Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
In January 2024, I parked my truck in my garage and shortly after I smelled an electrical burning smell in our house. When I opened the garage, it had smoke throughout the garage and a very strong odor of electrical burning smell. I moved my vehicle outside and tried to find the source, but it was too strong to narrow it down, and the garage smelled like burnt electrical for days. I took the truck to a service shop and they could not find anything wrong at the time. Today, May 2024, I was having trouble getting my trailer lights working. Upon further inspection, I discovered the 7-way interface wiring harness on my vehicle had electrically shorted out and melted a hole in the plastic housing and left melted plastic on the truck frame. The tag on the wiring harness states TAG #138359 7-WAY INTERFACE HARNESS W/O 134971. …
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle began to shift hard, started shuddering, and lost electrical power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with assistance. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle was shifting hard and was shuddering while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the main power cord had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer; Fresno Buick GMC (5515 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93710) where it was diagnosed that the transmission torque converter and the engine mounts needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed that the coolant reservoir had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle began to independently brake without depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the "trailer brake service" and the "service brake" warning light were illuminated. The contact pulled off the road safely and drove the vehicle to his residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had received an unknown recall letter from the manufacturer. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,230. The VIN was unavailable.
Started car via remote start. When I went out to the car I noticed smoke in the cab. I then observed the rear power slide window to be smoking and further discovered the rear defroster wires the be smoldering creating considerable smoke. The tempered glass then began to spider and completely cracked. There is a former recall on the rear slide window involving fire hazards and the wiring components. It should also be noted that our 9 month old's car seat is directly below the window and defroster wiring were the smoldering took place. No warnings lamps were observed prior to the incident.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off, the driver's and passenger's side running boards would erroneously activate and repeatedly extend in and out. The contact was concerned that the failure created a trip and fall, and pinching hazard. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that various warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the battery cables replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic sign, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with Vehicle Control Module (VCM) failure. The contact was informed that the VCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that 'hood open" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact inspected the hood and confirmed that the hood was securely locked. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
I purchased my vehicle in January 2022. On 11/18/22 I captured a photo across my dash stating that the trailer brake system needed to be serviced (photo attached) . This was the second time this message appeared within days. The vehicle continued to beep and flash for a long period of time clearing out my dash screen making it UNSAFE TO DRIVE. The beeping noise startled me, almost causing an accident on the freeway. I did not know what the warning meant as I wasn't towing a trailer. I wasn't towing anything and could not turn off the beeping sound or the flashing screen, in spite of hitting the dismiss button. I don't know why the message continued to go on and assuming there is an electrical shortage somewhere with the wiring. This needs to be recalled and fixed as it is a manufacturer issue. I do not have any aftermarket parts installed in this vehicle. …
Infotainment System will change stations, stop navigation / change navigation destination, stop / start playing on its own. Examples of recent issues: 1) While driving from southeastern Ohio to West Lafayette, IN, the navigation system (Apple play through the infotainment system) stopped navigation to entered destination and changed destination to home. This occurred while in Indianapolis and caused us to reroute until we noticed the issue. 2) While playing music from bluetooth, the Infotainment system changed from media play to radio play. The change in volume and music caused me to swerve suddenly while in downtown traffic. 3) The radio changed stations continuously for 5 minutes, changing screens and stations for 5 minutes until I finally shut it off. These are just a couple of the examples. Something happens every time I am in the vehicle, the extent varies. …
Electrical complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 54 complaints about the electrical system of the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, 15% of the model year's 355 complaints. The component named most often is integrated trailer brake control (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.