2015 GMC Sierra 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Service brakes is the leading concern among 817 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 26 Sierra 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 29 involved a crash and 10 involved a fire. 14 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, side/window, curtain, inflatorJul 1, 2021
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Phase I owner notification letters were mailed on May 5, 2022. Phase II owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall number 20V-736. GM's number for this recall is N202324251.
Campaign 21V504000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, frontApr 8, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2014-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement tensioner cable assembly as part of a previous recall remedy or a subsequent repair. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the vehicle causing the cable to fatigue and separate.
A broken pretensioner cable reduces the effectiveness of the driver's seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat belt lap pretensioner, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212330040.
Campaign 21V245000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/window, curtain, inflatorNov 25, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator.
If the end cap separates from the inflator, the compressed gas will escape and the end cap can be propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RRAB modules on the left and/or right side, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on December 22, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Note: GM filed a new recall, number 21V-504 that supersedes this recall. All vehicles previously recalled under 20V-736 will now be repaired under the new recall number 21V-504. GM's numbers for this recall are N202309680, N202309681, and N202309682.
Campaign 20V736000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, wheel speed sensor/tone ringOct 24, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Campaign 19V761000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, power assist, vacuumSep 6, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Campaign 19V645000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemSep 7, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade vehicles. Electric power steering (EPS) assist may be lost momentarily, followed by a sudden return of EPS assist.
If EPS assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the EPS module software, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18289.
Campaign 18V586000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalJul 10, 2017
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 17V437000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalSep 8, 2016
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 16V651000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsApr 12, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks manufactured January 29, 2013, to January 21, 2015. While entering the vehicle, the seat belt tensioner cable may be positioned such that the driver slides over it. This movement may result in the fatigue and separation of the cable.
If the tensioner cable separates, the driver may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent the tensioner from being damaged. Any tensioner that has already been damaged will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. 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 15822.
Campaign 16V209000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
817 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Visibility, Mar 8, 2023, fire
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that when doing the initial start, the rear of the vehicle began smoking and caught on fire. The contact turned off the vehicle and the fire settled however shortly after the rear window fractured. There were no injuries and no medical attention needed. There was no fire report. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the window needed to be replaced and there was a Canadian recall (Manufacturer Number N192220470 ) for the rear windows defrost failing. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and coming to a stop, the brake pedal was depressed but hesitated to respond, causing 10-15 feet stopping distance delay. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving downhill. The brake pedal was depressed down to the floorboard but failed to respond, almost causing the vehicle to crash into another vehicle. The contact pumped the brake pedal and the vehicle stopped; however, the failure reoccurred while driving at slow speeds and approaching the residence. The contact stated that her son test drove the vehicle at high speed and informed her that the brakes operated as needed. The contact became aware that the failure was occurring mainly while driving at slow speeds. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she needed to pay a diagnostic test fee, but the contact declined. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 61,299.
Power train, Seats, Service brakes, Feb 19, 2023
I tried to buy a car at car dealershipin lafayette oregon ( Pouya Auto sales) gmc sierra 2015 black . on the date 02/09/2023 . They soldme this car with ABS ,cruscontrol, presusre tires ligths on dashbord . the financial bank recomend me to bring the veicule back to the dealership to have them to fixed . . they didnt want to continue with the contract anymore and canseled . now they want to sell the truck to some one else . and is not safe to drive it with this isuuses
Exterior lighting, Jan 30, 2023
This vehicle has poor headlight performance. I changed the bulbs to no avail. There is no way this 2015 GMC passes vehicle state inspections if they really look. There is very little power to the lights, even on the high-beams. After some quick research - GM has a service bulletin PIT5374 that addresses this very issue. But the dealerships are using this safety defect as a way to generate service volume. Requiring a $170.00 diagnosis to identify a problem they already know exists.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Jan 16, 2023
I was driving my GMC Sierra upon entering the highway, I was at a stop sign waited for clear traffic when it became safe to do so, I entered the highway and upon excelling up a small incline the vehicle transmission just completely stopped working so as I depressed the accelerator the engine would would wind the RPMs up but the vehicle wasn't going anywhere. I pulled the car over to the side of the road and placed the car in park. Put my emergency lights on and couldn't get the truck to the to go to the area to be free and clear of traffic to transmission engage. I put the car into reverse this is the second time this has happened and this is what my husband recommend I do. When I called him is to place the vehicle in reverse reverse a little bit and then place the car into park and then turn it off. Start the car up again and see if it would engage the gear, it took placing the vehicle in park. After adjusting the steering column and trying it again, the transmission engaged but would not reach the full acceleration. I was on a hill so I put the brakes on and the car brakes would not stop the vehicle. It would bounce and skid a bit as I was on an incline. The transmission was not engaging in reverse either. After resting then it didn't get any speed. There are RPMs just kept whining out. I wasn't able to at first get the car to go into gear after wiggling or adjusting the steering column then it seemed to go in gear but it would only go a few feet and then it the process would start over. this was dangerous as I was on a highway with an incline which means I had no break ability so I was rolling without control. I was able to get the car home and parked in my driveway but as this is the second event that has happened since we purchased the truck I'm making this report. Feel free to contact me if needed
Service brakes, Jan 5, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated her husband was driving when the vehicle in front of them applied the brakes unexpectedly, the driver depressed the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle due to the brake pedal being resistant/ rigid causing the vehicle to rear-end the other vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The driver was able to continue driving to their destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had to be replaced. The dealer replaced the vacuum pump back in October of 2022. The vehicle was repaired but the second vacuum pump was also defective and the dealer replaced it on-site for a third time. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,500. The contact stated that the failure speed was no more than 70 mph.
Steering, Jan 3, 2023
While going at a low speed, the steering starts to get tight. It is not constant but occurs off and on. I have read online about this recall, but the truck I own was not included. I believe it should be. I can't trust pulling into traffic for fear it will lock up.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 2, 2023
Started my truck and started driving. It was a very foggy night with lots of mist in the air, so I turned on the defroster to clear fog/dew from the side view mirrors. About 10-15 minutes later I hear a very loud pop inside the truck. It turns out my rear driver side window was completely exploded/shattered. This seems to be a known issue in these trucks.
Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Dec 28, 2022
Rear defroster (with sliding rear window) thermal events with arcing and hissing, smoke smell present. Matches the same description as provided in document N192265660. GM will not cover my vehicle because it was not delivered to a dealer in any of the states listed in the document. There is evidence in the vehicle of thermal events, however GM wants me to pay $1000-$1500 for a new rear sliding window.
Other or unspecified, Dec 19, 2022
Service Trailer Brake System warning keeps coming on every time I start my truck.
Air bags, Dec 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V504000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Service brakes, Nov 30, 2022
Hard break peddle at low speeds, break booster issue
Tires, Nov 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 equipped with Falken Tires, Tire Line: Wild Peak AT3W, Tire Size: LT285/55/R20, DOT Number: (NA). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the front passenger’s side tire became flat. There was no warning light illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was made aware that the driver's side tire had dry cracking on the inside sidewall and the front passenger’s side and rear passenger’s and driver’s side tires had bead separation. The tires were not replaced. The tires were replacement tires. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000.
Engine, Oct 24, 2022
Improper cooling cycles causing coolant leaks on the radiator
Electrical system, Oct 19, 2022
Power steering cut out instantly as I was driving.
Service brakes, Oct 4, 2022
Trailer Brake System Service.
Air bags, Sep 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V504000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Service brakes, Sep 24, 2022
When braking at low speeds I have no brakes to stop and i can feel a vibration in the brake pedal.
Steering, Electrical system, Sep 19, 2022
Several instances in which power steering assist lapses at low speed. Several times lapses coupled with radio/ac going off. Two times the truck has died while backing into garage. I have narrowly missed hitting other cars while parking in various places. I have not taken the truck to a dealer or service center for this problem. It has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance or others. Several different messages show up in different instances. Today I noticed “parking assist symbols not available.” Then the truck died.
Service brakes, Sep 17, 2022
Brake pedal is hard to push at low speeds
Service brakes, Sep 16, 2022
At low speeds , like parking it lost all brakes. I have noticed a few times since the first. I see they had a recall for the brake vacumm pump but I cant find much on it
Electrical system, Sep 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the warning message "Service Trailer Brake System" was displayed along with an audible warning chime although no trailer was being towed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure and no service repairs were performed; however, the failure recurred intermittently. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Service brakes, Aug 29, 2022
Brake vacuum fail, causing the brake pedal to become stiff and unable to stop the vehicle. This issue has been on the recall for the same year and make of truck as mine, yet mine is not eligible for this recall repair? Please help Thank you
Service brakes, Aug 24, 2022
The Truck has something wrong with the Trailer braking system. with no notice it display "Service Trailer Braking system" in the DIC. This will cause loss of brakes to the trailer and make it very difficult to stop with the trailer. Everything functions properly and at a random moment they will just stop working.
Power train, Aug 18, 2022
At 101,000 miles I experienced my check engine light and Stabilitrak dash lights coming on and the engine spuddering. I replaced the fuel injectors, spark plugs, spark plug wires, coil packs. I’ve taken it to two mechanics one told me that number eight cylinder was low on compression and the other mechanic told me that he has seen very many of the same motor that I have, with the problems associated with the lifter recall. I don’t know what to do. I’ve heard that the fix is the same part so it’s just going happen again. This is horrible, from a consumer standpoint Especially since GM has known about this since 2007 with their AFM/DFM motors. I would love to hear back from you pertaining to what my options would be for repair and payment. Thank you for your time and have a good day.