Diagsheet

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 Sep 9, 2026

107 of the 352 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2017 Sierra 1500.

Tick what matches of 107 reports

5
8
16
8
31
12

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.

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

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.

117
518
1419
1220
1521
2222
2223
824
825

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.

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