2016 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems and Recalls (338 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 is Brakes (28% of 338 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 338 complaints · 7 recalls
What problems show up on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500?
96 of 338 filings named Brakes (28% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Transmission / driveline (68 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Airbags, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2015 has 713 reports on file; this year has 338. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Brakes 96 complaints · 28.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 11
- Fires 13
- Injuries 12
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 96 | 28.4% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 68 | 20.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 31 | 9.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 26 | 7.7% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 20 | 5.9% | 0 crashes · 5 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 12 | 3.6% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 9 | 2.7% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 9 | 2.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 6 | 1.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 61 | 18.1% | 1 crashes · 4 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 17V437000 was reported 110 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V645000 was reported 921 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V736000 was reported 1,344 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V504000 was reported 1,562 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V256000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V651000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V437000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V645000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V761000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V736000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V504000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE18012 |
Safety Recalls (7)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Suspension, Airbags, and Brakes.
-
Recall campaign 16V256000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.
-
Recall campaign 16V651000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
-
Recall campaign 17V437000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
-
Recall campaign 19V645000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
-
Recall campaign 19V761000
Safety recall 19V761000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
-
Recall campaign 20V736000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- If the end cap separates from the inflator, the compressed gas will escape and the end cap can be propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RRAB modules on the left and/or right side, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on December 22, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Note: GM filed a new recall, number 21V-504 that supersedes this recall. All vehicles previously recalled under 20V-736 will now be repaired under the new recall number 21V-504. GM's numbers for this recall are N202309680, N202309681, and N202309682.
-
Recall campaign 21V504000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Phase I owner notification letters were mailed on May 5, 2022. Phase II owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall number 20V-736. GM's number for this recall is N202324251.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 6 of 338 complaints · page 1 of 14
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Paint is failing and delaminating from both rear doors around windows and also the truck bed.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle stopped dead in traffic and would not restart. No warning lights. This is a huge safety hazard. Had to be towed to a dealership. The dealership and other diesel shops said the issue is a known catastrophic CP4 fuel pump failure. The fuel pump shreds and metal shavings are found throughout the fuel system. Requires a full fuel system replacement...quotes have been obtained from GM dealership and local diesel mechanics, ranged from $15,000-$17,000. There is a known fix and could have been solved by replacing the fuel pump with an alternative one, without putting us in a dangerous situation. There is also a settled class action lawsuit directly associated to this fuel pump and issue, however the vehicle was purchased in GA and therefore not included. Based on the VIN the truck would be included if sold within a qualifying state. GM corporate and dealers know about this problem and the safety risk, but are not even suggesting the fuel pump conversation as a repair. They are putting customers in dangerous situations and leaving them with high bills.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My vehicle a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 upon lower idle speeds loses vacuum pressure. As the vacuum level drops the brake assist decreases, increasing the braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, which increases the risk of a crash. I have had a warning light come on advising to service the brake assist system. I took my truck to a local mechanic who confirmed the codes and learned that there had been a GM recall associated with this failure at one time, with GM recall # N192268490. There is also NHTSA recall bulletin 19V645000 regarding this matter as well. Upon contacting some local GM dealers in the area, I was informed that my VIN was not listed as one of the vehicles affected by this recall, so a recall notice was never sent regarding my vehicle. I was also told that I just fell outside their 10-year window regarding this matter and that they would not repair this safety issue under warranty. I called the GM customer service who could not explain why the VIN associated to my truck was not listed and they said I should contact NHTSA and start a claim for potential reimbursement in the future after repairs are made. I feel that this is an unnecessary step as I believe GM should honor their product and repair an obvious safety issue with the truck, especially since they knew this was an issue in thousands of their trucks where it was not my fault my vehicles VIN was not included as a potential recall issue, but I am following their suggestion
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Catastrophic engine failure while traveling 40 mph. Dealership diagnosed as cylinder walls being scorched and rods blown through. No warning signs existed - just had a loud thud before the check engine light started flashing and grinding sound started coming from engine.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I noticed a "ticking" noise a few years ago, it wasn't that bad and while taking my truck to the dealer for an oil change I ask about it and the representative told me that in this models that was normal. Since it wasn't that bad and the truck didn't show any problems at that time, I just decide to let it be. This weekend I took my family out of state for a fun trip, and while going in the highway around 55-65 miles per hour, the truck suddenly lose power, it felt like it the truck "sits" the cars behind me had to dodge me and I lost control of the truck and had to steer to the right getting out of the highway and almost go into a ditch, thankfully nothing scaleted to a big and disastrous accident. The engine light started to flash. And suddenly stopped, I turn off the truck checked back for my family and after a few minutes, I started the truck again, the truck started right away and but I noticed the "ticking" got a little louder, talking to my neighbor about this he told me he had the same issue and hes motor went bad and they said it was a bad AFM system causing this, I started searching on line for it and see there been the same issues with the AFM with other drivers, and seen that the have the same issues Im confident that it is an AFM problem. Truck is been running and is my daily work car and I notice is loosing power, I contacted the dealer but haven't had any answer yet. I cant take it to a mechanic shop because they would charge me in between 2,500 to 5k to fixed, money that I dont have, while in the call with one shop he told me about this place to put a claim and notify about how dangerous this can be if in a highway.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that she had noticed the frame had rusted in two places. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500?
Owners named Brakes most often — 96 of 338 reports (28%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Airbags, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.