2017 GMC Sierra 1500 · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 107owner reports
- 45,000median miles
- 10involved a crash
Newest report Oct 27, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
107 of the 354 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2017 Sierra 1500.
Narrower sheets: Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails (39 reports)
Tick what matches of 107 reports
Brake wear 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: 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the pads and rotors (8 reports), the ABS module (5 reports), the booster (4 reports) and the caliper (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the brakes cover the 2017 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 6 recalls on the 2017 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.
None of these investigations covers the 2017 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 30,300 and 62,000 miles, from the 48 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 5 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 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 communicates an issue with the Hydrastar Electric Over Hydraulic trailer brake system causing a voltage spike into the trucks electrical system which is causing DTC C1114 to set.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to diagnose and repair vehicle that may have a "Check Trailer Wiring" or "Service Trailer Brake System” message on the Driver Information Center when a trailer is ...
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about fluid leaking from the brake caliper piston area found during a service of the vehicle.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on the step needed to diagnose and repair vehicles that may have uneven brake pad wear. Technician will need to inspect and measure the brake pads thickness.
1 more on the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 page.
What owners wrote
“Low speed brake assist failure in traffic.. Caused me to bump the person in front of me... Then a few days later I got the "service brake assist " on my dash.. Then my gmc app sent me a service soon warning... 2017 gmc sierra denali at 62500 miles.”
Filed Feb 2, 2023 · 62,500 miles
“The brakes are failing especially after braking while on an incline . Pressure on the pedal becomes mushy then hard and will not stop the vehicle. The truck has 90,000 miles on it. A brake assist light came on while backing down a hill and braking .”
Filed Feb 12, 2022 · 90,000 miles
“Leaving a parking lot and had a complete loss of brakes due to faulty vacuum pump.”
Filed Jan 9, 2022
“My truck trailer Brake system continues to come on and my doors are locking and unlocking. It has my 4x4 trans rubbing as well. Its a non stop issue everytime I get into my truck it does this and it happened out of no where. I had this truck a little over a year now.”
Filed Jan 5, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 10 of 107 reports involved a crash. 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 61 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 36 reports