2016 GMC Sierra 3500 problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 6 | 32% |
| Steering | 6 | 32% |
| Engine | 5 | 26% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 11% |
| Power Train | 2 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Suspension | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Driving down the road and I got a service trailer brake code pop up and would not go away and kept dinging It is very distracting and sometimes causes the trailer brakes to malfunction”
Electrical System · filed Jul 24, 2025
“The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 3500. The contacted stated that while her husband was attempting to start the vehicle, the contact stated that after five minutes the engine independently failed while the vehicle was running. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it…”
Engine · filed Apr 30, 2025
“Driving my vehicle in the mountains pulling a 16000 lb 5th wheel trailer, the engine goes into Reduced Engine Power due to a Turbo Vane Position sensor / Turbo Over Boost or Under Boost fault. This has happened 4 times in the last 3 months and has nearly caused an accident following each occurrence. The vehicle is a…”
Engine · filed Apr 4, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
666 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500. The 10 most recent:
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates information on a hydraulic rush type noise from the power steering gear. This noise is a characteristic of the new Active Hydraulic Assist System RPO NV8 and no repairs should…
PIT5544J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 14, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician that some owners of Heavy Duty Trucks and Utilities may ask if they can lower their tire pressures. Tire pressures being set to the "Tire…
PIT4506J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 16, 2026
This preliminary information communicates an issue with aftermarket LED headlights causing IPC warning messages and MIL along with several low speed lan DTCs.
PIT6483 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 5, 2026
This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax Coating on Frame Peeling, Metal Shows Corrosion/Rusting due to issue with getting product from current supplier…
PIT6400A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 GMC Sierra 3500 has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 GMC Sierra 3500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.