"How reliable is the 2021 Gmc Sierra 1500?"

"Based on 617 NHTSA complaints, the 2021 Gmc Sierra 1500 has a median complaint mileage of 43500 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2021 Gmc Sierra 1500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Gmc Sierra 1500 is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 617 total complaints filed."

2021 Gmc Sierra 1500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 617 complaints

617

Total Complaints

43,500mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

10,450 25th Percentile

43,500 Median Mileage

75,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

230

Power Train

108

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Unknown Or Other

Steering

Fuel/Propulsion System

Service Brakes

Suspension

Visibility/Wiper

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"REACHED FOR A FALLEN OBJECT BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND MIDDLE FRONT SEAT AND THERE IS A RAZOR SHARP PIECE THAT TOOK A LARGE CHUNK OUT OF THE HAND WHICH CAUSED HEAVY BLEEDING AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND JUST TRIED TO RETRIEVE FALLEN OBJECT BETWEEN THE SEATS. THE INCREDIBLY..."

"STARTED VEHICLE EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL SHIFTED VEHICLE INTO DRIVE PROCEEDED FORWARD. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLES STEERING SEIZED I WAS UNABLE TWO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. IT WAS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. MESSAGES CAME UP ON TO DISPLAY READING SERVICE POWER S..."

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.

Engine 230 complaints

25th: 8,000 mi Median: 48,000 mi 75th: 82,500 mi

Power Train 108 complaints

25th: 29,507 mi Median: 65,657 mi 75th: 107,750 mi

Electrical System 56 complaints

25th: 923 mi Median: 10,450 mi 75th: 58,564 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 38 complaints

25th: 38,500 mi Median: 48,000 mi 75th: 75,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 64 FL: 58 CA: 46 MI: 45 PA: 31 GA: 22 NY: 21 LA: 18 OH: 17 AZ: 16

Who Files Complaints?

0.3%

Original Owners

99.7%

Second+ Owners

Gmc Sierra 1500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	100	80,000	Steering	0
1998	68	80,500	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	6
1999	182	108,894	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	10
2000	215	93,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	15
2001	171	98,000	Service Brakes	14
2002	192	76,741	Service Brakes	20
2003	210	72,075	Service Brakes	15
2004	253	57,192	Instrument Cluster/Panel	12
2005	218	73,150	Electrical System	6
2006	182	54,400	Service Brakes	12
2007	310	67,500	Air Bags	11
2008	438	75,000	Air Bags	13
2009	278	65,114	Air Bags	5
2010	215	60,000	Air Bags	1
2011	362	56,000	Air Bags	9
2012	143	60,000	Air Bags	7
2013	147	72,000	Unknown Or Other	2
2014	1020	58,500	Steering	39
2015	914	46,000	Service Brakes	29
2016	436	47,417	Service Brakes	14
2017	465	38,900	Power Train	22
2018	405	33,000	Power Train	16
2019	783	10,000	Engine	19
2020	604	15,700	Engine	15
2022	617	39,000	Engine	8
2023	470	20,000	Engine	9
2024	365	15,400	Engine	5
2025	109	16,500	Engine	7
2026	50	-	Engine	0

Active Recalls (7)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Seat Belts

Campaign 20V792000 | 17/12/2020

If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service

Seat Belts

Campaign 20V811000 | 23/12/2020

If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recal

Tires

Campaign 20V684000 | 05/11/2020

Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service a

Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire

Campaign 21V985000 | 16/12/2021

An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires a

Software

Campaign 24V797000 | 24/10/2024

Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 202

Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

Campaign 25V274000 | 24/04/2025

Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification le

Software

Campaign 26V083000 | 12/02/2026

Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252516560.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

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