2011 Gmc Sierra 1500: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 362 complaints
362
Total Complaints
56,000mi
Median Mileage
Air Bags
Top Issue
9
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
30,000
25th Percentile
56,000
Median Mileage
90,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Air Bags
112
Unknown Or Other
72
Body
38
Power Train
21
Engine
16
Electrical System
15
Steering
10
Fuel/Propulsion System
10
Vehicle Speed Control
7
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
7
Severity Assessment
9
Crashes
4
Fires
11
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010, RETURNING FROM VACATION, DRIVING A NEW 2011 GMC SIERRA SLE PICK UP WITH LESS THAN 2,000 MILES USE, PULLING A 24' TRAVEL TRAILER. THE TRUCK WAS IN "TOW" MODE DESCENDING A 15% GRADE HILL AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. I WAS NOT ACCELERATING WHEN THE TRUCK DOWN SHIFTED ITSELF AUTOMATI..."
"ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010, RETURNING FROM VACATION, DRIVING A NEW 2011 GMC SIERRA SLE PICK UP WITH LESS THAN 2,000 MILES USE, PULLING A 24' TRAVEL TRAILER. THE TRUCK WAS IN "TOW" MODE DESCENDING A 15% GRADE HILL AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. I WAS NOT ACCELERATING WHEN THE TRUCK DOWN SHIFTED ITSELF AUTOMATI..."
"SECOND REPORT - SUDDEN ACCELERATION. 2011 GMC SIERRA PU TRUCK. ON DECEMBER 20, 2010 I WAS TRAVELING TO VISIT FRIENDS. WHILE ON HIGHWAY I SET THE CRUISE CONTROL FOR 70 MPH. I EXITED THE FREEWAY AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES ON CITY STREETS. UPON ENTERING A BEDROOM TOWNSHIP KNOWN FOR SPEED T..."
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.
Air Bags
112 complaints
25th: 47,600 mi
Median: 61,500 mi
75th: 80,000 mi
Unknown Or Other
72 complaints
25th: 33,750 mi
Median: 55,830 mi
75th: 79,250 mi
Body
38 complaints
25th: 37,500 mi
Median: 54,000 mi
75th: 73,500 mi
Power Train
21 complaints
25th: 17,550 mi
Median: 39,229 mi
75th: 93,250 mi
Engine
16 complaints
25th: 25,000 mi
Median: 40,687 mi
75th: 86,500 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
TX: 72
CA: 32
FL: 29
PA: 19
MI: 19
LA: 14
AL: 14
GA: 14
MO: 14
VA: 12
Who Files Complaints?
3%
Original Owners
97%
Second+ Owners
Gmc Sierra 1500 — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (5)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Inflator Module
Campaign 21V050000 | 05/02/2021
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notifica
Inflator Module
Campaign 21V054000 | 05/02/2021
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notifica
Equipment
Campaign 18V267000 | 26/04/2018
In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM
Spindle
Campaign 10V643000 | 17/12/2010
THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW REAR AXLE CROSS PIN FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Spindle
Campaign 11V007000 | 06/01/2011
THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW REAR AXLE CROSS PIN FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Airbag Safety
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
- Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
- Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
- Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories
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