GMC Sierra 3500: which model years draw the most owner complaints?
540 complaints filed with NHTSA about the GMC Sierra 3500, model years 2000 to 2026. No model year stands out for the engine or transmission against the others. Quietest mature years by complaint count: 2002, 2011, 2004. 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 3500FEW REPORTS | 26 | — | 4 | |
| 2001 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 36 | — | 3 | |
| 2002 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 20 | quiet: 1 of 8 | 3 | |
| 2003 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 7 | — | 1 | |
| 2004 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 24 | quiet: 3 of 8 | 1 | |
| 2005 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 24 | — | 1 | |
| 2006 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 11 | — | 0 | |
| 2007 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 16 | — | 3 | |
| 2008 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 25 | — | 3 | |
| 2009 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 5 | — | 5 | |
| 2010 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 2 | — | 5 | |
| 2011 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 20 | quiet: 2 of 8 | 5 | |
| 2012 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 9 | — | 4 | |
| 2013 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 14 | — | 4 | |
| 2014 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 7 | — | 3 | |
| 2015 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 31 | — | 7 | |
| 2016 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 19 | — | 7 | |
| 2017 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 13 | — | 7 | |
| 2018 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 14 | — | 6 | |
| 2019 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 13 | — | 7 | |
| 2020 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 51 | — | 8 | |
| 2021 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 20 | — | 5 | |
| 2022 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 32 | — | 3 | |
| 2023 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 28 | — | 1 | |
| 2024 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 51 | — | 3 | |
| 2025 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 18 | — | 1 | |
| 2026 Sierra 3500FEW REPORTS | 4 | — | 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 1500 · GMC Sierra 2500 · 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: