GMC Sierra 2500 Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 1,137 NHTSA complaints, the GMC Sierra 2500 years to avoid are 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2024 — the worst logged up to 3.7× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by body failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No standout best year
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 3 | N/A |
| 2009 | 68 | 21 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 5 | N/A |
| 2011 | 106 | 35 | 4 | CAUTION |
| 2012 | 59 | 25 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2013 | 85 | 47 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2014 | 131 | 39 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2015 | 147 | 57 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2016 | 65 | 44 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2017 | 98 | 72 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2018 | 35 | 16 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2019 | 31 | 21 | 7 | SOLID |
| 2020 | 73 | 52 | 9 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 49 | 26 | 6 | CAUTION |
| 2022 | 42 | 18 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2023 | 28 | 23 | 1 | CAUTION |
| 2024 | 96 | 50 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2025 | 24 | 18 | 0 | 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 2500. Full methodology.
Common GMC Sierra 2500 problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the GMC Sierra 2500 are body, transmission, brakes. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Dashboard cracking
· GMC Sierra 2500 2009–2014Corroborated by 11 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 121 body complaints across 2009–2014, typically 130,000–140,000 miles.
transmission control module communication loss
· GMC Sierra 2500 2011–2017Corroborated by 15 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 85 transmission complaints across 2011–2017, typically 127,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $1,286.
Service Trailer Brake System warning malfunction
· GMC Sierra 2500 2009–2018Corroborated by 7 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 50 brakes complaints across 2009–2018. Owner-reported repair cost $700.
Why these years stand out
2015 GMC Sierra 2500: 147 owner complaints on federal record, 57 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 2500.
2017 GMC Sierra 2500: 98 owner complaints on federal record, 72 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 2500.
2020 GMC Sierra 2500: 73 owner complaints on federal record, 52 of them severe, plus 9 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 2500.
2024 GMC Sierra 2500: 96 owner complaints on federal record, 50 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the GMC Sierra 2500.
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FAQ
What years of the GMC Sierra 2500 should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the GMC Sierra 2500 years to avoid are 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2024 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by body 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 2500?
No single GMC Sierra 2500 year stands out as a clear "best" in the federal data yet; the year-by-year table shows the full spread of verdicts.
How is the GMC Sierra 2500 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 2500's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific GMC Sierra 2500 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 2500 reliable?
The GMC Sierra 2500's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 1,137 NHTSA owner complaints, 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2024 rate "avoid" — 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 2500?
The most-reported problem area for the GMC Sierra 2500 is body, followed by transmission and brakes. Confirmed failures include dashboard cracking, transmission control module communication loss, service trailer brake system warning malfunction. 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 2500 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 2500, 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.