2016 GMC Sierra 1500 · symptom sheet
Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails
- 46owner reports
- 41,000median miles
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Jan 12, 2026 · checked Sep 29, 2026
46 of the 106 reports of brake wear on the 2016 Sierra 1500 describe brake booster failure.
Part of Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (106 reports)
Tick what matches of 46 reports
Brake booster failure on other Sierra 1500 years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the narrower sheet inside brakes for reports about a hard pedal or a failed power assist. The pedal stops feeling normal: it turns stiff, takes far more force, and the car needs a longer distance to stop.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the vacuum pump (17 reports) and the brake booster (9 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the brakes cover the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
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.
The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
All 8 recalls on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Sierra 1500
Brake vacuum pump failure. Closed apr 10, 2022, led to recall 19V-645.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 34,375 and 68,000 miles, from the 35 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on the steps to diagnose and repair vehicles that may have issues were the customer will need increased effort to depress the brake pedal.
What owners wrote
“Stopping at a stop sign with several cars in front of me my vehicle wouldnât stop, luckily the car in front of me moved. I immediately called the dealership to have my vehicle repaired. They confirmed my brakes had a problem including the vacuum pump having an internal failure. They replaced vacuum pump and required belts then charged me $800.00 for this service.”
Filed Sep 6, 2024
“At low speeds my brakes do not work well. Mostly while driving at idle speeds like in a parking lot the brake pedal gets hard and the truck does not stop very easily. If you idle the truck up to a higher RPM, the brakes begin to function properly again.”
Filed May 9, 2022
“Brakes at low speeds and in drive ways and parking lots when stopping brakes won't work very dangerous a recall was issue but not for my truck, the vacuum pump is bad on my truck”
Filed Jun 12, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 46 reports involved a crash and 1 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. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 49 reports