2018 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 has 432 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (30%) concerns drivetrain & axles. Next are engine (17%) and brakes (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 432 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 30% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 16 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 8 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 33,000 miles 155 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 | 54 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 36 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 23 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 15 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 10 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 8 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 155 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 33,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 29,000 miles (56 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 16 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 8 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 80% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2018 ranks 11th most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the GMC Sierra 1500 with enough data (261 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 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.
Struck a deer with the vehicle at approx. 75MPH. The driver side airbag deployed. Control of the vehicle was maintained and there was no sudden deceleration. The cover of the steering wheel, which bears a plastic GMC logo that is heavier than the rest of the material blew exactly on the corner of the g. Due to the location of the split the logo hit my wrist like a hammer causing nerve damage and permanently stamping the GMC logo on my wrist.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC SIERRA. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, when another vehicle had collided with the contact's vehicle which resulted in the airbags not deploying. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained a head injury and did require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure.
Hard changes with transmission like a car has hit you from behind. It has had a hit in the transmission changing gears since 15,000 miles but it has progressively gotten worse and at 67k it’s enough to knock you to change steering direction.
Power steering just goes out while driving (pulling into parking lot) and then comes back on causing an oversteering problem.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra LD. The contact stated the vehicle experienced jerking and shaking. The contact also stated when the accelerator pedal was applied, the vehicle made a loud noise and lunged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a transmission flush and an alignment were performed. However, the contact stated the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.