2002 GMC Sierra 2500 problems
The 2002 GMC Sierra 2500 has 164 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (49%) concerns brakes. Next are engine (8%) and fuel system (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 164 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 49% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 13 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 12 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 85,000 miles 139 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 | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 17 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 20 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 14 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 23 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 20 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 13 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 7 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 6 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 7 |
What the data shows
Of the 139 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 85,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 93,000 miles (74 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 13 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 12 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2002 ranks 9th most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the GMC Sierra 2500 with enough data (55 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
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.
We were in a roll over accident going under 30mph. I was a passenger in the back seat. When I woke up I saw that the driver was hanging out the door window. The air bags did not deploy. The driver who was also the owner of the truck died of multiple blunt forces. The insurance company had the truck towed to COPART in Las Vegas.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 fleetwood elkhorn. The vehicle has a dometic refrigerator, model rm3663. While allowing the vehicle to warm up, the contact heard the furnace and entered the trailer to turn it off. When he exited the trailer, he noticed flames coming from the access door and smoke underneath the refrigerator. The entire trailer became engulfed in flames and was destroyed along with the vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to his hands and smoke inhalation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 GMC sierra 2500 hd. The contact noticed fuel leakage on the rear bumper of his vehicle. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source increased the risk for a fire hazard. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility in which a mechanic concluded that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 81000.
Driving into driveway applied brakes , pedal went right to the floor no warning light or any indication of a problem got out of truck and found fluid dripping off frame by fuel tank. Ruptured line above tank on frame, other brake lines also look corroded. After some research I found this to be a common problem on GM trucks . Owners need to be made aware of this problem before someone is seriously hurt. I believe GM should be forced to repair the defective lines.