2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
BestComplaint Index
20/100
#13 most-complained of 16 Sierra 1500 years
The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 has a Complaint Index of 20, ranking 13th worst out of 16 model years, and carries a "Best" verdict relative to other Sierra 1500 years. NHTSA lists 321 complaints, 7 recalls, and 10 crashes for this year.
- Complaints
- 321
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes / fires
- 10 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- —
Top 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
NHTSA owner 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%)
What owners report
- Owners report hard or lunging downshifts in the 8-speed transmission, sometimes causing the truck to lurch forward while parking or at low speed.
- Some describe the truck jumping into gear or lunging when shifting from park to drive or reverse, occasionally leading to a collision.
- Brake pedals reportedly become hard to press with an air-like sound, especially at lower speeds, in some cases preceding a crash.
- Front suspension ball joints have reportedly separated from the control arm, causing sudden collapse of the front right suspension while driving.
- Owners report airbags failing to deploy or deploying with smoke and a burning smell during collisions.
- A brake line was noted as routed in a position where road debris could strike and sever it, risking loss of braking power.
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?
- Relative to other Sierra 1500 model years, the 2018 has a Complaint Index of 20 and ranks 13th worst of 16 years tracked, earning a "Best" verdict among Sierra 1500 years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?
- Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 41% of complaints (132 of 321), followed by Engine problems at 25% and Electrical System issues at 15%, with a median failure mileage of 30,000 for transmission complaints.
- Does the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2018 Sierra 1500, most involving roof-rail airbag modules, plus brake-related recalls for the Electronic Brake Control Module reprogramming.
- How does the 2018 Sierra 1500 compare to other model years?
- The 2018 model's Complaint Index of 20 is much lower than the 2014 (80), 2022 (93), 2023 (87), and 2024 (100) model years, which are rated "Avoid," making 2018 a comparatively better choice.