The Lemon IndexAll cars · GMC · GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 139 complaints with the government about the 2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD, most often about brakes (34%).
Which engine is in it
119 of the 139 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel | 55% | 66 | brakes 36%, electrical 26%, steering 14% |
| 6.0 V8 gas | 39% | 47 | too few to split |
| 8.1 V8 gas | 5% | 6 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Duramax LLY.
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 39,391 and 86,000 miles; the middle report was at 59,921 miles (126 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
My truck has had the odometer rolled back acording to the carfax report. I bought this truck about 2 years ago and was unaware of the until today when I tried to trade it in and the salesman made me aware of this
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11309419
Brakes failed while driving due to metal brake line corrosion causing an accident. police report: mooresville, indiana pd #a17315
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11073553
I have had the lower steering arm replaced three times due to a bad bushing. once under warranty & twice I had to pay for it which is over $300.00 each time. this is not an uncommon problem with the chevrolet & gmc trucks. this is only noticeable while in motion.
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11012979
Recalls 1
08V519000 Oct 2008 Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Mobilityworks is recalling 133 my 2005-2006 ford e250, my 2000, 2004-2006 e350, my 2000, 2005 e450, my 2005-2006 gmc 2500, gmc 3500, and my 2006 dodge 2500 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, "platform lift systems for motor vehicles." the anti-stow interlock may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user. The pressure sensing switch that detects the presence of weight on the platform was not adjusted to the necessary sensitivity level. The lift could stow even though someone or something is still on the lift.
Fix. Mobilityworks is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or mobilityworks at 1-800-769-8267.
NHTSA recalls for this model year under every name these trucks are filed under. A recall that names an engine applies only to trucks with it. Free at any dealer: check the VIN.
Quick answers
Is the 2005 Sierra HD reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 139 complaints about it, most often about brakes (34% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2005 Sierra HD have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel (55%), 6.0 V8 gas (39%), 8.1 V8 gas (5%).
How many recalls does the 2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD have?
1. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2005, mostly half-tons: 2005 GMC Sierra.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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