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2002 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems and Recalls

Owners filed 166 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500, most often about the brakes (75% of complaints, typically around 80,000 miles). It is 21st of 27 Sierra 1500 model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.

Complaints166
Recalls1
Crashes reported17
Fires reported0
Injuries reported8

Most common 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 problems

  1. Brakes

    125 complaints · 75%

    Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, foundation components, antilock.

    Brake lines rusted & failed. Brake pedal went to floor and truck could not stop. Fortunately it occurred in a parking lot & no one was hurt. This was a 2002 GMC 1500 extended cab pick up truck which was purchased new in 2003. It turned out all brakes lines are severely rusted and needed to be replaced. This truck had…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2010, at 80,000 miles
    1. Brakes were fully operational after the initial recall was completed (10/13/05). Recently, january 2010, my anti-lock brake system has triggered at low speeds under 10 MPH causing my truck to not come to a complete stop. This is the same problems I was having prior to the initial recall. Releasing the brakes and…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2010, at 81,000 miles

  2. Suspension

    9 complaints · 5%

    Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: front.

    The brake lines are rusted so badly it will not pass it's next va state inspection. This truck has only been driven 74000 miles. Can this be normal? I am a disabled vet with limited income and can not afford the cost of replacement. There is also more than normal rust of the suspension and other parts under the body.…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2015, at 72,041 miles
    Truck began to grind and pop as I went around corners. I had it checked out and both of the front wheel bearings went bad within first 70,000 miles. Gm would not back the vehicle. Parts alone cost over $400 to fix the vehicle.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 70,143 miles

  3. Body and structure

    8 complaints · 5%

    Half of these problems showed up before 75,500 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.

    I sat on my tail gate and the tail gate fell down. When I looked I had one broke cable and the other side the bolt was missing. I bought two cables from advance auto replaced one side but I could not get the bolt back in the other side. I was planning to take the truck to the dealer the following weekend for the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2005, at 76,000 miles
    I have a 2002 GMC sierra z71 4x4 truck, regular cab with an 8 foot bed. It has 75000 miles. The problem I'm having is both of the outside door handles stick open a little after you pull the handle to open the door and get in. Now when you put the truck in gear, or start moving the doors lock automatically. When you…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2010, at 75,000 miles

  4. Steering

    7 complaints · 4%

    Parts named most often: hydraulic power assist system, gear box, column.

    : the contact stated while turning at various speeds on the highway, there was a thumping noise coming from the steering wheel column. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the intermediate steering shaft and shaft pitman needed to be replaced. Afterwards, the problem persisted. The vehicle was…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2006, at 56,822 miles
    The contact owns a 2002 GMC Sierra 1500. While making a left turn the steering column locked without prior warning. After completing the turn, she was able to unlock the steering column. She took the vehicle to the dealership, and she was in the process of having the power steering gear box replaced . The current…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2009, at 77,483 miles

  5. Wheels and tires

    6 complaints · 4%

    Half of these problems showed up before 71,500 miles. Parts named most often: hub.

    The contact owns a 2002 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the rear wheels were jammed in a position that caused the vehicle to drive abnormally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2015, at 70,000 miles
    Driving 73 MPH down highway without warning tread blows off tire. Almost lost control of vehicle. Tires were purchased new and maintained and had plently tire left. Uniroyal advised they were not responsible for tire that was 7 years old.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2016, at 72,552 miles

  6. Transmission

    5 complaints · 3%

    Parts named most often: automatic transmission.

    On dec 8, 2003 I was driving at approx. 45 miles per hour when my transmission shifted out of gear and then after a few secounds it shifted into low gear, all on its own. There was a car traveling behind that almost hit me from behind. I pulled over and put my truck in park. I looked under my truck to see if any thing…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2005, at 83,579 miles
    At 68,994 miles my truck lost 2nd gear, drive, overdrive and reverse. A new reaction shell was installed. At 90,027 miles and 360 days later the same problem occurred and a beast heavy duty reaction shell was available and installed.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 68,994 miles

  7. Air bags

    5 complaints · 3%

    Half of these problems showed up before 130,000 miles.

    This vehicle was involved in a single vehicle accident hitting a gaurdrail and concrete divider. The 2002 GMC sierra1 1500 ext. Cab truck has been totaled by the insurance company. There was extensive damage to the front end, hood, side panel, bed, and bumper, driver side tire, etc. The air bag failed to deploy. It…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 130,000 miles
    While driving down the highway in the far right lane. Going about 60 miles a hour we hit a patch of black ice. The vehicle started to fishtail. The driver kept the vehicle from spinning out and doing a 360. We crossed over 3 lanes of traffic, without hitting another vehicle. When the truck finally griped on to the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2013, at 155,000 miles

  8. Other or unspecified

    4 complaints · 2%

    The spare tire hoist failed causing my spare tire to fall off. Luckily this happened in my driveway. If this had happened on the road it could have caused a fatality to anyone behind me. The cable appears to be the same material that the tailgate cables were made of. The cables were already recalled by gm.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 90,000 miles

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

2002 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls

  1. Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

    NHTSA 04V562000 · November 26, 2004 · 1,660 vehicles

    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.

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

Questions about the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500

What are the most common problems with the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500?
By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (125 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles); suspension (9 complaints, typically around 72,000 miles); body and structure (8 complaints, typically around 75,500 miles).
How many recalls does the 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
1 recall 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 2002 a bad year for the GMC Sierra 1500?
It is 21st of 27 Sierra 1500 model years by number of complaints, with 166 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.

Other GMC Sierra 1500 years

GMC Sierra 1500 problems by year