2011 GMC Sierra 1500 problems and complaints
Owners have filed 366 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (138), Unknown Or Other (108), Structure (62).
Key takeaways
- 366 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 6 involve a crash, 3 a fire, 12 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 138 | 38% |
| Unknown Or Other | 108 | 30% |
| Structure | 62 | 17% |
| Power Train | 32 | 9% |
| Engine | 23 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 20 | 5% |
| Steering | 11 | 3% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 11 | 3% |
| Suspension | 11 | 3% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 11 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/RC 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/EC 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/CC 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/RC RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Electrical System,service Brakes - filed 2026-08-11
ABS Randomly turns on with the traction control light… All windows except for driver window will not go down and sometimes it does not unlock or lock sometimes. It started the beginning of 2022 and has got worst over the years. It is available for inspection. Safety has been and issue because whenever it rains it can l...
Steering,power Train,service Brakes - filed 2026-03-13
Vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure characterized by a percussive "shotgun blast" noise from the rear chassis, followed by an immediate, total loss of braking power (pedal to the floor) and a violent loss of directional stability. This incident represents an aggravated safety failure of known GMT900 p...
Structure - filed 2025-09-11
The door handle broke off on the driver side the passenger side door handle will not open the door the outside handles are loose and the rear back driver and passenger side will not open their doors.
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More for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.