GMC SIERRA 1500 HD · model year

2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD

10 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002GMCSIERRA 1500 HD carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 SIERRA 1500 HD is service brakes with 5 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline (3) and service brakes, hydraulic (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2002 SIERRA 1500 HD. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recalls (1)

06E04300019/05/2006

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CE

Recent Complaints

20150821SERVICE BRAKES

I WAS MOVING MY 1500HD GMC SIERRA WHICH HAS 29K MILE & THE FRONT BRAKE LINE UNDER THE RADIATOR, BLEW OUT DUE TO RUST THIS IS A NIGHTMARE FOR ANY GMC OWNER , UPON AN INSPECTION OF ALL BRAKE LINES I FIND THEY ARE JUST STEEL WITH NO ANTI CORROSION ON ANY OF THEM. I ALSO OWN A 2002 YUKON & NOW IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, ALL LINES ARE BADLY RUSTED & JUST RECENTLY THE LINES ON THE REAR AXLE BURST. THIS IS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION THE VERY THIS YOU RELY ON THE MOST IS BRAKES.

Mileage: 29,000

20150821UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I WAS MOVING MY 1500HD GMC SIERRA WHICH HAS 29K MILE & THE FRONT BRAKE LINE UNDER THE RADIATOR, BLEW OUT DUE TO RUST THIS IS A NIGHTMARE FOR ANY GMC OWNER , UPON AN INSPECTION OF ALL BRAKE LINES I FIND THEY ARE JUST STEEL WITH NO ANTI CORROSION ON ANY OF THEM. I ALSO OWN A 2002 YUKON & NOW IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, ALL LINES ARE BADLY RUSTED & JUST RECENTLY THE LINES ON THE REAR AXLE BURST. THIS IS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION THE VERY THIS YOU RELY ON THE MOST IS BRAKES.

Mileage: 29,000

20140819SERVICE BRAKES

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME A BRAKE LINE HAS BURST ON THIS TRUCK. THIS IS DANGEROUS. I HAD THE TRUCK TAKEN TO LOCAL SHOP AND WAS TOLD ALL BRAKE LINES ARE IN DANGER OF RUPTURE. HOW CAN GMC PUT THIS JUNK STEEL IN THEIR BRAKE LINES? WHEN PEOPLE START GETTING KILLED IF THEY HAVENT ALREADY MAYBE SOMETHING WILL BE DONE. I SMELL SOME LAWYER GETTING RICH HERE. *TR

Mileage: 114,000

20140331FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

I HAVE 2 OF THESE VEHICLES AND KNOW A FEW FRIENDS WITH THE SAME. THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL GAUGE IN THESE VEHICLES ARE FACTORY DEFECTIVE. THEY ARE VERY, VERY INACCURATE IN TELLING YOU HOW MUCH FUEL YOU HAVE. I HAVE RUN OUT OF FUEL MANY, MANY TIMES WITH 1/2 TANK, 3/4 TANK FULL OF FUEL. THIS IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS SINCE YOU HAVE NO WARNING AND LOSE ALL STEERING AND BRAKES WITH NO ENGINE POWER. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH VERY SIMILAR MAKES AND MODELS. *TR

Mileage: 64,000

20140104SERVICE BRAKES

PUTTING TRUCK UP ONTO RAMPS TO CHANGE THE OIL, APPLIED BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR BRAKE LINE BLEW OUT. *TR

Mileage: 182,000

20131118SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE LEAKING FLUID. ALSO, THE BRAKE LINES WERE FOUND TO BE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

Mileage: 104,000

20131114FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

THE GAS GAUGE IS NOT DEPENDABLE. SOMETIMES ACCURATE, BUT MORE OFTEN, NOT ACCURATE. IT IS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. YOU MAY RUN OUT OF GAS AT ANY MOMENT, IN TRAFFIC, ON THE INTERSTATE AT HIGH SPEEDS, THEN YOU HAVE NO STEERING OR BRAKES, ENGINE IS DEAD. IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES, ONCE WHEN IT SHOWED 3/4 TANK FULL. I HAVE A 2001 CHEVY REGULAR CAB PICKUP TRUCK THAT DOES THE SAME THING. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY OTHER OWNERS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS DEFINITELY A FACTORY DEFECT. *TR

Mileage: 24,000

20120924SERVICE BRAKES

TODAY IS 9/24/12. FIRST LET ME START BY SAYING I HAVE OWNED MY TRUCK SINCE 2004, AND TAKE PRIDE IN TAKING CARE OF MY VEHICLES. MY VEHICLES ARE ALWAYS DEALER MAINTAINED AT A GM DEALER. I HAVE HAD NO TROUBLES WITH MY TRUCK UNTIL NOW, AND THIS BRAKE FAILURE COULD HAVE KILLED ME AND MY FAMILY. MY TRUCK WAS INSPECTED APRIL 13TH 2012 LAST AND HAD NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF UNSAFE BRAKE LINES. I HAD ONLY PUT 326 MILES ON MY TRUCK SINCE SAID LAST INSPECTION. I WAS ON MY WAY HOME WHEN I HAD TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES. MY BRAKE PETAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AS I HELD THE HORN AND DROVE THROUGH A RED LIGHT. I WAS ALSO LUCKY THAT OTHERS DRIVERS IN THE INTERSECTION HAD NOT STARTED DRIVING. MY EMERGENCY BRAKE THEN FAILED FROM THE HIGH SPEED I WAS TRAVELING, BUT DID HELP MINIMALLY IN THE SLOWING OF MY TRUCK. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY DOWNSHIFTING AND DRIVING UP AN EMBANKMENT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS

Mileage: 121,623

20110126FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVROLET TRUCK WITH A 4.3 LITER V6 ENGINE AND A 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD WITH A 6.0 LITER V8 ENGINE AND BOTH OF THEM HAVE FUEL GAUGE PROBLEMS. THE FUEL GAUGE IS VERY ERRATIC AND HARDLY EVER ACCURATE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 70 MPH AND SHOWED 1/2 TANK OF GAS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN RAN OUT OF GAS IN THE 2002 MODEL. THE 2001 MODEL IS NEVER ACCURATE. I HAVE TO CARRY SPARE GAS WITH ME EVERYWHERE. ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE THOUSAND AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEMS IN NUMEROUS CHAT LOGS. GM SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS MAJOR DEFECT. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

20100807SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

RUPTURED CORRODED BRAKE LINES, ON MY 2002 GMC 1500 HD 4X4 PICK-UP. THE CONDITION CAUSED ME TO LOSE COMPLETE BRAKING POWER TO MY TRUCK, LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. *TR

Mileage: 61,883

Compare 2002GMCSIERRA 1500 HD to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD have?
The 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD?
Yes, the 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD?
The most-complained component for the 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD is SERVICE BRAKES with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC.
Is the 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.