GMC Maintenance Schedule & Costs
By CarWhere Research · Updated
GMC maintenance costs about $1,704 a year across the 1 model we price (AAA's 2025 per-mile benchmarks for each model's vehicle category, 15,000 miles a year), against a $1,656 all-vehicle average. GMC First Service Visit covers first scheduled service visit for new GMC owners. GMC's published oil-change interval: condition-based: GM Engine Oil Life System.
Est. per year
$1,704
vs $1,656 average
Brand rank
#5 of 25
cost, then complaints
Free maintenance
Yes
First scheduled service visit for new GM
Models covered
1
1 priced
GMC maintenance schedule
Intervals and items from GMC's own maintenance guides and owner's manuals, linked row by row. Your engine and driving conditions can change them; the manual for your car wins.
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every 7,500 miles |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 22,500 miles or 24 months |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 5 years |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 7 years |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 60,000 miles |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 97,500 miles |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 100,000 miles |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 150,000 miles or 6 years |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Severe service |
| 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
Oil-change interval
Normal service: Condition-based: GM Engine Oil Life System. Check oil and oil-life % every 7,500 mi; change oil/filter when CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON appears (within 600 mi). Change at least once a year regardless. If reset accidentally, service within 3,000 mi of last service.
Severe or special conditions: Same system; under severe use the indicator may call for a change before 7,500 mi.
Oil: dexos1-spec oil; SAE 0W-20 for 5.3L and 6.2L V8; SAE 5W-30 for 2.7L Turbo L4
Source: 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF)
Free / included maintenance
GMC First Service Visit
Term: First scheduled service visit for new GMC owners (at a participating dealer); no time window stated on this page
Covers: Oil and oil filter change, four-tire rotation, Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection
Source: GMC Certified Service — Maintenance (first service visit)
GMC maintenance cost by model
Per-year figures use AAA's 2025 benchmark for each model's vehicle category at 15,000 miles a year; they include repairs and tires. Models in the same category share a benchmark, so compare complaint rates too.
| Model | Est. per year | 5 years | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra 1500 | $1,704 | $8,520 | 0.922 Average | Somewhat — above average |
Which GMC has the least problems?
NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (2015–2022 U.S. sales), graded against every model in the same segment. Lower is better.
GMC vs other brands
GMC ranks #5 of 25. Priced brands are ordered by the average of their models' estimates; brands that don't publish service prices follow, ordered by complaint rate.
| # | Brand | Est. per year | Median complaints / 1,000 | Included maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla | $1,511 | — | None confirmed |
| 2 | Toyota | $1,463–$1,769 | 0.182 (5 models) | ToyotaCare: 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier |
| 3 | Mazda | $1,535–$1,746 | 0.317 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 4 | Volkswagen | $1,535–$1,769 | 0.337 (2 models) | Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage): 2 years — covers the 10,000- and 20,000-mile scheduled services, or scheduled services for two years, whichever occurs first |
| 5 | GMC | $1,704 | 0.867 (2 models) | GMC First Service Visit: First scheduled service visit for new GMC owners |
| 6 | Ram | $1,704 | 0.968 (1 model) | None confirmed |
| 7 | Hyundai | $1,535–$1,769 | 0.759 (4 models) | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM): 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 8 | Subaru | $1,619–$1,769 | 0.405 (2 models) | None confirmed |
| 9 | Honda | $1,535–$1,787 | 0.497 (5 models) | Honda Maintenance Program: 1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models |
| 10 | Chevrolet | $1,704–$1,769 | 0.517 (3 models) | Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit: One visit within the first 12 months of ownership |
| 11 | Ford | $1,704–$1,769 | 0.672 (2 models) | None confirmed |
| 12 | Kia | $1,746–$1,769 | 0.756 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 13 | Jeep | $1,746–$1,769 | 1.19 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 14 | Nissan | $1,746–$1,787 | 0.355 (6 models) | Nissan Maintenance Care: Up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 15 | Porsche | $1,824–$2,168 | — | Included First Service: First scheduled service at 1 year/10,000 miles on new internal-combustion Porsches |
| 16 | Lexus | Not priced | 0.202 (1 model) | LexusCare complimentary maintenance: First two scheduled services: 6 months/5,000 miles and 12 months/10,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 17 | Acura | Not priced | 0.874 (2 models) | Acura Maintenance Program: 1 year / 12,000 miles |
| 18 | Audi | Not priced | — | Audi Signature Care Scheduled Maintenance: Included with every new model-year 2026 Audi: scheduled services in the first 3 years/30,000 miles, whichever occurs first |
| 19 | BMW | Not priced | — | BMW Ultimate Care Scheduled Maintenance: 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever first, from original in-service date |
| 20 | Cadillac | Not priced | — | Cadillac First Maintenance Visit: First service visit at a participating dealer within the first year of vehicle delivery |
| 21 | Genesis | Not priced | — | Genesis Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance (with Service Valet): 3 years / 36,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 22 | Land Rover | Not priced | — | None confirmed |
| 23 | Lincoln | Not priced | — | Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance: 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| 24 | Mercedes-Benz | Not priced | — | None confirmed |
| 25 | Volvo | Not priced | — | Volvo Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance: MY2026 gas mild-hybrid/plug-in hybrid: first two scheduled services |
Frequently asked questions
Is GMC expensive to maintain?
GMC maintenance costs about $1,704 a year across the 1 model we price (AAA's 2025 per-mile benchmarks for each model's vehicle category, 15,000 miles a year), against a $1,656 all-vehicle average. GMC First Service Visit covers first scheduled service visit for new GMC owners. GMC's published oil-change interval: condition-based: GM Engine Oil Life System.
What is the cheapest GMC to maintain?
Of the 1 GMC models we cover, the Sierra 1500 has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,704 a year (AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark).
Which GMC has the least problems?
The GMC Acadia has the fewest problems of the 2 GMC models in our NHTSA study: 0.811 owner complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022 sales), against Sierra 0.922. Lower is better.
Is GMC a reliable brand?
On owner complaints, GMC is weaker than most: of the 2 GMC models in our sales-adjusted NHTSA study, 0 grade above average for its segment and 1 below. Fewest complaints: the Acadia (0.811 per 1,000 sold).
How often does a GMC need an oil change?
GMC's published oil-change interval: condition-based: GM Engine Oil Life System.
Does GMC include free maintenance?
Yes: GMC First Service Visit, first scheduled service visit for new GMC owners. Oil and oil filter change, four-tire rotation, Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection.
Related
Sources and method
Schedules, oil intervals and included maintenance come from GMC's own documents. Dollar estimates are AAA category benchmarks (or, for Porsche, Porsche's plan prices), never invented per-model prices. Complaint rates: NHTSA complaints ÷ published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- 2026 GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) — GMC (opened 2026-11-06)
- GMC Certified Service — Maintenance (first service visit) — GMC (opened 2026-11-06)