T2 tires from Firestone in Southaven, MS. I had the tires for less than 16 months. I took the tires in for inspection & was told the treat belts had separated from the tires. The tires are a hazard. the tires are 275/55R20. Driving on the interstate, I had to pull over as it felt as though the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

255/55R20 these tires only have 30k on them and are starting to dry rot on the sidewall close to the rim on all 4 tires and the tire pressure is checked every couple months I've reached out to Kenda with no response as to dateOwner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Just purchased this used vehicle in December 2022 with high miles (202000) with a dealers extended warranty. Problem has happened twice in 2 weeks. While backing up slowly and turning my wheel the vehicle stalled and Service Stabilitrak came across the dash as it died. Then upon restarting it told me to roll drivers window down and up…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Transmission shifts hard and seemingly late and early (sometimes to the extent where it feels like someone is slamming into the vehicle). This has happened since purchase in 2019 ( when I told them about it them about it they tried to tell me it was normal and acted like I was a fool), continues to get worse especially in stop and go…Owner complaint, filed 2022

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

air bags on my truck still dont work and i was not told by sales person that the safety features didnt work on truck before purchase. Dealership has worked on it twice and the last tech airbags were working and they are not still same symbol saying airbag not workingOwner complaint, filed 2026

For over a year now multiple times while I'm driving. My vehicle's power steering will jerk/shake very abruptly, dash lights, radio, a/c & heater flicker on & off, service stabilitrak, trailer brakes etc, will pop up. then once stopped and shut off the engine the battery will act like it is dead and I will have no power to the vehicle at…Owner complaint, filed 2023