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2001 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500, most often about the brakes (77% of complaints, typically around 97,500 miles). It is 24th of 27 Sierra 1500 model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Brakes
108 complaints · 77%Half of these problems showed up before 97,500 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, foundation components.
Brake lines under driver's side door burst, spilling fluid in driveway while parking truck. Upon inspection, all brake lines have rusted/rotted. Truck is sitting in driveway, undriveable. Thank god it happened in driveway, not on hills we live on. Used e-brake to stop.
Tl contact owns a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving at approximately 20 MPH, the contact applied the brakes but the vehicle did not slow down. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the entire breaking unit was replaced. The failure had not occurred since the repair. The failure mileage was 95,722.…
Fuel system
17 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles. Parts named most often: storage.
Tl contact owns a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the fuel gauge would fluctuate frequently and register it as full and then empty. GMC stated that the VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign id number 06e043000. The only new equipment on the vehicle were the wheels, tires, and water pump. Everything else…
The contact owns a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the fuel gauge malfunctioned and provided erroneous readings. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the sending unit inside of the fuel tank was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The…
Electrical
7 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 62,000 miles. Parts named most often: wiring.
First thing was that my gas gauge started to fluctuate. Up until the point that I didn't know how much fuel I had in my tank. Then my instrument cluster started to go. It started to fluctuate then dies from time to time. Rpm's , speed, gas, oil press, park, neutral, reverse, drive, 1,2,3, and miles driven cannot see…
While driving I tilted my steering wheel and the headlights stopped working. I found that as I moved the wheel up and down there was a spot at which the lights would stop working. After going to the dealership I they found that a wire in the junction block of the multifunction switch (blinker assembly) had shorted out…
Body and structure
6 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
I have a 200 GMC sierra and have found now that all the brake lines have rusted through, and the frame is so badly rusty it is not safe to drive. As I review the internet there are hundreds and hundreds of similar problems, many resulting in crashes. You must make GMC face up to this problem and get these dangerous…
As far as I know the truck went around corner and veered off the road in to a snow bank due to black ice and into a tree on passenger side of truck .it was a hard hit and the air bags did not work .when I get the accident report I will put exact speed.
Wheels and tires
6 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 110,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with sigma stampede tires, size 265/75/16. The contact stated that while driving approximately 72 MPH, a loud noise emitted outside the vehicle as it spun around and traveled onto a ditch before crashing into a fence. The vehicle…
I am writing to complain about a 2001 GMC sierra. It has a safety recall for the wheel speed sensor which can also damage the hub assembly, but the dealership still wants to charge a whopping $550 replacement fee. They say they can not replace the wheel speed sensor without replacing the hub assembly even though it…
Engine
5 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 150,000 miles.
I own a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500. I have always taken exceptional care of my vehicle. The motor has always had a knock when you start it,which devalues the truck & it also has always used oil. The rack & pinion has started leaking. I have always owned a truck & have never had a rack & pinion go out let alone at 152000…
Exhaust manifold bolt breakage,I'm writing in regards to my 2001 GMC sierra w/5.3 liter motor,I have recently discovered a bolt broken off on my head that mounts my exhaust manifold is a defective or inferior product used by GMC this repair should not be necessary for any vehicle if the proper materials were used…
Transmission
3 complaints · 2%Parts named most often: axle assembly, automatic transmission.
It started with the fuel gauge fluctuating between full and empty with a full tank of gas and the ABS and brake light on dash lighting up for apparently no reason. Then it started giving me trouble starting and making a weird whining noise. I checked all the fluid levels and fuses, everything was ok. I was at the…
Was about to go shopping for christmas gifts, stepped on brake at top of court and the peddle went to floor. Not just loss of hydros full on brake malfunction , no brakes at all. I live in new york and truck was purchased from connecticut. Decided to make left turn and missed getting hit by 18 wheeler by inches. I am…
Air bags
3 complaints · 2%Vehicle was stopped in left turn lane when impacted head on by smaller car oncoming traffic. Vehicle was knocked back approximately 40 feet and 16 feet side ways. Neither airbag deployed or seat belt locked to prevent driver from impacting steering wheel and dash board, resulting in face ,chest, arm, and leg injuries.
As far as I know the truck went around corner and veered off the road in to a snow bank due to black ice and into a tree on passenger side of truck .it was a hard hit and the air bags did not work .when I get the accident report I will put exact speed.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2001 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the wheelchair may not be adequately secured possibly resulting in injuries to a wheelchair occupant.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok will handle the repairs for this campaign. Owners should contact sure-lock at 1-908-231-1804 or mobilityworks at 1-800-769-8267.
Full defect summary
On certain vans equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Equipment: labels
Risk: If the tires are under-inflated, it could reduce the tread life of the tire, and the tire could degrade to a point of allowing sudden air loss. If the tires are over-inflated, it could reduce the tread life of the tire and increase susceptibility to road hazard damage. If sudden air loss or a road hazard causes damage to a tire, control of the vehicle could be adversely affected and could result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a new label and installation instructions. However, a dealer can install the label if the owner so desires. Owner notification began may 31, 2001. Owners who do not receive the label and installation instructions within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: certain 2-wheel drive pickup trucks fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars." the problem was caused by a computer error that resulted in the certification label listing tire size and inflation pressure information that differ from the tire size and the inflation pressure information for the tires on the vehicle. If the vehicle owner or someone servicing the vehicle inflates the tires according to the pressure specified on the label versus the appropriate pressure for the tires, the tires could be under-inflated or over-inflated depending on the tires mounted on the vehicle.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Parking brake failure
Summary
In a letter dated april 20, 2005, gm notified NHTSA that it had decided that defects that relate to motor vehicle safety exist in certain model year (my) 1999-2002 c/k 1500 series (pbr parking brake system) and my 2001-2005 c/k 2500 and 3500 series (trw parking brake system) pickups with manual transmissions.according to gm, some of these vehicles may have conditions that cause the friction linings to wear to an extent where the parking brake can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.gm's action covers an estimated total of 142,585 vehicles.dealers will install a low-force spring clip retainer for vehicles equipped with the pbr parking brake system and install a redesigned park
Parking brake failure
Summary
Odi opened pe03-057 to assess parking brake ineffectiveness in the subject vehicles.these vehicles are equipped with four wheel disc brakes that incorporate a single-shoe drum-in-hat parking brake independent of the service brakes.complaint and warranty data indicate that the parking brake linings tend to wear out early in the life of the vehicle (at an average of 24 months in service), reducing the parking brake system's torque below that needed to immobilize the vehicle.gm has attributed this accelerated wear to foreign material intrusion and a failure of the brake shoe to properly self-center within its brake drum.effective with the start of my 2003 production, a newer reduced force hold-
Questions about the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500
- What are the most common problems with the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (108 complaints, typically around 97,500 miles); fuel system (17 complaints, typically around 79,000 miles); electrical (7 complaints, typically around 62,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 26, 2004 (equipment Adaptive/Mobility). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2001 a bad year for the GMC Sierra 1500?
- It is 24th of 27 Sierra 1500 model years by number of complaints, with 140 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.