2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
The 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 has 451 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (24%) concerns brakes. Next are drivetrain & axles (18%) and electrical system (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 451 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 14 and 18
- Injuries and deaths
- 16 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 47,000 miles 234 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 42 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 43 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 67 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 31 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 23 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 14 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 9 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 234 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 47,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 45,000 miles (72 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 14 complaints mention a crash; 18 complaints mention a fire; 16 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2016 ranks 10th most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the GMC Sierra 1500 with enough data (288 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 8 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The second incident on september 1, 2018: 2016 GMC sierra 1500 z71 4x4 cc I was speeding up to merge onto a busy highway in denver, headed to the mountains to take my wife and three boys camping. A car in front of us had began slowing down, so I began slowing down, they slammed on their brakes, so I slammed on mine. The only difference between our vehicles besides size was that they came to a complete stop, as soon as I slammed on my brakes, the truck just glided on the pavement as if it were a sheet of ice.
I was driving my down a 4 lane highway and when I went to stop I had no brakes and rear ended a vehicle. My break peddle went to the floor.
Transmission shifts hard going from 1st to 2nd gear with no fix from GM. Complained to dealer they said it's normal and there's no fix for the issue. Issue also persist when going from drive to reverse, a hard shift that I've never experienced before in several previous GM products I owned or currently own. Happens every time I drive the vehicle
With 48,000 miles, the brakes are very soft and ineffective at low speeds. Both in forward and reverse. In reading on line post, this appears to be a very common problem in 2014-2016 pickups. It appears the vaccuum pump is out and will need replaced. This should be a safety recall as I couldnt stop very well the first time it happened.