AutoUtility currently tracks 443 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 190 complaints (42.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 5 filings cite a crash, 2 cite a fire, 1 reports one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 443 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (190 reports • 42.9% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Powertrain & Transmission (84), Body & Structure (78)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 5 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 2 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 1 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
443
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
5
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
2
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
1
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2023 GMC Sierra 1500

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 42.9% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

190 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 3 crash reports
#2 Problem Area 19% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

84 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports
#3 Problem Area 17.6% of complaints

Body & Structure

78 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
✓ 0 crashes or fires cited
#4 Problem Area 12.6% of complaints

Electrical System

56 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 2 fire reports 🩹 2 injury report entries
#5 Problem Area 7% of complaints

Fuel & Propulsion System

31 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
🔥 1 fire report
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2023 GMC Sierra 1500

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 9.3% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

41 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Engine & Cooling 2.3% of complaints

Engine Stalling / Sudden Shutdown

10 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2023 GMC Sierra 1500

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11759610
Filed: 08/26/2026

"Complete engine failure. Safety is was put at risk one engine lost propulsion on a bridge with no median. Truck towed to a GM dealer that inspected it and replace the engine. Check engine light and low oil pressure light came on approximately 30 seconds before the engine died."

Incident Date: 07/02/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11759333
Filed: 08/25/2026

"The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and an oil message was displayed. The vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and..."

Incident Date: 07/06/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11759491
Filed: 08/25/2026

"During a family camping trip, our engine seized without warning — a failure directly tied to an active GMC recall. Despite this being a manufacturer defect, GMC roadside assistance refused to provide full support and informed us that we were responsible for towing our trailer home. This placed an..."

Incident Date: 08/14/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11758917
Filed: 08/23/2026

"August 5th, 2026, I was driving South on I-55 between Hammond and Ponchatoula at 70 mph when the top grill trim (Bezel) flew off, hit (and cracked) the windshield, and landed somewhere behind my traveling vehicle."

Incident Date: 08/05/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11758888
Filed: 08/23/2026

"I, [XXX], am currently getting my engine replaced for the 1st time because of An engine failure. Engine completely shut down in the mountains while I had my 3 young kids ([XXX], [XXX] & [XXX] old) on our way to our vacation. 102 degrees outside no ac, no water for 4 hours until a tow truck finally..."

Incident Date: 07/30/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for GMC Sierra 1500

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 GMC Sierra 1500 813 29 15 View 2015 Problems →
2016 GMC Sierra 1500 47 3 9 View 2016 Problems →
2017 GMC Sierra 1500 426 20 5 View 2017 Problems →
2018 GMC Sierra 1500 297 10 7 View 2018 Problems →
2019 GMC Sierra 1500 626 12 10 View 2019 Problems →
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 454 12 12 View 2020 Problems →
2021 GMC Sierra 1500 539 5 7 View 2021 Problems →
2022 GMC Sierra 1500 557 10 6 View 2022 Problems →
2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Current Page 443 5 3 Current
2024 GMC Sierra 1500 335 5 1 View 2024 Problems →
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 103 3 1 View 2025 Problems →
2026 GMC Sierra 1500 0 0 2 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2023 GMC Sierra 1500

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 73 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 130 1 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 62 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 45 1 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 19 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17 0 1 2 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 15 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 11 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 6 1 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 4 0 0 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 1 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (443). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (4)

2 OPEN 2 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA26005
Opened: 2026-08-20 • Currently Active

Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy

Affected Component: ENGINE

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001.  This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failu...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA25007
Opened: 2025-10-23 • Currently Active

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the L87 6.2L engine produced by General Motors (GM). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25V-274. These engines are installed in Model Years (MY) 2019–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon/Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV vehi...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Recall Query (RQ) ODI Action #RQ26001
Opened: 2026-01-16 • Closed: 2026-08-20

Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy

Affected Component: ENGINE

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001.  This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failu...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE25001
Opened: 2025-01-16 • Closed: 2025-10-23

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

On January 16, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25001 after receiving complaints and field reports concerning engine failures in MY2019-2024 GM’s full-size truck and SUV T1XX platform equipped with the L87 6.2L V8 engine. These complainants alleged engine bearing failures resulting in knocking and growling noises from the engine’s bottom end and in some cases more severe consequences such as brok...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 25V274 Official NHTSA File →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.