Car · GMC problems

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 problems

284 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The most reported area is air bags (40% of them). NHTSA also lists 429 service bulletins and 5 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 11. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 284 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Air bags113 · 40%
• Other or unknown72 · 25%
• Body and structure45 · 16%
• Power train (transmission and drive)24 · 8%
• Engine and engine cooling18 · 6%
• Electrical system17 · 6%
• Fuel system12 · 4%
• Steering10 · 4%

12 smaller areas not shown (52 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 429 repair bulletins from GMC for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. PIT3271QReceived April 7, 2026

   Information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

2. PIT6400AReceived January 19, 2026

   This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax Coating on Frame Peeling, Metal Shows Corrosion/Rusting due to issue with getting product...

3. 25-NA-156Received December 4, 2025

   Wheels

   Information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.

4. 00-06-01-026RReceived December 3, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.

5. 07-08-42-006UReceived December 3, 2025

   Exterior lighting

   Technicians with information on available BCM calibrations to restore bulb outage detection on vehicles produced by a second stage manufacturer (Upfitter), and/or...

6. PIT5214GReceived November 28, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer's vehicles that exhibit...

7. 23-NA-153Received October 25, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is...

8. PIC5650MReceived August 12, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. Recall repairs are free at a GMC dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 21V050000February 5, 2021

   Air bags

   These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.

2. 18V267000April 26, 2018

   Equipment

   These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher.

3. 11V007000January 6, 2011

   Suspension

   The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle.

See all 5 recalls for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Sierra 1500 will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Air bags 113 complaints · 40%

• Airbag clockspring replacement$230 to $670
• Airbag / occupant sensor replacement$220 to $750

Body and structure 45 complaints · 16%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Power train (transmission and drive) 24 complaints · 8%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Electrical system 17 complaints · 6%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2011 GMC Sierra 1500: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500?

Of the 284 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500, 113 (40%) name air bags, and 45 (16%) name body and structure. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 5 of the 284 complaints as involving a crash and 3 as involving a fire. They also reported 11 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. Recall repairs are free at a GMC dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 429 repair bulletins for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500.

More

• 2024 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2023 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2022 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2021 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2020 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2019 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2018 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2017 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2016 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2015 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2014 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2011 recalls
• All GMC recalls
• GMC problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.