The Lemon IndexAll cars · GMC Sierra · 2021
2021 GMC Sierra. Advanced data.
The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.
Engines and drivetrains 12
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City / hwy / combined | Fuel | Fuel cost/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4-cyl turbo | Auto 8-spd | RWD | 20 / 23 / 21 | Regular | $2,950 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl turbo | Auto 8-spd | 4WD | 18 / 21 / 19 | Regular | $3,300 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | Auto 10-spd | RWD | 23 / 30 / 26 | Diesel | $3,650 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | Auto 10-spd | 4WD | 22 / 26 / 24 | Diesel | $3,950 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | Auto 6-spd | 4WD | 15 / 20 / 17 | Regular | $3,650 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | Auto 6-spd | RWD | 16 / 21 / 17 | Regular | $3,650 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | Auto 8-spd | RWD | 17 / 23 / 19 | Regular | $3,300 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | Auto 10-spd | 4WD | 16 / 22 / 19 | Regular | $3,300 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | Auto 8-spd | 4WD | 16 / 21 / 18 | Regular | $3,450 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | Auto 6-spd | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 | Regular | $3,650 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | Auto 6-spd | 4WD | 15 / 20 / 17 | Regular | $3,650 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | Auto 10-spd | 4WD | 16 / 20 / 17 | Premium | $4,550 |
EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.
Failure mileage by system
Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 23,900 and 81,000 miles. Median 51,200, from 141 complaints with a mileage.
| System | Median | Middle half | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 58,500 | 15,500–98,000 | 45 |
| Transmission & drivetrain | 64,400 | 38,000–111,200 | 28 |
| Electrical | 26,000 | 2,200–63,200 | 17 |
| Engine | 59,100 | 41,500–82,000 | 33 |
| Brakes | 21,300 | 800–61,000 | 6 |
Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.
Complaints by system
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | 34% |
| Electrical | 23% |
| Transmission & drivetrain | 13% |
| Brakes | 12% |
| Steering | 10% |
One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.
Severity, all complaints
| Total | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths | Tows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 663 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 38 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
Recall campaigns 7
26V083000 Feb 2026 Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Control Module / Software
Defect. General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.
Risk. Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252516560. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on Feb
25V274000 Apr 2025 Engine And Engine Cooling / Engine / Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical
Defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Risk. Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Ch
24V797000 Oct 2024 Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Control Module / Software
Defect. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Risk. Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458
21V985000 Dec 2021 Tires / Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire
Defect. General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.
Risk. An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2022. Owners ma
20V811000 Dec 2020 Seat Belts
Defect. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Risk. If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
20V792000 Dec 2020 Seat Belts
Defect. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
Risk. If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.
20V684000 Nov 2020 Tires
Defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Risk. Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800
NHTSA investigations
| Status | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy | 2026 | – |
| Open | Loss of motive power due to engine failure | 2025 | – |
| Closed | Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy | 2026 | 2026 |
| Closed | Loss of motive power due to engine failure | 2025 | 2025 |
| Closed | Air bag malfunction | 2021 | 2023 |
Manufacturer communications 1648
GMC filed 1648 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- This informational bulletin provides information on Transmission Adaptive Functions and…
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMC Sierra 1500 PU/CC 4WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| GMC Sierra 1500 PU/EC 4WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| GMC Sierra 1500 PU/RC 4WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| GMC Sierra 1500 PU/CC 2WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| GMC Sierra 1500 PU/EC 2WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| GMC Sierra 1500 PU/RC 2WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
Safety equipment
| Electronic stability | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Optional | Optional |
Nearby model years
Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated
Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
. Get the data