no report yet
Curtain: inflator
NewRisk. A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the…
2016 GMC Sierra 3500Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 19 owner complaints about the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500, most often about the service brakes. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-504 the manufacturer reports only 55% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 24, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500 has problems
19 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
6Service brakes
6Steering
5Engine
3Fuel/propulsion system
2Electrical system
2Power train
1Suspension
1Engine and engine cooling
1Air bags
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 |
| Power train | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2016 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.
repaired · 2025 Q1
Curtain: inflator
Risk. A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the…
repaired · 2020 Q4
Storage: tank assembly
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.
repaired · 2020 Q2
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
Risk. If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal.
Show 3 more recalls
repaired · 2018 Q4
Air bags: frontal
Risk. A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the…
repaired · 2018 Q2
Air bags: frontal
Risk. A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the…
repaired · 2017 Q2
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
Risk. If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal.
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
2016 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
2016 GMC Sierra 3500 safety ratings
2016 GMC Sierra 3500 PU/CC 4WD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Sierra 3500 owners report
Recent service brakes complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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
When braking, the service trailer brake system message and service stabilitrac message appear on the dash and brake pedal gets soft to hard repeatedly and truck pulls from side to side violently as if one side of the trucks brakes are working and the other side is not.
Brake pedal has to be pushed almost all the way to the floor to stop, this recently changed from barely having to apply any pressure to the pedal. Took it to Quebadeaux gmc on 11-10-2021 and they inspected the brakes, said everything was good and that’s normal for the brakes to be that soft. That’s…
Own a 2016 Sierra 3500?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.