2001 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
504 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 9 defect investigations. It scores 53/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 80,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2001 sits among all Sierra 1500 years
What owners report
“Anti lock brakes activate at low speeds and truck will not stop. Ref:pe 05020 nhtsa investigation.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Sierra 1500
“My vehicle taps very loud when i first crank cold engine. Dealer says this is carbon build-up because of new emmisions regulations and wont harm engine. My dealer says they can perform a treatment for approx. $100.00 that will correct but needs to be done every 20000 miles. My vehicle is still…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Sierra 1500
“My anti lock keep kicking in, the panhead by gas tank is completely shot and there is a box by the gas tank for emissions and not able to get 1 and the frame in the front is shot also along with the body that's completely shot and the gas gauge keeps telling empty 1 time and then it goes to full to…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Sierra 1500
“Side of the tires blew out for no apparently reason, firestone rhs 245/75r16 lde”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Sierra 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 363 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 72,495 miles. Half of those reports fall between 45,149 and 109,500 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL REPLACEMENT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WITH THE BRAND NAMES: NATIONAL, CARQUEST P/NOS. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, AND 515060, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 23, 2006, AND DECEMBER 20, 2007, SOLD FOR LIGHT DUTY AND MEDIUM DUTY…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL NATIONAL AND CARQUEST AFTERMARKET HUB ASSEMBLIES, P/N 515058, SOLD FOR USE ON 2001-2006 GENERAL MOTORS 1500 AND 2500 4WD TRUCKS. ON THE SUBJECT HUB ASSEMBLIES, THE ABS SENSOR CORD DEPARTS FROM THE HUB ASSEMBLY AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. AS…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY ITS OWNERS AND WILL EITHER CREDIT THE CUSTOMERS ACCOUNT OR REPLACE THE UNIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL CUSTOMER…
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH SURE-LOK WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE SPROCKET TEETH OF THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT RETRACTORS AS NECESSARY. SURE-LOK WILL HANDLE THE REPAIRS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SURE-LOCK AT 1-908-231-1804 OR…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 2-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS." THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A COMPUTER ERROR THAT RESULTED IN THE CERTIFICATION…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A NEW LABEL AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. HOWEVER, A DEALER CAN INSTALL THE LABEL IF THE OWNER SO DESIRES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 31, 2001. OWNERS WHO DO NOT…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V379000.
Led to recall campaign 05V161000.
Led to recall campaign 04E067000.
Technical service bulletins
604 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2001 Sierra 1500 TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
The 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 drew 504 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 53/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 are brakes & stability (271 complaints), engine (29), and fuel system (29).
At what mileage do 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 problems around 72,495 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 45,149 and 109,500 miles.
Does the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 GMC Sierra 1500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.