Complaints about the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500 peaked in 2021, with 3 filed
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Pickup, diesel, 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Oct 18, 2016 to Jul 24, 2025.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26V-611 | Sep 24, 2026 | Left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture | Airbags | 1,559 | Part replacement |
| 21V-504 | Jul 1, 2021 | Roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture | Airbags | 410,019 | Part replacement |
| 19V-088 | Feb 7, 2019 | Fuel-level sensor in the front tank may stick in a low-level position, allowing the rear tank to overfill the front tank | Fuel system | 18,574 | Part replacement |
| 18V-578 | Aug 30, 2018 | Brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative | Brakes | 42,280 | Repair or modification |
| 17V-437 | Jul 10, 2017 | While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy… | Airbags | 40,683 | Software update |
| 16V-651 | Sep 8, 2016 | In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test | Airbags | 3,640,162 | Software update |
| 16V-069 | Feb 5, 2016 | On the affected vehicles, the brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative | Brakes | 430,771 | Repair or modification |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
19 complaints on file, page 1 of 1.
Driving down the road and I got a service trailer brake code pop up and would not go away and kept dinging It is very distracting and sometimes causes the trailer brakes to malfunction
NHTSA complaint 11676023The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 3500. The contacted stated that while her husband was attempting to start the vehicle, the contact stated that after five minutes the engine independently failed while the vehicle was running. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel system and fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
NHTSA complaint 11657920Driving my vehicle in the mountains pulling a 16000 lb 5th wheel trailer, the engine goes into Reduced Engine Power due to a Turbo Vane Position sensor / Turbo Over Boost or Under Boost fault. This has happened 4 times in the last 3 months and has nearly caused an accident following each occurrence. The vehicle is a 2016 GMC Sierra 3500HD with the 6.6L LML Duramax Diesel engine with 75000 miles. I believe the Reduced Engine Power protection is far to abrupt in the loss of Engine Power to safely move the vehicle out of the flow of traffic. During each occurrence I was in the left lane of a 2 lane expressway attempting to pass a much slower vehicle going up a 5-8% grade and was unable to complete my pass due to the loss in propulsion which nearly caused an accident.
NHTSA complaint 11652777The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft, lower bearings, head gasket seals, and the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.
NHTSA complaint 11603966When braking, the service trailer brake system message and service stabilitrac message appear on the dash and brake pedal gets soft to hard repeatedly and truck pulls from side to side violently as if one side of the trucks brakes are working and the other side is not.
NHTSA complaint 11595591Bosch CP4 fuel pump failure that shut down vehicle while driving, luckily did not cause an accident. Would not restart. Damaged entire fuel system including injectors and now have $17,000 in damage that needs repaired.
NHTSA complaint 11569266This is a 2016 GMC 3500 Denali truck with 70,000 miles on it. The Bosch fuel pump threw metal shavings into the fuel system. This is a known issue with GMC trucks with a Bosch CP4 fuel pump for 2011-2016. The engine suddenly quits running leaving the driver without power steering or power brakes. It happened to me when pulling a 14,000-pound 5th-wheel RV. Fortunately, I was on an interstate outside of Grand Junction CO and the road was flat. If I had been in the mountains going downhill and the engine quit I'd likely caused an accident perhaps fatal. GMC quoted me $16,000 to repair. Again, this is a known issue at GMC but they refuse to do anything about it. GMC Dealership in Grand Junction performed the analysis and advised me to drive it home to Phoenix. I got 60 miles when the engine quit. Cost me $1,600 to get the truck returned to my GMC Dealer in Phoenix and another $1,600 to get my trailer back home.
NHTSA complaint 11549427I own a 2016 GMC 3500 Diesel that had a serious mechanical breakdown while traveling on the freeway. The truck lost all motive power and needed to coast across 4 freeway lanes. Once towed to a local GMC Dealer, they diagnosed the problem as the Bosch CP4 fuel pump internally came apart while driving. I have to have this vehicle working so I got it repaired at a cost of $16,145. This is a known issue and losing all power while at highway speeds could have caused a serious incident. Please address this issue before someone dies.
NHTSA complaint 11532754Vechicle is giving codes of Emissions warning, P0102, P154B and P154D
NHTSA complaint 11520744I had the rear defrost running, and began to hear a sizzling/hissing sound in the back seat. After a minute of hearing this noise, I noticed smoke coming from the rear sliding window. I immediately turned off the rear defrost. A few seconds later, I heard a loud pop and the passenger side of my rear window was shattered. I called and spoke with the dealership and explained what had happened. They said they knew exactly what had happened and it is pretty common in these trucks.
NHTSA complaint 11450594Brake pedal has to be pushed almost all the way to the floor to stop, this recently changed from barely having to apply any pressure to the pedal. Took it to Quebadeaux gmc on 11-10-2021 and they inspected the brakes, said everything was good and that’s normal for the brakes to be that soft. That’s not normal or it would’ve always been like that.
NHTSA complaint 11440306BACKED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE TO GO SOMEWHERE, GOT ON THE MAIN ROAD AND IT WAS WONDERING WITH A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL, NEXT HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE FRONT WHEELS STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY UNTIL I SLOWED TO UNDER 40 MPH, HIT ANOTHER ROAD SEAM AND IT DID THE SAME THING.TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC, HE DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED STEERING BOX. TRUCK ONLY HAS 27,500 MILES ON IT. NEVER SEEN A DIRT ROAD, NOT DRIVEN IN THE WINTER.$1700.00 LATER ITS FIXED. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET AND GMC HAS NOT RECALLED THESE TRUCKS FOR THIS PROBLEM THEY KNOW ABOUT. HAS SOURED MY TRUST IN THEIR BRAND.
NHTSA complaint 11416308EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING WHEEL 2 TO 3" VERY UNSAFE, AT ALL TIMES WHEN DRIVING. GM IS AWARE OF PROBLEM BUT NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. SERVICE BULLETIN PIT5501D. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
NHTSA complaint 11387014THE BRAKE BOOSTER CILYNDER HAVE A BAD LEAKING IT WAS PARKED WHEN I SAW THIS HAPPEN
NHTSA complaint 11360079TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC SIERRA 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH OR MORE, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE DEATH WOBBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH A MESSAGE STATING THAT IN APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER (BURTENESS CHEVROLET BUICK GMC OF WHITEWATER LOCATED AT 1389 W MAIN ST, WHITEWATER, WI 53190 PHONE NUMBER 262-456-6849) TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS NOT INFORMED OF WHAT REPAIR WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
NHTSA complaint 11299215STEERING WHEEL HAS SLOP/PLAY IN IT. WHEEL HAS 3-4 INCHES OF PLAY BEFORE IT CATCHES. CAN DRIVE DOWN ROAD AND 1 MIN WHEEL IS TO THE LEFT NEXT ITS TO RIGHT TO KEEP TRUCK GOING STRAIGHT.
NHTSA complaint 11191309TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC SIERRA 3500. WHILE PASSING A BOAT RAMP HAULING A BOAT TRAILER, THE BRAKES AND STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT BECAME DETACHED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RECONNECT THE SERPENTINE BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEGACY BUICK GMC (293 E HOWZE BEACH RD, SLIDELL, LA 70461, (985) 231-5256) WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *TT
NHTSA complaint 11113566-ALL STARTED WITH LOUD POP, METAL FAILURE SOUND. -AT A STOP, WITH BRAKES APPLIED, THE POWER STEERING TURNS THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. I HAVE TO PULL TO THE LEFT TO KEEP THE WHEEL CENTERED. (NOT MOVING) THIS PRESSURE ISSUE WILL FINALLY STOP AND THE WHEEL WILL CENTER ON IT'S OWN. -STEERING HAS SLOP, FEELS LOOSE, DEAD CENTER -WHILE AT SPEED APPLYING THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TORN FROM MY HAND 3 TIMES. THE POWER STEERING CAUSES TRUCK TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS WHEN BRAKING. 99% OF THE TIME THE TRUCK TURNS RIGHT. THE HYROBOOST SYSTEM IS TURNING THE STEERING SYSTEM TO THE RIGHT WHICH CHANGES THE DIRECTION OF THE TRUCK. -WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING ASSIST APPEARS TO TURN OFF AND ON. AS IF THERE IS A POWER LOSS OR TOO MUCH POWER WAS APPLIED THAN IT RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER 3 DIFFERENT TIMES. FIRST DEALER VISIT THE TECH DEEMED THE TRUCK UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY JUST DRIVING THE TRUCK FROM THE SERVICE LANE TO THE GARAGE. TECH IDENTIFIED A GM TSB (PIT5501D) TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE AND CONTACT GM. GM OUTLINED A REPAIR HOWEVER THE REPAIRS DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION. THIS WAS AFTER RETURNING TO THE DEALER FOR THE SECOND TIME AND STATING THE STEERING SYSTEM IS NOW LEAKING AND THE ISSUE STILL REMAINS WITH SOME IMPROVEMENT. 3RD VISIT AT THE 2ND DEALER: SECOND DEALER DROVE THE TRUCK WITH ME AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE DEALER TECH WAS DRIVING AND I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THEY DEEMED IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND PUT ME IN A LOANER. 2ND DEALER IDENTIFIED METAL IN THE STEERING FLUID AND PARTS THAT CONTAIN FLUID MUST BE REPLACE. PERSONAL THOUGHTS ARE THE STEERING BOXES ARE FACTORY DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING THEM TO FAIL OVER TIME. THIS THEN INTRODUCES METAL INTO THE HYDROBOOST SYSTEM WHICH RESULTS IN BRAKE AND STEERING FAILURE. *TR
NHTSA complaint 10948966SIDE THORAX AND HEAD CURTAIN AIRBAGS ARE LISTED AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE 2016 GMC SIERRA TRUCK LINE. I DISCOVERED AFTER MY PURCHASE THAT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE SIDE AIRBAGS. AFTER RESEARCH I LEARNED THAT WHEN YOU SELECT THE DURAMAX ENGINE OPTION, GMC DELETES ALL SIDE AIRBAGS AND DOES NOT NOTIFY THE CUSTOMER. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF YOUR VEHICLE HAS SIDE AIRBAGS OR NOT. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS BELIEVE THEY HAVE SIDE AIRBAGS (LIKE MYSELF) BUT IF THEY SELECTED THE VERY POPULAR (AND QUITE EXPENSIVE) DURAMAX ENGINE OPTION, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SIDE AIRBAGS AS ADVERTISED. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY FEATURE THAT GMC IS DELETING FROM ADVERTISED STANDARD EQUIPMENT WITHOUT PROPERLY ADVISING CUSTOMERS. IT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY IF SOMEONE IS INJURED IN A VEHICLE THEY BELIEVE HAS SIDE AIRBAGS BECAUSE OF THE DECEPTIVE PRACTICE. THIS POSSIBLE AFFECTS OTHER YEARS AND POSSIBLY THE CHEVROLET SILVERADO ALSO.
NHTSA complaint 10917189Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall; the 60 most recent are listed.