CSR

GMC · NHTSA safety record

2017 GMC Sierra 2500

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

37

Complaints

2

Crashes

1

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2017 GMC Sierra 2500 have filed 37 safety complaints with NHTSA between April 2017 and April 2026. The most complained-about system is the brakes, named in 8 of them (22%). The typical failure was reported at 22,060 miles, the median across the 14 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 6 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (6)

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

23V047000 · February 2, 2023

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 vehicles equipped with a dual fuel tank option. The rear fuel tank may collapse and prevent the fuel pump from transferring fuel to the front tank, resulting in an engine stall.
The risk
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and fuel pump module, replacing them as necessary. Dealers will also add a vent hose to the rear tank assembly. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter informing owners of the safety risk was mailed on March 15, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 21, 2023. 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 N222368030.

General Motors, LLC · up to 22,132 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

21V496000 · July 1, 2021

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500 and 2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with a Duramax diesel 6.6 liter engine and an optional engine-block heater cord. An electrical short-circuit may occur in the engine-block heater cable or in the terminals that connect the heater cable to the block heater.
The risk
An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will replace engine block heaters and heater cords. Vehicles that have this feature disabled as a remedy to the safety condition will be contacted and offered replacement block heaters and heater cords under a separate customer satisfaction program, free of charge. GM will provide free replacement block heaters and cords under a separate customer satisfaction campaign. For vehicles previously included in recall 19V-328, the heater cord will be replaced and rerouted, free of charge. Interim owner notifications were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 4, 2022. Customers may call GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 212329840.

General Motors, LLC · up to 338,020 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE

19V328000 · April 25, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 vehicles and 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with Duramax 6.6 liter diesel engines and an optional engine-block heater. The engine block heater cord or the terminals that connect the heater cord to the block heater may short circuit and fail.
The risk
A short-circuit may damage the engine components and increase the risk of fire.
The remedy
GM will contact owners, dealers will replace the engine block heater, free of charge. Additionally, in Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles, dealers will install a new rerouted heater cord. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N182206310.

General Motors LLC · up to 318,374 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

17V567000 · September 14, 2017

The defect
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks. The front seat belt retractor assemblies were built with the incorrect torsion bar. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
The risk
The seat belt retractors may not perform as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front seat belt retractor assemblies, free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's numbers for this recall are 17368, 17375, and 17376.

General Motors LLC · up to 38,048 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

17V437000 · July 10, 2017

The defect
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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

General Motors LLC · up to 40,683 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

16V651000 · September 8, 2016

The defect
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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,640,162 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 37.

SERVICE BRAKES 8 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 16%
ENGINE 6 16%
POWER TRAIN 6 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 16%
EQUIPMENT 4 11%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 8%
AIR BAGS 2 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 5%
SEAT BELTS 2 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 7.

2017 2022 2026
2017 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 26,000 miles

HAD MAJOR HEAD ON COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY

NHTSA complaint 11257171. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

On December 29, 2022 I stopped at the bank for 2 minute and when I got back to my truck I noticed smoke coming out from under the hood. I immediately called 911 and luckily some nice people were able to get my hood up safely and the bank provided a fire extinguisher before the fire trucks arrived. It was engulfed in flames. The fireman said it appeared the fire started in the wiring at the engine. I had a recall fixed a while back for the engine block heater so I was worried maybe they didn’t repair the recall. A week after the fire I received a 2nd recall in the mail for the same recall. Today is July 9th and my truck is still in the shop waiting on parts that have been on back order this

NHTSA complaint 11531177, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

crash · towed

I was in an accident on October 20th 2022 while driving home. U had just reached the top of a sharp crest on a two way road. As I started to straighten out the wheels coming out of the turn I noticed my direction was still as if I was turning the wheel. I tried to brake and pressed the brake but it went to the floor and the truck kept going. I collided with the other vehicle and it was a miracle neither of us were seriously injured or killed. We had problem with the steering box about 2 years ago and had to have it towed to the dealership. The other vehicle was a Chevy 2500 with a custom steel flat bed & it slowed me down and I finally came to a stop with the front tires off the road.

NHTSA complaint 11494173, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 46,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA complaint 11550352. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The ABS light came on while driving. Tire and components were removed to expose the axle housing. It was determined by the parts manager at DeBauche Truck and Diesel that the rear wheel hub nut had come loose and destroyed the threading. The damage was catastrophic, in that continued use of the vehicle may result in an accident and the vehicle cannot be driven until remedied. GM customer satisfaction program released a notice dated January 2018 for this specific safety issue. Reference number N172120230. A replacement axle cost was 2078.35 with additional parts and labor to be determined. Vehicle was purchased 8/29/2025 from Morrie's West Salem with no indicated reports of the issue through

NHTSA complaint 11730500, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

63,800 miles

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failure of the #8 glow plug. The contact was informed that all eight glow plugs were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 63,800.

NHTSA complaint 11721718. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The pigtails to the injectors are prone to failure. The vehicle without warning throws multiple codes and immediately limits power and speed while shaking. This can cause a dangerous driving situation. This is a known problem and is on many online forums as a common failure. The repair shop gets so many of these that they were able to diagnose the issue over the phone and noted that it usually happens around the 200k mile mark. However many reported this as an issue while under warranty. The issue is with the metal connector material being prone to failure and arcing.

NHTSA complaint 11630205. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The vehicle had a shudder when I first bought it and towed a boat. Around 60-70 it felt like a tire out of balance. The truck is stock no alterations. New tires and the vehicle has the same shudder. Had the tires balanced three times at different tire shops with no correction. I was getting my oil changed and the shop suggested a transmission and transfer case oil change. Once they looked up my vehicle they told me I would have to go to a dealer for the transmission oil change. I brought my vehicle to a GM dealer for the transmission oil change. They diagnosed my vehicle with a bad transmission causing the shudder with the only fix a new transmission at $7,800. I have yet to replace my

NHTSA complaint 11627873, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

104,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk and vibrate abnormally. The contact stated that the "Engine Power Reduced" warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway and placed the vehicle in park(P). The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was vibrating. The contact stated that the steering wheel was also vibrating abnormally. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the injector connection was worn, causing the engine to misfire, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was

NHTSA complaint 11610801, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Service Trailer Brake System warning will not stop dinging and alerting. this happens constantly with or without a trailer . I dismiss the alert and it continues to sound off. I have trouble thinking or talking. Very Very distracting. Took my vehicle to the dealer and they did not know how to fix it.

NHTSA complaint 11606297. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the GMC Sierra 2500

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 9 1
2024 98 3
2023 31 1
2022 42 3
2021 51 6
2020 73 9
2019 32 7
2018 35 5
2016 59 5
2015 89 6
2014 30 2
2013 46 3
2012 30 3 1
2011 63 4
2010 10 5

Other 2017 GMC models

Every GMC on this site — 144 vehicles, 425 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst