Most common 2016 GMC Sierra problems
Share of the 36 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 →
2016 GMC Sierra recalls (2)
Electrical system › Software
Genera Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, Malibu, Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles. The radio may intermittently fail to provide an audio warning when the key has been left in the ignition and the door is opened or when the driver does not fasten their seat belt.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at…
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pick up trucks manufactured October 13, 2015, to October 14, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the mounting stud used to secure the air bag sensing and diagnostic Module (SDM) may be incorrectly positioned, and as a result, the SDM…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will have the mounting stud repositioned and the SDM replaced, free of charge. The recall began December 2, 2015.
What 2016 GMC Sierra owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
Brake failure issue at low speed. This happened in two separate occurrences in parking lots. The brake pedal became very still and required grabbing the steering wheel and using it to pull myself down harder on the brake pedal to get the vehicle to stop. This resulted in greatly increased stopping distance. Fortunately no vehicles or people were in my path during these occurrences. GM has since repaired my vehicle. I have since received a notice that they are repairing this issue only after the owner has a brake failure problem. This is extremely unsafe and is unacceptable. Owners need a solution and do not need to worry that this issue will arise again. If I hit a person or a vehicle, will GM pay for medical bills, vehicle repairs, legal fees? This truck as well as my last 2009 Chevrolet silverado had issues with the drive train that GM classified as normal. …
8 speed transmission bucks, hesitates, lurches forward, clunks, while startung acceleration or coming to a stop. I try to keep a big gap between my truck and cars in front of me at stop signs because it randomly lurches forward and I almost have bumped cars in front of me. I have had the truck into the dealer so manu times to fix the vibration issues as well, they said 3 tires that came in the brand new truck were defective so I had to replace them all and the shake is still there, the balanced, rebalanced, road force balance and nothing works. Last time at the dealer said it is probably the tires, he said dont rotate them again and when they wear out he will put me in a 'better' tire. I am past my warranty so the dealer says any costs are my responsibilitt, if the NHTSA could please step in to assist us to make GM fic theae vehicles which are a safety hazard.
Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra denali. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being reversed at under 5 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to operate as intended. The contact crashed into a tree which caused damage to the passenger's side door, fender and side mirror. There was no injuries. The vehicle was taken to van buren Buick GMC located at 2257 jericho turnpike, garden city park, ny 11040, [phone], to be diagnosed which was still pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
Brake failure issue at low speed. This happened in two separate occurrences in parking lots. The brake pedal became very still and required grabbing the steering wheel and using it to pull myself down harder on the brake pedal to get the vehicle to stop. This resulted in greatly increased stopping distance. Fortunately no vehicles or people were in my path during these occurrences. GM has since repaired my vehicle. I have since received a notice that they are repairing this issue only after the owner has a brake failure problem. This is extremely unsafe and is unacceptable. Owners need a solution and do not need to worry that this issue will arise again. If I hit a person or a vehicle, will GM pay for medical bills, vehicle repairs, legal fees? This truck as well as my last 2009 Chevrolet silverado had issues with the drive train that GM classified as normal. …
Steering
While driving my truck, it has had 3 alerts on dash for "service stabilitrak, power steering use caution and trailer brake." vehicle gauges all drop to zero while operating vehicle and go on and off. The vehicle when this occurs also disengages from gear, vehicle is an automatic. Then engine revs up when it slips out of gear and generally goes back in gear as gauges come back on. The power steering seems to also lose some power. When this occurs, if you depress the gas pedal, you do not get any more power. This is technically the 6th occurrence. It has been back to dealer (griffin GMC of monroe, nc) and computer codes were cleared and nothing reported ie...technically found that would cause this issue per the dealership as unable to re-produce the cause. …
The vehicle has excessive steering play. It is dangerous to drive in icy conditions and can be noticed driving the vehicle straight under all driving conditions on dry or icy pavement. I took it to the dealer and they performed service bulletin work at my expense to fix the problem. The service bulletin and rework involved tightening the steering box backlash screw. The problem was not fixed and still exists. This is a known problem, but my vehicle was not included on the recall list to fix the issue. In order to fix the issue, the pitman arm shaft needs to be replaced with an updated version GM pn 84240812 if the steering play cannot be adjusted out. This is the case with my vehicle and the part was not replaced.
2016 GMC Sierra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl hybrid | 8-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 | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl hybrid | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 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 2016 GMC Sierra a good car?
Based on 36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Sierra rates better than average: 64% 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 2016 GMC Sierra?
The transmission & drivetrain — 9 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (8) and steering (7).
How many recalls does the 2016 GMC Sierra have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2016 GMC Sierra, the most recent from February 11, 2016 (software). 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 2016 GMC Sierra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 48,000 miles; 54% 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.