Gmc Sierra 1500 2019–2025

4th generation Sierra (T1XX) · T1XX (GMT T1XX) · 4,175 complaints, 880 with mileage

When failures happen

What fails, and when

By model year

Which systems, and when

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 21,319 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

The engine accounts for 32.7% of complaints (1,366 reports, 176 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 45,500 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,000 and 81,000 miles.

A single system taking 32.7% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.

The transmission and driveline accounts for 14.8% of complaints (618 reports, 112 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 39,437 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,000 and 80,400 miles.

The electrical system accounts for 10.5% of complaints (440 reports, 102 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 10,100 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,500 and 44,000 miles.

Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 6.8% of complaints (283 reports, 23 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 7,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 100 and 12,000 miles.

Body structure accounts for 5.5% of complaints (230 reports, 29 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 22,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,000 and 40,000 miles.

The brakes account for 5.5% of complaints (230 reports, 94 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 7,052 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,614 and 13,000 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2019 model year drew the most — 881 complaints — while 2025 drew the fewest at 146. The median year sits at 659.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 23 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

The campaigns cluster around the tyres (4), the transmission and driveline (3), the hydraulic brake circuit (3). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Reported severity

Of the 4,175 complaints filed against this generation, 77 reported a crash; 39 reported a fire; 52 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 1.8% of the total.

These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.

What this means if you are buying one

For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 39% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.

On inspection, the engine and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 39,437, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Documented problems

Recalls (23)

What owners reported

Other generations

• Gmc Sierra 1500 1996–1998
• Gmc Sierra 1500 1999–2006
• Gmc Sierra 1500 2007–2013
• Gmc Sierra 1500 2014–2018