GMC Sierra 1500 Best and Worst Years (2005–2025)
Avoid the 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 model years, which carry complaint indexes from 75 to 100, the highest in the lineup. The 2010, 2012, and 2013 model years are rated Best, with complaint indexes of 20, 0, and 10.
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.
Avoid 2014Avoid 2019Avoid 2021Avoid 2022Avoid 2023Avoid 2024Best 2010Best 2012Best 2013
- Model years
- 21
- 2005–2025
- NHTSA complaints
- 8,475
- Recall campaigns
- 82
- Crashes reported
- 235
- Fires reported
- 103
- Top problem area
- Engine
Sierra 1500 Complaint Index by year
Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.
GMC Sierra 1500 problems and recalls by year
| Year | Verdict | Index | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Recalls | Top issue | MPG | NCAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Caution | 15 | 298 | 7 | 11 | 10 | Electrical System | 15.5 | — |
| 2006 | Good | 5 | 203 | 12 | 8 | 4 | Brakes | 15 | — |
| 2007 | Good | 25 | 322 | 15 | 4 | 4 | Airbags | — | — |
| 2008 | Caution | 50 | 467 | 16 | 5 | 4 | Airbags | — | — |
| 2009 | Good | 35 | 278 | 7 | 4 | 5 | Airbags | — | — |
| 2010 | Best | 20 | 212 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Airbags | — | — |
| 2011 | Good | 40 | 355 | 6 | 3 | 7 | Airbags | — | 4★ |
| 2012 | Best | 0 | 146 | 8 | 2 | 5 | Airbags | — | 4★ |
| 2013 | Best | 10 | 162 | 6 | 2 | 6 | Airbags | — | 4★ |
| 2014 | Avoid | 80 | 854 | 29 | 9 | 20 ! | Electrical System | — | 5★ |
| 2015 | Caution | 65 | 793 | 27 | 10 | 15 | Brakes | — | 5★ |
| 2016 | Caution | 60 | 377 | 15 | 14 | 9 ! | Brakes | — | 5★ |
| 2017 | Caution | 55 | 429 | 20 | 5 | 5 | Transmission & Powertrain | — | 5★ |
| 2018 | Good | 30 | 321 | 10 | 1 | 7 | Transmission & Powertrain | — | 5★ |
| 2019 | Avoid | 75 | 671 | 13 | 3 | 10 | Engine | — | 5★ |
| 2020 | Caution | 70 | 477 | 12 | 5 | 12 | Engine | 19 | 5★ |
| 2021 | Avoid | 85 | 570 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Engine | 17 | 5★ |
| 2022 | Avoid | 100 | 585 | 9 | 5 | 6 | Engine | 17 | 5★ |
| 2023 | Avoid | 95 | 479 | 5 | 2 | 3 | Engine | 18 | 5★ |
| 2024 | Avoid | 90 | 360 | 5 | 0 | 1 | Engine | 18 | 5★ |
| 2025 | Good | 45 | 116 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Engine | 17 | 5★ |
Sierra 1500 years to avoid: what went wrong
2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Index 100 · 585 complaints · 6 recalls
The 2022 Sierra 1500 has the highest complaint index in the lineup at 100. Engine complaints make up 46 percent of reports at a median of 46,000 miles, with Transmission & Powertrain and Structure & Body each at 18 percent. Owners described vehicles rolling away after being placed in park, electrical fires from the dashboard console, and airbags failing to deploy in animal-strike collisions. A recall also addressed cracking front grille deflector attachments.
2022 engine problems →2022 transmission & powertrain problems →2022 structure & body problems →
2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Index 95 · 479 complaints · 3 recalls
The 2023 Sierra 1500 has a complaint index of 95. Engine issues represent 48 percent of complaints at a median of 21,000 miles, followed by Transmission & Powertrain and Structure & Body, each near 19 percent. Owners described sudden engine shutdowns at highway speed while towing, transmissions locking wheels at high speed, and electronic parking brakes engaging unexpectedly while towing. Recalls covered engine, brake control module, and body control module software.
2023 engine problems →2023 transmission & powertrain problems →2023 structure & body problems →
2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Index 90 · 360 complaints · 1 recalls
The 2024 Sierra 1500 has a complaint index of 90. Engine complaints dominate at 61 percent, with a median failure mileage of 23,500, followed by Transmission & Powertrain at 19 percent (16,500 miles). Owners described automatic emergency braking systems failing to activate, sudden unintended acceleration when braking, and engines stalling at low speed, some tied to the engine and engine cooling recall campaign issued for this year.
2024 engine problems →2024 transmission & powertrain problems →2024 electrical system problems →
2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Index 85 · 570 complaints · 7 recalls
The 2021 Sierra 1500 has a complaint index of 85. Engine problems dominate at 62 percent of complaints, with a median failure mileage of 56,901, followed by Transmission & Powertrain at 24 percent (65,561 miles). Owners described engine compartment fires and explosions while driving, sudden brake failure messages leading to crashes, and transmission control module issues addressed by later recalls covering engine and transmission software.
2021 engine problems →2021 transmission & powertrain problems →2021 electrical system problems →
2014 GMC Sierra 1500 Index 80 · 854 complaints · 20 recalls
The 2014 Sierra 1500 has a complaint index of 80 and 20 recall campaigns, including one do-not-drive recall. Electrical System complaints made up 39 percent of issues, with a median failure mileage of 11,450, and owners described faulty headlights and other electrical faults. Brakes (24 percent) and Steering (19 percent) followed, with brake failures reported at a median of 68,740 miles. Owners also described crashes and fires tied to airbags not deploying and engine compartment fires shortly after recall repairs.
2014 electrical system problems →2014 brakes problems →2014 steering problems →
2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Index 75 · 671 complaints · 10 recalls
The 2019 Sierra 1500 carries a complaint index of 75. Engine complaints account for 50 percent of reports, with a median failure mileage of 77,000. Transmission & Powertrain issues (21 percent) surfaced far earlier, at a median of 20,000 miles, and Brakes complaints (18 percent) at 7,292 miles. Owners described antilock brakes failing to engage on snowy or wet roads, leading to crashes, along with airbags that did not deploy after collisions and smoke inside the cabin.
2019 engine problems →2019 transmission & powertrain problems →2019 brakes problems →
Most common GMC Sierra 1500 problems (all years)
Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.
- Engine2,341 (28%)
- Electrical System1,535 (18%)
- Transmission & Powertrain1,339 (16%)
- Brakes1,331 (16%)
- Airbags1,036 (12%)
- Other981 (12%)
- Structure & Body753 (9%)
- Steering596 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires351 (4%)
- Fuel System315 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- What years of the GMC Sierra 1500 should I avoid?
- NHTSA data flags 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 as Avoid years, with complaint indexes ranging from 75 to 100, the highest among all 21 model years covered.
- Which GMC Sierra 1500 model years are best?
- The 2010, 2012, and 2013 model years are rated Best, with complaint indexes of 20, 0, and 10 respectively, the lowest in the lineup.
- Is the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
- The 2022 model has the highest complaint index of any Sierra 1500 year, at 100, driven mainly by Engine complaints (46 percent) and Transmission & Powertrain issues, making it an Avoid year relative to other Sierra 1500 model years.
- What is the most common problem area for the GMC Sierra 1500?
- Across all model years, Engine complaints are the largest category at 2,341 complaints (28 percent), followed by Electrical System at 18 percent and Transmission & Powertrain at 16 percent.
- Does the 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 have any do-not-drive recalls?
- Yes. The 2014 model year has one do-not-drive recall among its 20 total recall campaigns, more recalls than any other Sierra 1500 year in this dataset.