2002 Gmc Sierra 1500: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 192 complaints
192
Total Complaints
76,741mi
Median Mileage
Service Brakes
Top Issue
20
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
52,375
25th Percentile
76,741
Median Mileage
119,887
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Service Brakes
64
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
36
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
10
Parking Brake
8
Air Bags
5
Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
5
Steering
5
Suspension
5
Unknown Or Other
4
Wheels
4
Severity Assessment
20
Crashes
0
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"REAR BRAKE FULID AND EMERGENCY LINE IS EXPOSED AND EASILY DAMAGED BY ROAD DEBRIS AND/OR RUBBLE. 2WD C1500 TRUCKS HAVE BRAKE LINES AND CABLES DROOPING DOWN BEYOND BELOW REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS AND ARE EASILY SNAGGED BY ROAD TRASH.*JB CAUSING LOSS OF FULID AND BRAKING ABILITY."
"ON DEC 8, 2003 I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX. 45 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY TRANSMISSION SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR AND THEN AFTER A FEW SECOUNDS IT SHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR, ALL ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS A CAR TRAVELING BEHIND THAT ALMOST HIT ME FROM BEHIND. I PULLED OVER AND PUT MY TRUCK IN PARK. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK ..."
"I SAT ON MY TAIL GATE AND THE TAIL GATE FELL DOWN. WHEN I LOOKED I HAD ONE BROKE CABLE AND THE OTHER SIDE THE BOLT WAS MISSING. I BOUGHT TWO CABLES FROM ADVANCE AUTO REPLACED ONE SIDE BUT I COULD NOT GET THE BOLT BACK IN THE OTHER SIDE. I WAS PLANNING TO TAKE THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING WE..."
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Service Brakes
64 complaints
25th: 68,830 mi
Median: 100,000 mi
75th: 130,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
36 complaints
25th: 50,793 mi
Median: 66,882 mi
75th: 93,175 mi
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
10 complaints
25th: 36,769 mi
Median: 70,000 mi
75th: 87,000 mi
Parking Brake
8 complaints
25th: 13,500 mi
Median: 33,000 mi
75th: 72,750 mi
Air Bags
5 complaints
25th: 103,000 mi
Median: 130,000 mi
75th: 155,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
MI: 21
OH: 18
PA: 15
TX: 13
CA: 10
CT: 10
AZ: 9
MA: 8
NJ: 8
IN: 8
Who Files Complaints?
17.2%
Original Owners
82.8%
Second+ Owners
Gmc Sierra 1500 — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (4)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Service Brakes, Air
Campaign 06E050000 | 06/06/2006
IF STOPPING DISTANCE IS LIMITED, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY ITS OWNERS AND WILL EITHER CREDIT THE CUSTOMERS ACCOUNT OR REPLACE THE UNIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-563-8507 EXT 3530.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Campaign 04V562000 | 26/11/2004
IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT RETRACTORS AS NECESSARY. SURE-LOK WILL HANDLE THE REPAIRS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SURE-LOCK AT 1-908-231-1804 OR MOBILITYWORKS AT 1-800-769-8267.
Fuel System, Gasoline
Campaign 06E043000 | 19/05/2006
THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN INADEQUATE SEAL AT THE CONNECTION, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FUEL LEAK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
Hub
Campaign 07E106000 | 17/12/2007
WHEEL SEPARATION CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
Extend Your Brake Life
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Replace brake pads before they wear to the metal — rotors cost 3x more
- Flush brake fluid every 2-3 years regardless of mileage
- Don't ride the brakes downhill — use engine braking
- Address any grinding, pulsing, or pulling immediately
- Have brakes inspected during every tire rotation
Vehicle Rankings
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28