Most common 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 problems
Share of the 36 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra 3500 complaints by model year
Best Sierra 3500 years: 2012, 2014, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2020, 2023, 2025, 2022. Compare all years →
2001 GMC Sierra 3500 recalls (2)
Equipment adaptive/mobility
On certain vans equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok will handle the repairs for this campaign.
Interior lighting
Vehicle description: certain pickup trucks equipped with 6.6l diesel engines fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems." these vehicles have a brake system warning light in the instrument cluster that May not illuminate when the brake fluid is low.
Remedy: Dealers will change the location of a wire connection in the underhood bussed electrical center. Owner notification began July 9, 2001.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500:
Hydraulic pump shaft failures
The preliminary evaulation is being upgraded.during the ea odi will limitits investigation to only those vehicles equipped with a hydro-boost system, which provides power assist to the braking and steering sytems.vaccuum brake booster vehicles are excluded.odi hasexpanded the scope of the ea to include model years2003 and 2004, asduring the pe, odi learned that the hydroboast pumps were modified in febraury…
Crank position sensor failure - stall
In a letter dated November 7, 2007, general motors (GM) reported to the office of defects investigation (odi) that it will conduct a safety recall (07v-521) to replace the crank position sensor (ckp) in approximately 12,000 model year (my) 2001 Chevrolet silverado and GMC sierra vehicles equipped with 8.1 liter engines manufactured on or before November 15, 2000.according to GM, the ckp can fail intermittently or…
What 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 owners say
Brakes
I was involved in a crash where I think the brakes on my 2001 GMC Sierra failed to stop my vehicle in time. I rear-ended a pickup truck, which hit a Toyota, which then hit a Jeep. I know there has been a recall on ABS front wheel speed sensors, yet my VIN was not included in the recall. NHTSA should force GM to recall all trucks, regardeless of location, and have the ABS system properly fixed (not just clean the sensors!!).
I almost ran into another car because the other driver stopped suddenly and I had to pump the brakes over and over to stop when the rusted line broke. I was on a city street driving speed limit and was lucky to be able to stop. I was towing my trailer last week and almost lost the trailer because the entire underbody is rusted. I have had several trucks and never have seen this happen. It was a scary situation in both cases.
Fuel & propulsion system
Injector failures on 2001 GMC duramax 6.6 diesel engine. Injectors failed and replaced under warranty at 167,000 miles, failed again at 197,000 miles and replaced under warranty. G m customer service said they would replace them under warranty if they failed again in such a short period of time. Injectors failed at 234,000 miles and GM customer service renigged on their word. Many others have had failures in 30,000 to 40,000 miles. They are replacing parts with remanufactured parts and they are not lasting. GM dealers are charging $3600.00 to $4,500.00 to replace these injectors out of warranty. It is plain that they know that there is a problem with the injectors when they extended the warranty on injectors from 100,000 to 200,000 miles or seven years. They get away with this because most people do not drive their vehicles that much in seven years. …
Tl contact owns a 2001 GMC Sierra 3500. Intermittently, when the vehicle is driven at any rate of speed, it shuts off without warning. The contact must wait up to 20 minutes to restart the vehicle. The fuel pump was replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer at least four times for this failure. The fuel filter was changed on one occasion, but the failure could not be duplicated for the other three. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 07V521000 (engine and engine cooling). The current mileage was 115,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine & cooling
My 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 with a 8.1l v8 engine stalled while on the freeway. It would not restart until a "cool" down period. This problem surfaced as not being able to start the engine after it had run and then set for 30 - 60 minutes and would not start until several attempts were made to start it. This has been an ongoing problem for the last year and has progressed to the stall on the freeway. I was finally able to get an engine failure code from the vehicle listed as crankshaft position sensor failure. Upon doing some research I found the recall from GMC (06083 -- crankshaft position sensor engine stall) and called the dealer which informed me that my VIN was not covered under the recall. I then called GMC's customer service and explained that I'm having the exact problems listed on the exact vehicle with the exact engine listed. …
About April of 2005 my truck started shutting off while I was driving down the road. At this time it would restart automatically with no other problems. Took it in to the Chevrolet dealership and they stated that the truck was missing a stall code and that they had updated it. In September it started to do it all over again, I had asked some mechanics I know about the problem and they said it sounded like an ignition problem. We started checking all ignition connections, fuses, grounds etc. It stopped for about a month and started doing it again. It has gotten to the point were it will shut off three and four times per trip. While myself and two other passengers were working in lugoff sc it shut off on us in the middle of a busy highway, nearly causing a major accident. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 a good car?
Based on 36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Sierra 3500 rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sierra 3500 at the same age. It is one of the Sierra 3500 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 2001 GMC Sierra 3500?
The brakes — 16 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (8) and engine & cooling (8).
How many recalls does the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2001 GMC Sierra 3500, the most recent from November 26, 2004 (equipment adaptive/mobility). 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 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2014 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2020, 2023, 2025 and 2022. See the full GMC Sierra 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 GMC Sierra 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 66,000 miles; 33% 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.