2015 GMC Sierra 1500: common problems

Owners of the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 filed 720 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 720
involving a crash: 23

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 32% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
4 Exterior lighting 13% of all complaints
5 Engine 12% of all complaints
6 Steering 11% of all complaints
7 Air bags 5% 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.

Service brakes: 229 complaints (32% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 99 complaints (14% of all).
Electrical system: 96 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 93 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 84 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 720 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights87 · 12%
warning lights, check engine63 · 9%
A/C or heater51 · 7%
vibration45 · 6%
steering or power steering problems43 · 6%
brake failure38 · 5%
windows, sunroof35 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts33 · 5%
loss of power / limp mode29 · 4%
infotainment or screen glitches29 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	229	15
Powertrain	99	0
Electrical system	96	1
Exterior lighting	93	1
Engine	84	1
Steering	81	4
Air bags	37	5
Structure	28	0
Visibility	26	1
Suspension	17	1
Seat belts	16	0
Electronic stability control	13	1
Fuel/propulsion system	13	0
Seats	9	0

What owners report

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

Itâs related to the special policy and recall regarding the vacuum and the loss of brakes at slower speeds and in reverse. The first two accidents were very minor creating no damage.
Service brakes · crash · 2025-03-22 · NHTSA complaint #11649900
My electrical failed i was hauling a trailer and i crashed into a car also the air didnt deploy we were traveling at 35mph my steering locked i couldnt aviod steering got real tight
Electrical system · crash · 2022-08-09 · NHTSA complaint #11478507
The brake pedal began to vibrate and a skipping. The vehicle ended up crashing into the rear of the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The vehicle was not towed.
Service brakes · crash · 2021-06-16 · NHTSA complaint #11421116
The brakes failed as my son approached an intersection. Subsequently, he struck another vehicle broadside. Extensive damage was sustained to both vehicles. The driver reported that he pressed the brake pedal, but the truck would not stop.
Service brakes · crash · 2020-09-11 · NHTSA complaint #11354432
Headlights - low are dim and not much side visibility. Traveling on rural back roads at night is dangerous. Deer walked out in road and I was not able to see in time. Second deer I hit with this truck, only hit one other deer in my life.
Visibility · crash · 2018-12-13 · NHTSA complaint #11161112
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 were injuries sustained that required medical attention.
Air bags · crash · 2017-10-13 · NHTSA complaint #11033229
Airbags where not deployed nor any windows shattered. I am also in receipt of the paperwork concerning my claim and determining I am 51% at fault towards the accident. I clearly gave my side of the story to the police office that my steering wheel had locked and I was unable to maneuver the vehicle.
Exterior lighting · crash · 2016-11-01 · NHTSA complaint #10920575
As a result, the contact crashed into a concrete post and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained left hand injuries that did not require medical attention. A police report was not filed.
Steering · crash · 2016-06-09 · NHTSA complaint #10873464

When owners complained

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

201517
201672
201756
2018101
2019139
202055
202164
202266
202343
202431
202548
202628

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 418 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 720, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 720. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (12%), warning lights, check engine (9%), A/C or heater (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 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 2015 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 2015 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.