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2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 719 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500, most often about the brakes (32% of complaints, typically around 56,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Sierra 1500 model year since 2000 and has 9 recalls.
Most common 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Brakes
229 complaints · 32%Half of these problems showed up before 56,000 miles. Parts named most often: pedals and linkages, power assist, brake fluid low warning.
I was in a parking lot (thankfully) when the brake pedal was hard to push, and the truck did not stop immediately. There is a technical service bulletin issues for this problem pit5405b.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving at a low speed or while idling, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to engage. The contact stated that the failure was also evident while driving in reverse at a low speed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer and the manufacturer were…
Transmission
98 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 33,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Safety issue: known issue to gm but company refuses to acknowledge as a safety issue. A large number of GMC/chevrolet pickups have vibration issue at highway speeds causing stress and unnatural wear on vehicle components which might fail causing a crash at highway speeds. Gm dealers unwilling to solve issue on…
Brake pedal goes soft and can hit the floor on occasion. Mostly happens with in reverse. 40k miles. Also transmission shifts are erratic. Rpm can shoot up between shifts.
Electrical
96 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 46,000 miles. Parts named most often: integrated trailer brake control, 12v/24v/48v battery, wiring, body control module/bcm.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving 55 MPH, the defroster stopped working and the air conditioner was blowing out hot air. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.
Rear sliding glass window defogger contacts are smoking and making sizzling noise. Fire hazard. Had to remove fuse number 10 from engine block to prevent auto start from engaging rear defogger in cold weather, or to prevent defogger switch from being engaged by family member. 46k miles 2015 GMC sierra
Lights
93 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 1,500 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
Headlights are terrible,output and pattern are poor,very little lateral illumination.unsafe to drive at night in rural area.driving in rain,very dangerous.get eye strain and headache.
Operated truck for the first time in a rural area at night yesterday. Low beams provide inadequate light brightness and reach. No appropriate lateral lighting. Oncoming traffic "washed out" my lighting. Can not exceed 30mph without jeopardizing safety. These headlamps are dangerous on low beam. High beams were…
Engine
85 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 56,000 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system.
I only have 57,000 miles on my truck, which is why I am reporting this. The truck turns off completely. I have been going to make a right/left turn and the truck shuts down completely. I have no power steering and limited brakes. This has happened to me twice now. I am lucky enough that I am strong enough to turn the…
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was being serviced at the local dealer, he was informed that the radiator had a leak and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Steering
81 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 52,500 miles.
Loss of power steering assist, steering wheel jerks or kicks back when turning, messages with warning chime appear on instrument panel which also goes blank or inoperative, engine stalls and dies. This happens while vehicle is in motion on city street or hwy i10 (in bumper to bumper traffic) and when turning or…
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving at a low speed or while idling, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to engage. The contact stated that the failure was also evident while driving in reverse at a low speed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer and the manufacturer were…
Other or unspecified
67 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles.
While driving, a message pops up on the display that reads: "warning taking your eyes off the road too long, or too often while using this system could cause a crash, resulting in injury or death to you or others. Focus your attention on driving" seriously, when a warning message pops up, we read it! I have gotten use…
Vehicle had a fire starting in the dashboard area behind instrument cluster I think. It took less than 15 minutes from the smell of and issue to flames visible. I noticed the gauges becoming erratic than the check engine light came on with what felt like the 4 wheel drive kicking in and out followed by the motor…
Air bags
37 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 34,000 miles. Parts named most often: side/window.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving 40 MPH, another vehicle struck the front end of the contact's vehicle, causing it to t-bone. The driver and passenger air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt pretensioners failed to lock the passenger and driver seat belts. A police report was filed. There…
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving onto a paved road from a dirt road at a low speed, the driver side air bag deployed without warning or impact. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to martin cadillac (12101 w. Olympic blvd, cadillac building, los angeles, ca) where a GMC engineer…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2015 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls
Air bags: inflator
Risk: A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right side rrab modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on august 18, 2021. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Phase I owner notification letters were mailed on may 5, 2022. Phase II owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on may 31, 2022. Owners may contact gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall number 20v-736. Gm's number for this recall is n202324251.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015-2016 gmc sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and chevrolet silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (rrab) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Seat belts: front
Risk: A broken pretensioner cable reduces the effectiveness of the driver's seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat belt lap pretensioner, free of charge. The recall began on may 5, 2021. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is n212330040.
Full defect summary
General motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2014-2016 chevrolet silverado 1500, 2015-2016 chevrolet tahoe, and 2014-2015 gmc sierra 1500 vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement tensioner cable assembly as part of a previous recall remedy or a subsequent repair. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the vehicle causing the cable to fatigue and separate.
Air bags: inflator
Risk: If the end cap separates from the inflator, the compressed gas will escape and the end cap can be propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rrab modules on the left and/or right side, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on december 22, 2020. Owners may contact gmc customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Note: gm filed a new recall, number 21v-504 that supersedes this recall. All vehicles previously recalled under 20v-736 will now be repaired under the new recall number 21v-504. Gm's numbers for this recall are n202309680, n202309681, and n202309682.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015-2016 gmc sierra 1500 and chevrolet silverado 1500 and 2015 gmc sierra 2500 and 3500, and chevrolet silverado 2500 and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (rrab) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator.
Brakes: service brakes
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ebcm, free of charge. The recall began december 11, 2019. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is n192261050.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015-2020 chevrolet suburban, tahoe, and gmc yukon, and 2014-2018 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. 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 driveline-protection system.
Brakes: vacuum
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the electronic brake control module, free of charge. The recall began october 8, 2019. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is n192268490.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015-2017 cadillac escalade, 2014-2018 chevrolet silverado, gmc sierra, 2015-2018 chevrolet suburban, tahoe, gmc yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk: If eps assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will update the eps module software, free of charge. The recall began october 12, 2018. Owners may contact cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is 18289.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015 chevrolet silverado 1500, tahoe and suburban, gmc sierra 1500 and yukon, and cadillac escalade vehicles. Electric power steering (eps) assist may be lost momentarily, followed by a sudden return of eps assist.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the sdm software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the sdm replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on august 4, 2017. Owners may contact buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is 17287.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 buick lacrosse and chevrolet spark EV, caprice ppv and ss vehicles, 2014-2017 buick encore and chevrolet corvette, silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 cadillac escalade and escalade esv, chevrolet tahoe, trax, suburban and silverado 2500 and 3500 and gmc yukon and yukon xl vehicles, and 2015-2017 gmc sierra hd 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16v-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (sdm) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the sdm software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the sdm replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on october 13, 2016. Owners may contact buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is 16007.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd, 3500 hd, tahoe, suburban, gmc sierra 2500 hd and 3500 hd, gmc yukon, gmc yukon xl, cadillac escalade and cadillac escalade esv vehicles and 2014-2017 chevrolet corvette, silverado 1500, trax, caprice police pursuit vehicle, gmc sierra 1500, buick encore, and 2014-2016 buick lacrosse, chevrolet spark EV and ss vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (sdm) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Seat belts
Risk: If the tensioner cable separates, the driver may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent the tensioner from being damaged. Any tensioner that has already been damaged will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on august 11, 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is 15822.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 trucks manufactured january 29, 2013, to january 21, 2015. While entering the vehicle, the seat belt tensioner cable may be positioned such that the driver slides over it. This movement may result in the fatigue and separation of the cable.
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
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Brake vacuum pump failure
Summary
On november 20, 2018, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened pe18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (my) 2014 through 2016 gmc sierra 1500 and chevrolet silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and my 2015 through 2016 cadillac escalade, chevrolet suburban, chevrolet tahoe, and gmc yukon suvs.if the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. Gm stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to
Questions about the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500
- What are the most common problems with the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (229 complaints, typically around 56,000 miles); transmission (98 complaints, typically around 33,000 miles); electrical (96 complaints, typically around 46,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
- 9 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from July 1, 2021 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2015 a bad year for the GMC Sierra 1500?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Sierra 1500 model year since 2000, with 719 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.