Complaint volume
290 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 GMC Sierra Complaints
290 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 GMC Sierra, grouped by component category.
290 Total complaints
10 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
5 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are power train, engine, service brakes. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 10 crash reports, 1 fire report, 5 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 121 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 45,272 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, engine, service brakes?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 GMC Sierra?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 GMC Sierra
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 GMC Sierra complaints?
10 Crash
1 Fire
5 Injury
0 Fatality
12 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 GMC Sierra complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 85
ENGINE 30
SERVICE BRAKES 15
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 10
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 10
STEERING 10
AIR BAGS 6
SEAT BELTS 4
290 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | EQUIPMENT | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT COOL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE KING CADILLAC DEALER, LOCATED AT: 1700 W EVANS ST, FLORENCE, SC 29501 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CONDENSER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Aug 2020 | SERVICE BRAKES | I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A BRAKE PROBLEM ON MY TRUCK. THE RECALL GAVE A LOCATION TO TAKE MY TRUCK FOR SERVICE. WHEN I CONTACTED THAT DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS A CANADIAN TRUCK AND THEY COULDN'T PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. SO I CALLED THE GM HOT LINE THEY SAID I HAD TO TAKE IT TO CANADA FOR THE REPAIR AND THAT WAS THE ONLY OPTION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 23,000 |
| Jul 2020 | SUSPENSION | WHEN DRIVING THE TRUCK STARTS TO RATTLE AS IS I WAS DRIVING ON A BUMPY ROAD. IT IS NOT CONTINUOUSLY BUT ID HAPPENS OFTEN | Crash: No Fire: No | 39,000 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN | I HAVE BEEN NOTICING A SHUDDER AND HARD SHIFTING INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 30-60MPH AND I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT DUPLICAT THE ISSUES SO I TAKE IT BACK AND IT STARTED DOING IT MORE. I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE SHOP AGAIN AND YET AGAIN THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. NO HERE I AM AT 17K MILES ON IS STILL DOING IT AND SHIFTTING HARD AND NOW THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE. I TALKED TO THE DEALER SHIP AND THEY SAID ITS UNDER WARRANY STILL JUST DRIVE IT TELL IT GET WORSE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN | WHILE UNDER POWER AND DRIVING, THE TRUCK EXPERIENCES NOTICEABLE VIBRATIONS THAT SEEM TO COME FROM THE DRIVETRAIN. | Crash: No Fire: No | 32,000 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS INOPERABLE, CAUSING VISIBILITY ISSUES WHILE DRIVING. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM WAS INOPERABLE. MCCONNELL AUTOMOTIVE (3150 DAUPHIN ST, MOBILE, AL 36606, (251)476-4141) WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO A RECALL. THE DEALER PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE OF $1,191 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 50,724. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,724 |
| Jun 2020 | POWER TRAIN | PURCHASED VEHICLE BRAND NEW FROM DEALERSHIP AND FROM DAY ONE, I NOTICE THE POWER TRAIN SLOW TO SHIFTING FROM GEAR ONE TO TWO. THE VEHICLE HESITATES AND SOMETIMES SHIFTS HARD ONLY DURING COLD STARTS. EVERY TIME I TAKE IT IN FOR MY SCHEDULE SERVICE I REPORT THE SAME ISSUE TO MY SERVICE ADVISOR ALONG WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE GMC DEALERSHIP. THEY SAY THAT IT IS A NORMAL PROBLEM AND THEY KNOW ABOUT IT. THE LAST SCHEDULE SERVICE I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, THIS TIME HIS SERVICE TECH TEST DROVE VEHICLE AND SAID TORQUE CONVERTER WAS SHUDDERING CAUSING VIBRATION. THE SOLUTION HE SAID THEY CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. TODAY I STILL NOTICE THE SAME ISSUE AND WILL REPORT TO THE DEALERSHIP NEXT TIME I TAKE IN FOR SERVICE. I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FROM THE MANUFACTURE SINCE PUTTING IN AN 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SOME DAY I MAY FEEL THAT THE TRANSMISSION MAY LOCK UP ON ME AND MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 850 |
| Jun 2020 | POWER TRAIN | WHEN TRUCK IS IN MOTION SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO FIRST/SECOND GEAR IT JUMPS FORWARD INTO GEAR. THERE IS A HESITATION SHIFTING INTO GEAR. IT IS A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE DEALER BUT 3 DIFFERENT TIMES. THE KNOW THE PROBLEM AS DOES GMC. THEY ACTUALLY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL GMC SENDS OUT A TECHNICAL BULLETIN. THERE HAS BEEN AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS. I UNDERSTAND GMC IS HESITANT BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AND OR TORQUE CONVERTER WHICH WOULD NATURALLY COST A LOT OF MONEY. BUT ALSO I UNDERSTAND CHANGING TO A DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION FLUID WILL HELP. BUT DEALER WILL NOT DO IT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW AND I ONLY HAVE 5700 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOT HAD ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS. BUT CONCERNS ME WITH THE HESITATION AND JUMPING IN TO GEAR. ALSO IT DOES NOT DO IT EVERY SINGLE TIME. DEPENDS ON YOUR TAKE OFF SPEED. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 500 |
| Jun 2020 | POWER TRAIN | I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW FROM DAY ONE I NOTICED THE TRUCK WAS JERKING BETWEEN 2ND GEAR AND THIRD. ONLY WHEN COLD I FIGURED IT WAS NORMAL. I HAVE 11,000 MILES NOW AND THE JERKING IS WORSE AND DOES IT WHEN I HOLD A SPEED BETWEEN 45MPH AND 50MPH ALSO. WHEN I AM COMING TO A STOP IT HIT HARD INTO 1ST GEAR AND WHEN I TAKE OFF IT HITS HARD INTO 2ND GEAR. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 11,000 |
| May 2020 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | CONDENSER ON AC LEAKING AT SAME LOCATION AS THE 2014-2017 MY. WARRANTY WAS OUT DUE TO MILEAGE BUT TRUCK IS ONLY 2 YEARS 3 MONTHS OLD. BLOWING WARM AIR WHEN AC WAS TURNED ON. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 59,000 |
| Apr 2020 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | A/C STOPS WORKING 2.) MECHANIC DOES VACUUM TEST AND REPLACES REFRIGERANT ($200) FREON 3.) A/C IS BLOWING HOT AIR AGAIN AFTER 3 DAYS; REFRIGERANT COMPLETELY GONE 4.) MECHANIC RUNS DYE THROUGH LINES TO FIND THE LEAK, REPLACES REFRIGERANT AGAIN AND STATES THE PROBLEM IS COMPRESSOR FAILURE ($200) AGAIN 5.) THE OVERALL FIX WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR ($1,000) BUT THERE ARE NO COMPRESSORS TO BE FOUND, THE PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER BECAUSE OF THE WIDESPREAD PROBLEM." LEFT SIDE OF WHEEL MAKING ALOUD NOISE WHEN BACKUP , IT IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING RACK TANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT FROM 30-15 MAKE A PUSH EFFECT AND COUCHING NOISE | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,750 |
| Apr 2020 | POWER TRAIN | THE FRONT END OF MY TRUCK HAS AN VERY NOTICEABLE INTERMITTENT RUMBLE AND SHAKE WHEN I'M HOLDING STEADY AROUND 1200 RPM AND 45 MPH. MY RPM GAUGE WILL SURGE ABOUT 50-100 RPMS WHEN IT RUMBLES. IF I SPEED UP OR SLOW DOWN IT GOES AWAY. MY WHEELS AND TIRES ARE BALANCE SO THAT NOT THE ISSUE AND MY DRIVE IS SMOOTH OTHERWISE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2020 | SEAT BELTS | THE BACK MIDDLE SEATBELT BROKE SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Mar 2020 | POWER TRAIN | I HAVE A 2018 GMC SIERRA DENALI, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD, USUALLY FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, THE TRUCK STARTS OUT IN FIRST GEAR AND THEN FEELS LIKE IT LACKS POWER OR TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND THEN BANGS INTO 2ND GEAR.THE MORE I DROVE THE TRUCK THE WORSE IT GOT. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THERE IS A VIBRATION WITHIN THE TRUCK. THE FASTER YOU GO THE MORE OF A VIBRATION YOU FEEL. DURING THE VIBRATION THE STEERING WHEEL IS NOT SHAKING AND WHEN YOU LET GO OF THE WHEEL THE TRUCK STAYS STRAIGHT, SO IT'S NOT THE FRONT END. TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, PELLEGRINO GMC, WHICH IS A 30 MINUTE DRIVE AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS. THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS ADVISED PRIOR TO MY APPOINTMENT, THAT THE BANGING INTO GEAR ONLY HAPPENS WHEN ITS IS COLD. HE ADVISED ME THAT WHAT I WAS FEELING WAS A NORMAL SHIFT FOR MY TRUCK. I ADVISED HIM ABOUT THE SERVICE BULLETINS AND HE STATED THAT IT DIDN'T PERTAIN TO MY TRUCK.THE MECHANIC TEST DROVE MY VEHICLE FOR 13 MILES AND DIDN'T FEEL THE VIBRATION. HE CHECKED THE ENGINE CODES AND FOUND NONE. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND IT HAS 6000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,000 |
| Feb 2020 | POWER TRAIN | JUMPS INTO GEAR HARD FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR UNDER 25 MPH VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ON ICY ROADS AND ALSO DOWN SHIFTING COMING DOWN FROM A HILL RPM'S STAY HIGH EVEN THOUGH YOU AREN'T GOING VERY FAST LESS THEN 17000 MILES ON IT HAD IT TOO THE DEALER NOTHING THEY CAN DO JUST DOCUMENT IT | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,700 |
| Feb 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | MY TRUCK LOCKED ITSELF WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING WHEN I WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. ALSO HAVE HAD THE BACK DRIVER SIDE WINDOW ROLL ITSELF DOWN PART WAYS WITHOUT ME INITIATING IT. ANOTHER OCCASION I PUT THE TRUCK IN GEAR TO DRIVE POSITION AND THE BRAKE OR SOMETHING HAD IT LOCKED PREVENTING ME FROM MOVING EITHER DIRECTION IE; DRIVE OR REVERSE. WAS THEN PARKED IN HOME GARAGE AND ATTEMPTING TO BACK OUT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Jan 2020 | SERVICE BRAKES | DEALER COMPLETED BRAKE SYSTEM RECALL ON 10-04-2019 N 192268490, NOW I READ ABOUT THE RECALL REPAIR MAY HAVE NOT FIXED PROBLEM, REQUEST ASSURANCE THAT PROBLEM IS FIXED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20,305 |
| Jan 2020 | STEERING | VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING AND VEHICLE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT EXTREME EFFORT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,500 |
| Jan 2020 | POWER TRAIN | TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR WHEN IN MOTION. IT ALSO HAS A VIOLENT SHUDDER WHEN IT IS TRYING TO SELECT A DIFFERENT GEAR, MOST APPARENT AROUND 35MPH. IF BRAKE ISN'T PRESSED HARD ENOUGH, SHIFTING OUT OF PARK COULD CAUSE VEHICLE TO RUN INTO SOMETHING DUE TO THE HARD SHIFT WHEN STATIONARY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,500 |
| Dec 2019 | POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,WHEELS | I OWN A GMC SIERRA WHICH IS 14 MONTHS OLD, PURCHASED IN DUBAI UAE FROM ALGHANDI AUTO. THE LAST SERVICE FOR 40000 KMS WAS DONE ON AUGUST 8TH, 2019 AND NO PROBLEM WAS HIGHLIGHTED EXCEPT THE BATTERY THAT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED. ON FRIDAY EARLY MORNING (SEP 27, 2019), WE HAVE ESCAPED A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD ON ACCOUNT OF THE FRONT WHEEL AXLE THAT JUST BROKE/CAME APART WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE, SUBSEQUENTLY SKIDDING TO THE RIGHT CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE SUSPENSION AND MANY OTHER PARTS IN THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED EVEN DEATH OF MY SON WHO WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE AN IMMEDIATE CALL FROM YOUR OFFICE TO RESOLVE THIS AS I AM NO LONGER INTERESTED IN DRIVING THIS CAR THAT CAN COST ME & MY FAMILY OUR LIVES. THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY AS I WOULD OTHERWISE BE IN THE PROCESS OF SEEKING LEGAL ADVICE AGAINST GMC. *JB | Crash: No Fire: No | 29,562 |
| Dec 2019 | WHEELS | THE FACTORY WHEELS DO NOT GRIP THE ROAD. THIS WAS FROM DAY 1 OF GETTING IT BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER. THIS HAS LED TO SPINNING THE TIRES, FISHTAILING, AND SLIDING WHILE BRAKING. THIS HAPPENS WITH EVEN MODERATE AMOUNTS OF PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL OR BRAKING WELL AHEAD OF A SLOW DOWN OR STOP IN TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF YOU. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND TAKES AWAY THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO MANEUVER AS WE SHOULD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,000 |
| Nov 2019 | POWER TRAIN | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEARS, SWITCHING FROM V8 TO V4. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CLASSIC BUICK GMC ARLINGTON (1400 E INTERSTATE 20, ARLINGTON, TX 76018, (817) 264-7782), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 48,000 |
| Nov 2019 | POWER TRAIN | THE TRUCK SHIFTS VERY HARD - FROM WHAT I'VE READ ONLINE, GM KNOWS OF THE ISSUE BUT WILL NOT "FIX" THE ISSUE -- ONLY 26K MILES ON THE TRUCK | Crash: No Fire: No | 26,000 |
| Nov 2019 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHEN THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A HANDICAP SIGN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BILL KAY CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 601 OGDEN AVE, LISLE, IL 60532, (630) 968-2900) TO BE DIAGNOSED DUE TO HARD SHIFTING. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A TRANSMISSION RE-LEARN OF THE SOFTWARE WAS NEEDED TO CORRECT THE HARD SHIFTING; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND DECLINED TO ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Nov 2019 | POWER TRAIN | I EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION TO SIFT UP OR DOWN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BETWEEN 11/01/2019 AND 11/11/2019. ON 11/08/2019 I WAS MONITORING THE TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE, AND WHEN THE TRANSMISSION TEMP REACHED 164 DEG, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD STOP SHIFTING PROPERLY AT 25 TO 30 MPH, AND THE TRANS TEMP WOULD JUMP TO 192+ DEG. TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SLIP AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. RPMS JUMPED TO 3K-4K RMS BUT SPEED WOULD NOT CHANGE UP OR DOWN. CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR 11/11. ON 11/11 I DROVE THE TO THE DEALER 10 MILES AWAY. I MONITORED THE TRANS TEMP AS I DROVE, AND NO SHIFTING ISSUES UNTIL JUST BEFORE REACHING THE DEALERSHIP (TRANS TEMP HAD REACHED 154 DEG). I ROAD WITH THE DEALER REP FOR A TEST DRIVE AND HE WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AT 30-MPH AND TRANS TEMP QUICKLY ROSE AGAIN TO OVER 192-DEG. DEALER REP TRIED TO USE THE MANUAL SHIFT OPTION BUT EVEN USING THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE TRANSMISSON TO SHIFT PROPERLY ANS ENGINE RPMS EXCEEDED 5K AND STAYED THERE UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO GEAR. DEALER REP STATED THAT IS NOT GOOD DURING THE TEST DRIVE. ARRIVING BACK AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE DEALER REP THAT TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE TOLD THE SERVICE DEP AMANGER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE TORN DOWN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND IT MIGHT BE AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR BEFORE THEY WOULD HAVE IT FIXED DUE ALACK OF PARTS DUE TO THE RECENT STRIKE, AND A BAG LOG OF VEHICLES ALREADY WAITING REPAIR PARTS. OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT SEEM TO MATCH MINE ARE NHTSA IDS: 11193281, 11230193, 11221668, AND 11205523. ISSUE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IF THE VEHICLE CANNOT ACCELERATE SAFELY TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,003 |