What's Wrong with the 3rd Generation (2014–2018) Sierra 1500?

Sierra 1500 owners have made 577 complaints about the 2014–2018 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it second to last in overall reliaibility, with significant lights and hvac concerns.

Compare With Other Sierra 1500 Generations

Common 2014-2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems

Some of the worst issues 3rd generation Sierra 1500 owners have to deal with.

  1. A/C Condenser Leaking

    GM used leaky air conditioners that buckle under pressure in many 2014-2017 trucks and SUVs. Whether it's busted hoses or leaky condensors, thousands of GM owners are showing up to work with sweat stains down their back. It's such a widespr…

    Continue reading article "A/C Condenser Leaking"

  3. Vortec Excessive Oil Consumption

    Leaking coolant from a cracked intake manifold gasket is an extremely common problem on most GM vehicles made from the late 90s to the mid-2000s. Most experts agree that the problem stems from GM's 'DexCool' coolant which erodes away at the…

    Continue reading article "Vortec Excessive Oil Consumption"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

3rd Generation (2014–2018) Sierra 1500 Key Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 577 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 31st in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 32 eligible generations.

Recent 3rd Generation (2014–2018) Sierra 1500 News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. GM did the right thing by recalling ineffective seat belts a few years back. It just would have been so much better if they used the right replacement parts.

    Now to be fair, only 2,800 of the over 1 million recalled vehicles ended up with the wrong pretensioner cable assemblies but considering the last recalls were in 2016 and 2018 this probably won't sit well with the owners driving around with the wrong seat belts for the last few years.…

    keep reading article "GM Accidentally Gave 2,800 Vehicles The Wrong Seat Belts in Previous Recalls"

  2. A lawsuit says a failed vacuum pump in GM’s brake boosters can make the brake pedal extremely hard to push

    , leading to longer stopping distances and accidents.

    While investigating a rear-end collision involving the lead plaintiff ”GM told her she should read the manual to understand how the brakes worked.” Nothing says “we value our customers” like accusing them of not knowing how brakes work. GM promised to fix the plaintiff’s bumper in exchange for confidentiality. Obviously this didn’t go over well.

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says GM Owners Should be Worried About Vacuum Pump Problems Creating Stiff Break Pedals"

  3. A lawsuit regarding the GMC Sierra’s “inadequate” headlights is still burning bright in a California court.

    The plaintiffs allege GM made changes in the bulbs, assemblies and operation of the headlights … GM allegedly changed to projector-style headlights with single bulbs, smaller reflectors, two lenses each and shutters to switch between high and low beams that work from a single voltage source.

    The lawsuit was filed back in 2015 after owners started questioning GM’s headlight redesign for the 2014 and 2015 model years.

    Look – if you saw one of these trucks driving in the oncoming lane at night, I wouldn’t blame you if you confused it for a pair of mopeds with weak batteries. It’s that bad.

    keep reading article "The Sierra’s Dim Headlights Are Under a Spotlight"