MODELYEARINDEX

Which GMC Sierra 2500 years to avoid

Across 8 scored model years, the 2015, 2020 and 2021 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · GMC Sierra 2500 Full report
F
Grade 2014–2021
2015 vs model median 2.0×
Model median3× median
Lights & Visibility 27
Fuel System 4
Airbags & Restraints 4
Avoid

2015 · 2020

Best

2017 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2014
0.81× 21 B
2015
1.97× 56 F
2016
1.19× 38 C
2017
0.51× 16 B
2018
0.80× 25 C
2019
0.53× 23 B
2020
1.51× 56 D
2021
1.46× 49 D
2022 P
1.71× 53 D
2023 P
1.26× 39 C
2024 P
3.25× 127 F
2025 P
1.09× 35 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2015 F 56 reports · median 24,000 mi

  1. Lights & Visibility 27

    Vehicle low beam head lights have very poor coverage and brightness. When driving at night they barely light the road in front of the vehicle. Coverage side to side is very weak. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Fuel System 4

    The headlights on the gmc 2500 hd are not bright enough. The lights are not able light roads without street lights, makes it very dangerous. Fuel filter has been replaced twice and my truck only has 12,000 miles on it. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 4

    While driving straight/upslope on a dirt road the side air bags deployed in my 2015 sierra 2500 hd pickup truck. There was no impact and absolutely no damage to the exterior or undercarriage of the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

6 crash · 2 fire · 2 injuries

2020 D 56 reports · median 6,300 mi

  1. Brakes 10

    My brakes are squeaking very loudly they have been since august. I was driving down the road on us1 and prepared to stop to make a turn and my truck would not stop. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 8

    2020 gmc sierra denali duramax 3000 miles tried turning on truck this morning to go to work and would not even crank it is a push start option have no clue on how im going to take it to the dealership if I cant get it… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 7

    The contact owns a 2020 gmc sierra 2500. The contact stated that while driving, he noticed smoke entering the vehicle through the air vents. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

1 crash · 1 fire · 1 injuries

The best year for the Sierra 2500

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2017 is the best-scoring Sierra 2500 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 72.2 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2017 0.51× 16 B
2019 0.53× 23 B
2014 0.81× 21 B

Recalls

29 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V651000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2015–2017 3,640,162
21V054000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2014 1,778,128
20V792000 SEAT BELTS 2020, 2021 624,216
24V060000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH 2020–2024 570,434
19V814000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER 2020 556,399
24V797000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2020–2022 463,295
16V069000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES 2015, 2016 430,771
21V504000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR 2015, 2016 410,019
21V496000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER 2017–2019 338,020
19V328000 ENGINE 2017–2019 318,374
24V894000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH 2024 131,231
18V578000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES 2015, 2016 42,280

+ 17 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2015 were reported at a median of 24,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which GMC Sierra 2500 years should you avoid?
2015, 2020, 2021 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any GMC Sierra 2500 model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the GMC Sierra 2500?
2017 is the best-scoring GMC Sierra 2500 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 72.2 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the GMC Sierra 2500 have?
29 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored GMC Sierra 2500 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 Sierra 2500
Complaints in window
56
Severity-weighted
90.5
Model median (weighted)
46
vs model median
1.97×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
6
Open investigations
1
Score 32.5 F