Most common 2015 GMC Sierra problems
Share of the 75 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra complaints by model year
Best Sierra years: 2020, 2018, 2009. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 1995, 1996, 1997. Compare all years →
2015 GMC Sierra recalls (6)
Electrical system › Ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks manufactured January 24, 2014, to February 26, 2014, 2015 Chevrolet Suburban vehicles manufactured February 12, 2014 and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles manufactured February 6, 2014, to February 13, 2014.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2015.
Power train › Axle assembly › Axle shaft
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles manufactured November 24, 2014, to November 25, 2014. Due to an improper heat-treatment, the rear axle shaft may fracture while the vehicle is being driven.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axles, and replace any that were improperly heat-treated, free of charge. The recall began on December 17,2014.
Steering › Electric power assist system
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra, and Yukon XL vehicles, equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Due to a problem with the EPS module, the affected vehicles may experience a sudden loss of power steering assist during vehicle operation.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering assist motor kit, free of charge. The recall began on November 17, 2014.
Seats
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014.
Power train › Transfer case (4-wheel drive)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles, and model year 2015 GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, an electrical signal short may cause the transfer case to shift to neutral without the driver's input.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will re-program the software in the transfer case control module, free of charge. The recall began in early August 2014.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
General Motors is recalling certain 2014 model year Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, and 2015 model year Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Silverado HD; and GMC Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL, equipped with a 4.3L engine or 5.3L engine.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the engine control module, free of charge. The recall began on January 16, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC at 1-800-462-8782.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2015 GMC Sierra:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2015 GMC Sierra owners say
Lights all 30 →
The projection style headlights do not illuminate the roadway sufficiently enough at night to travel more than 30 MPH. While traveling on rural and mountain roads you cannot see far enough to see obstructions, wildlife or pedestrians at night. The horizontal cutoff line of the lights on low beam does not allow you to see the tops of small rises in the roadway as close as 30 feet away. With this style of projection lighting there is no spillage of light above established light shade cover setting on low beams. It is completely dark above this line with low beams selected. This does not give the driver a chance to see objects in the roadway at a safe distance to allow for safe braking or avoidance. The high beam setting is pitifully weak in intensity. I must strain to see out at the distance necessary to stop at highway speeds. …
Vehicle low beam head lights have very poor coverage and brightness. When driving at night. They barely light the road in front of the vehicle and coverage side to side is very weak. Additionally when it is raining out, it is like driving with no headlights on at all. To have better head lights I would have had to buy special lighting option available only on a higher-up model of GMC Sierra truck. All models of GMC Sierra 2015 trucks should have adequate headlights without having to buy the top/ more expensive model to get them. GMC should be required to recall all GMC Sierra 2015 trucks and refit them with adequate lighting before bad accidents occur as a result of this deficiency. I have never experienced such poor lighting with a vehicle driving at night or in rain. It is unacceptable on a new GMC truck.
Transmission & drivetrain
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali. The contact stated that while shifting the vehicle from park(P) to drive(D), the vehicle hesitated and then jerked into gear. The contact stated that the entire vehicle was shaking when it jerked into gear. The contact stated that the failure was also occurred while shifting the vehicle into reverse(R). Additionally, the failure occurred while slowing down for a traffic signal. The contact stated that the failure was a constant. The contact stated she had not noticed any warning lights during the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who advised the contact that there were no open recalls for the transmission on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* 2015 GMC Sierra. While the vehicle was parked, it began to coast backwards and collided into the side of a building without warning. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. After the crash, the gear shifter remained in park. The vehicle was not diagnosed, but was currently being repaired for damages sustained from the crash. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V374000 (power train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. The consumer who wrote in, works at the car wash. An employee at the car wash, drove the vehicle out of the car wash and place the vehicle in park to have the detail work completed. The vehicle was left while another vehicle was retrieved from the conveyor belt. The GMC rolled back and crashed into the car wash building. …
Brakes
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated her husband was driving when the vehicle in front of them applied the brakes unexpectedly, the driver depressed the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle due to the brake pedal being resistant/ rigid causing the vehicle to rear-end the other vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The driver was able to continue driving to their destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had to be replaced. The dealer replaced the vacuum pump back in October of 2022. The vehicle was repaired but the second vacuum pump was also defective and the dealer replaced it on-site for a third time. The vehicle was repaired. …
4 months ago the display portrayed a message stating, trailer brake warning, have system checked. Since that time I have attempted on numerous to have my vehicle checked. But as of this date I have not been to have any dealership look at my vehicle. I have been told by dealership that the vehicle computer shows a history but no current error codes, and they can not work on vehicle until it has current codes. So I have a truck that is designed to tow cargo/vehicle but I am not able to use my truck for that purpose because of this warning message. I have contacted dealerships, customer service with GMC and even filed a complaint with tennessee dept of consumer affairs, but no one wants to help with my problem. I have noticed on the internet that I am not the only one with this issue. Dangerous situation should someone use vehicle towing. …
2015 GMC Sierra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2015 GMC Sierra a good car?
Based on 75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2015 Sierra rates average: 30% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Sierra at the same age. 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 2015 GMC Sierra?
The lights — 30 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (11) and brakes (10).
How many recalls does the 2015 GMC Sierra have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2015 GMC Sierra, the most recent from October 9, 2015 (ignition). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2018 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 1995, 1996 and 1997. See the full GMC Sierra years comparison.
At what mileage do 2015 GMC Sierra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 8,000 miles; 76% 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.