Most common 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 problems
Share of the 59 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra 2500 complaints by model year
Best Sierra 2500 years: 2012, 2014, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2020, 2021, 2022. Compare all years →
2016 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls (6)
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2026.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 Crew Cab Special Service, Tahoe Police Pursuit/Special Service, GMC Sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the nut and reinstall the nut with increased tightness, free of charge. The recall began October 3, 2018.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
Seat belts › Pretensioner
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 1, 2013, to February 1, 2016, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) manufactured March 1, 2014, to February 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the brake pedal pivot nut and reinstall with an increased torque, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016.
What 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 owners say
Steering
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed four years ago, the steering wheel became significantly loose, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal and veered to the side of the road. The contact then continued to drive at slower speed and away from other vehicles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired under Technical Service Bulletin Number: PIT 5501F; however, after the repair, the front-end of the vehicle and the steering wheel would wobble while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel failure reoccurred several months ago while driving. …
While driving down the road pulling a trailer The steering wheel started to get sloppy it got up to 3 to 4 inches of play in the steering wheel before the wheels return either way The adjustment screw locking nut and clip all came loose and backed out and caused a slap in the steering gearbox The truck became unsafe to drive I had to park the truck until the parts were ordered and the whole gearbox had to be replaced at a cost of over $1500. GM has service bulletins out there on this problem they all came from one assembly factory but they said they would not repair the truck it was under my expense
Fuel & propulsion system
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled inadvertently, almost causing a crash. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she was able to veer to the side of the road by dodging traffic. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump had exploded and projected metal fragments throughout the high-pressure fuel system. The vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a partial reimbursement would be made. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
While Pulling 35' 5th Wheel down freeway, a message appeared in instrument panel telling me the fuel filter was at 0 percent and was going into low power mode. There happend to be an offramp there that I was able to get off the freeway. While making the turn on the offramp the truck died. I pulled over as far as i could whie coasting with no power steering or brakes, leaving truck & trailer partially blocking the offramp. Unable to start the vehicle, I Immediatly contacted Onstar and they dispatched the CHP & tow truck. When CHP arrived he asked when tow truck would be there. Without being able to confirm exactly, and due to safety concerns because of blocking the offramp, he called his own tow truck (Rons Towing) and forced me to move vehicle to safe location. …
Brakes
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed four years ago, the steering wheel became significantly loose, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal and veered to the side of the road. The contact then continued to drive at slower speed and away from other vehicles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired under Technical Service Bulletin Number: PIT 5501F; however, after the repair, the front-end of the vehicle and the steering wheel would wobble while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel failure reoccurred several months ago while driving. …
I keep getting a warning message "service trailer brake system". The warning may come on for a second or it may stay on for 10 to 15 minutes. It may do it once a month or 10 times in a 2 minute period. Whenever this happens I lose the electrical braking system on what I am towing. There is no set pattern or circumstance for when or how long it will happen. I was told if the alert is not on there is not a way to diagnose the problem and since I never know when it will happen I cannot schedule any type of diagnostic service. It does seem to happen more often when it is raining but has happened in perfect weather too. The warning has occurred both when I am towing and when I am not. I've done searches for possible causes and it seems to be a common problem. I regularly tow a 12,000 lb. fifth wheel RV with my family. I cannot afford to lose my ability to stop in a reasonable amount of time. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 a good car?
Based on 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Sierra 2500 rates use caution: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sierra 2500 at the same age. It is one of the Sierra 2500 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 GMC Sierra 2500?
The steering — 14 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (12) and brakes (10).
How many recalls does the 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2016 GMC Sierra 2500, the most recent from September 24, 2026 (inflator). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Sierra 2500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2014 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2020, 2021 and 2022. See the full GMC Sierra 2500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 30,000 miles; 74% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.