Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
161131 MILES FRAME RUSTED REAL BAD BODY LOOKS GREAT FOR THE YEAR I JUST BOUGHT THE TRUCK LOOKED REAL CLEAN INSIDE AND OUT FROM ORIGANAL OWNER PUT IT ON A LIFT AND THE FRAME IS SO RUSTED OUT DID SOME GOOGLEING AND FOUND THAT MOST ALL THESE TRUCKS WERE BUILT TO ROT OUT IN 3 YEARS
SPARE TIRE FELL OFF FROM THE CABLE, UNKNOWN, I ALSO HAD A 2001 GMC YUKON AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, THIS IS UNSAFE AS IT COULD BECOME DETACHED WHILE MOVING AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED
FRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTED & ANY SERVICE STATION I TAKE MY TRUCK TO FOR SERVICE OR INSPECTION REFUSES TO WORK ON MY TRUCK DUE TO SAFETY FROM ACCELERATED FRAME RUST & ROT. I FOUND UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THAT GM REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE A VEHICLE THAT IS NOT ROAD WORTHY & UNSAFE EVEN THOU IT HAS LOW MILES & IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, I AM UNABLE TO GET A STATE INSPECTION ON THIS VEHICLE & I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN MY STATE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. *KB
I HAVE A 2002 GMC SIERRA Z71 4X4 TRUCK, REGULAR CAB WITH AN 8 FOOT BED. IT HAS 75000 MILES. THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING IS BOTH OF THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK OPEN A LITTLE AFTER YOU PULL THE HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND GET IN. NOW WHEN YOU PUT THE TRUCK IN GEAR, OR START MOVING THE DOORS LOCK AUTOMATICALLY. WHEN YOU STOP AND PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCK. NOW SINCE THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE IS STUCK SLIGHTLY OPEN THE DOOR WON'T UNLOCK OR OPEN WITH THE INSIDE HANDLE, YOU HAVE TO REACH OUTSIDE PUSH THE HANDLE IN THEN YOU CAN UNLOCK AND OPEN THE DOOR. I HAVE ELECTRIC WINDOWS, AND HAVE TO PUT THEM DOWN TO RESET THE OUTSIDE HANDLE. MY CONCERN IS, IF I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, AND MY WINDOWS WERE UP, AND MY BATTERY WAS DAMAGED, AND THE TRUCK LOST ELECTRICAL POWER I CAN'T OPEN THE WINDOWS TO RESET THE HANDLE, SO THAT I CAN GET OUT? NOW I'M TRAPPED IN THE TRUCK!! *TR
DEAR SIR, I HAVE A 2002 GMC PICKUP THAT HAS HAD THE SPARE TIRE FALL OUT OF ITS MOUNT DUE TO SEVERE RUST OF THE FRAME. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION MY FRAME HAS SEVERE RUST IN SEVERAL OTHER AREAS. I HAVE CONTACTED GMC AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD TO HAVE A NICE DAY! I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND IT HAS 57,000 MILES TOTAL. MY BODY SHOP TELLS ME THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THIS FRAME IS TO REPLACE IT! I FIND IT APPALLING THAT GMC SELLS A $40,000.00 VEHICLE THAT HAS A LIFE CYCLE OF 8 YEARS. I CANNOT SELL THIS VEHICLE TO ANYONE AND TRADEIN WOULD BE A JOKE. IS THERE ANY WAY YOU COULD MAKE GMC FACE THIS PROBLEM AND RESOLVE IT? EITHER REPLACE THE PICKUP OR FRAME? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
UNDER THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS THE BODY HAS RUSTED THROUGH. THIS IS THE ONLY SPOT ON THE ENTIRE TRUCK THAT HAS RUST. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THAT I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED IT FROM AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT HAD 103,000 MILES IN IT THEY WERE UNABLE TO HELP. *TR
2002 GMC SIERRA THE GALVANIZED STEEL SUPPORT CABLES THAT RETAIN THE TAILGATE IN THE OPEN POSITION CORRODE THROUGH AND BREAK WHERE CARGO OR PEOPLE ON THE TAILGATE MAY FALL. CARGO FALLING OF THE TAILGATE VERY NEARLY STRUCK A NEARBY PERSON AND INJURY WAS LUCKILY AVOIDED. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE ON THE VEHICLE, THE FIRST TIME GMC REPLACED THE CABLES UNDER WARRANTY AND SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS A RANDOM FAILURE. MOST RECENTLY THEY HAVE REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. GMC WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS AND REFUSED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION.
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 WEEKEND FOR THE RECALL BUT THE GATE FELL OFF THE TRUCK AND I DID NOT KNOW IT HAD FELL OFF AND I DRAGGED IT DOWN A DIRT ROAD FOR ABOUT HALF MILE OR MORE. I TRIED TO GET GMC TO REPLACE THE TAIL GATE BUT THEY JUST WANTED TO REPLACE THE CABLE SAYING THAT THE CABLE DID NOT CAUSE THE TAIL GATE TO FALL OFF AND THE DAMAGE WAS NOT DUE TO THE CABLES. I FEEL THAT THE CABLE PROBLEM CAUSED THE TAIL GATE TO FALL OFF. *JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .