Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 GMC Sierra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I purchase this vehicle nov. 2013, and ever since I notice that the headlight on this vehicle do not light the road properly, whether you have them in low or high beam. The distance of the low and high beam appear to be the same (at times it seems the highs) are aiming skyward. Not to long ago I almost ran over a woman and a child who were crossing a street over to my left when I was attempting to make a left turn (this was a dark area). Luckily I was going slow when I was making the turn and was able to see them when the headlights hit them and came into view. By this statement I am trying to point out that there no lighting to either side of the vehicle, I am sure (positive) that if I would have been making a right turn an accident would have happen. Are there any recalls regarding this problem? If not, I think there should one. …
The vehicles headlights are dangerously ineffective. They rarely illuminate the distance between 2 telephone poles. The ineffectiveness of the headlights is amplified on hills or on any turn. The during the transition from decline to incline, you sometimes have barely a trucks length of illumination. Any corner on a dark road requires a severe decrease in travel speed to avoid over driving the lights. I have never driven a vehicle that made me feel more apprehensive to get behind the wheel after dark. I visited the dealer who executed a TSB that increased headlight voltage and replaced the bulbs. It made a negligible improvement and left the vehicle still unsafe at night. I frequently travel on rural roads with no street lights. I have almost hit wildlife too many times to count due to the poor visibility caused by these dangerous headlights. …
The headlights on this truck provide inadequate lighting, including both low beams and high beams. Any night driving is difficult due to limited visibility, there simply is not enough illumination to see. Can be very dangerous - especially at speeds above 35 MPH or during precipitation. The headlight has a severe design flaw with gms approach at a shutter system. This type of design does not leave any options for simply changing the type of bulb - the design is actually at fault for the poor visibility. The visibility problems simply cannot be fixed with a different bulb type due to the shutter design type. Many complaints are being registered online related to the visibility problem. These trucks are not safe to drive at night. …
I bought my 2014 GMC Sierra brand new in dec 2014 and had it back to the dealer within 3 weeks because I was sure there was a defect with the headlights ! You can only see maybe 30 feet in front of you and nothing if you make any turn on a dark road with no streetlights ! The mechanic at the dealership said there was no problem with the lights and they meet all general motors specifications ...I have read many many complaints from other 2014 GMC Sierra owners with this same complaint so I know its not my imagination or a problem with my eyesight !! I sure hope that GMC doesn't wait for fatalities or a class action lawsuit before addressing and correcting this problem , I have been a loyal GMC consumer for 45 years but this obvious problem with the lighting and GMC's refusal to acknowledge that there is a design defect I can say this is the last GMC vehicle I will ever purchase . …
The headlight output at night, particularly in rural back road areas is less than adequate. Poor really. I originally had moisture issues in both headlamp housings, had both headlamp housings replaced and the lighting seemed to be better, however not very much. The headlights seem to have dark spots in them and only light up certain parts of the road in front of me, and never much to the side of the roadway. I feel this is by far the worst lighting output of any vehicle I have ever owned, and actually feel a little unsafe driving at night. I most definitely cannot travel at higher speeds during the night as I feel like I cannot see nearly good enough. I have simply "dealt" with the issue since buying the truck in December 2013, thinking there was no fix to it and the dealership said they have not heard of this issue before.
Headlights on this vehicle are terrible. Very poor illumination for night driving.there should be a safety recall for these headlights, pickup is dangerous to drive at night.headlights light up road about 50-60 feet and offer very poor side vision.high beams are useless and shine up in the trees and not on the road.vehicle has projectors with only a flapper to change high/low beam.ihave been driving for 40 years and have never driven a vehicle with this poor headlight design. I cannot believe headlight passed photometric design certification (maybe they did not) I have complained to GMC but they say headlights are working as designed. Headlight assemblies were replaced once and adjusted several times by dealer.still no remedy to the problem.
No accident. (yet) head lights are pathetic. Range of vision at night is totally unacceptable. There is no diffusion of light. Only light is on a straight horizontal line. Causes a very tense driving situation on any dark road. The lighting on the periphery is virtually non-existent but marginally improved if fog lights are left on all the time. Many complaints have already been filed. Cannot understand why GMC has not been compelled to have a recall to come up with a real solution. It does not appear to be a question of adjusting the current lighting arrangement. This should be a priority recall. Dangerous to drive vehicle at night.
The headlamps are totally inadequate for night driving thus producing a very significant safety issue . There is zero lighting on both sides on low beam and very poor down road vision on highbeam. There are many complaints on line and they are all with the same issues. It has to do with the cheap one bulb lens system with a shutter on the lens. Have complained to dealer who acknowledged there is a problem and to GM who refuses to acknowledge there is a problem . GM response to me was the lamps work as designed and I responded that is exactly the problem, the design which produces very dangerous driving conditions.
Today for the first time I drove my 2014 Sierra texas edition in the rain at night.... Wow>>>>> I had to stop and wait for the rain downpour to let out so I could see where I was going. Not good. Driving at night is very stressfull and eye straining to the point of taking headache medications once you are done driving. Any wayt to fix this extremely dangerous problem? This should be considered a safety hazard to drivers and any others on the road. This issue needs to be addressed and resolved asap. And GM still says there is nothing wrong. So why are they changing the desing on the 2016's trucks
I purchased 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 on October 20th 2014 at this time it has 1700 miles on it. The first time of maybe 3 times that I drove the vehicle at night I was discouraged with the headlights. I could barely see the roadway and I commented to my fiance that they were terrible and that I was afraid I would hit something. I happened to look for recalls on the internet and noticed that there are many complaints regarding this issue. I am shocked that there has not been anything to correct the problem. I am hesitant to drive it at night. Something needs to be done before someone gets seriously injured.
Headlight complaints in other Sierra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2014 GMC Sierra?
NHTSA has 64 complaints about the lights of the 2014 GMC Sierra, 56% of the model year's 115 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 GMC Sierra headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2014 GMC Sierra, though it has 11 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 2014 GMC Sierra headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 96% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to lights 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.