2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
420 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 35/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 30,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2018 sits among all Sierra 1500 years
What owners report
“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”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sierra 1500
“This 2018 GMC Sierra has 100,000 miles on it and in April 2025 the transmission went out and needed a new one. Now in July 2025 the engine has lifter failure leading to the need of a new engine.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sierra 1500
“Check engine came on and says manufacture specific issues/codes. Safety restrain system. P10e4”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sierra 1500
“Getting message on console "Service - Trailer Brake System". This could result in trailer brakes to fail while pulling loads.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sierra 1500
“Power steering just goes out while driving (pulling into parking lot) and then comes back on causing an oversteering problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sierra 1500
“Air conditioning condenser failed at about 48,000 miles. Seems to be a common problem that is a design defect.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sierra 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 145 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 35,692 miles. Half of those reports fall between 13,700 and 60,952 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may…
Fix: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service…
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap…
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or…
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap…
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet…
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 Crew Cab trucks. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach…
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020,…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time,…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559,…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…
Technical service bulletins
952 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2018 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 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 drew 420 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 35/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 are transmission & drivetrain (126 complaints), engine (70), and electrical (45).
At what mileage do 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 problems around 35,692 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 13,700 and 60,952 miles.
Does the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 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.