Diagsheet

Full-size pickups · model years 2014 to 2026

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vs GMC Sierra 1500: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Sierra 1500 looks better on 3 and the Silverado 1500 on 0, with 4 too close to call.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

8,946 complaints · 46 recalls

GMC Sierra 1500

GMC Sierra 1500

5,760 complaints · 44 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2026Silverado 1500Sierra 1500
Complaints that report a crash3.5%2.3%
Complaints that report a fire1.2%1.0%
Complaints that report an injury1.7%1.1%
Median miles when problems are reported50,00045,000
Recall campaigns per model year3.53.4
Do-not-drive recalls22
NHTSA investigations77

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Silverado 1500 owners complain about most is engine, and it is the same for the Sierra 1500. Complaints citing steering make up 12% of all Silverado 1500 complaints, against 8.3% on the Sierra 1500. The Sierra 1500 leans the other way on engine: 33% of its complaints, against 26% for the Silverado 1500.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500GMC Sierra 1500

Engine26%33%
Transmission and drivetrain23%21%
Brakes18%15%
Electrical18%15%
Steering12%8.3%
Structure3.4%5.8%
Fuel and propulsion3.7%4.0%
Exterior Lighting1.9%4.8%
Engine and Engine Cooling2.6%3.4%
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)3.4%1.7%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Silverado 1500 is brake wear (19% of its complaints). On the Sierra 1500 it is engine failure (16% of its complaints), against 9.3% on the Silverado 1500.

ProblemSilverado 1500Sierra 1500
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early19% 1,704most in 2015 · 50k mi15% 883most in 2015 · 50k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving13% 1,184most in 2014 · 48k mi14% 808most in 2022 · 47k mi
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing9.3% 832most in 2021 · 50k mi16% 896most in 2019 · 45k mi
Check engine light or misfire8.6% 765most in 2021 · 55k mi9.0% 518most in 2021 · 58k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard8.9% 796most in 2019 · 57k mi7.2% 415most in 2018 · 42k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails6.3% 568most in 2019 · 39k mi5.4% 311most in 2022 · 37k mi
Power steering cuts out or goes heavy6.5% 583most in 2014 · 56k mi4.3% 250most in 2014 · 56k mi
A/C blows warm or the compressor fails3.6% 326most in 2014 · 60k mi3.1% 176most in 2014 · 55k mi

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Problems show up at about the same mileage on both. Half the Silverado 1500 complaints that give a mileage come before 50,000 miles, and half the Sierra 1500 complaints before 45,000. 50% of Silverado 1500 reports and 54% of Sierra 1500 reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500GMC Sierra 1500

Under 25k27%30%
25k to 50k23%23%
50k to 75k23%21%
75k to 100k14%13%
100k to 150k11%9.6%
Over 150k3.0%2.6%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 4,765 for the Silverado 1500 and 2,701 for the Sierra 1500.

Worst and best years

No Silverado 1500 model year stands out from the rest. The 2024 Sierra 1500 draws 1.8 times the complaints of a typical Sierra 1500 year for its age.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

  • Years to avoid: none stands out
  • Best years: 2018

Every Silverado 1500 model year

GMC Sierra 1500

Every Sierra 1500 model year

Chevrolet Silverado 1500GMC Sierra 1500

Each model year against its own model's median. Silverado 1500: 2014 1.1, 2015 0.9, 2016 0.7, 2017 0.8, 2018 0.6, 2019 1.3, 2020 1.0, 2021 1.3, 2022 1.2, 2023 0.9, 2024 1.0. Sierra 1500: 2014 0.8, 2015 0.9, 2016 0.5, 2017 0.5, 2018 0.5, 2019 1.2, 2020 1.0, 2021 1.4, 2022 1.8, 2023 1.8, 2024 1.8.2014 Silverado 1500: 1.1 times its median2014 Sierra 1500: 0.8 times its median'142015 Silverado 1500: 0.9 times its median2015 Sierra 1500: 0.9 times its median'152016 Silverado 1500: 0.7 times its median2016 Sierra 1500: 0.5 times its median'162017 Silverado 1500: 0.8 times its median2017 Sierra 1500: 0.5 times its median'172018 Silverado 1500: 0.6 times its median2018 Sierra 1500: 0.5 times its median'182019 Silverado 1500: 1.3 times its median2019 Sierra 1500: 1.2 times its median'192020 Silverado 1500: 1.0 times its median2020 Sierra 1500: 1.0 times its median'202021 Silverado 1500: 1.3 times its median2021 Sierra 1500: 1.4 times its median'212022 Silverado 1500: 1.2 times its median2022 Sierra 1500: 1.8 times its median'222023 Silverado 1500: 0.9 times its median2023 Sierra 1500: 1.8 times its median'232024 Silverado 1500: 1.0 times its median2024 Sierra 1500: 1.8 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 3.5 campaigns per model year for the Silverado 1500 and 3.4 for the Sierra 1500. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

46 recall campaigns and 7 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (12), service brakes, hydraulic (9) and seat belts (5).

  • Do not drive 16V-256 (suspension), model years 2016 and 2017
  • Do not drive 26V-289 (transmission and drivetrain), model years 2026
  • 19V-645 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 5 model years
  • 19V-761 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 5 model years

Investigations

  • EA26005: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (open)
  • RQ26001: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (closed)
  • EA25007: Loss of motive power due to engine failure (open)

GMC Sierra 1500

44 recall campaigns and 7 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (10), service brakes, hydraulic (7) and seat belts (5).

  • Do not drive 16V-256 (suspension), model years 2016
  • Do not drive 26V-289 (transmission and drivetrain), model years 2026
  • 19V-645 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 5 model years
  • 19V-761 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 5 model years

Investigations

  • EA26005: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (open)
  • RQ26001: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (closed)
  • EA25007: Loss of motive power due to engine failure (open)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Silverado 1500 complaints report a crash: 3.5%, against 2.3% for the Sierra 1500. Fire reports: 109 for the Silverado 1500 and 55 for the Sierra 1500. Complaints on file report 7 deaths in the Silverado 1500 and 1 in the Sierra 1500 for these model years.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500GMC Sierra 1500

Report a crash3.5%2.3%
Report a fire1.2%1.0%
Report someone hurt1.7%1.1%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 or the GMC Sierra 1500 more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Sierra 1500 looks better on 3 and the Silverado 1500 on 0, with 4 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Silverado 1500 has 8,946 complaints and the Sierra 1500 5,760 for model years 2014 to 2026, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Silverado 1500 or the Sierra 1500?

The Silverado 1500 has 46 recall campaigns and the Sierra 1500 44 across model years 2014 to 2026. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 3.5 campaigns per model year for the Silverado 1500 and 3.4 for the Sierra 1500.

What are the most common problems on the Silverado 1500 and the Sierra 1500?

The most reported problem on the Silverado 1500 is brake wear (19% of its complaints). On the Sierra 1500 it is engine failure (16% of its complaints), against 9.3% on the Silverado 1500.

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