U.S. public vehicle records

Gmc SIERRA 3500 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

564 owner complaints analyzed

44 distinct recall campaigns

53,900 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1996 to 2026 model years. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 270 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 83 of 564 complaints (14.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	181	32.1%
Transmission and shifting	82	14.5%
Steering behavior	48	8.5%
Electrical and battery issues	39	6.9%
Fuel system concerns	35	6.2%
Engine operation	19	3.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Service Brakes

Power Train

Electrical System

Air Bags

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Fuel/Propulsion System

Service Brakes: 83; Power Train: 81; Electrical System: 68; Air Bags: 53; Engine: 51; Unknown Or Other: 40; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 35; Fuel/Propulsion System: 33

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 60; 25,000 to 49,999: 67; 50,000 to 74,999: 52; 75,000 to 99,999: 33; 100,000 to 149,999: 43; 150,000 and above: 15

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (67). 294 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2000: 13; 2001: 6; 2002: 10; 2003: 13; 2004: 6; 2005: 12; 2006: 11; 2007: 9; 2008: 16; 2009: 9; 2010: 20; 2011: 20; 2012: 14; 2013: 10; 2014: 17; 2015: 17; 2016: 24; 2017: 24; 2018: 13; 2019: 16; 2020: 12; 2021: 25; 2022: 30; 2023: 24; 2024: 58; 2025: 89; 2026: 46

Pattern summary

Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 181 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 82 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 48 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10010513 · 2003-03-15 (March 15, 2003)

MY BRAKES FAILED WHEN I GOT INTO A WRECK, THE PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR ITS LIKE MY BRAKES WERE NOT THERE. I HAVE A 97 GMC K3500 4 DOOR LONG BED 4 WHEEL DRIVE, I FELT THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP,I ALSO HAVE TO REPLACE MY FRONT BRAKES EVERY YEAR NO MATTER WHAT KIND I BUY. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010513 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 867390 · 2000-08-10 (August 10, 2000)

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY AT 65 MPH, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 867390 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11655960 · 2025-04-21 (April 21, 2025)

Previous years of my truck with the Allison “branded” transmission have been reported to lock up while driving. From what I can gather there was a recall. Instead of fixing the issues with the transmission a program was installed to put the transmission in limp mode during the failure. My model, a 2023 apparently came with the limp mode feature already installed. When my transmission failed it took the truck out of gear and locked up for a moment before I could safely pull over.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11655960 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 568072 · 2003-02-13 (February 13, 2003)

THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE VIBRATED. THE TRANSMISSION, BRAKES, BUCKET SEATS, AND DIFFERENTIAL UNIT MALFUNCTIONED. *AK *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 568072 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 871983 · 2000-10-02 (October 2, 2000)

BRAKE BOOSTER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. ALSO, DRIVER AND PASSENGER REAR SEATBELTS , WERE LOCKED UP, COULD NOT USE THE SEATBELT AND WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED BOTH SEATBELTS. THE REAR OF CAB WAS NOT WELDED PROPERLY. DEALER HAD TO WELD THE REAR CAB TO FRONT. REAR AXLE SEAL WILL GO OUT, CAUSING OIL TO GO INTO THE BRAKE SHOES, RESULTING IN NO REAR BRAKES. THE ENGINE STALLED. HAD TO GET A REBUILT ENGINE, AND THE MANUFACTURER PUT OUT A TSB BUT HAS NO SOLUT…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 871983 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 550809 · 2000-02-08 (February 8, 2000)

MAIN BATTERY CABLE FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE WHILE IDLING. NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 550809 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 856864 · 2000-02-14 (February 14, 2000)

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IS CONTINUALLY FAILING. CONSUMER STATES THAT IT IS AN ELECTRICAL FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM, AND THE SENSOR HAS BEEN CHANGED. HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 856864 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10141424 · 2005-11-01 (November 1, 2005)

FUEL TANK UNDER NEGATIVE PRESSURE BY APPARENT STUCK VALVE CAUSED FUEL TANK RUPTURE. HAPPENED TWICE. GM ENGINEERS SAID NO DEFECT, APPARENTLY THERE IS AND NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WOULD BE PROVIDED. FUEL SPILLED OUT AND WAS VERY DANGEROUS, IN MY OPINION. I AM A DEGREED (MSME) ENGINEER. WITH AN EXTENSIVE AUTO BACKGROUND. *JB UPDATED 11/15/05. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10141424 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 563678 · 2001-10-10 (October 10, 2001)

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHLY AND STALL, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND DEALER FOUND NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE SIGNALS, CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS ON SIX OCCASIONS WHERE THE ENGINE WOULD STALL AND RUN ROUGH, AND HAS HAD VARIOUS COMPONETS REPLACED, SUCH AS RADIATOR COOLANT, COOLANT SENSOR, FUEL PUMP, SENDING UNIT ASSEMBLY, DISTRIBUTOR, FUEL INJECTORS, SPARK PLUGS, WIRES, SERPENTINE BELT, THROTTLE-POSITIONING SENSOR, EGR AND OXYGEN SENSOR, THE BRACKET THAT PROTECTS THE MAIN WIRE HARNESS WAS NEVER INSTALLED FROM …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 563678 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10689788 · 2015-02-21 (February 21, 2015)

IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING EASTBOUND ON INTERSTATE 20 IN THE DFW AREA ABOUT 60 MPH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED OUT AS IF SOMEONE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 135,455 miles reported. Look up ODI 10689788 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.