GMC Sierra 1500 Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Yes. Owners have filed 1,896 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2009–2025 GMC Sierra 1500. For the GMC Sierra (all variants), that's 0.76 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, 1.7× the median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2021, 2019 and 2022.
Engine complaints
1,896
Filed with NHTSA, 2009–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.76
2015–2022 cohorts, GMC Sierra
Share of all complaints
28.8%
of 6,577 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
2
NHTSA campaigns, all years
GMC Sierra 1500 engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 21 | — | 7.5% | 2 | — | 96 |
| 2010 | 18 | — | 8.3% | 1 | — | 188 |
| 2011 | 26 | — | 7.1% | 1 | — | 210 |
| 2012 | 14 | — | 9.3% | 2 | — | 209 |
| 2013 | 11 | — | 6.6% | 0 | — | 222 |
| 2014 | 82 | — | 9.6% | 3 | 14V007000 | 674 |
| 2015 | 89 | 0.47 | 11% | 2 | — | 370 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0.09 | 11.4% | 1 | — | 323 |
| 2017 | 64 | 0.37 | 15.1% | 0 | — | 278 |
| 2018 | 67 | 0.35 | 22.9% | 0 | — | 260 |
| 2019WORST | 286 | 1.27 | 47.6% | 6 | — | 447 |
| 2020 | 223 | 0.95 | 51.1% | 3 | — | 511 |
| 2021WORST | 307 | 1.28 | 59.8% | 5 | 25V274000 | 440 |
| 2022WORST | 270 | 1.15 | 44.4% | 4 | 25V274000 | 399 |
| 2023 | 200 | — | 48.9% | 3 | 25V274000 | 294 |
| 2024 | 173 | — | 55.4% | 3 | 25V274000 | 180 |
| 2025 | 40 | — | 44.4% | 0 | — | 46 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Sales for the GMC Sierra cover every variant, so the per-1,000 column counts complaints for all of those variants, not just the GMC Sierra 1500. The complaint column is the GMC Sierra 1500 alone.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common GMC Sierra 1500 engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 1,896 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
GMC Sierra 1500 years to avoid for the engine
2021 GMC Sierra 1500
307 engine complaints (59.8% of the year's 513), 1.28 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: engine failure, seizure or replacement. Covered by engine recall 25V274000.
2019 GMC Sierra 1500
286 engine complaints (47.6% of the year's 601), 1.27 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: engine failure, seizure or replacement.
2022 GMC Sierra 1500
270 engine complaints (44.4% of the year's 608), 1.15 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: engine failure, seizure or replacement. Covered by engine recall 25V274000.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the GMC Sierra 1500 years to avoid.
GMC Sierra 1500 engine recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any GMC Sierra 1500 model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 25V274000 · 2025-04-24 · 2021–2024 models
The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
- 14V007000 · 2014-01-13 · 2014 models
General Motors is recalling certain 2014 model year Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, and 2015 model year Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Silverado HD; and GMC Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL, equipped with a 4.3L engine…
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 307 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500, 59.8% of all 513 complaints for that year, or 1.28 per 1,000 sold (GMC Sierra, all variants). The most common description is "engine failure, seizure or replacement" (93 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 25V274000. 5 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 286 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, 47.6% of all 601 complaints for that year, or 1.27 per 1,000 sold (GMC Sierra, all variants). The most common description is "engine failure, seizure or replacement" (123 complaints). 6 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 270 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500, 44.4% of all 608 complaints for that year, or 1.15 per 1,000 sold (GMC Sierra, all variants). The most common description is "engine failure, seizure or replacement" (149 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 25V274000. 4 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which GMC Sierra 1500 years have the most engine complaints?
2021 (307), 2019 (286) and 2022 (270), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common GMC Sierra 1500 engine problems?
In the 1,896 engine complaints, owners most often describe engine failure, seizure or replacement (37.1%), misfire or check-engine light (21.2%) and stalling or shutting off while driving (15.1%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each GMC Sierra 1500 model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration