GMC Sierra years to avoid— and the best years
8 Sierra model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
Every Sierra model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 #1 | D | 9 | 6 · 0.7/yr | 429 · 48/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2023 #2 | B | 3 | 3 · 1/yr | 485 · 162/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2021 #3 | F | 5 | 7 · 1.4/yr | 575 · 115/yr | ★★★★★ | 2 critical |
| 2019 #4 | F | 7 | 10 · 1.4/yr | 673 · 96/yr | ★★★★★ | 2 critical |
| 2022 #5 | F | 4 | 6 · 1.5/yr | 587 · 147/yr | ★★★★★ | 2 critical |
| 2018 #6 | F | 8 | 7 · 0.9/yr | 321 · 40/yr | ★★★★★ | 3 critical |
| 2020 #7 | F | 6 | 12 · 2/yr | 479 · 80/yr | ★★★★★ | 4 critical |
| 2016 #8 | F | 10 | 10 · 1/yr | 377 · 38/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
The Sierra years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2016 GMC Sierra
The 2016 Sierra: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 10 recalls in 10 years on the road (1 a year, 1 critical: suspension) — also air bags ×6, electronic stability control, service brakes; 377 owner complaints to NHTSA, 38 a year (most often brake (114) and transmission and drivetrain (92)); owners reported 15 crashes, 14 fires, 17 injured; NHTSA investigation PE18012 (became recall 19V645000, service brakes); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2020 GMC Sierra
The 2020 Sierra: 12 recalls in 6 years on the road (2 a year, 4 critical: power train, electrical system, seat belts) — also tires ×3; 479 owner complaints to NHTSA, 80 a year (most often engine (260) and transmission and drivetrain (97)); owners reported 12 crashes, 5 fires, 13 injured; NHTSA investigation EA25007 (open, engine); NHTSA investigation PE25001 (became recall 25V274, engine); NHTSA investigation PE21010 (closed, air bags); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
The Sierra years the record favours
first 2 of 82017 GMC Sierra
The 2017 Sierra: 6 recalls in 9 years on the road (0.7 a year) — air bags ×3, electronic stability control, service brakes; 429 owner complaints to NHTSA, 48 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (145) and brake (127)); owners reported 20 crashes, 5 fires, 8 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2023 GMC Sierra
The 2023 Sierra: 3 recalls in 3 years on the road (1 a year) — engine, service brakes, exterior lighting; 485 owner complaints to NHTSA, 162 a year (most often engine (230) and transmission and drivetrain (91)); owners reported 5 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injured; NHTSA investigation EA26005 (open, engine); NHTSA investigation RQ26001 (closed, engine); NHTSA investigation EA25007 (open, engine); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about Sierra years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat GMC Sierra years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2016, 2020 rank lowest of the 8 Sierra model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2016 — a standing advisory, 10 recalls in 10 years (1 a year), 1 critical, 377 complaints (38 a year); the 2020 — 12 recalls in 6 years (2 a year), 4 critical, 479 complaints (80 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best GMC Sierra year to buy used?
The 2017 GMC Sierra has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal D, 0.7 recalls a year on the road and 48 complaints a year. The 2017 Sierra: 6 recalls in 9 years on the road (0.7 a year) — air bags ×3, electronic stability control, service brakes; 429 owner complaints to NHTSA, 48 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (145) and brake (127)); owners reported 20 crashes, 5 fires, 8 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2016 GMC Sierra reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2016 Sierra: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 10 recalls in 10 years on the road (1 a year, 1 critical: suspension) — also air bags ×6, electronic stability control, service brakes; 377 owner complaints to NHTSA, 38 a year (most often brake (114) and transmission and drivetrain (92)); owners reported 15 crashes, 14 fires, 17 injured; NHTSA investigation PE18012 (became recall 19V645000, service brakes); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the GMC Sierra have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 61 recall campaigns against the GMC Sierra, and owners filed 3,926 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2026) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.