AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR
2016 GMC Sierra 1500
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
NHTSA has issued a “do not drive” advisory affecting this model year.
Campaign 16V256000. Confirm whether your specific vehicle is covered using its VIN before acting on this.
Check your VIN on NHTSA.govOverview
Our database contains 340 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500, most frequently naming the brakes, powertrain (other) and electrical categories. 7 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1,211 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2021 | 5 | 190 |
| Jul 2021 | 1 | 191 |
| Aug 2021 | 2 | 193 |
| Sep 2021 | 1 | 194 |
| Oct 2021 | 5 | 199 |
| Nov 2021 | 1 | 200 |
| Dec 2021 | 4 | 204 |
| Jan 2022 | 4 | 208 |
| Feb 2022 | 3 | 211 |
| Mar 2022 | 1 | 212 |
| May 2022 | 7 | 219 |
| Jun 2022 | 1 | 220 |
| Jul 2022 | 4 | 224 |
| Aug 2022 | 4 | 228 |
| Sep 2022 | 1 | 229 |
| Oct 2022 | 2 | 231 |
| Nov 2022 | 2 | 233 |
| Dec 2022 | 4 | 237 |
| Jan 2023 | 3 | 240 |
| Feb 2023 | 7 | 247 |
| Mar 2023 | 3 | 250 |
| Apr 2023 | 7 | 257 |
| May 2023 | 1 | 258 |
| Jun 2023 | 6 | 264 |
| Jul 2023 | 3 | 267 |
| Aug 2023 | 4 | 271 |
| Sep 2023 | 1 | 272 |
| Oct 2023 | 1 | 273 |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 274 |
| Dec 2023 | 4 | 278 |
| Feb 2024 | 2 | 280 |
| Mar 2024 | 3 | 283 |
| Apr 2024 | 1 | 284 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 285 |
| Jun 2024 | 2 | 287 |
| Jul 2024 | 3 | 290 |
| Aug 2024 | 2 | 292 |
| Sep 2024 | 3 | 295 |
| Oct 2024 | 6 | 301 |
| Nov 2024 | 2 | 303 |
| Dec 2024 | 1 | 304 |
| Jan 2025 | 3 | 307 |
| Feb 2025 | 2 | 309 |
| Mar 2025 | 3 | 312 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 313 |
| May 2025 | 4 | 317 |
| Jun 2025 | 3 | 320 |
| Jul 2025 | 4 | 324 |
| Aug 2025 | 1 | 325 |
| Oct 2025 | 1 | 326 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 | 327 |
| Dec 2025 | 2 | 329 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 | 331 |
| Feb 2026 | 1 | 332 |
| Mar 2026 | 1 | 333 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 334 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 335 |
| Jun 2026 | 1 | 336 |
| Jul 2026 | 2 | 338 |
| Aug 2026 | 2 | 340 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Brakes10726.2%
- Powertrain (other)8220.1%
- Electrical5313.0%
- Engine409.8%
- Steering379.1%
- Suspension153.7%
- Visibility143.4%
- Airbags112.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
7 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govAIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); SERVICE BRAKES; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Paint is failing and delaminating from both rear doors around windows and also the truck bed.
- NHTSA ID
- 11756538
- Incident
- Aug 1, 2022
The vehicle stopped dead in traffic and would not restart. No warning lights. This is a huge safety hazard. Had to be towed to a dealership. The dealership and other diesel shops said the issue is a known catastrophic CP4 fuel pump failure. The fuel pump shreds and metal shavings are found throughout the fuel system. Requires a full fuel system replacement...quotes have been obtained from GM dealership and local diesel mechanics, ranged from $15,000-$17,000. There is a known fix and could have been solved by replacing the fuel pump with an alternative one, without putting us in a dangerous situation. There is also a settled class action lawsuit directly associated to this fuel pump and issue, however the vehicle was purchased in GA and therefore not included. Based on the VIN the truck would be included if sold within a qualifying state. GM corporate and dealers know about this problem and the safety risk, but are not even suggesting the fuel pump conversation as a repair. They are putting customers in dangerous situations and leaving them with high bills.
- NHTSA ID
- 11756191
- Incident
- Jul 7, 2026
My vehicle a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 upon lower idle speeds loses vacuum pressure. As the vacuum level drops the brake assist decreases, increasing the braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, which increases the risk of a crash. I have had a warning light come on advising to service the brake assist system. I took my truck to a local mechanic who confirmed the codes and learned that there had been a GM recall associated with this failure at one time, with GM recall # N192268490. There is also NHTSA recall bulletin 19V645000 regarding this matter as well. Upon contacting some local GM dealers in the area, I was informed that my VIN was not listed as one of the vehicles affected by this recall, so a recall notice was never sent regarding my vehicle. I was also told that I just fell outside their 10-year window regarding this matter and that they would not repair this safety issue under warranty. I called the GM customer service who could not explain why the VIN associated to my truck was not listed and they said I should contact NHTSA and start a claim for potential reimbursement in the future after repairs are made. I feel that this is an unnecessary step as I believe GM should honor their product and repair an obvious safety issue with the truck, especially since they knew this was an issue in thousands of their trucks where it was not my fault my vehicles VIN was not included as a potential recall issue, but I am following their suggestion
- NHTSA ID
- 11752078
- Incident
- Jul 15, 2026
Catastrophic engine failure while traveling 40 mph. Dealership diagnosed as cylinder walls being scorched and rods blown through. No warning signs existed - just had a loud thud before the check engine light started flashing and grinding sound started coming from engine.
- NHTSA ID
- 11748967
- Incident
- Jul 6, 2026
I noticed a "ticking" noise a few years ago, it wasn't that bad and while taking my truck to the dealer for an oil change I ask about it and the representative told me that in this models that was normal. Since it wasn't that bad and the truck didn't show any problems at that time, I just decide to let it be. This weekend I took my family out of state for a fun trip, and while going in the highway around 55-65 miles per hour, the truck suddenly lose power, it felt like it the truck "sits" the cars behind me had to dodge me and I lost control of the truck and had to steer to the right getting out of the highway and almost go into a ditch, thankfully nothing scaleted to a big and disastrous accident. The engine light started to flash. And suddenly stopped, I turn off the truck checked back for my family and after a few minutes, I started the truck again, the truck started right away and but I noticed the "ticking" got a little louder, talking to my neighbor about this he told me he had the same issue and hes motor went bad and they said it was a bad AFM system causing this, I started searching on line for it and see there been the same issues with the AFM with other drivers, and seen that the have the same issues Im confident that it is an AFM problem. Truck is been running and is my daily work car and I notice is loosing power, I contacted the dealer but haven't had any answer yet. I cant take it to a mechanic shop because they would charge me in between 2,500 to 5k to fixed, money that I dont have, while in the call with one shop he told me about this place to put a claim and notify about how dangerous this can be if in a highway.
- NHTSA ID
- 11747508
- Incident
- Jun 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that she had noticed the frame had rusted in two places. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
- NHTSA ID
- 11740687
- Incident
- May 1, 2026
1- transmission issue, it’ll occasionally slip from 1-2 gear and engine rpm’s will shoot up making it when you release the gas pedal it’ll kick into second gear it’ll also do minor kicks into other gears (8l90 transmission) 2- breaks issue, unsure of what the problem is but at very low speeds like parking or going in slow traffic the break pedal will get really hard making you have to press extra hard for it to break, releasing and pressing again doesn’t help either
- NHTSA ID
- 11729705
- Incident
- Mar 27, 2026
since we have had this truck the transmission has not worked right to where no longer works plus we have paperwork from other dealship have said this truck should have never been sold to us by the other deal they told us this truck has a lot of issues and is not road safe we where told by that dealer they cant help us so we need help with this the truck don't even have 100,000 on it the truck also pulls to the light sometimes and sometimes to the right .....
- NHTSA ID
- 11725474
- Incident
- Mar 1, 2024
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 74 | 2 | 0 | 51.7 |
| 2025 | 93 | 1 | 0 | 48.2 |
| 2024 | 326 | 1 | 3 | 56.2 |
| 2023 | 428 | 3 | 3 | 63.0 |
| 2022 | 545 | 6 | 3 | 65.8 |
| 2021 | 533 | 7 | 4 | 68.5 |
| 2020 | 443 | 12 | 3 | 69.7 |
| 2019 | 619 | 10 | 2 | 68.5 |
| 2018 | 296 | 7 | 0 | 55.5 |
| 2017 | 351 | 5 | 0 | 56.4 |
| 2016Viewing | 340 | 7 | 1 | 59.1 |
| 2015 | 713 | 9 | 2 | 59.5 |
| 2014 | 737 | 9 | 2 | 57.8 |
| 2013 | 115 | 3 | 2 | 54.3 |
| 2012 | 107 | 3 | 2 | 55.7 |
| 2011 | 284 | 5 | 2 | 55.6 |
| 2010 | 167 | 4 | 2 | 55.6 |
| 2009 | 234 | 4 | 2 | 55.9 |
| 2008 | 379 | 2 | 3 | 57.7 |
| 2007 | 261 | 3 | 3 | 56.4 |
| 2006 | 144 | 2 | 0 | 47.5 |
| 2005 | 177 | 3 | 0 | 48.2 |
| 2004 | 212 | 5 | 0 | 47.9 |
| 2003 | 180 | 4 | 0 | 52.3 |
| 2002 | 166 | 4 | 2 | 61.9 |
| 2001 | 140 | 5 | 2 | 59.5 |
| 2000 | 181 | 3 | 2 | 58.8 |
| 1999 | 158 | 4 | 2 | 57.2 |
| 1998 | 59 | 4 | 0 | 53.3 |
| 1997 | 83 | 5 | 0 | 43.4 |
| 1996 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 29.4 |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.