FaultScore

FaultScore report

2019 GMC Sierra 2500 problems

Owners have filed 40 complaints about the 2019 GMC Sierra 2500 with NHTSA between 2019 and 2026. The largest single group is the electrical system. Across this model's run it ranks 15 of 30 worst.

C

FaultScore 53/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the GMC Sierra 2500.

How this is worked out

The numbers

40

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

4

Fires reported

1

Injuries reported

25,458 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

67%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 26 vs 50 Severity 65 vs 50 Early failure 100 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 26
Against the median year of the GMC Sierra 2500. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 65
12.5% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 100
67% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2019 compares with every other GMC Sierra 2500

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Electrical System 9 22.5%

0 crashes, 3 fires · median 87,000 mi

Engine & Cooling 8 20.0%

0 crashes, 1 fires · median 23,500 mi

Fuel & Propulsion 6 15.0%

Median failure at 50,790 miles

Brakes 4 10.0%
Other & Unspecified 2 5.0%
Equipment & Accessories 2 5.0%
Tires 2 5.0%

Median failure at 21,034 miles

Lights 2 5.0%

Median failure at 500 miles

Transmission & Drivetrain 2 5.0%

Median failure at 15,000 miles

Stability & Traction Control 1 2.5%

Median failure at 15,000 miles

Seat Belts 1 2.5%
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1 2.5%

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 1 6.7%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 6 40.0%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 4 26.7%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 1 6.7%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 2 13.3%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 1 6.7%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

May 2019 peak 5 Jul 2026

Recalls on the 2019 GMC Sierra 2500

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

United States — NHTSA

26V325000

AIR BAGS

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

26V166000

AIR BAGS

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

25V432000

AIR BAGS

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increases the risk of injury or crash.

24V756000

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 Crew Cab trucks. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Risk: A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

23V047000

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 vehicles equipped with a dual fuel tank option. The rear fuel tank may collapse and prevent the fuel pump from transferring fuel to the front tank, resulting in an engine stall.

Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

21V496000

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500 and 2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with a Duramax diesel 6.6 liter engine and an optional engine-block heater cord. An electrical short-circuit may occur in the engine-block heater cable or in the terminals that connect the heater cable to the block heater.

Risk: An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

19V328000

ENGINE

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 vehicles and 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with Duramax 6.6 liter diesel engines and an optional engine-block heater. The engine block heater cord or the terminals that connect the heater cord to the block heater may short circuit and fail.

Risk: A short-circuit may damage the engine components and increase the risk of fire.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Indian Purchase Twp, ME Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On 07/10/2026 at approximately 1:10 a.m., the parked and unoccupied vehicle caught fire while turned off. The vehicle had not been driven for several hours. A neighbor was awakened by the horn/alarm and popping noises, observed fire near the passenger-side cab/engine area, and called 911. The fire rapidly spread throughout the cab, engine compartment, rocker-panel areas, wheel wells, and truck bed, creating an explosion hazard and threatening a nearby occupied residence and garage. The fire department extinguished the blaze, but the vehicle was completely destroyed. Before the fire, the vehicle had experienced recurring coolant warnings, a DEF-system warning, and delayed starting associated with the main battery. No smoke, fuel odor, intentional ignition source, charging device, or known external fire source was present before the incident. Weather was calm. The exact failed component and cause remain UNKNOWN. A firefighter stated that the apparent fire origin was near the passenger side of the vehicle. The remains are available for inspection, subject to coordination with the vehicle owner and insurer. The incident has been reported to the fire department, insurer, manufacturer, and NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #11752275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Indian Purchase Twp, ME Fire

ENGINE

On 07/10/2026 at approximately 1:10 a.m., the parked and unoccupied vehicle caught fire while turned off. The vehicle had not been driven for several hours. A neighbor was awakened by the horn/alarm and popping noises, observed fire near the passenger-side cab/engine area, and called 911. The fire rapidly spread throughout the cab, engine compartment, rocker-panel areas, wheel wells, and truck bed, creating an explosion hazard and threatening a nearby occupied residence and garage. The fire department extinguished the blaze, but the vehicle was completely destroyed. Before the fire, the vehicle had experienced recurring coolant warnings, a DEF-system warning, and delayed starting associated with the main battery. No smoke, fuel odor, intentional ignition source, charging device, or known external fire source was present before the incident. Weather was calm. The exact failed component and cause remain UNKNOWN. A firefighter stated that the apparent fire origin was near the passenger side of the vehicle. The remains are available for inspection, subject to coordination with the vehicle owner and insurer. The incident has been reported to the fire department, insurer, manufacturer, and NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #11752275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Marysville, MI Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My center console wires for the charging pad broke and shorted out causing wires to burn and short the whole system out

NHTSA complaint #11702171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Danielsville, GA 1 injured

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The manufacturer placed two 12v batteries to start the truck with one being located on the passenger side just in front of the cowl of the cab. The factory OEM batteries are known to overheat when charging which is exactly what mine did and as the battery boils over with sulfuric acid, the acid is vaporized and ingested into the cabin. It’s a diesel so it’s common for me to take my dog in the rear crew cab with me and leave the engine running so the cabin will stay cool in the summer while I work my contractor job. When I let the engine idle with windows up and AC on the overcharged battery introduced the vaporized sulfuric acid into the cabin and rendered the interior deadly toxic. Luckily I was only gone from the truck for about 10 minutes but in this amount of time the acid was very bad and caused burns in my dogs throat and mine while driving home. I can only imagine if this scenario were to take place with kids left in the truck for many reasons to stay cool but could easily turn into a deadly situation. PLEASE look into this before someone or some poor animal is fatally injured or killed.

NHTSA complaint #11666873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ringtown, PA Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle was last driven on June 23 2024 and parked in my driveway. On the evening of June 29 2024 my horn was blowing in my truck at around 10:30. While I was walking out to the vehicle it was in flames. The fire started from what I understand on the driver’s side behind the dash. Luckily no one was in the vehicle when it happened.

NHTSA complaint #11597612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Indian Purchase Twp, ME Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On 07/10/2026 at approximately 1:10 a.m., the parked and unoccupied vehicle caught fire while turned off. The vehicle had not been driven for several hours. A neighbor was awakened by the horn/alarm and popping noises, observed fire near the passenger-side cab/engine area, and called 911. The fire rapidly spread throughout the cab, engine compartment, rocker-panel areas, wheel wells, and truck bed, creating an explosion hazard and threatening a nearby occupied residence and garage. The fire department extinguished the blaze, but the vehicle was completely destroyed. Before the fire, the vehicle had experienced recurring coolant warnings, a DEF-system warning, and delayed starting associated with the main battery. No smoke, fuel odor, intentional ignition source, charging device, or known external fire source was present before the incident. Weather was calm. The exact failed component and cause remain UNKNOWN. A firefighter stated that the apparent fire origin was near the passenger side of the vehicle. The remains are available for inspection, subject to coordination with the vehicle owner and insurer. The incident has been reported to the fire department, insurer, manufacturer, and NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #11752275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Indian Purchase Twp, ME Fire

ENGINE

On 07/10/2026 at approximately 1:10 a.m., the parked and unoccupied vehicle caught fire while turned off. The vehicle had not been driven for several hours. A neighbor was awakened by the horn/alarm and popping noises, observed fire near the passenger-side cab/engine area, and called 911. The fire rapidly spread throughout the cab, engine compartment, rocker-panel areas, wheel wells, and truck bed, creating an explosion hazard and threatening a nearby occupied residence and garage. The fire department extinguished the blaze, but the vehicle was completely destroyed. Before the fire, the vehicle had experienced recurring coolant warnings, a DEF-system warning, and delayed starting associated with the main battery. No smoke, fuel odor, intentional ignition source, charging device, or known external fire source was present before the incident. Weather was calm. The exact failed component and cause remain UNKNOWN. A firefighter stated that the apparent fire origin was near the passenger side of the vehicle. The remains are available for inspection, subject to coordination with the vehicle owner and insurer. The incident has been reported to the fire department, insurer, manufacturer, and NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #11752275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Billerica, MA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

UI Bulletin #161b is for years 2020 and beyond. But my 2019 is having the same exact issue and the GM dealer will not cover the work as stated in the UI Bulletin #161b

NHTSA complaint #11724160 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 68,580 miles District Heights, MD

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owned a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear fuel tank had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,580.

NHTSA complaint #11717761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Marysville, MI Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My center console wires for the charging pad broke and shorted out causing wires to burn and short the whole system out

NHTSA complaint #11702171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 143,000 miles Gladwin, MI

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle lost power unexpectedly. The contact stated that her husband was able to pull over to the right side of the road while waiting for tow truck assistance. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not towed an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V047000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,000.

NHTSA complaint #11695231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rawson, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

Emissions Code showed up on the dash display. Tried to fix the fuel filter and cleaned a sensor off and it still shows the emissions code.

NHTSA complaint #11674331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Townsend, MA

POWER TRAIN

While merging into highway traffic the truck surged with RPM going to 5,000. Shortly after this event there was a grinding or rattling noise in the transmission bell housing along with unusual shifting behavior and a repeatble vibration + rotational noise between 50 and 60 MPH. The vehicle was brought to the dealer for inspection at least 4 times with claims they could not hear the obvious noise that did not go away. On the last drop off, I picked up the vehicle and the noise was gone but the shifting behavior and the constant vibration from the transmission still persists. The dealer said GMC would replace the transmission for approximately $10,000 but I would need to cover 50% of the cost. Vehicle had 35,700 miles on it and was 4 months beyond the 5yr warranty. Still unrepaired. No warning lamps, messages, or codes. Transmission component failure is imminent based on the vehicle behavior

NHTSA complaint #11669560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Danielsville, GA 1 injured

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The manufacturer placed two 12v batteries to start the truck with one being located on the passenger side just in front of the cowl of the cab. The factory OEM batteries are known to overheat when charging which is exactly what mine did and as the battery boils over with sulfuric acid, the acid is vaporized and ingested into the cabin. It’s a diesel so it’s common for me to take my dog in the rear crew cab with me and leave the engine running so the cabin will stay cool in the summer while I work my contractor job. When I let the engine idle with windows up and AC on the overcharged battery introduced the vaporized sulfuric acid into the cabin and rendered the interior deadly toxic. Luckily I was only gone from the truck for about 10 minutes but in this amount of time the acid was very bad and caused burns in my dogs throat and mine while driving home. I can only imagine if this scenario were to take place with kids left in the truck for many reasons to stay cool but could easily turn into a deadly situation. PLEASE look into this before someone or some poor animal is fatally injured or killed.

NHTSA complaint #11666873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Jacksonville, TX

SERVICE BRAKES

The antilock braking system is not functioning properly. The sensor for the anti-lock brake control pump module is defective

NHTSA complaint #11626142 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 33,000 miles Temple, GA

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled and shut off independently. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed, and it was determined that the fuel pump control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000.

NHTSA complaint #11619152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 87,000 miles Collinsville, CT

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The coolant fan seized and failed to operate as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the knock sensor, coolant fan clutch, injector #6, and unstated wiring harness needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the parts to repair the vehicle were on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA complaint #11617810 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 87,000 miles Collinsville, CT

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The coolant fan seized and failed to operate as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the knock sensor, coolant fan clutch, injector #6, and unstated wiring harness needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the parts to repair the vehicle were on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA complaint #11617810 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Loxahatchee, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The Fuel pump power control module failed. The part is currently at the nearby Chevy dealership. The safety of myself and two passengers were compromised when the struck suddenly lost acceleration, then shortly after lost engine idle. This occurred while vehicle was in motion on a main highway leaving us stranded on the highway and no warning or indication was given. The problem was confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle and component were inspected by the dealership. There were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms prior to the part failure.

NHTSA complaint #11610916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Schwenksville, PA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

When it rains, there are puddles of water on the passenger side! Cannot figure out how the water is getting in..my concern is of a potential electrical short/ fire / failure of a system that doesn’t allow me to operate the vehicle safely! Possibly, affecting other functions of the vehicle during operation!

NHTSA complaint #11607154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Schwenksville, PA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When it rains, there are puddles of water on the passenger side! Cannot figure out how the water is getting in..my concern is of a potential electrical short/ fire / failure of a system that doesn’t allow me to operate the vehicle safely! Possibly, affecting other functions of the vehicle during operation!

NHTSA complaint #11607154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ringtown, PA Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle was last driven on June 23 2024 and parked in my driveway. On the evening of June 29 2024 my horn was blowing in my truck at around 10:30. While I was walking out to the vehicle it was in flames. The fire started from what I understand on the driver’s side behind the dash. Luckily no one was in the vehicle when it happened.

NHTSA complaint #11597612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pueblo, CO

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DEFECTIVE TRAILER BRAKE SWITCH ,WHICH POSES A RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY IF YOU ARE TOWING A TRAVEL TRAILER, WHERE BRAKES FAIL LOCK UP IS POSSIBLE DANGEROUS TO PULL

NHTSA complaint #11533680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pueblo, CO

SERVICE BRAKES

DEFECTIVE TRAILER BRAKE SWITCH ,WHICH POSES A RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY IF YOU ARE TOWING A TRAVEL TRAILER, WHERE BRAKES FAIL LOCK UP IS POSSIBLE DANGEROUS TO PULL

NHTSA complaint #11533680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pueblo co, CO

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE, WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND BEEPING LOUD STARTER LAST MONTH 6-2023 , AND MAYBE THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE IS BAD ? CODE C1117 CAME UP

NHTSA complaint #11532294 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pueblo co, CO

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE, WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND BEEPING LOUD STARTER LAST MONTH 6-2023 , AND MAYBE THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE IS BAD ? CODE C1117 CAME UP

NHTSA complaint #11532294 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pueblo co, CO

SERVICE BRAKES

TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE, WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND BEEPING LOUD STARTER LAST MONTH 6-2023 , AND MAYBE THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE IS BAD ? CODE C1117 CAME UP

NHTSA complaint #11532294 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bowling Green, MO

EQUIPMENT

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V496000 (Equipment); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11513282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Madison Heights, VA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The connectors to the fuel pump have failed causing the truck to mechanically fail and not operate. This is a common problem per the diesel technician who diagnosed our truck and in his opinion should not be happening as often as it does. It’s specifically the cylinder 4 injector control circuit and diagnosis states the pins are corroded.

NHTSA complaint #11507696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

SEAT BELTS

Driver seat belt would not recoil. Took to Royal GMC of Tucson and they said it was not a warranty covered part and would not repair it unless I paid for the seat belt replacement. Obviously, I need a seat belt as a safety feature being the driver so I had them order the seatbelt and they installed it. See attached receipt. I believe this should be a warranty item from the manufacturer as it is defective and a serious safety issue. The vehicle is a 2019. I am the only one that drives this vehicle and I have never had any accidents etc.

NHTSA complaint #11503876 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.