2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems and Recalls (296 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 is Transmission / driveline (34% of 296 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 296 complaints · 7 recalls
What problems show up on the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?
102 of 296 filings named Transmission / driveline (34% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (42 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Transmission / driveline 102 complaints · 34.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 10
- Fires 1
- Injuries 5
- 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 102 | 34.5% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 42 | 14.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 24 | 8.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 23 | 7.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 21 | 7.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 8 | 2.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 8 | 2.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 7 | 2.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 6 | 2.0% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 54 | 18.2% | 2 crashes · 1 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 19V645000 was reported 578 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V603000 was reported 969 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V756000 was reported 2,440 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V645000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V761000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V603000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V756000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V432000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V166000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V325000 |
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 Brakes and Airbags.
-
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 20V603000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, 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 November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
-
Recall campaign 24V756000
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. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC Customer Service at 888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N242474500.
-
Recall campaign 25V432000
Safety recall 25V432000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increases the risk of injury or crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252513060.
-
Recall campaign 26V166000
Safety recall 26V166000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262549710. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
-
Recall campaign 26V325000
Safety recall 26V325000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262557310. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V166.
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 7 of 296 complaints · page 1 of 12
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Automatic Transmission not shifting properly unable to accelerate bangs gears while shifting noises from the transmission not reported no warning lamps
CrashFireInjuryDeath
There was a mass recall on 2018 GMC Sierras to due to a faulty break pump vaccum. We are experiencing the same problems but for some reason were not included in the recall. We were told to reach out on here as others have to see what can be done as this is a saftety hazard.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Head gasket failure and overheating. After fixed, power steering has just failed during driving. Will have to have it towed to shop
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS FAILING TO RETRACT. I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE AND AS WE CAME TO A STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE SHE UNHOOKED (RELEASED) THE SEATBELT AND IT WILL NOT RETRACT. THE SEATBELT IS NOW CURRENTLY EXTENDED OUT AND WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO THE RETRACTOR. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TODAY 08-05-2026, I CALLED THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY STATE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE WITH THIS ISSUE. I DID LOOK THE ISSUE UP ON GOOGLE AND INFACT IS STATES A PROBLEM WITH THE SEATBELT RETRACTOR FOR MY VEHICLE. I SENT THEM A SCREENSHOT OF THE CONFIRMATION FOUND AND THEY DECLINE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A REPAIR STATING THERE IS NO RECALL. I WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY FEED THE BELT BACK INTO THE RETRACTOR, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BUT I SAT IN THE SEAT TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE AND IT WILL DUPLICATE. THE SEATBELT IS CURRENTLY EXTENDED AND WILL NOT RETRACT AUTOMATICALLY. THE SHOULDER STAP WILL NOT FIT SECURELY AROUND A PASSENGER AT THIS TIME. I HAVE HAD NO PRIOR USE OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL TODAY AS I PURCHASED IT FROM A REPUTABLE DEALER WHO STATES THEY DID A FULL INSPECTION OF IT PRIOR TO SELLING BUT APPARENTLY THIS ISSUE WAS NOT REPAIRED PRIOR TO SELLING IT.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ENGINE FAILURE, 5/3/22, 23,987 MILES, ALL LIFTERS WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, ENGINE FAILURE, 7/6/26, 46004 MILES, TOOK TRUCK IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND WHEN RETURNED HAD A TICKING NOISE. DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME THAT CAMSHAFT ISSUES AND METAL DETECTED IN OIL. ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. 6.2 V8 2018. TURPIN MOTORS, GENESEO, IL HAS DONE ALL SERIVCE ON TRUCK. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR CODES. VEHICLE IS IN MY GARAGE AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. I OPENED CASE WITH GM #105652237. DEALERSHIP OPENED CASE ON GM PORTAL ALSO. RESPONSE FROM GM IS THAT TRUCK IS OUT OF WARRANTY
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle Details: 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Z72 4x4, 5.3L V8 EcoTec3 engine, VIN: [XXX] Mileage at time of incident: 220,000 miles Location: [e.g., Little Rock, Arkansas area or specific road/highway – please provide if desired] What happened: The 5.3L V8 engine’s hydraulic roller lifters failed. One or more lifters collapsed, stuck, or lost proper oil pressure/operation. This led to improper valvetrain function, causing loud ticking/knocking noises, cylinder misfires, significant loss of engine power and performance, and internal engine damage (such as camshaft lobe wear or related components). Component or system that failed or malfunctioned: Hydraulic valve lifters (camshaft followers) in the engine valvetrain, associated with the Active Fuel Management (AFM) system. The failed lifter(s) and related components are available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk: The engine malfunction resulted in sudden or progressive power loss and misfiring while driving. This reduced the vehicle’s ability to accelerate or maintain speed, especially in traffic or on highways, creating a hazardous situation that put my safety and the safety of other road users at risk of collision or breakdown. No accident or injuries occurred , or other symptoms prior to the failure with details recall, e.g., ticking noise timeline, misfires Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? “Yes, confirmed by shop inspection” Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? [Yes] Additional notes: Repair estimate is approximately $20,000 (likely due to extent of internal damage requiring major engine work or replacement). This failure aligns with a well-documented issue in GM 5.3L engines equipped with AFM. Vehicle status parked INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Power steering went out for 2-3 seconds as I was making a turn into a street , this happened twice to be exact
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 102 of 296 reports (34%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes and Airbags. 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 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. 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.