2016 GMC Sierra 3500 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

7 safety recalls list the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500, and owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

safety recalls

owner complaints to NHTSA

17–20

MPG combined (EPA)

7 safety recalls for the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

Inflator (air bags)

NHTSA 26V611000 Reported September 24, 2026 1,559 vehicles potentially affected General Motors, LLC

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Remedy: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at…
Inflator (air bags)

NHTSA 21V504000 Reported July 1, 2021 410,019 vehicles potentially affected General Motors, LLC

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021. Owners will receive a second notice when…
Tank assembly (fuel system)

NHTSA 19V088000 Reported February 7, 2019 18,574 vehicles potentially affected General Motors LLC

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 GMC Sierra 3500 and Chevrolet Silverado 3500 trucks equipped with gasoline engines and dual fuel tanks. The fuel-level sensor in the front tank may stick in a low-level position, allowing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.

Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear-tank fuel-pump module, inspect the front tank and, if necessary, replace the front tank, free of charge. The recall began July 30, 2019. GM's number for this…
Pedals and linkages (service brakes)

NHTSA 18V578000 Reported August 30, 2018 42,280 vehicles potentially affected General Motors LLC

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 Crew Cab Special Service, Tahoe Police Pursuit/Special Service, GMC Sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the nut and reinstall the nut with increased tightness, free of charge. The recall began October 3, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…
Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive and 2 other components

NHTSA 17V437000 Reported July 10, 2017 40,683 vehicles potentially affected General Motors LLC

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, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on…
Pretensioner (seat belts) and 2 other components

NHTSA 16V651000 Reported September 8, 2016 3,640,162 vehicles potentially affected General Motors LLC

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 Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500,…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on…
Pedals and linkages (service brakes)

NHTSA 16V069000 Reported February 5, 2016 430,771 vehicles potentially affected General Motors LLC

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 1, 2013, to February 1, 2016, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) manufactured March 1, 2014, to February 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the brake pedal pivot nut and reinstall with an increased torque, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer…

19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500 have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 57,843 miles. Complaints peaked in 2021 with 3 filed that year.

Most-reported components

Service brakes6
Steering6
Engine5
Fuel/propulsion system3
Electrical system2
Power train2
Air bags1
Engine and engine cooling: crank/camshaft position sensor1

What owners are reporting

“Driving down the road and I got a service trailer brake code pop up and would not go away and kept dinging It is very distracting and sometimes causes the trailer brakes to malfunction”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 24, 2025 · Service brakes

“The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 3500. The contacted stated that while her husband was attempting to start the vehicle, the contact stated that after five minutes the engine independently failed whi”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 30, 2025 · Engine

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2016 GMC Sierra (Sierra 15 Hybrid 2WD, Sierra 15 Hybrid 4WD, Sierra C15 2WD, Sierra C15 Cab Chassis 2WD, …). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined	17–20 mpg
City / Highway	15–18 / 19–24
Fuel	Gasoline or E85, Regular
EPA class	Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD, Special Purpose Vehicle 4WD, Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD, Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
Engine	6/8 cyl, 4.3/5.3/6.2 L
Transmission	Automatic 6-spd; Automatic 8-spd

Compare GMC Sierra 3500 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every GMC Sierra 3500 model year in NHTSA's database.

Model year	Recalls	Complaints
1996 GMC Sierra 3500	0	1
1997 GMC Sierra 3500	1	10
1998 GMC Sierra 3500	2	12
1999 GMC Sierra 3500	1	19
2000 GMC Sierra 3500	2	26
2001 GMC Sierra 3500	2	36
2002 GMC Sierra 3500	2	20
2003 GMC Sierra 3500	0	7
2004 GMC Sierra 3500	0	24
2005 GMC Sierra 3500	0	24
2006 GMC Sierra 3500	0	11
2007 GMC Sierra 3500	3	16
2008 GMC Sierra 3500	3	25
2009 GMC Sierra 3500	5	5
2010 GMC Sierra 3500	5	2
2011 GMC Sierra 3500	5	20
2012 GMC Sierra 3500	4	9
2013 GMC Sierra 3500	4	14
2014 GMC Sierra 3500	3	7
2015 GMC Sierra 3500	7	31
2016 GMC Sierra 3500	7	19
2017 GMC Sierra 3500	7	13
2018 GMC Sierra 3500	6	14
2019 GMC Sierra 3500	7	13
2020 GMC Sierra 3500	8	51
2021 GMC Sierra 3500	5	20
2022 GMC Sierra 3500	3	31
2023 GMC Sierra 3500	1	28
2024 GMC Sierra 3500	3	49
2025 GMC Sierra 3500	1	17
2026 GMC Sierra 3500	2	4

Checking a specific 2016 GMC Sierra 3500

How do I know if my 2016 GMC Sierra 3500 has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 7 campaigns currently list the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised GMC dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 16V069000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other GMC models

Sierra 15008,930 complaints
Acadia5,569 complaints
Yukon4,989 complaints
Sierra3,937 complaints
Terrain3,124 complaints
Jimmy2,720 complaints
Envoy2,459 complaints
Yukon XL2,417 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.