2015 GMC Sierra 1500 problems & reliability
712 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 9 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
7 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 219 | 31% |
| Power Train → | 95 | 13% |
| Electrical System → | 93 | 13% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 93 | 13% |
| Engine → | 83 | 12% |
| Steering → | 79 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 67 | 9% |
| Air Bags → | 37 | 5% |
| Structure → | 27 | 4% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 19 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 50,000 miles (middle 50% between 30,744 and 75,000 miles), based on 430 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“my rear window defrost turned on when i auto started my pickup. i realized it was on after about a half hour and looked back and my drivers side of the rear sliding window was shattered completely”
Visibility/wiper · filed Jul 12, 2026
“When backing up, either on a hill or flat surface, the brakes fail to stop the vehicle. There is a pulsing sensation with the brakes due to failure of the vacuum. The brake pedal also becomes impossible to depress. No warning lights appear when this occurs.”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 7, 2026
“The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the front driver's seat belt completely failed. The lap belt portion came apart, causing the chest strap to loosen. Upon inspection, the contact observed that the steel anchor cable bolted to the floor had separated. The vehicle…”
Seat Belts · filed Jun 8, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE18012 · opened Nov 20, 2018 · closed Apr 10, 2022 · led to recall 19V645000
Technical service bulletins
1,438 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The 10 most recent:
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 14, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information communicates an issue with aftermarket LED headlights causing IPC warning messages and MIL along with several low speed lan DTCs.
PIT6483 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 5, 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 from current supplier…
PIT6400A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2026
This PI communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent confusion when ordering
PIP5700G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2015 GMC Sierra 1500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 50,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.