2014 GMC Sierra 1500: common problems

Owners of the 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 filed 743 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 743
involving a crash: 25

What fails most often

1 Steering 21% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 20% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 19% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
5 Engine 9% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
7 Electronic stability control 8% of all complaints
8 Structure 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Steering: 156 complaints (21% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 148 complaints (20% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 144 complaints (19% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 129 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 69 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 743 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights144 · 19%
steering or power steering problems91 · 12%
A/C or heater82 · 11%
warning lights, check engine76 · 10%
loss of power / limp mode38 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts36 · 5%
infotainment or screen glitches30 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise28 · 4%
rust, corrosion27 · 4%
vibration27 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Steering	156	4
Exterior lighting	148	3
Service brakes	144	10
Electrical system	129	2
Engine	69	1
Powertrain	69	3
Electronic stability control	56	2
Structure	31	1
Air bags	26	9
Suspension	24	1
Visibility	21	0
Seat belts	19	3
Fuel/propulsion system	12	1
Vehicle speed control	12	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy, and the seat belt failed to restraint the driver as intended. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the Insurance Company. The driver was transported to a local medical center.
Air bags · crash · 2026-10-07 · NHTSA complaint #11769597
I had no warning at all and my transmission started to sputter and jerk extremely bad and my brakes did not work at the same time. I had to use my parking break to stop my family and I from going into the lake at 40mph. I looked up on many websites and forums and saw multiple people with the same issue.
Powertrain · crash · 2025-04-25 · NHTSA complaint #11656848
The driver rear and front window were blown out. The air bags failed to deploy. As a result, the contact sustained a cut to her left leg, shoulder and back injuries that required medical attention. The contact mentioned the other driver sustained injuries and also required medical attention. A police report was filed.
Air bags · crash · 2020-08-21 · NHTSA complaint #11350631
The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries on his recently operated right shoulder. The contact did not seek any medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to his residence.
Suspension · crash · 2020-07-30 · NHTSA complaint #11342435
The contact stated that while driving at 5 mph, the vehicle abruptly jerked to the left as the rack and pinion came apart without warning. Due to the failure, the contact hit a pole head on. The air bags did not deploy upon impact due to low impact.
Steering · crash · 2020-07-22 · NHTSA complaint #11340922
These vehicles may experience a temporary loss of electric power steering (eps) assist followed by a sudden return of eps assist, particularly during low-speed turning maneuvers. The loss and sudden return of eps assist typically happens within a 1 second period and is caused by an electrical/software issue.
Electrical system · crash · 2020-02-28 · NHTSA complaint #11312020
The air bag did not deploy and the driver sustained a bruised neck. Medical attention was not received. Police report number: spc32b7n80x was filed at the scene. The contact discovered that a 10-inch section of the brake rotor was missing from the vehicle.
Service brakes · crash · 2019-12-04 · NHTSA complaint #11286929
The air bags did not deploy. The contact's wife sustained minor injuries that consisted of whiplash. The contact's wife did seek medical attention. The other driver sustained bruised leg injuries nad it was unknown if medical attention was sought. A police report was filed.
Service brakes · crash · 2019-08-08 · NHTSA complaint #11242635

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

201438
201544
201676
2017113
201888
2019114
202073
202137
202243
202336
202432
202533
202616

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 400 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sierra 1500 has 266 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 743, above average.

What to check before buying

Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2014 GMC Sierra 1500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, exterior lighting, service brakes. Total complaints: 743. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (19%), steering or power steering problems (12%), A/C or heater (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 GMC Sierra 1500?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2014 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.