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2018 GMC Sierra 1500: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues

What the public record actually says about the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.

The read

Middle-of-the-pack complaint volume for truck.

Owners filed 293 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 58% of 2018 trucks. Power Train leads the reports (39%). 7 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.

Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2018 trucks, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.

Complaints filed

293

Reports to NHTSA, 2018

Safety recalls

7

NHTSA campaigns on record

NHTSA crash test

Overall NCAP rating

Combined MPG

No data

EPA estimate

Complaint volume vs. segment peers

More complaints than 58% of 2018 trucks

The bar is this car's percentile among 2018 trucks by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.

Known issues

Power Train issues lead owner complaints (39% of 293 reports), followed by engine (11%).

Power Train39% · 115 reports
Engine11% · 33 reports
Electrical System10% · 30 reports
Steering10% · 29 reports
Service Brakes7% · 20 reports
Unknown Or Other6% · 17 reports
Air Bags2% · 6 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling2% · 6 reports

+ 13 more component categories with fewer reports.

Share of all 293 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11658709, ODI 11582654, ODI 11509799, ODI 11282214, ODI 11743611.

Recalls(7)

Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.

Air BagsOct 2024 · 24V756000Details +

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.

Risk: 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.

Service BrakesJan 2020 · 20V603000Details +

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.

Risk: 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.

Service BrakesJun 2019 · 19V645000Details +

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.

Risk: 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.

Service Brakes · 19V761000Details +

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.

Risk: 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.

Air Bags · 25V432000Details +

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.

Risk: 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.

Air Bags · 26V166000Details +

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.

Risk: 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.

Air Bags · 26V325000Details +

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.

Risk: 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.

A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.

Investigations

0 NHTSA investigations on record

No investigations are on record as of Jul 2026. An empty record is not a clean bill of health.

Crash-test ratings

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/RC 4WD NHTSA source

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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/RC RWD NHTSA source

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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/CC 4WD NHTSA source

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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/CC RWD NHTSA source

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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid PU/CC RWD NHTSA source

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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/EC 4WD NHTSA source

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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 PU/EC RWD NHTSA source

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Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Fuel economy by trim

No EPA fuel-economy record is available for this model year. Some trims and older vehicles were not tested or are not in the current EPA feed.

Before you buy

Useful next checks

Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.

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Compare model years

"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.

2018 GMC Sierra 1500: frequently asked

What does the complaint record show for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?

Owners filed 293 NHTSA complaints about the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 — more complaints than 58% of comparable 2018 trucks, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.

What are the most common problems on the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500?

The most-reported problem areas are Power Train (39% of complaints) and engine (11%).

How many recalls does the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 have?

7 recalls have been issued that affect the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, covering components such as air bags. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.

What gas mileage does the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 get?

EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 aren't available yet.