Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 284 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 284 · page 1 of 12
ABS Randomly turns on with the traction control light… All windows except for driver window will not go down and sometimes it does not unlock or lock sometimes. It started the beginning of 2022 and has got worst over the years. It is available for inspection. Safety has been and issue because whenever it rains it can lose control on the road haven’t had the money to fix it so don’t really drive it right now.
Vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure characterized by a percussive "shotgun blast" noise from the rear chassis, followed by an immediate, total loss of braking power (pedal to the floor) and a violent loss of directional stability. This incident represents an aggravated safety failure of known GMT900 platform defects. The technical chain of causality began with the factory exhaust manifold fasteners suffering a metallurgical shear, a universal defect documented under GM Bulletins 19-NA-218, PIP5075, and PIP4701. This shear created a high-velocity, high-heat exhaust leak directed at the brake master cylinder and vacuum assembly. This "heat soak" event compromised the engine-mounted mechanical Brake Vacuum Pump (Recall N192268490 / NHTSA 19V645) and destroyed the internal seals of the Master Cylinder (Special Coverage 15143 / NHTSA 11V599), resulting in total depletion of vacuum assist and hydraulic pressure. Simultaneously, the "shotgun blast" and violent swerve were caused by structural failure consistent with Rear Brake Caliper Bolt Fracture (GM 13247 / NHTSA 13V342) and Rear Axle Shaft/Pin Fracture (GM 14892 / NHTSA 14V819). This mechanical collapse caused the caliper to strike the wheel, resulting in a catastrophic rim blowout and immediate loss of tire pressure. Despite the vehicle having aftermarket long-tube headers installed, the root cause of the heat-related brake failure was the failure of the OEM GM manifold fasteners which snapped off in the cylinder head, as documented in the aforementioned bulletins. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the manufacturer remains liable for these pre-existing safety-critical defects. The vehicle is at Glenn Polk Chevrolet for a 901-series Product Allegation Investigation (Case #90199492). This report is filed to demand federal oversight into these life-threatening defects. The combo of failed fasteners, rim blowout, and compromised braking created a vehicle that was both unable to be steered or stopped
The door handle broke off on the driver side the passenger side door handle will not open the door the outside handles are loose and the rear back driver and passenger side will not open their doors.
Frame falling apart the coating peeled off was going to clean it to recoat it but the metal is so far gone took it to a frame shop only to find out it's not drivable anymore GM have to do better with the coating for this trucks
2011 GMC Sierra Frame Failed Pennsylvania State Inspection due to Driver Side Frame Rust/hole. The section of the frame must be replaced due to rust(Improper coating... The truck has only 69700 miles on the odometer.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 119,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 128,000.
Vehicle is up for inspection in February of 2025 and due to the frame rust it will not pass.
When I put the truck in 4wd the dash says service stabilitrak and the traction control light and abs light come on
My GMC which is well cared for and only has 121,000 miles has a rusted through frame (mid-vehicle, left side) which has made the truck unsafe to drive. The steel used is inferior, my neighbor across the street also has this truck, 2 years newer, and is doing the same thing. As I have researched this issue I have found out that this is a critical failure of the GMC Sierra for several model years due to a failure to protect the steel used in northern states which compromises structural integrity. When Toyota had this issue, they stepped up and replaced the frames. General Motors, please tell me what you intend to do with this. It is a 5.3 Litre with 121,000 miles on it, in other words, still a baby for such a fine engine. This is not right. I am seriously discouraged. For my family, this is devastating. I still owe $2000 on this vehicle. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
See attached document for complaint
Transmission won’t shift
Over the past few years squirrels have eaten through the fuel line of the truck just above the fuel tank multiple times. As soon as the ignition switch is turned on fuel gets pumped out very near the exhaust system. The driver may not notice anything wrong immediately causing a very real fire risk. Today is the fourth time I have experienced this issue with this truck.
This is not a safety item, but one that causes undue financial hardship for the owner. It is widely know that the dash on certain 2007-2014 GM vehicles (generally trucks and SUV's) is susceptible to cracking. This causes devaluation of the vehicle if not fixed and is reported to cost between $2,000-2,500 to repair. It is my opinion that the cause of this is the use of substandard parts by GM and they should issue a recall for the repair of the dash.
My truck keeps getting code p2138, when it happens I get reduce engine power alerts, check engine light and it stalls. It's been doing it for years now. It's very unsafe, last time it it did it I was on the freeway and had to pull to the side, but the car has no acceleration so vehicles are passing me by at 75- 80mph and I almost had a very bad accident.
Frame is rusted through
Rear shock holder rusted through cross member on frame making top of shock stay forced against bottom of the bed of the truck.
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a separation of the rear sub frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the rear sub frame was extremely rusted. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
I own a 2011 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton pickup truck. It currently has 98 k miles. The crossmember for the frame rusted out and fell off last month. Yesterday the frame broke in two. I see from looking online that GMC failed to add rust inhibitor to the steel for the frame. This is a safety issue and could have been catastrophic. Is anything being done about this failure? Online forums show this happening throughout the US.
Hit a pot hole in a parking lot and the gas tank fell onto the ground. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the frame cross members and fuel tank straps are rusted/rotted and cannot support the tank.
Body damage when I bought the truck
Vehicle is 12 years old with 105,000 miles and frame has multiple cracks/ holes. I was told by the dealer that the truck is basically junk.
The brake light switch located on the brake pedal failed. This disabled the cruise control, and the brake lights .
The fuel pump rusted out from the gas tank causing fuel to leak onto the hot exhaust system. There was a stong gasoline odor which kead to the discovery. The repair bill was $911.00.
- The traction control/stabilitrac malfunctioned causing my truck brake automatically while in motion. - Its causing my truck to brake unexpectedly - My mechanic said its an electrical issue and its becoming common in these trucks - My dashboard messages alternate from "traction control off" and "service stabiltrak"
The main body frame is completely rusting through from under the drivers side door back past the fuel tank. It is rusting through on the passenger side as well. The large amounts of rust have caused other issues throughout the entire body of the truck as well as rusting of other components. The frame of this truck will need to be replaced as there is no way to repair it or the vehicle becomes scrap. This vehicle is available for inspection. These issues were not visible when purchased from the dealer. This issue gradually became visible after the rust and undercoating wore away that had been applied previous to our purchase from a known dealership.
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
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