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

2019 GMC Sierra 1500: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 658 safety complaints about the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved October 26, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

658
Complaints
10
Recalls
2
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 13 crashes, 3 fires, 12 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling issues dominate. They appear in 50% of the 658 complaints on file — an unusually concentrated failure pattern.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 35 of the 658 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 6 years after the model year (211 filed in 2025) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. 2 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 658 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
331
Power train / transmission
140
Brakes & stability
116
Electrical
95
Other / unspecified
45
Steering
42
Fuel & propulsion
27
Driver assistance
20

"The engine started making a loud knocking noise and lost power. Luckily the event happened in a neighborhood and no one got hurt. The check engine has been on for brief periods prior to this event."

Owner complaint filed October 2026 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11770483

"The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the engine failed to start after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed and the mechanic discovered metal shaving inside the engine oil pan. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 164,687."

Owner complaint filed September 2026 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11767846

Complaints didn't fade — they kept coming

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 inverts that curve — filings peaked in 2025, 6 years after the model year.

Complaints filed per year — 2019 GMC Sierra 1500
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
4
53
68
23
38
46
50
211
165
181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through October 26, 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 2019 compares with other model years

Across the GMC Sierra 1500 model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (863); the 2019 ranks 3 of 6.

Total complaints by model year — GMC Sierra 1500
All complaints on file per model year, as of October 26, 2026
863
818
431
2019
658
481
596
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 10 recalls

10 recalls apply to some or all 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Dec 201818V-868
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab and GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The passenger-side frontal air bag module may have been damaged during assembly, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly in the event of a crash.

Nov 201919V-814
Seat Belts:Pretensioner

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening …

Dec 201919V-889
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Abs Warning Light

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Cadillac CT6, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. Due to an Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) software error, the vehicle's Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Antilock Brake System (ABS) may become disabled. Furthermore, …

Dec 201919V-888
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery:Cables

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The battery positive (B+) cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially causing an intermittent electrical connection between the B+ cable and alternator.

Jan 202020V-055
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. These vehicles received updated software for the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM). This software has an error, and as a result, the vehicle's electronic brake assist may be disabled. As suc…

Oct 202020V-650
Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 trucks. One of the driveshaft joints may not have been properly welded, causing the driveshaft to separate while the vehicle is moving.

Dec 202020V-792
Seat Belts

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame …

Feb 202121V-115
Tires

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental …

Jun 202121V-423
Tires

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.

Dec 202121V-985
Tires:Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system…

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 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

As of October 26, 2026, owners have filed 658 complaints about the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 has 10 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2019 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 October 26, 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.