CSR

GMC · NHTSA safety record

2026 GMC Sierra 2500

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

Owners have filed 10 safety complaints about the 2026 GMC Sierra 2500 with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 mentions a fire and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering equipment.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 3 complaints, 30% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2026 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

10 complaints on file

10

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 30%
STEERING 3 · 30%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 20%
TIRES 2 · 20%
ENGINE 1 · 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 10%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 10%
SEATS 1 · 10%
SUSPENSION 1 · 10%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 10.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2026 GMC SIERRA 2500, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test PU/CC N/A 4WD PU/CC N/A RWD
Overall Not rated Not rated
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash Not rated Not rated
Side barrier Not rated Not rated
Side pole Not rated Not rated
Rollover Not rated Not rated
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

26V114000 · February 26, 2026

The defect
General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”
The risk
Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.

General Motors, LLC · up to 5,861 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

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

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 9,000 miles

The contact called on behalf of an insurer who owns a 2026 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked and turned off, a neighbor informed the owner that the vehicle had caught on fire. The owner and the neighbor extinguished the fire using water hoses. The contact stated that the fire originated under the rear passenger’s side seat and was caused by an overheating amplifier that had short-circuited. No warning light was illuminated. The Fire Department responded to the scene and filed a report. There was no Police report filed. There was no injury or property damage. The vehicle remained parked, and the owner intended to return the vehicle to the

NHTSA complaint 11752669, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

crash

Aug 14th, 9:49 pm - Vehicle was placed in park and driver got out. A few seconds later the vehicle started moving forward under its own power towards the driver who was now infront of vehicle walking foward away from vehicle. Passenger hopped over the driver seat to press on brake pedal to stop vehicle. At same time, driver turned around and noticed vehicle moving towards him. Passenger was able to stop vehicle but not before it ran off the driveway and into and over a recreational firepit area. Driver was on opposite side of this. Driver got in to vehicle, verified transmission was now fully engaged in Park, and reversed the vehicle off firepit area. Damage to both vehicle, and firepit

NHTSA complaint 11760712, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
Ongoing issues with Steering pull to right, and brake pull to hard right when applying brakes, which also turns steering wheel to right upon application. Have to keep steering wheel towards left with constant pressure to go in straight line and when braking. Driver has to be aware of changing road conditions that could affect that. Multiple inspections at multiple dealers have found no obvious issues, and multiple alignments performed, with tires also being replaced have had no success in correcting issue. Front suspension starting to feel loose due, and rear suspension squeak when going over bumps. Also recently found rear axle is shifted slightly to right. Suspect all are related. No

NHTSA complaint 11755350, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES
No Incident Occurred. Tire Size 275/65R20. Tire Pressure Fluctuating between 59 and 71 PSI. 3 of 4 tires appear to have a defect. Was detailing the vehicle on 7/26/26 and noticed a tear in the Side wall on the Passenger side rear tire. About 3/4" to 1 inch away from the rim along the sidewall. Running parallel with the rim for about 4". Found similar defects and indentation lines on the Passenger side front and Drivers side rear, in varying lengths around the rim. Vehicle has Not Towed, had a Load in the bed or used off road. 1,897 miles all Pavement Mixed HWY and Street use. Vehicle was Purchased 6/25/26. Scheduled for Service 7/28/26. Will have the Dealer look at the tires.

NHTSA complaint 11752991. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES
DOT AH9K82 3425 LT265/70R17 121/118Q All four brand new tires on my brand new truck have bulges on the sides of the tires. The truck feels floaty and unsafe at highway speeds. The car dealership is saying it’s fine, won’t replace them, and says it’s a known issue with the tire.

NHTSA complaint 11740229. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I recently purchased my vehicle from Big Star Dealership in Baytown Tx. At a little over 1000 miles i was towing a camper. The vehicle stalled, fuel pouring from engine. It was towed and repaired due to fuel pump failure. At a little over 3000 miles the vehicle would not start. Dealership initially said water contamination then changed it and said gasoline contamination and now they say DEF contamination. The vehicle stalling the first time almost caused me to wreck the vehicle

NHTSA complaint 11737988. 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
2025 28 1 —
2024 105 4 —
2023 32 1 —
2022 43 3 —
2021 51 6 —
2020 76 9 —
2019 32 7 —
2018 35 5 —
2017 37 6 —
2016 59 6 —
2015 89 6 —
2014 30 2 —
2013 46 3 —
2012 31 3 1
2011 63 4 —
2010 10 5 —

Other 2026 GMC models

Every GMC on this site — 149 vehicles.

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. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

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