2010 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

259 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 67,500 miles.

259Complaints
22/100Trouble index
4Recalls
60,000Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2010 sits among all Sierra 1500 years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 85 complaints (33%) · typically ~67,500 miles
“Takata recall: this recall has been out there since 2015 and there still is no manufacturers remedy for the affected air bags and now they're bankrupt. Now what?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Sierra 1500
Other 54 complaints (21%) · typically ~63,000 miles
“Dash is cracked along side of passenger air bag and above instrument panel on dash.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Sierra 1500
Body & structure 40 complaints (15%) · typically ~60,000 miles
“Cracked dash by passenger airbag! If i was to get in an accident and my passenger airbag goes off my passenger is most likely going to be hit with cracked dash pieces as well.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Sierra 1500
Engine 18 complaints (7%) · typically ~51,900 miles
Electrical 16 complaints (6%) · typically ~56,250 miles
Speed control 7 complaints (3%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 165 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 90,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (4)

AIR BAGS 21V053000 2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold,…

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on…

AIR BAGS 21V054000 2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL,…

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on…

AIR BAGS 21V050000 2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra…

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on…

EQUIPMENT 18V267000 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain…

Fix: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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,…

Model years named: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Pedestrian alert sounds DP22005 opened 2023, closed 2023

Led to recall campaign 22V063000.

Technical service bulletins

1,094 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2010 Sierra 1500 TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2010peak 52 in 20162026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?

The 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 drew 259 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).

What are the most common 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 problems?

The top reported problems for the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 are airbags (85 complaints), other (54), and body & structure (40).

At what mileage do 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 problems show up?

Owners most often report 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 90,000 miles.

Does the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 have recalls?

4 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2009 Sierra 1500 All Sierra 1500 years 2011 Sierra 1500 →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.