2017 Gmc SIERRA 3500: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
13 owner complaints analyzed
7 distinct recall campaigns
21,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2017 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 13 complaints (38.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 5 | 38.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 15.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 7.7% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 5 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Engine | 2 |
| Power Train | 2 |
| Unknown Or Other | 2 |
| Equipment | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 |
| Power Train:Axle Assembly | 1 |
Service Brakes: 5; Electrical System: 3; Engine: 2; Power Train: 2; Unknown Or Other: 2; Equipment: 1; Exterior Lighting: 1; Power Train:Axle Assembly: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 7 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2017: 1; 2018: 2; 2019: 1; 2022: 2; 2023: 1; 2024: 1; 2025: 4; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11012854 · 2017-08-04 (August 4, 2017)
PURCHASED A NEW 2017 GMC DENALI 3500. THE TRUCK CAME WITH 4 MICHILEN LT 265/70R18 A/T2 TIRES ON IT. THE SPARE TIRE IS A GOODYEAR TIRE. PAGE 401 AND PAGE 402 OF THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES: MIXING TIRES OF DIFFERENT SIZES,BRANDS, OR TYPES MAY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH OR OTHER VEHICLE DAMAGE. USE THE CORRECT SIZE, BRAND, AND TYPE OF TIRES ON ALL WHEELS."
Owner-reported narrative. 36 miles reported. Look up ODI 11012854 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11065003 · 2018-01-26 (January 26, 2018)
HEADLIGHTS SHAKE OR FLICKER AT THE SLIGHTEST BUMP OR CRACK IN ROAD. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NO FIX NOR DO THEY PLAN TO.
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11065003 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11132650 · 2018-10-01 (October 1, 2018)
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROAD WITH A 5TH WHEEL ATTACHED IT APPEARED THAT THE REAR BRAKES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WERE SMOKING, I PULLED OVER TO ALLOW IT TO COOL. WE FOUND A GMC DEALERSHIP AND PROCEEDED THERE VERY SLOWLY STOPPING A NUMBER OF TIMES TO ALLOW THE BRAKES TO COOL DOWN. 2 MILES SHORT OF GMC, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND A TIRE HAD BLOWN. WE PULLED OVER AND WHILE CALLING ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE NOTICED FIRE UNDER THE TRUCK. WE PUT IT OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. WE WERE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE BR…
Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11132650 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11276971 · 2019-10-29 (October 29, 2019)
WHEN YOU PUT ON THE BRAKES YOU HAVE TO PRESS SO HARD AND I MEAN HARD TO GET IT TO STOP. IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT WHEN IT WAS NEW. IT YOU PUT ATRAILER BEHIND THE TRUCK AND THE TRAILER HAS BREAKES THAT IS WHAT STOP THE TRUCK NOT THE TRUCK BRAKES. IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 3 MONTH.19/2019
Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11276971 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11460578 · 2022-04-12 (April 12, 2022)
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V496000 (Equipment) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11460578 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11478276 · 2022-08-08 (August 8, 2022)
Brake are very spongy all the time we’ll While driving in parking lot at low speed we lost brakes happen to hit person in front. This has been a continuous problem to point we are scared to even use the truck to go to store. Took it to Firestone. They told me it was the master cylinder. So they replaced that, replaced the front rotors and pads, did a fluid exchange abs as well? Don’t know what that is. On the internet there is tons of this issue. I even see GMC 1500 is having this issue and there is a recall for the recalibration elec…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11478276 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11505276 · 2023-02-02 (February 2, 2023)
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKING SYSTEM. Faulty control in the dash. Known issue per mechanic but no recall issued. Safety issue as trailer brake may not function properly when towing as a result
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11505276 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11620867 · 2024-10-20 (October 20, 2024)
tHE 6L90 TRANMISSION FAILED WITH NO WARNING AT 58,408 MILES. HAD TO BACK THE TRUCK UP IN TRAFFIC OVER 1/2 MILE TO REACH A SAFE SPOT. SEEMS GM IS HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION AND THEIR 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION. NO ASSISTANCE FROM GM TO REPAIR SEEING I WAS OUT OF THE 5 YEAR 100000 WARRANTY. SEEMS GM KNOW ABOUT THESES PROBLEMS. HAD TO SPEND $5K TO GET NO DEALER SERVICE TO INSTALL A REMANUFACTURED TRANS, HOPING IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11620867 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
7 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
16V651000 · Seat Belts:Pretensioner | Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-Inactive | Air Bags:Frontal
Reported: 2016-09-08 (September 8, 2016)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗17V437000 · Seat Belts:Pretensioner | Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-Inactive | Air Bags:Frontal
Reported: 2017-07-10 (July 10, 2017)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗17V567000 · Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
Reported: 2017-09-14 (September 14, 2017)
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks. The front seat belt retractor assemblies were built with the incorrect torsion bar. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Consequence: The seat belt retractors may not perform as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front seat belt retractor assemblies, free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's numbers for this recall are 17368, 17375, and 17376.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V088000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly
Reported: 2019-02-07 (February 7, 2019)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 GMC Sierra 3500 and Chevrolet Silverado 3500 trucks equipped with gasoline engines and dual fuel tanks. The fuel-level sensor in the front tank may stick in a low-level position, allowing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.
Consequence: If the front tank overfills, the excess pressure may cause the front tank to expand and contact the driveshaft, possibly resulting in a hole in the tank. The hole will leak fuel, which in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear-tank fuel-pump module, inspect the front tank and, if necessary, replace the front tank, free of charge. The recall began July 30, 2019. GM's number for this recall is N182204190.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V328000 · Engine
Reported: 2019-04-25 (April 25, 2019)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 vehicles and 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with Duramax 6.6 liter diesel engines and an optional engine-block heater. The engine block heater cord or the terminals that connect the heater cord to the block heater may short circuit and fail.
Consequence: A short-circuit may damage the engine components and increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will contact owners, dealers will replace the engine block heater, free of charge. Additionally, in Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles, dealers will install a new rerouted heater cord. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N182206310.
NHTSA campaign record ↗21V496000 · Equipment:Electrical:Engine Block Heater
Reported: 2021-07-01 (July 1, 2021)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500 and 2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with a Duramax diesel 6.6 liter engine and an optional engine-block heater cord. An electrical short-circuit may occur in the engine-block heater cable or in the terminals that connect the heater cable to the block heater.
Consequence: An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace engine block heaters and heater cords. Vehicles that have this feature disabled as a remedy to the safety condition will be contacted and offered replacement block heaters and heater cords under a separate customer satisfaction program, free of charge. GM will provide free replacement block heaters and cords under a separate customer satisfaction campaign. For vehicles previously included in recall 19V-328, the heater cord will be replaced and rerouted, free of charge. Interim owner notifications were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 4, 2022. Customers may call GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 212329840.
NHTSA campaign record ↗23V047000 · Fuel System, Diesel:Storage:Tank Assembly
Reported: 2023-02-02 (February 2, 2023)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 vehicles equipped with a dual fuel tank option. The rear fuel tank may collapse and prevent the fuel pump from transferring fuel to the front tank, resulting in an engine stall.
Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and fuel pump module, replacing them as necessary. Dealers will also add a vent hose to the rear tank assembly. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter informing owners of the safety risk was mailed on March 15, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 21, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222368030.
NHTSA campaign record ↗