2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems and complaints

Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The most-reported areas: Service Brakes (11), Power Train (11), Engine (6).

Key takeaways

  • 48 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 3 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 6 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Service Brakes1123%
Power Train1123%
Engine613%
Steering613%
Structure48%
Unknown Or Other48%
Electrical System48%
Visibility36%
Air Bags24%
Tires24%
Exterior Lighting24%
Wheels24%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2016 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid PU/CC RWD5/55/55/54/5
2016 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/EC RWD5/55/55/54/5
2016 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/CC RWD5/55/55/54/5
2016 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/EC 4WD5/55/55/54/5

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Air Bags,lane Departure - filed 2026-09-09

air bags on my truck still dont work and i was not told by sales person that the safety features didnt work on truck before purchase. Dealership has worked on it twice and the last tech airbags were working and they are not still same symbol saying airbag not working

Structure - filed 2026-08-12

Paint is failing and delaminating from both rear doors around windows and also the truck bed.

Engine,fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2026-08-11

The vehicle stopped dead in traffic and would not restart. No warning lights. This is a huge safety hazard. Had to be towed to a dealership. The dealership and other diesel shops said the issue is a known catastrophic CP4 fuel pump failure. The fuel pump shreds and metal shavings are found throughout the fuel system. ...

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More for the 2016 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.