Car · GMC problems

2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems

343 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The most reported area is service brakes (31% of them). NHTSA also lists 596 service bulletins and 7 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: 12. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 343 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Service brakes106 · 31%
• Power train (transmission and drive)84 · 24%
• Electrical system54 · 16%
• Engine and engine cooling41 · 12%
• Steering38 · 11%
• Other or unknown35 · 10%
• Suspension15 · 4%
• Visibility and wipers14 · 4%

13 smaller areas not shown (61 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 596 repair bulletins from GMC for the 2016 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. PIT5698FReceived September 30, 2026

   This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.

2. PIP5700HReceived September 29, 2026

   This PI communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent confusion when ordering.

3. PIT5099JReceived July 29, 2026

   PI to help diagnose A/C concern.

4. PIT5509NReceived July 29, 2026

   This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.

5. PIT3271QReceived April 7, 2026

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

6. PIT6483Received February 11, 2026

   An issue with aftermarket LED headlights causing IPC warning messages and MIL along with several low speed lan DTCs.

7. 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...

8. PIT5984AReceived December 29, 2025

   A diagnostic tip for an issue where the starter stays engaged after the engine starts.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. Recall repairs are free at a GMC dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 19V761000October 24, 2019

   Service brakes, hydraulic

   If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the...

2. 19V645000September 6, 2019

   Service brakes, hydraulic

   The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

3. 26V611000September 24, 2026

   Air bags

   The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

See all 7 recalls for the 2016 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

Service brakes 106 complaints · 31%

• Brake pad replacement (front)$190 to $400
• Brake rotors and pads (front)$320 to $790
• Brake pad replacement (rear)$180 to $420
• Brake caliper replacement (one wheel)$240 to $590
• Brake fluid flush$75 to $180

Power train (transmission and drive) 84 complaints · 24%

• 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 54 complaints · 16%

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

Engine and engine cooling 41 complaints · 12%

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

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)

0 of 17 characters

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.

Get quotes for your GMC Sierra 1500

Tell us the job and your ZIP. Free, takes a minute.

Job

ZIP

WhenAs soon as possibleThis monthJust planning

Your name

Phone

Email

Add a phone, an email, or both.

Anything we should know? (optional) I agree that Fair Price and the car repair shops and lead marketplaces listed on our Partners page, or their agents, may call and email me at the number and email I provided about my request, including by automated technology, even if my number is on a Do Not Call list. Ticking this box is how I give this consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms. Get quotes

Fair Price is not a contractor or a repair shop. Who sees your request

2016 GMC Sierra 1500: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500?

Of the 343 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 106 (31%) name service brakes, and 84 (24%) name power train (transmission and drive). 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 2016 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 11 of the 343 complaints as involving a crash and 13 as involving a fire. They also reported 12 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2016 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 596 repair bulletins for the 2016 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
• 2015 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2014 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2011 Sierra 1500 problems
• 2016 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.