What breaks most · 1994 to 2019 model years
GMC Sierra 2500 problems by year
Owners have filed 1,183 safety complaints with NHTSA about the GMC Sierra 2500 across model years 1994 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2003 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2004 for electrical system complaints and 2002 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints. The quietest years are 1994, 2017 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2004, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1994, 2017, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 11831994 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003159 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 5725 fires · 50 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 65kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 93Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 14 | 1 | 4 | Brakes (hydraulic) (7) | |
| 15 | 0 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (7) | |
| 36 | 3 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (13) | |
| 47 | 3 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (23) | |
| 132 | 11 | 5 | Brakes (hydraulic) (44) | |
| 133 | 9 | 4 | Brakes (hydraulic) (44) | |
| 159 | 7 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (43) | |
| 140 | 4 | 4 | Electrical system (48) | |
| 110 | 4 | 4 | Electrical system (40) | |
| 62 | 3 | 3 | Brakes (21) | |
| 74 | 2 | 3 | Air bags (44) | |
| 54 | 2 | 3 | Air bags (35) | |
| 23 | 1 | 5 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 9 | 0 | 5 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 38 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (14) | |
| 19 | 1 | 3 | Air bags (5) | |
| 18 | 0 | 3 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 18 | 2 | 2 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 47 | 4 | 6 | Exterior lighting (25) | |
| 20 | 0 | 6 | Steering (6) | |
| 8 | 0 | 6 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 5 | 0 | 5 | Exterior lighting (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 7 | Exterior lighting (1) |
What fails on the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 27% |
43 | 3 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 23% |
36 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 18% |
28 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
13 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 6% |
9 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4% |
6 | 0 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 4% |
6 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
5 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Front brake lines failed on boat ramp on 9/15/2010 rear brake lines failed on 7/20/2011, transmission lines fail on 5/10/2012 i am sure gas lines are next. Truck is a complete rust bucket underneath.
-
The instrument panel cluster gauges don't always work. We were on freeway when we noticed speedometer had failed as well as fuel gauge , temp gauge all gauges inoperative. This is third time cluster panel is being replaced; first two under warranty third time we had to pay $204.
-
Gmc sierra 2500 hd 2002 rotted brake lines failure caused $4500 in damage to the truck . Wrist injury to my wife. Oil and tranny fluid all over driveway stained. $5000 in damage to my vw beetle resulting in a total loss to this vehicle!!!!
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which GMC Sierra 2500 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2004, 2002 carry the most filings on the GMC Sierra 2500. The 2003 alone has 159 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common GMC Sierra 2500 problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 43 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do GMC Sierra 2500 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all GMC Sierra 2500 complaints that include mileage is about 65,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.