Diagsheet

2015 GMC Sierra 1500 · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 229owner reports
  • 57,000median miles
  • $1,000median quote
  • 15involved a crash

Newest report Jul 7, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

229 of the 716 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2015 Sierra 1500.

Tick what matches of 229 reports

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10
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34

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the booster (23 reports), the ABS module (15 reports), the master cylinder (8 reports) and the pads and rotors (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the brakes cover the 2015 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

19V-761Oct 24, 2019
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Wheel Speed Sensor/Tone Ring

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Risk and remedy
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
19V-645Sep 6, 2019
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

Risk and remedy
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.

NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Sierra 1500

PE18-012opened Nov 20, 2018
Brakes · model years 2014 to 2016

Brake vacuum pump failure. Closed apr 10, 2022, led to recall 19V-645.

NHTSA summary
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it w

What owners paid

12 of the 229 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $600 to $1,300.

$600$1,000$1,300
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 42,900 and 74,000 miles, from the 168 reports that gave a mileage.

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What owners wrote

“Trailer brake service alarm. Replaced module under stair tire and dash board. Still in alarm, internet says it’s a common problem with wiring harness failure. Many others have some problem.”

Filed May 11, 2022

“I keep getting a dashboard warning saying "service trailer brake system". from what i have found, this is due to an inexpensive wiring harness being used. It's very distracting and even if i dismiss the error, it keeps coming back up.”

Filed May 6, 2022

“Was driving in a parking lot. When driving slow My brakes got stiff and I couldn’t stop it was so stiff it didn’t want to stop I had my kids and wife. Scary and unsafe. Told GMC there was a recall they said it was already fixed with my situation. But just cuz you see on the computer it doesn’t mean it’s fixed. So they said I got to pay but it’s in a recall already but properly not reboot right.”

Filed Mar 29, 2022

“The brake pedal gets hard to push down when slowing down and especially when backing up slowly. After looking into some things I'm pretty sure the problem is with the vacuum pump.”

Filed Jan 20, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 15 of 229 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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