NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 121 owner complaints for the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500.
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.
2Safety recalls
121Owner complaints
0Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain and equipment. Most-reported area: engine (81 complaints, 67%). Includes the Sierra 1500 Limited, the previous generation GMC sold alongside the new truck. 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.
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)
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.
What owners report
The areas named in the 121 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2026 Sierra 1500. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine81 · 67%
Powertrain27 · 22%
Electrical system13 · 11%
Fuel and propulsion system8 · 7%
Forward collision avoidance6 · 5%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (3)
Steering4 · 3%
Backover prevention and rearview camera3 · 2%
Most named: warnings (3)
Unknown or other9 · 7%
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: 121 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, GMC Sierra 1500
Model year
Complaints
2016
347
2017
415
2018
304
2019
645
2020
466
2021
570
2022
585
2023
479
2024
360
2025
116
2026
121
Safety recalls
2026: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, GMC Sierra 1500
Model year
Recalls
2016
9
2017
5
2018
7
2019
10
2020
12
2021
7
2022
6
2023
3
2024
1
2025
1
2026
2
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 version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/CC N/A 4WD
Rollover risk 19.8%
Not rated
Not rated
GMC SIERRA 1500 PU/CC N/A RWD
Rollover risk 19.1%
Not rated
Not 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%
Questions
What are the most common 2026 Sierra 1500 problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (81), powertrain (27), electrical system (13). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
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.
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 Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
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.