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2011 GMC Sierra 3500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 20 owner complaints about the 2011 GMC Sierra 3500, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 18V-267 the manufacturer reports only 14% of affected cars repaired.

2011 GMC Sierra 3500
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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 14%Owner complaints201 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage46kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 31, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 GMC Sierra 3500 has problems

20 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags80
Electrical system21
Fuel/propulsion system20
Power train20
Wheels20
Structure20
Suspension10
Engine10
Seat belts10
1 other systems10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2011 GMC Sierra 3500 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

28%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-050 · Feb 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 vehicles · 734,119 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

51%repaired · 2023 Q4

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-054 · Feb 5, 2021 · 1,778,128 vehicles · 900,275 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

14%repaired · 2019 Q3

Equipment

Recall 18V-267 · Apr 26, 2018 · 6,154 vehicles · 844 repaired

Risk. In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

53%repaired · 2019 Q2

Storage: auxillary tank

Recall 17V-664 · Oct 19, 2017 · 35,292 vehicles · 18,701 repaired

Risk. If the front tank overfills, the excess pressure may cause the front tank to expand and contact the driveshaft, possibly resulting in a hole in the tank.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
33%repaired · 2015 Q4

Electrical system

Recall 14V-407 · Jul 2, 2014 · 9,371 vehicles · 3,088 repaired

Risk. If the fusible link melts it may come into contact with adjacent components, damage the electrical center cover, the nearby wiring harness conduit and other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with GMC.

Best & worst years

2011 vs. every other Sierra 3500 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sierra 3500 median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2011 GMC Sierra 3500 safety ratings

2011 GMC Sierra 3500 PU/RC 4WD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2011 GMC Sierra 3500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Sierra 3500 owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER:16V381000(AIR BAG) WAS RECEIVED. AFTER CONTACTING BOTH THE LOCAL DEALER HOHEN CARLSBAD GMC LOCATED AT (5334 TASEO DEL NORTE, CARLSBAD, CA) AND THE MANUFACTURER, THE…
Complaint 11307062 · Feb 4, 2020
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT CROWN BUICK GMC (LOCATED AT 5237 34TH ST N, ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33714, [PHONE]) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL…
Complaint 11292072 · Dec 30, 2019
TAKATA RECALL, I HAVE CONTACTED THE GMC DEALER ABOUT REPLACING THE AIR BAGS UNDER RECALL 2 YEARS AGO AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CONTACT ME WHEN THE REPLACEMENT AIR BAGS ARE AVAILABLE. STILL NOT AVAILABLE, WHAT NOW?
Complaint 11142179 · Oct 23, 2018

Own a 2011 Sierra 3500?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.