2017 GMC Sierra 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 429 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 26 Sierra 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 20 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 8 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, side/window, curtain, inflatorSep 24, 2026
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262569920. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 24, 2026.
Campaign 26V611000 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
Child seat, tether, connector/clipAug 3, 2017
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The owner's manual for the affected vehicles may be missing instructions on how to use the tether anchorage and child restraint anchorage systems. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
If the instructions are missing from the owner's manual, the child seat may be installed incorrectly and not be properly secured, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will provide a corrected insert for the owners manual, free of charge. The recall began on September 25, 2017. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 17307.
Campaign 17V487000 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
Representative owner complaints
429 reports, newest first.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Nov 11, 2022
As I am driving the truck I notice that as the accelerator is pressed the truck does not respond as it should. I have taken this to a service repair shop and they have stated it is a ongoing issue with these vehicles. So I have taken it upon myself to look online and sure enough OTHERS have also states the same things.
Steering, Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Nov 9, 2022
While making a quick left hand turn at low speed, steering wheel suddenly locked, all lights and electrical went out and engine died. This left me stuck in a busy intersection with no lights. I was able to restart engine after a minute or so. Error message appeared "roll driver side window up, etc." Needless to say, no longer have confidence driving my truck not knowing when this situation may re-occur.
Power train, Oct 26, 2022
Truck has 67,000 miles and has been in the dealer 3 times for transmission issues. First was the shutter. Then harsh jerking downshifts. They flushed transmission and filled with new fluid under warranty and after 1,000 miles light on again for transmission fluid temperature sensor. And now they want $800 to replace this issue. There was a recall on the 16 model for the same issue with the wiring. About to cut loss and file lemon law. Had the truck for less then 2 years and put 15,000 miles on it
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Oct 20, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra LD. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the front passenger side wheel locked inadvertently. As a result, another vehicle crashed into the attached trailer which caused the trailer to jackknife. The driver alert warning light illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. No medical attention was required. No injuries were sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact then stated that on a separate occasion while driving at normal speed, the front passenger side wheel inadvertently locked without warning. As a result, the strut detached from the control arm which caused the attached trailer to detach and crashed into the vehicle that caused the vehicle to crash into a ditch. the rear passenger side air bags deployed however, the front driver and passenger side air bags failed to deploy. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence and then towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced an unknown NHTSA recall related to the Service Brakes, Hydraulic as a possible cause. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,117.
Power train, Oct 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission inadvertently shifted from high to low gears and the RPMs revved up. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. However, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve body, the clutch, the piston, and the transmission plates needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving and an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shifting hard into a lower gear, then into third gear without warning. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Power train, Oct 10, 2022
My vehicle shakes at different speeds. Do to the admitted mistake that GM said certain assembly lines put the wrong Transmission fluid which causes corrosion to Transmission. Im paying $900 to correct the problem. They should have recalled the vehicles that was affected.
Steering, Oct 5, 2022
The power steering failed on three different occasions, all while making a low speed turns. Two of the times it was only a matter of a half a second or so, but the most recent time it failed and I couldn't steer my truck at all and I almost got in an accident. I needed to come to a complete stop, and put my vehicle in park, the power steering warning light had came on. After I stopped, it was another 5-10 seconds before the warning light went off and the steering returned.
Service brakes, Oct 2, 2022
Hi I purchased this used 2017 GMC Sierra Denali on October of 2021 it’s been just only one year and while on the road with my trailer attached , I suddenly got a pop up on my display saying “service trailer brake system “ which caused me to be distracted with the chime and the warning being displayed repeatedly and overall left me with no power at all to my trailer brakes I would like to have this recalled and fixed at little to no cost due to the fact of the cheap and unsafe parts that are installed on these types of trucks by GMC
Power train, Sep 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and slowing while exiting the highway, the vehicle started to lose forward momentum and lurch forward. The contact had not depressed the brake pedal but instead attempted to accelerate however, the RPM increased but the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there were no mechanical issues found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had become recurring. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Exterior lighting, Sep 12, 2022
Driver side low beam head lamp is dim, no high beam. No accident nor damage to assembly
Power train, Sep 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and approaching a stop, the contact attempted to accelerate however, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was also taken to the dealer who confirmed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Aug 22, 2022
The paint has substantial flaking/ easy scratching casting spots down to primer and bare metal
Other or unspecified, Aug 19, 2022
My air conditioning condenser has a leak and leaked all my refrigerant out of the system. From my research and talking to the dealership mechanic, it is a problem GM refuses to do anything about unless your vehicle is under warranty, and they are aware this is a big problem, numerous complaints.
Other or unspecified, Aug 18, 2022
I live in Corona CA where the temperatures easily exceed 100f in the summer months. I was picking my kids up from school yesterday and the AC started blowing warm air. We had to open the windows which brought in even warmer air into the cab. After a little research online, I found there are numerous Sierra owners experiencing the same issue. 99% of the failed AC is due to a "weak weld on the condenser."(see attached photo) Unfortunately, I could not find any recalls or TSBs related to this problem. With the exorbitant amount of Sierra owners experiencing the same-exact-issue, GM MUST be aware of this issue. This should be determined a safety recall, since this is a passenger vehicle, manufactured to provide safe in-cab temperatures for human beings.
Air bags, Aug 11, 2022
Airbag light coming on.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 9, 2022
Cold start after vehicle sits for a while vehicle shark bites and stutters. When you try and drive vehicle before it’s been warmed up significantly. It’s a safety concern because it feels very danger and could cause an accident. Alamo At caused my truck to stall out the other day with my children in it and a large accident. Dealership is dismissed my concern and says it’s normal gmc defects that I have to deal with. I will sue GMC if I have to.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Aug 9, 2022
The service trailer brake system keeps coming on. The notification constantly alerts and it’s distracting my driving.
Structure, Aug 8, 2022
This complaint is about the automatic extending/retracting foot steps on my GMC Sierra. The step is supposed to extend outwards when the door is opened and retract back under the truck when the door is closed. Instead, when the door is opened the step extends and at random will retract back inwards. Aside from being annoying this is actually dangerous as the other day i was exiting my truck with one foot on the step and the other reaching down to the ground when the step started retracting. The foot on the step was pulled under the truck and got stuck in the step. This threw me off balance and the other foot hit the ground at an angle and twisted my ankle. I called a local gmc dealership about it and they said they have seen a lot of trucks come in lately with the same issue and would have to replace the entire step for $1800. I brought it to an independent shop and they cleaned and greased the hinges so it happens less often now but it is still a problem. There are no warning lights or messages on the vehicle. It will also extend and retract at random when the truck is parked and off. This began happening around March of this year.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Aug 7, 2022
TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM ERROR COMES ON. I DONT EVEN OWN A TRAILER OR HAVE EVER TOWED A TRAILER. IT CUTS POWER MOMENTARILY AND IS VERY VERY UNSAFE. PLEASE FIX BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.
Service brakes, Jul 22, 2022
A Service "Trailer Brake System" message keeps coming up on my display constantly, over and over and over, I can't see the speed display, I can't hear the turn signal sound, it's extremally distracting and loud. When I looked this message up I found the wiring was faulty and my trailer brakes won't work.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jul 14, 2022
The trailer brake system on my vehicle suddenly stopped working. I was alerted by a continuous chime and message saying "Service Trailer Brake System." My brakes stopped working and made it difficult for me to stop my vehicle and loaded trailer. It was very frightening because I had lost all trailer braking function and feared I would not be able to stop my vehicle. In addition, the chime and message are non stop and very distracting and cause some components of my dashboard to be inaccessible making things more dangerous. Unfortunately, the distracting and frustrating chime and message continue even without a trailer attached.
Tires, Jul 7, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra equipped with Goodyear, Tire Line: Wrangler SRA, Tire Size: 275/55/R30, DOT Number not available: The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the passenger’s side front tires experienced blowout. The contact was able to pull over safely and replace the tire. The failure reoccurred and the front driver side tire blowout causing the contact to sideswipe another vehicle and crashing into a building. The airbags deployed but no injury and a police report were filed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Service brakes, Jun 29, 2022
Loss of power assist at slow speed when backing or going forward. This has happened several times since I have had the vehicle. Brake pedal is very hard to press and vibrates.
Power train, Jun 9, 2022
Transmission has been skipping since 35000 miles, it does it when driving more than 35 mph.
Power train, Jun 9, 2022
Transmission experiencing hard shifts, especially at low speeds. Vehicle "jumps" forward with the hard shift. Took to dealer for service. Dealer indicated that GMC used the wrong transmission fluid during assembly of the vehicle. This was a known problem within GMC.