10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
39,526 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #34

Oct 232023

Sierra 1500

  • miles
Rear shock holder rusted through cross member on frame making top of shock stay forced against bottom of the bed of the truck.

- Mexico, MO, USA

problem #33

Aug 302023

Sierra 1500

  • miles
I own a 2011 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton pickup truck. It currently has 98 k miles. The crossmember for the frame rusted out and fell off last month. Yesterday the frame broke in two. I see from looking online that GMC failed to add rust inhibitor to the steel for the frame. This is a safety issue and could have been catastrophic. Is anything being done about this failure? Online forums show this happening throughout the US.

- Hewitt, NJ, USA

problem #32

Dec 092022

Sierra 1500

  • miles
Hit a pot hole in a parking lot and the gas tank fell onto the ground. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the frame cross members and fuel tank straps are rusted/rotted and cannot support the tank.

- Cleveland, NY, USA

problem #31

Jun 162022

Sierra 1500

  • miles
Body damage when I bought the truck

- Talladega, AL, USA

problem #30

Jun 012023

Sierra 1500

  • miles
Vehicle is 12 years old with 105,000 miles and frame has multiple cracks/ holes. I was told by the dealer that the truck is basically junk.

- Ixonia , WI, USA

problem #29

Apr 142020

Sierra 1500

  • miles
The main body frame is completely rusting through from under the drivers side door back past the fuel tank. It is rusting through on the passenger side as well. The large amounts of rust have caused other issues throughout the entire body of the truck as well as rusting of other components. The frame of this truck will need to be replaced as there is no way to repair it or the vehicle becomes scrap. This vehicle is available for inspection. These issues were not visible when purchased from the dealer. This issue gradually became visible after the rust and undercoating wore away that had been applied previous to our purchase from a known dealership.

- Pinconning , MI, USA

problem #28

Dec 292022

Sierra 1500

  • miles
I have a 2011 GMC Sierra Standard Cab pickup truck. I-€™m a disabled veteran and have this as my primary vehicle. The frame has a huge hole that developed and will need repair. The frame is rotted and soon will not pass inspection. The truck looks brand new but Engin compartment, frame and tow parts have rotted. I had the leaf spring separated from rotted frame on the highway. I swerved and almost died. GMC must replace the frame to make this right. Soon I will have no truck after giving GMC so much money. It-€™s criminal what they have done.

- Jefferson, MA, USA

problem #27

Feb 012021

Sierra 1500

  • 0 miles
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, she was informed that the sub-frame was rusted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who took photos. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

- Center Ossipee, NH, USA

problem #26

Jul 162014

Sierra 1500

  • 40,000 miles
After having the truck for a year or so I noticed that the dash was starting to crack due to the Florida sun beaming down on it. I purchased a sunvisor but still didn't seem to have much effect on the dash and now it has cracked all the way across in three different spots

- Carrabelle, FL, USA

problem #25

Jan 032020

Sierra 1500

  • 131,000 miles
The top side of my interior dash is cracked on the driver side. This was not due to any kind of impact or anything else. I am the only driver of this vehicle and take very good care of it.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #24

Jun 122014

Sierra 1500

  • 40,000 miles
Dash crack alongside airpag passenger side

- Sebastian, FL, USA

problem #23

May 302019

Sierra 1500

  • miles
The outside door handles keep coming off. It appears that the material used is cheap plastic. This causes the mechanism inside to easily break with the natural constant opening and closing of the doors form the outside of the vehicle. You can see clear cheap glus is used to adhere the plastic and this just makes no sense considering how much they want us to pay for the vehicle to have cheap door handles almost as durable as thos of mattel race cars sold at walmart.

- Winter Haven, FL, USA

problem #22

Oct 102017

Sierra 1500

  • 35,000 miles
In my 2011 GMC Sierra 1500, which is garage kept, I started for work on a rainy day, my windshield began to fog up, I turned on my defrosters, heard a loud pop, and when I looked at my dashboard, right above the instrument panel, I had a large crack in my dashboard. I have seen reports about how there are many complaints on GM involving the same problem. It is my concern that when airbags deploy ( hopefully never needed) that it will increase the amount of shrapnel in the vehicle. I am very upset that I have heard stories stating that GM considers this a cosmetic flaw and not an actual safety issue. Are you kidding me? I work hard for my money, I am forced on a daily basis to stand behind the product or services that I provide. Its time GM does the same.

- Aurora, IN, USA

problem #21

Mar 272017

Sierra 1500

  • 164,000 miles
Takata recall I got rear eneded at a stop sign, completely stopped and the lady just smashed right into the back of me. No air bags ever even deployed!

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #20

Jun 042017

Sierra 1500

  • 8,900 miles
All four of the door handles on my truck are breaking off; even though GMC has knowledge of the problem they refuse to replace the door handles, because my truck is out of warranty. It's a well known problem, you can even google a search for this matter and see other consumers that have the same problem. It's a safety problem, if someone, in need of help, is unconscious in a vehicle with the same broken door handle problem, how would they get help fast, if the door handles are broken.

- Harvey, LA, USA

problem #19

Jul 232017

Sierra 1500

  • 94,000 miles
Purchased 2.5 months from local dealership. Spotless interior. Parked truck in parking lot for about an hour for church and noticed crack above passengers airbag to the left splitting the dash completely. Also bowing to dash branching left of crack. Weather was around 90 degrees and I use a sunvisor and typically crack my windows. Have not cleaned or touched dash in the time of ownership, other than slidding the sunvisor to windshield. Dealership today claimed they cannot and will not do anything about it until GMC issues recall. After researching this is apparently a common complaint in all GMC truck models from 07-13. Concerned with safety of airbag projectiling shards of dash if deployed.

- Greensboro, NC, USA

problem #18

Jul 122017

Sierra 1500

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that, over time, the dashboard began to crack in various places, beginning on the upper driver side corner. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they would not replace the dashboard as there was no recall, but could potentially provide some financial assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

- Trinity, FL, USA

problem #17

Jul 132017

Sierra 1500

  • 56,000 miles
Dash crack above instrument cluster

- Danville, VA, USA

problem #16

May 042017

Sierra 1500

  • 58,000 miles
Cracked dashboard. Cracked in 2 places. One near the passenger side airbag and one above the stereo.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #15

Mar 282017

Sierra 1500

  • 30,127 miles
Dash cracked around passenger air bag unit. Safety hazard if deployed.

- Richmond, MI, USA

Read the next 14 complaints »