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GMC Sierra 1500 Problems by Year

Which GMC Sierra 1500 years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 to 2024 model years
Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0

Owners have filed 6,230 complaints with NHTSA about the GMC Sierra 1500 from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the engine and cooling, the transmission and drivetrain and the brakes and stability control. The years with the most complaints are 2014, 2015 and 2019.

Years to avoid

2014

The most complaints compared with other Sierra 1500 years.

Safer bets

201220132018

Clearly fewer complaints than a typical Sierra 1500 year. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate.

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Complaints by year

Tap a year to see its most reported problems, its recalls and what to check before you buy. Newer years have had less time on the road, so they always look better here. Red marks the worst years, orange years worse than most, and green the better ones.

2012136201315520148442015773201635020174182018305201966020204842021602202260520235152024383

Every year at a glance

YearVs. other yearsComplaintsRecallsMost reported
2012 Sierra 1500One of the better years1365Air bags
2013 Sierra 1500One of the better years1556Air bags
2014 Sierra 1500Among the worst years84421Lights, wipers and visibility
2015 Sierra 1500Worse than most years77315Brakes and stability control
2016 Sierra 1500About average35010Brakes and stability control
2017 Sierra 1500About average4186Transmission and drivetrain
2018 Sierra 1500One of the better years3057Transmission and drivetrain
2019 Sierra 1500Worse than most years66010Engine and cooling
2020 Sierra 1500About average48412Engine and cooling
2021 Sierra 1500Worse than most years6027Engine and cooling
2022 Sierra 1500Worse than most years6056Engine and cooling
2023 Sierra 1500Too new to judge5153Engine and cooling
2024 Sierra 1500Too new to judge3831Engine and cooling

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GMC Sierra 1500 questions

What are the worst GMC Sierra 1500 years?

Compared with its other years, the Sierra 1500 years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2014. The most reported problem area across all years is the engine and cooling.

What are the best GMC Sierra 1500 years?

The Sierra 1500 years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2012, 2013 and 2018. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.

What are the most common GMC Sierra 1500 problems?

Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the engine and cooling, the transmission and drivetrain and the brakes and stability control most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.

How many recalls does the GMC Sierra 1500 have?

NHTSA lists 109 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Sierra 1500, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.

Check the exact car

These problems are for the model year as a whole. Here is how to find out about the one you are looking at.

Decode its VINConfirm the year, trim and engine, and see recalls and safety ratings.Walk around and test drive itA step-by-step checklist you can use on your phone at the car.Read the history reportThe red flags in a Carfax or AutoCheck report, in plain English.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.