RoadVitals

2011 GMC Sierra Denali Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
28
Latest Feb 27, 2021
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
5
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

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

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.

10
reports

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.

NHTSA ID 11375913 · filed Nov 23, 2020

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

NHTSA ID 11217303 · filed Jun 1, 2019
All 10 reports naming airbags

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

9
reports

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.

NHTSA ID 11398230 · filed Feb 27, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID 11389159 · filed Jan 21, 2021
All 9 reports naming body & structure

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

2
reports

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.

NHTSA ID 11337567 · filed Jul 5, 2020

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?

NHTSA ID 10746325 · filed Aug 5, 2015

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

CHROME IS SEPARATING FROM ALLOY RIMS. RIMS ARE LEAKING AIR.

NHTSA ID 11012400 · filed Aug 2, 2017

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.

1
report

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.

NHTSA ID 11337567 · filed Jul 5, 2020

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

Data on this page last refreshed .