2011 GMC Sierra Denali Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2011 GMC Sierra Denali, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags1043.5%
- Body & structure939.1%
- Powertrain (other)28.7%
- Other / unspecified14.3%
- Suspension14.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
HIT A DEER WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BUT MADE A NOISE AND SOUNDS LIKED GAS WAS RELEASED. LIKE THE AIRBAGS TRIED TO DEPLOY BUT DIDN'T. NOW MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND SAYS TO CHECK AIRBAG SYSTEM OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
TAKATA RECALL MY VEHICLE IS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL I HAVE CALLED NUMEROUS DEALERSHIPS AND THEY ALL TELL ME GM DON'T HAVE A FIX YET SO BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE DOES THIS MEAN MY VEHICLE FALLS UNDER LEMON LAW SINCE IT'S 8 YEARS OLD AND THE PROBLEM CAN'T BE FIXED THANKS TAKATA I LOVE MY DENALI
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
DASH BOARD IS CRACKING IN THREE PLACES . THE MOST CONCERNING ONE IS AROUND THE PASSENGERS AIR BAG. MY PASSENGER COULD BE IMPALED WITH PIECES OF THE DASH IF THE AIRBAG WERE TO DEPLOY.
I HAVE A ISSUE WITH MY DASHBOARD CRACKING ALONG THE AIRBAG MODULE DOOR. I BELIEVE IF I WAS OR INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS ARE DEPLOYED THE PIECES OF DASH CAN BECOME FRAGMENTS AND CAUSE EXCESSIVE INJURY AND ALSO COULD DEFLATE THE AIRBAGS UPON EXPANSION. CAUSING MORE INJURY THAN DEEM NECESSARY.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
IN 2017 BEFORE MY VEHICLE COMPLETING TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE AT (70,000 KM) THE VEHICLE START SHUDDERING WHEN ACCELERATING AT LOW SPEED, WHEN THE SERVICE WAS DUE I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SERVICE & COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SHUDDERING ISSUE, AFTER DIAGNOSING THE VEHICLE THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER, SO THEY DID REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER UNDER WARRANTY AFTER FIXING THE TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUE I FOUND TRACE OF OIL IN FRONT DRIVER SIDE & AGAIN WHEN THE SERVICE WAS DUE I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LEAK, AFTER DIAGNOSING THE FOUND THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBER IS LEAKING, BUT THEY DIDN'T REPLACE IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AS THEY SAID IT'S CONSIDERED AS CONSUMABLE PARTS, VERY STRANGE FOR A SHOCK TO LEAK IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS CONSIDERING THAT I DIDN'T EVEN DRIVE IT IN OFFF ROAD, & THIS IS NOT THE FIRST VEHICLE I OWN, ALL THE VEHICLES I OWNED DIDN'T LEAK FOR TWENTY YEARS, SORRY I KNOW IT'S CONSUMABLE PART BUT I AM NOT CONVINCED BY THESE WORDS, THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH THE SHOCKS, ANYWAY I DECIDED TO NOT REPLACE IT WITH THE OEM SHOCKS I INSTALLED FOUR NEW AFTER MARKET SHOCK, NO MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE SHOCKS TILL TODAY. IN Q4 LAST YEAR 2019 THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERING ISSUE STARTED AGAIN & WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE I RAISED A COMPLAIN AGAIN FOR SHUDDERING ISSUE, THIS TIME THEY SAID WE DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER WE ONLY HAVE TO FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WITH NEW OIL, I THINK IT'S MOBIL 1, & I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT BECAUSE AGAIN CONSUMABLES & NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, HEY WAIT A MINUTE YES I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE PLUS THE SHUDDERING PROBLEM BUT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS NOT DUE YET FOR CHANGE IF YOU HAVE TO FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEN DO IT, BUT DON'T CHARGE ME BECAUSE OF THE MANUFACTURER FAULT.
ON JULY 29, 2015, WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED ITSELF INTO FIRST GEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN SUDDENLY WITH NO NOTICE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A GAS STATION. AFTER THE FACT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THE TCM (TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE) NEEDED REPLACING AND THAT THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR TRUCK. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO HAVE YOUR VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOW DOWN WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED. IF GM KNOWS THAT THE PART IS FAULTY WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL? WILL IT TAKE MULTIPLE DEATHS BEFORE GM TAKES RESPONSIBILITY?
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
CHROME IS SEPARATING FROM ALLOY RIMS. RIMS ARE LEAKING AIR.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
IN 2017 BEFORE MY VEHICLE COMPLETING TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE AT (70,000 KM) THE VEHICLE START SHUDDERING WHEN ACCELERATING AT LOW SPEED, WHEN THE SERVICE WAS DUE I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SERVICE & COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SHUDDERING ISSUE, AFTER DIAGNOSING THE VEHICLE THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER, SO THEY DID REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER UNDER WARRANTY AFTER FIXING THE TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUE I FOUND TRACE OF OIL IN FRONT DRIVER SIDE & AGAIN WHEN THE SERVICE WAS DUE I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LEAK, AFTER DIAGNOSING THE FOUND THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBER IS LEAKING, BUT THEY DIDN'T REPLACE IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AS THEY SAID IT'S CONSIDERED AS CONSUMABLE PARTS, VERY STRANGE FOR A SHOCK TO LEAK IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS CONSIDERING THAT I DIDN'T EVEN DRIVE IT IN OFFF ROAD, & THIS IS NOT THE FIRST VEHICLE I OWN, ALL THE VEHICLES I OWNED DIDN'T LEAK FOR TWENTY YEARS, SORRY I KNOW IT'S CONSUMABLE PART BUT I AM NOT CONVINCED BY THESE WORDS, THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH THE SHOCKS, ANYWAY I DECIDED TO NOT REPLACE IT WITH THE OEM SHOCKS I INSTALLED FOUR NEW AFTER MARKET SHOCK, NO MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE SHOCKS TILL TODAY. IN Q4 LAST YEAR 2019 THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERING ISSUE STARTED AGAIN & WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE I RAISED A COMPLAIN AGAIN FOR SHUDDERING ISSUE, THIS TIME THEY SAID WE DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER WE ONLY HAVE TO FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WITH NEW OIL, I THINK IT'S MOBIL 1, & I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT BECAUSE AGAIN CONSUMABLES & NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, HEY WAIT A MINUTE YES I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE PLUS THE SHUDDERING PROBLEM BUT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS NOT DUE YET FOR CHANGE IF YOU HAVE TO FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEN DO IT, BUT DON'T CHARGE ME BECAUSE OF THE MANUFACTURER FAULT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .