Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2017 GMC Sierra 1500: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 427 safety complaints about the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

427
Complaints
5
Recalls
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 20 crashes, 5 fires, 8 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission leads the complaint list, cited in 142 of 427 complaints, followed by Brakes & stability.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 27 of the 427 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 5 years after the model year (61 filed in 2022) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. One recall is a do-over. NHTSA records show recall repairs that were previously performed incorrectly — worth a VIN check even if you had recall work done.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 427 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
142
Brakes & stability
129
Engine & cooling
65
Electrical
60
Other / unspecified
42
Steering
28
Visibility & lighting
26
Body & structure
13

"Driving on highway at 70mph loss of power. Transmision slipping and vehicle rapidly lost speed creating a very hazardous situation. Was able to barley get of highway safely going down to 40mph. Vehicle went into limp mode."

Owner complaint filed August 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11679909

"When shifting down to a low gear at an abrupt stop the transmission will hit hard causing vehicle to brake harder and has almost gotten in accidents because it seems to push itself a bit."

Owner complaint filed April 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11655401

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 peaked later than usual, in 2022.

Complaints filed per year — 2017 GMC Sierra 1500
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
15
26
59
59
41
61
46
53
48
19
17181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2017 compares with other model years

Across the GMC Sierra 1500 model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (858); the 2017 ranks 6 of 6.

Total complaints by model year — GMC Sierra 1500
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
858
814
2017
427
633
456
551
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 5 recalls, including a do-over

5 recalls apply to some or all 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.

Sep 201616V-651
Air Bags:Frontal

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 Polic…

Jul 201717V-437Repair done incorrectly
Air Bags:Frontal

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, Subur…

Aug 201717V-487
Child Seat:Tether: Connector/Clip

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 r…

Sep 201919V-645
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum

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.

Oct 201919V-761
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Wheel Speed Sensor/Tone Ring

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 trav…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 427 complaints about the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

The 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.