GMC Sierra 1500 Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 6,179 NHTSA complaints, the GMC Sierra 1500 years to avoid are 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 — the worst logged up to 2.7× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by engine failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 2 | N/A |
| 2009 | 280 | 55 | 4 | BEST |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 4 | N/A |
| 2011 | 365 | 81 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2012 | 48 | 21 | 3 | BEST |
| 2013 | 167 | 40 | 3 | BEST |
| 2014 | 856 | 445 | 9 | CAUTION |
| 2015 | 809 | 504 | 9 | AVOID |
| 2016 | 44 | 29 | 7 | BEST |
| 2017 | 425 | 340 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2018 | 293 | 231 | 7 | SOLID |
| 2019 | 601 | 500 | 10 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 436 | 352 | 12 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 513 | 426 | 7 | AVOID |
| 2022 | 531 | 337 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2023 | 409 | 279 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2024 | 312 | 230 | 1 | AVOID |
| 2025 | 90 | 58 | 1 | SOLID |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the GMC Sierra 1500. Full methodology.
Common GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the GMC Sierra 1500 are engine, transmission, body. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Engine locked / seized requiring replacement
· GMC Sierra 1500 2013–2022Corroborated by 11 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 1,150 engine complaints across 2013–2022, typically 47,000–148,000 miles.
Transmission shudder / harsh shifting or jerking
· GMC Sierra 1500 2014–2022Corroborated by 11 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 625 transmission complaints across 2014–2022, typically 25,000–88,000 miles.
Frame corrosion and structural failure
· GMC Sierra 1500 2009–2016Corroborated by 25 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 558 body complaints across 2009–2016, typically 41,000–121,000 miles.
Why these years stand out
2015 GMC Sierra 1500: 809 owner complaints on federal record, 504 of them severe, plus 9 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 1500.
2019 GMC Sierra 1500: 601 owner complaints on federal record, 500 of them severe, plus 10 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 1500.
2020 GMC Sierra 1500: 436 owner complaints on federal record, 352 of them severe, plus 12 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 1500.
2021 GMC Sierra 1500: 513 owner complaints on federal record, 426 of them severe, plus 7 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 1500.
2022 GMC Sierra 1500: 531 owner complaints on federal record, 337 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 1500.
2023 GMC Sierra 1500: 409 owner complaints on federal record, 279 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 1500.
2024 GMC Sierra 1500: 312 owner complaints on federal record, 230 of them severe, plus 1 recall campaign — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 1500.
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FAQ
What years of the GMC Sierra 1500 should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the GMC Sierra 1500 years to avoid are 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by engine issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the GMC Sierra 1500?
The 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the GMC Sierra 1500 verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the GMC Sierra 1500's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific GMC Sierra 1500 before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
The GMC Sierra 1500's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 6,179 NHTSA owner complaints, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 rate "avoid", while 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2016 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the GMC Sierra 1500?
The most-reported problem area for the GMC Sierra 1500 is engine, followed by transmission and body. Confirmed failures include engine locked / seized requiring replacement, transmission shudder / harsh shifting or jerking, frame corrosion and structural failure. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the GMC Sierra 1500 across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the GMC Sierra 1500, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.