Your vehicle report
2018 GMC Sierra 1500
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 305
- Received Jan 2018 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates41 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips38 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Transmission fails or loses power while driving21 complaints · 6.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #26V325000General 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.
- Recall #26V166000General 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slipsFirst signal: Feb 2019
- Transmission fails or loses power while drivingFirst signal: Jun 2022
- Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speedsFirst signal: Jul 2020
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 10 crashes, 1 fire, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 30 |
| 2020 | 29 |
| 2021 | 23 |
| 2022 | 46 |
| 2023 | 27 |
| 2024 | 40 |
| 2025 | 65 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 29 |
| Total | 305 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 41 | 13% | 17.6× | NHTSA recall #19V761000 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 38 | 12% | 2.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Feb 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.7% |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 21 | 6.9% | 5.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jun 2022 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.1% |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 15 | 4.9% | 10.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 14 | 4.6% | 3.9× | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 12 | 3.9% | 4.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jun 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.1% |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 10 | 3.3% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 7 | 2.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 1.6% | – | NHTSA recall #24V756000, #25V432000, #26V166000, #26V325000 |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 5 | 1.6% | 3.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.3% |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 4 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #20V603000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 3 | 1.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #26V325000May 21, 20264,315 vehicles affected
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.
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.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262557310. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V166.
NHTSA recall #26V166000March 19, 20262,819 vehicles affected
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.
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.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262549710. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
NHTSA recall #25V432000June 26, 20251,658 vehicles affected
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.
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.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252513060.
NHTSA recall #24V756000October 10, 20242,061 vehicles affected
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.
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.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC Customer Service at 888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N242474500.
NHTSA recall #20V603000October 1, 202014,620 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
NHTSA recall #19V761000October 24, 2019652,967 vehicles affected
electronic stability control (esc); service brakes; service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: wheel speed sensor/tone ring
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
NHTSA recall #19V645000September 6, 20193,456,719 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN