I'M GOING TO LIST EVERY SAFETY DEFECT WITH MY 1996 GMC SIERRA SINCE I PURCHASED IT USED IN 2008. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT I HEARD A SWISHING SOUND IN THE HEATER CORE AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST LOW ON ANTI FREEZE AND THAT MY REPAIR FACILITY COULD FIX THE AIR BAG; BUT AS IT TURNS OUT THE CLOCK SPRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BAD AND I COULDN'T AFFORD TO GET THE AIR BAG FIXED. THE SWISHING SOUND WAS CAUSED BY AIR IN THE COOLING SYSTEM DUE TO A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET; IT HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR 600.00 $. A BRAKE LINE RUSTED OUT (YES I KNOW IT'S AN OLD TRUCK), THE FUEL LINES ARE RUSTING AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED SOON, AND THE OIL COOLER LINES ARE LEAKING BECAUSE GM VEHICLES HAVE FLUID LINES THAT ARE PRONE TO FAILURE. THE WIND SHIELD WIPERS DON'T ALWAYS TURN ON WHEN IT'S RAINING BECAUSE OF CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS IN THE CONTROL MODULE AND I REPLACED A HEATER/FAN MOTOR. I PULLED MY ABS FUSE AND DISABLED THE SYSTEM BECAUSE MY ABS WAS ACTIVATING ON DRY PAVEMENT AT LOW SPEEDS AND CAUSING AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE; A REAL DANGER IN PARKING LOTS WHERE A CHILD COULD RUN OUT IN FRONT OF MY TRUCK. I DON'T HAVE A GRAND TO REPLACE RUSTED HUBS AND SENSORS TO MAKE MY ABS WORK AGAIN. THE DRIVERS SIDE CAST METAL DOOR HANDLE BROKE AND I REPLACED IT MYSELF WITH A DEALER PART FOR 80.00$ ONE WOULD HATE TO BE IN A WRECK AND HAVE THE HANDLE FAIL WHEN THAT DOOR IS THE ONLY EXIT IN AN EMERGENCY! I'M ON MY THIRD FUEL PUMP AND FORTH F
1996 GMC Sierra 1500
Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 GMC SIERRA 1500 WITH COOPER DISCOVERY H/T P325 75/R15 TIRES. THE DOT NUMBER FOR THE FRONT TIRES WAS 3DHL AND THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS UTHL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THREE OF THE FOUR COOPER TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAVE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THE TWO FRONT TIRES AND THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE HAD ALSO FAILED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE FRONT TIRES THREE YEARS AGO AND THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE FIVE YEARS AGO. THE TIRE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE FRONT TIRES HAD 20000 MILES AND THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE HAD 30000 MILES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED.
VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR TWO WEEKS. RECEIVED CALL AT WORK THAT MY VEHICLE WAS BURNING. FIRE DEPT. EXTINGUISHED,NO CLUE OF WHAT STARTED IT. HAD ONLY LIABILITY COVERAGE. PURCHASED NEW 1ST EVER OWNED. VEHICLE IS STILL HERE HAVE NOT TOUCHED IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 GMC SIERRA 1500 EXTENDED CAB. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DECELERATE OR STOP THE VEHICLE THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ACTIVATED, AND THE VEHICLE TOOK LONGER TO START. THE CONTACT MENTIONED RECALL # 05V379000 CONCERNING SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: ANTILOCK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ANTILOCK SENSOR NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE CONTACT WILL HAVE THIS PROCEDURE COMPLETED BEFORE THE HARD COPY OF THE IVOQ ARRIVES AND WILL SUBMIT A COPY OF THE REPAIR INVOICE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 130,000 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. *AK
I HAVE NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH MY ABS IN THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK IN THE PAST YEAR. WELL MY TRUCK IS NOW OFF THE ROAD SO I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY MOTHERS TRUCK AND HERS IS STARTING TO DO THE SAME THING ITS MAKES LIKE A GRINDING NOISE IN THE FRONT WE TOOK OFF THE TIRES AND THE BRAKES WERE FINE WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT ELSE COULD BE WRONG AND THEN A FRIEND SAID ITS THE ABS SENSORS SYSTEM. *JB
5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2014| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 111 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 2025 | 115 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2024 | 354 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Above average |
| 2023 | 468 | 3 | 2 | 0 | Above average |
| 2022 | 583 | 6 | 5 | 0 | Above average |
| 2021 | 564 | 7 | 6 | 0 | Above average |
| 2020 | 464 | 12 | 5 | 0 | Above average |
| 2019 | 638 | 10 | 3 | 0 | Above average |
| 2018 | 300 | 7 | 1 | 0 | Above average |
| 2017 | 353 | 5 | 4 | 0 | Above average |
| 2016 | 341 | 7 | 13 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 2015 | 717 | 9 | 9 | 0 | Above average |
| 2014 | 738 | 9 | 7 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2013 | 115 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2012 | 107 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2011 | 284 | 5 | 3 | 0 | Above average |
| 2010 | 168 | 4 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 2009 | 234 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Above average |
| 2008 | 381 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Above average |
| 2007 | 262 | 3 | 2 | 0 | Above average |
| 2006 | 145 | 2 | 5 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2005 | 177 | 3 | 9 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 212 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Above average |
| 2003 | 180 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 | 166 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 140 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2000 | 181 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 158 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1998 | 59 | 4 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1997 | 83 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1996 — this page | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1995 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.