YearToAvoid

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

27/100

#12 most-complained of 16 Sierra 1500 years

The 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 has a complaint index of 27 and ranks 12th worst out of 16 model years, earning a "Good" verdict relative to other Sierra 1500 years. Airbags are the top complaint area with 133 complaints, or 37% of the total.

Complaints
355
Recalls
7
Crashes / fires
6 / 3
Injuries / deaths
12 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
—

Top 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags133 (37%)
  2. Other102 (29%)
  3. Structure & Body64 (18%)
  4. Engine33 (9%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain32 (9%)
  6. Electrical System22 (6%)
  7. Brakes21 (6%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires19 (5%)
  9. Fuel System14 (4%)
  10. Steering11 (3%)

What owners report

  • Front passenger or driver airbags fail to deploy in moderate-speed rear-end or frontal crashes, even in vehicles later covered by the Takata recall.
  • A front passenger tire's steel belt separated from the tread and the tire failed suddenly while driving at 50 mph, despite good remaining tread depth.
  • The transmission failed repeatedly, with owners reporting it was replaced multiple times after the same failure caused rear wheel lockup.
  • The transmission unexpectedly downshifts from 5th to 3rd gear on steep descents while towing, causing the engine RPM to spike.
  • The vehicle experiences sudden unintended acceleration while cruise control is engaged.
  • A melted fuse behind the rear defrost panel caused an electrical failure, with the dealer stating the issue was not covered by any recall.
2011 GMC Sierra 1500 complaints: complaints filed per quarter292010 Q42013 Q32015 Q32017 Q32019 Q32021 Q32023 Q32025 Q3
460 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (29).

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls

7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.

  2. NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

  3. NHTSA 18V267000Apr 26, 2018Other6,154 vehicles

    Equipment

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

    Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.

See all 7 recalls for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 →

2011 compared with other Sierra 1500 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Best132124—
2011Good273557—
2012Best01465—
2013Best71626—

All GMC Sierra 1500 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
Relative to other Sierra 1500 model years, the 2011 is rated "Good," with a complaint index of 27 and a rank of 12th worst out of 16 years tracked. It has fewer complaints than newer years like 2014 or 2022.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500?
Airbags are the top issue, accounting for 133 complaints (37% of the total) with a median failure mileage of 58,000 miles. Structure & Body issues follow with 64 complaints, then Engine and Transmission & Powertrain problems with 33 and 32 complaints respectively.
Does the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2011 Sierra 1500, covering airbags, a fire extinguisher replacement, the ignition lock housing, the intermediate steering shaft, and rear axle cross pins. None of these recalls are do-not-drive orders.
How does the 2011 Sierra 1500 compare to other years?
The 2011 model's complaint index of 27 is much lower than the 2014 (80), 2022 (93), 2023 (87), and 2024 (100) model years, all rated "Avoid." It's higher than the 2010, 2012, and 2013 years, which are rated "Best" with complaint indexes of 13, 0, and 7.
What is the top problem area for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500?
Airbags are the top problem area, with 133 complaints, 4 crashes, and a median failure mileage of 58,000 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.