GMC Sierra 1500: which model years draw the most owner complaints?
8,755 complaints filed with NHTSA about the GMC Sierra 1500, model years 2000 to 2026. 11 model years stand out for the engine or transmission: 2019 (engine 33×, transmission 14×); 2022 (engine 27×, transmission 12×); 2021 (engine 37×, transmission 15×); 2023 (engine 24×, transmission 9.4×). Quietest mature years by complaint count: 2012, 2013, 2001. Counts of unverified owner reports, compared only with other years of the same model; not failure rates.
Complaints by model year
| MODEL YEAR | COMPLAINTS | VS OTHER YEARS | STANDS OUT | RECALLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Sierra 1500 | 181 | — | 3 | |
| 2001 Sierra 1500FEW REPORTS | 140 | quiet: 3 of 20 | 5 | |
| 2002 Sierra 1500 | 166 | quiet: 5 of 20 | 4 | |
| 2003 Sierra 1500 | 180 | — | 4 | |
| 2004 Sierra 1500 | 212 | — | 5 | |
| 2005 Sierra 1500 | 177 | quiet: 7 of 20 | 3 | |
| 2006 Sierra 1500FEW REPORTS | 145 | quiet: 4 of 20 | 2 | |
| 2007 Sierra 1500 | 263 | — | 3 | |
| 2008 Sierra 1500 | 381 | — | 2 | |
| 2009 Sierra 1500 | 234 | — | 4 | |
| 2010 Sierra 1500 | 168 | quiet: 6 of 20 | 4 | |
| 2011 Sierra 1500 | 284 | — | 5 | |
| 2012 Sierra 1500FEW REPORTS | 107 | quiet: 1 of 20 | 3 | |
| 2013 Sierra 1500FEW REPORTS | 116 | quiet: 2 of 20 | 3 | |
| 2014 Sierra 1500 | 744 | — | 9 | |
| 2015 Sierra 1500 | 720 | — | 9 | |
| 2016 Sierra 1500 | 343 | transmission 8.5× | 8 | |
| 2017 Sierra 1500 | 357 | transmission 12× | 6 | |
| 2018 Sierra 1500 | 305 | transmission 13× | 7 | |
| 2019 Sierra 1500 | 661 | engine 33×, transmission 14× | 10 | |
| 2020 Sierra 1500 | 484 | engine 26×, transmission 9.9× | 12 | |
| 2021 Sierra 1500 | 603 | engine 37×, transmission 15× | 7 | |
| 2022 Sierra 1500 | 606 | engine 27×, transmission 12× | 6 | |
| 2023 Sierra 1500 | 516 | engine 24×, transmission 9.4× | 3 | |
| 2024 Sierra 1500 | 383 | engine 22×, transmission 7.2× | 1 | |
| 2025 Sierra 1500FEW REPORTS | 130 | engine 6.6× | 1 | |
| 2026 Sierra 1500FEW REPORTS | 149 | engine 10× | 2 |
"Stands out" = 40 or more complaints naming that system and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share seen across every vehicle of that model year. Newer years have had less time on the road. "Quiet" ranks only years with 7+ years on the road and 20+ complaints. NHTSA data through November 2026.
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Other GMC models
GMC Acadia · GMC Canyon · GMC Denali · GMC Envoy · GMC Envoy XL · GMC Envoy Xuv · GMC Jimmy · GMC Safari · GMC Savana · GMC Sierra · GMC Sierra 2500 · GMC Sierra 3500 · GMC Sierra Denali · GMC Sonoma · GMC Terrain · GMC Yukon · GMC Yukon Denali · GMC Yukon Denali XL · GMC Yukon XL · GMC Yukon XL 1500. All makes and models.
Source: NHTSA public complaints, recalls, service bulletin and investigation databases, data received through November 2026. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not failure rates: sales volumes are unknown, so a model year is only compared with other years of the same model. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Year pages: 200020022003200420052007200820092010201120142015201620172018201920202021202220232024