2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 has a complaint index of 30, ranking 15th worst of 21 model years, and earns a Good verdict. It has 321 complaints, 7 recalls, and the top problem area is Transmission & Powertrain at 41% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 30/100
- #15 of 21 Sierra 1500 years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 321
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 10
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- —
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
Top 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain132 (41%)
- Engine81 (25%)
- Electrical System49 (15%)
- Brakes48 (15%)
- Steering33 (10%)
- Other29 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires23 (7%)
- Structure & Body12 (4%)
- Fuel System11 (3%)
- Airbags8 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Trucks lunge or surge forward unexpectedly when shifting from park into drive or reverse, sometimes causing a crash.
- Owners describe hard, jerky shifts and rough transitions between V8 and V4 cylinder modes.
- Some report the brake pedal becoming hard to press with an air-like sound, reducing braking power at low speed.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in a crash, and in another case side airbags deployed with smoke filling the cab.
- A front suspension ball joint reportedly separated from the control arm, causing the front right side to collapse while driving.
- One owner found a rear brake line routed where it could be struck and torn by road debris.
2018 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 26V325000May 21, 2026Airbags4,315 vehicles
Air bags
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262557310. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V166.
- NHTSA 26V166000Mar 19, 2026Airbags2,819 vehicles
Air bags
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262549710. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
- NHTSA 25V432000Jun 26, 2025Airbags1,658 vehicles
Air bags
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increases the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252513060.
2018 compared with other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2018 Sierra 1500 has a complaint index of 30, the 15th worst out of 21 model years, which earns it a Good verdict relative to other Sierra 1500 years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?
- Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 41% of complaints, followed by Engine problems at 25% and Electrical System issues at 15%, according to NHTSA data.
- Does the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2018 Sierra 1500, most involving airbag roof-rail modules and brake system reprogramming; none are do-not-drive recalls.
- What year Sierra 1500 should I avoid?
- Among Sierra 1500 years, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 carry Avoid verdicts with higher complaint indexes, while 2018 rates Good with an index of 30.
- At what mileage do 2018 Sierra 1500 problems typically show up?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 33,500 miles overall, with transmission complaints centered around 30,000 miles and electrical complaints appearing much earlier, near 9,090 miles.