Model Years

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 150 owner complaints for the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500. It has 1 open investigation that names this model year.

One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired: Powertrain, do not drive (26V-289). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected. Every do-not-drive and park-outside recall on 2010 and newer models

Recalled components: powertrain and equipment. Most-described problem: engine failure or replacement (56 complaints, 37%). Most-reported area: engine (101 complaints, 67%).

Too new to rank against other Sierra 1500 years

The 2026 Sierra 1500 has not had three full years of owner complaints yet.

Years to avoid: 2014 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Sierra 1500 year ranked

2Safety recalls
150Owner complaints
1Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated

Excludes the Sierra EV and heavy-duty models.

2 safety recalls for the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500

Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Powertrain

May 7, 2026

transfer case (4-wheel drive)

A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.

Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles.

NHTSA listing: SIERRA 1500. GMC campaign N262557620.

Equipment

Feb 26, 2026

owners/service/other manual

  • Fails federal standard 208 (occupant crash protection)
  • NHTSA 26V-114
  • 5,861 vehicles

General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”

Risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.

NHTSA listing: SIERRA 1500. GMC campaign N252540430.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500; it is still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy

Engineering analysis EA26005Open since Aug 20, 2026

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001.

NHTSA listing: SIERRA 1500. Component: Engine.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 150 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Sierra 1500. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.

GMC Sierra 1500 recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2026 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Sierra 1500 drew the most (285).

Owner complaints

2026: 150 complaints

Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, GMC Sierra 1500
Model yearComplaints
2010202
2011327
2012136
2013155
2014845
2015774
2016350
2017418
2018305
2019662
2020484
2021603
2022607
2023516
2024384
2025130
2026150

Safety recalls

2026: 2 recalls

Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, GMC Sierra 1500
Model yearRecalls
20104
20117
20124
20134
201418
201514
201610
20176
20187
201910
202012
20217
20226
20233
20241
20251
20262

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

Tested versionOverallFrontalSideRollover
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/CC N/A 4WD
Rollover risk 19.8%
 Not ratedNot rated
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/CC N/A RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%
 Not ratedNot rated
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/EC N/A 4WD
Rollover risk 19.1%
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/EC N/A RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/RC N/A 4WD
Rollover risk 19.1%
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/RC N/A RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%

2026 Sierra 1500 MPG

EPA rates the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 up to 20 mpg combined with a gas engine, and 25 mpg with the diesel.Every version and fuel cost

Questions

What are the most common 2026 Sierra 1500 problems?

In the 150 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500, the problems described most are engine failure or replacement (56), loss of power or limp mode (29), and stalling or shutting off (27). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.

Is the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.

Is NHTSA investigating the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500?

Yes. NHTSA has 1 open investigation that names the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500: loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (EA26005, opened Aug 20, 2026). An investigation is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

How do I check if my Sierra 1500 has an open recall?

Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.

Sources and method

  • NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
  • NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
  • NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
  • NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
  • NHTSA model names covered: SIERRA 1500.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.