Vehicle make

GMC

60,925 NHTSA complaints and 354 safety recalls across 170 models, every figure pulled straight from federal records.

Complaints: 60,925
Recalls: 354
Models: 170

The verdict

GMC pairs above-average complaint volume with an above-average recall count.

14th pctile
complaint volume, US makes: 13th pctile
recall volume, US makes

Compiled by PlainCars

How does GMC compare?

Compare with

GMCKIAAll makes

Average NHTSA crash rating(higher is safer)Behind KIA

GMC4.36 ★

KIA4.69 ★

All makes4.67 ★

Complaints per model(lower is better)Beats KIA

GMC358

KIA1,425

All makes507

Recalls per model(lower is better)Beats KIA

GMC2.1

KIA4.8

All makes3.6

Lab-measured rollover risk vs. real-world deaths

GMC's average NHTSA rollover_risk score (0.196) against its total recorded deaths (9) across all model-years, plotted against 28 other makes. A low lab risk score does not guarantee a low real-world death total, the two metrics diverge across several makes in this dataset.

NHTSA rollover_risk score vs. recorded deaths, GMC vs. 28 other makes.

Sierra 1500

10,310
Acadia

7,419
Yukon

6,101
Sierra

4,896
Terrain

4,091
Jimmy

3,778
Envoy

3,269
Yukon XL

2,813
Suburban

2,323
Sierra 2500

2,196
Canyon

1,872
Sonoma

1,739

What this shows Within GMC's lineup, the Sierra 1500 carries the most NHTSA complaints. High-volume nameplates accumulate more filings simply because more of them are on the road, drill into a model for its per-year and per-component breakdown.

GMC is registered with NHTSA as a vehicle manufacturer and carries 60,925 consumer safety complaints across 170 nameplates in the Office of Defects Investigation public database. The brand has been the subject of 354 safety recalls and is currently tied to 2 active or historical federal investigations. Every one of those figures is pulled directly from NHTSA's published datasets, not from owner forums, manufacturer marketing, or third-party reliability surveys, so the numbers you see reflect the same data federal regulators use when they decide whether to escalate a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis or a formal defect order.

Model-level volume varies widely inside any automaker's portfolio: best-sellers accumulate complaints simply because more vehicles are on the road, while limited-run trims and discontinued nameplates often carry disproportionately high complaint rates per unit sold. Inside GMC's lineup, the single highest complaint count sits with the Sierra 1500 (10,310 filings, model years 1994–2026), followed by Acadia and Yukon. Use the table below to compare nameplate-by-nameplate counts, then drill into a specific model to see which components dominate and which model years concentrate the crash, fire, and fatality reports.

No open NHTSA investigations are currently tracked against GMC in this dataset, meaning the Office of Defects Investigation is not, at this moment, reviewing a specific defect allegation for the brand. Recall status, by contrast, is backward-looking: it tells you what the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy, not what they are being asked to remedy next. Together, complaints, investigations, and recalls form the three-layer early-warning system federal safety regulators have relied on since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.

Which GMC models get the most complaints?

Model	Complaints	Years	Recalls
Sierra 1500	10,310	1994–2026	129
Acadia	7,419	2007–2026	72
Yukon	6,101	1986–2026	129
Sierra	4,896	1976–2017	95
Terrain	4,091	2010–2026	40
Jimmy	3,778	1982–2004	9
Envoy	3,269	1995–2009	43
Yukon XL	2,813	1999–2026	99
Suburban	2,323	1974–2004	6
Sierra 2500	2,196	1994–2026	106
Canyon	1,872	2004–2025	52
Sonoma	1,739	1984–2005	6
Safari	1,537	1985–2005	15
Yukon Denali	1,173	1999–2019	5
Envoy XL	769	2002–2006	12
Sierra 3500	719	1996–2025	98
Yukon Denali XL	684	2003–2018	0
Savana	448	1994–2022	116
Yukon XL 1500	407	2000–2012	9
Sierra Denali	326	2002–2020	5
Pickup	270	1975–2002	0
Envoy XUV	231	2003–2005	0
Denali	219	1999–2015	3
GMC	198	1973–2003	0
Envoy Denali	172	2006–2007	0
C1500	161	1985–1996	0
Envoy XL 370	161	2002–2006	0
GMC Truck	127	1974–2003	0
K1500	106	1985–1996	0
Yukon XL Denali	106	2001–2003	1
Envoy 360	92	2002–2007	0
Yukon Hybrid	80	2008–2012	0
Yukon XL 2500	79	2000–2011	7
Vandura	75	1987–2000	0
K2500	73	1986–1996	0
1500	73	1985–1996	0
S15	71	1980–2001	0
C/K Pickup	71	1978–2002	0
Silverado	70	1999–2007	3
Envoy Denali XL	62	2006–2006	0
Passenger Vehicle	61	1998–2002	0
Vandura G2500	58	1984–1995	0
Sierra 1500 HD	58	2001–2005	5
C2500	56	1979–1996	0
Savana 1500	49	1997–2015	9
C Series	45	1988–2009	2
C15	44	1978–1996	0
C Series (LIGHT)	44	1978–1999	0
C3500	43	1986–1996	0
Z-71	41	1996–2000	0
V Series	39	1988–1998	0
Terrain NA	38	2022–2022	2
G Series	35	1985–2000	1
Savana 3500	35	1997–2015	11
Vandura Series	34	1983–1997	0
Safari (GMC)	31	1994–2005	0
C1500 Suburban	30	1994–1999	0
Sierra Classic	29	2003–2007	1
GM	28	2001–2002	0
Savana 2500	28	1999–2015	5
Tahoe	27	1998–2003	0
C4500	27	2003–2008	8
K15	24	1985–1995	0
C/K Series	24	1995–2003	0
Sierra EV	21	2024–2026	8
G25	20	1989–1995	0
C10	19	1991–1993	0
Blazer	19	1998–2002	0
C/K Suburban (GMC)	19	1994–1999	0
Hummer EV SUV	18	2024–2025	0
Conventional	16	1994–2003	0
Topkick	16	1993–2007	13
Jimmy S15	16	1988–1991	0
Hummer EV Pickup	16	2022–2025	0
K3500	15	1988–1996	0
7000	14	1986–1988	0
3500	14	1993–1996	0
Rally	13	1983–1999	0
Typhoon	13	1992–1993	0
V1500	13	1988–1988	0
S/T Jimmy	13	1996–2001	0
W4500	12	2000–2007	9
C25	11	1988–1996	0
Motor Home	11	1978–1994	0
K Series	11	1984–2002	0
S10	11	1991–1995	0
G35	10	1990–2000	0
VAN	9	1979–1994	0
G1500	9	1988–2008	4
Express	9	1999–2002	0
Syclone	8	1991–1991	0
K25	8	1972–1996	0
G2500	8	1986–2005	3
W3500	8	1999–2008	11
P30	8	1997–1997	0
Preview	8	1994–1994	0
C/K 3500	8	1996–1999	0
C5500	8	2003–2008	11
C35	7	1985–1996	0
G VAN	7	1999–2002	0
K Pickup	7	1999–2000	0
S Utility	7	1994–2003	0
L Series	7	2000–2003	0
Sonoma Crew	7	2003–2004	0
Sierra HD	7	2015–2025	5
BUS	6	1995–1999	0
C/K 1500	6	1999–1999	0
G3500	6	1996–2018	2
G20	5	1993–1995	0
C6500	5	1997–2009	4
C7500	5	1999–2004	0
T-Series	5	2002–2009	4
C2500 Suburban	5	1993–1999	0
G30	4	1987–1996	0
C3	4	2001–2001	0
C Pickup	4	1999–2000	0
S Series	4	1995–2001	0
C3500 Pickup	4	1989–1994	0
P Series	4	1990–2000	0
C7	3	1993–1993	0
Vandura G1500	3	1990–1991	0
Sierra Pickup	3	1991–1991	0
P30 Motorhome Chassis	3	1997–1998	0
T6500	3	1997–2005	0
C/K Pickups	3	1994–1994	0
C1500 Pickup	3	1988–1994	0
C2500 Pickup	3	1988–1995	0
K10	2	1992–1994	0
K35	2	1993–1993	0
School BUS Series	2	1994–1995	0
W4	2	1995–2000	0
M Series	2	1990–1997	0
R1500	2	1989–1991	0
Sport VAN	2	1991–1991	0
Vandura G3500	2	1987–1987	0
W-Series	2	2002–2004	2
T Pickup	2	1995–2000	0
B6 Medium Duty	2	1991–1997	0
M/L VAN	2	1997–2000	0
Crew CAB	2	1995–1995	0
T Utility	2	1997–1997	0
C6h042	2	2000–2000	0
P3500	1	1989–1989	0
P300	1	1990–1990	0
S7t042	1	1992–1992	0
Jimmy T15	1	1989–1989	0
Vandura 1500	1	1984–1984	0
T10	1	1998–1998	0
C6	1	1986–1986	0
B7t042	1	1997–1997	0
S25	1	1987–1987	0
Dump Truck	1	1988–1988	0
B7 Chassis	1	1999–1999	0
School BUS B7	1	1995–1995	0
C/K Utility	1	2001–2001	0
P32/42	1	1999–1999	0
C3500hd	1	1996–1996	0
Light Truck	1	1988–1988	0
C/K Chassis CAB	1	2000–2000	1
S Pickup	1	1994–1994	0
M VAN	1	2000–2000	0
INCOMPLETE/CUTAWAY C3	1	2002–2002	0
School Buses	1	1991–1991	0
C10753	1	1998–1998	0
W5500hd	1	2007–2007	0
F Series	1	2004–2004	0
Kingsley	1	1978–1978	0
3500hd	1	2024–2024	0
Sierra 2500 HD	1	2024–2024	0
Savana Cutaway VAN	1	2019–2019	1

NHTSA Investigations

PE07014Preliminary EvaluationClosed2007-03-13

FUEL TANK LEAK

PE88002Preliminary EvaluationClosed1987-10-09

FRCTR OF P/S PUMP BRCKT

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints has GMC received?▼

GMC has received 60,925 NHTSA complaints across 170 models and 354 safety recalls.

Is GMC reliable?▼

GMC has 60,925 total NHTSA complaints across all models. Compare complaint counts per model and model year to identify which GMC vehicles have the fewest reported issues.

How do I check for GMC recalls?▼

Browse GMC models on PlainCars to see recall history by model and year, or visit NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN for official recall status. All recall data on PlainCars comes directly from NHTSA.

Where does GMC complaint data come from?▼

All complaint and recall data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are filed by vehicle owners and NHTSA publishes them publicly.

What do GMC complaints cover?▼

NHTSA complaints include consumer-reported issues with brakes, engines, airbags, steering, electrical systems, and other safety-related components. Each complaint may note crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with the defect.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

Top GMC Models

Sierra 1500

10,310 complaints

Acadia

7,419 complaints

Yukon

6,101 complaints

Sierra

4,896 complaints

Terrain

4,091 complaints

Nationwide makes with similar ODI profiles

Two cross-make peer sets for GMC. Same-make model lists stay above; these neighborhoods are nearest other makes by published NHTSA totals (complaint floor ≥100, recall floor ≥10).

Similar complaint volume

Nearest makes by total ODI complaints (60,925 here).

KIA58,418 Chrysler66,160 Hyundai72,987 Volkswagen47,250

Similar recall volume

Nearest makes by recall campaigns (354 here), excluding the complaint-volume set.

Honda355 recalls Freightliner364 recalls Dodge374 recalls Toyota377 recalls

Compare GMCSierra 1500 vs GMCAcadia →

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. GMC counts on this page are computed from the NHTSA rows shown in the linked model records; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.