Home · 2017 GMC Sierra 2500 Hd · Complaints

What 98 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 GMC Sierra 2500 Hd

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (98)Crash / fire / injury (9)Transmission & drivetrain (29)Brakes (28)Electrical system (12)Engine (10)Equipment (4)Speed control (4)Steering (4)Visibility & wipers (4)Airbags (3)Fuel system (3)

12 of 98 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Nov 7, 2023Electrical system

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist, and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle coasted to the side of the road. When the contact arrived on the scene, he noticed that the generator pulley had detached. The contact then purchased a new generator, which he replaced himself. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,756.

NHTSA ODI 11553927

May 25, 2022Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

We were at a restaurant with friends we got back into the vehicle. I started up the vehicle and several electrical things happened. The service trailer brakes message came up, then the service power steering message came on. The engine was running but the tachometer didn’t work, or the oil pressure gauge. A couple other warning lights on the dash were on and stayed on. When I put it in reverse it wouldn’t move. When I put it in drive it would move forward. So we were stuck in our parking spot. We decided to put it in neutral and two of us pushed the truck out of the space into a busy street in hopes of getting home. Luckily none of us or the truck was hit by the people driving on the roadway. I put the transmission in drive and it would go into gear but not not shift out of first gear. The speedometer was not working either. We drove a few 100 feet in hopes that it would shift into a higher gear and it would not. We were able to find a safe place to pull off the highway and parked it. Turned the truck off, waited several minutes and tried it again. Still the same so we were stranded there. Left it there and called an Uber driver to come out and pick us all up. I called for a towing service to pick the truck up the next morning. When I arrived the following morning to meet the tow truck I got in and started it up. Other than the check engine light being on the truck seemed fine. I still had it towed to the dealership to be on the safe side. It was there 6 days and today I picked it up. They couldn’t find anything wrong. In the description of service and parts it states “scanned found long list of codes, most of codes are lost communication with engine control module, followed some tsb for possible issues, no results”. Also, “cleared codes and test drove vehicle, have not been able to duplicate concern at this time”. So I now have a vehicle that I can’t trust and hope our safety will not be in jeopardy in the future.

NHTSA ODI 11466124

Dec 13, 2021Electrical systemBrakesDriver assistance

When connect my trailer i get a service trailer brake system, then the stability waring start to show up and the brakes on the vehicle seem to act funny. Very unsafe while towing a trailer and kids in the truck. VERY UNSAFE

NHTSA ODI 11443575

Oct 14, 2021Electrical systemSpeed controlBrakes

Break lights activate by them selves. Can be driving, parked, vehicle off. Parked and locked. The break lights activate randomly. Most recently car was parked in drivevway over the coarse of 2 days. Break lights came on and off until batteries were dead. When parked I Can hear clicking noise coming from under the hood periodically, not sure if related or not. Also noticed cruise control will shut its self off some times.

NHTSA ODI 11436860

Jul 17, 2020Electrical system

GM ISSUES A SAFETY RECALL ON ENGINE BLOCK HEATERS FOR 6.6L DURMAX ENGINES STATING USING THE EQUIPMENT MAY CAUSE A FIRE. TWO YEARS, THE EQUIPMENT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED AND DEALERSHIPS PASS BLAME TO GM

NHTSA ODI 11339894

Mar 7, 2020SteeringElectrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

WHEN I'M DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED TURNING THE TRUCK LOOSES ALL POWER AND THE STEERING WHEEL JERKS OUT OF MY HAND, STABILITRAK IS ON THE DISPLAY AND IT SAYS ROLL DOWN DRIVER WINDOW AND ROLL BACK UP! IT ALSO LOOSES ALL POWER JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD NO MATTER THE SPEED! I HAVE ALSO BEEN STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT AND IT LOST ALL POWER WOULDN'T COME BACK ON SO I HAD TO GET OUT POP THE HOOD AND BANG I. THE BATTERY BOX AND CABLES AND IT STARTED AGAIN! VERY SCARY GOING 75 MPH AND IT SHUTS OFF LEAVING YOU NO STEERING NO BRAKES NO LIGHTS NO NOTHING! SOMETIMES IT SAYS POWER STEERING FAILURE SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES IT SAYS STABILITRACK PROBLEM AT SOMETHING ABOUT TOWING! THE BRAKES WERE ALSO AFFECTED NO BRAKES

NHTSA ODI 11316706

Nov 13, 2019Electrical systemVisibility & wipers

AFTER USING THE REMOTE STARTER WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, I STARTED TO DRIVE MY GRANDSON TO SCHOOL. A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HOME SMOKE AND SPARKS STARTED TO EMIT FROM THE REAR SEAT NEXT TO THE SLIDING WINDOW AND ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER. AS I PULLED OVER THE REAR WINDOW PANEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BURST. I ASSUME FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT GENERATED BY THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER.

NHTSA ODI 11279784

Oct 1, 2019Electrical systemEngine

GMC HAS REFUSED TO FIND A FIX FOR THE HEATER CORD DEFECT WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASON WHY I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I LIVE IN IDAHO. GMC SHOULD COMPENSATE OWNERS UNTIL FIXED.

NHTSA ODI 11265310

Jun 10, 2019Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemSpeed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC SIERRA. WHILE REVERSING, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND SURGED FORWARD. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SILVER STAR BUICK GMC (3601 AUTO MALL DR, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91362, (805) 222-4789) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER ,THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 415.

NHTSA ODI 11219070

Feb 12, 2019Electrical system

I REMOTE STARTED THE VEHICLE TO ALLOW IT TO WARM UP. THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER AUTOMATICALLY TURNED ON. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AS WELL AS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE SQUARE CONTROL UNIT ON THE REAR SLIDING WINDOW. QUICKLY, I SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE IN CASE THERE WOULD BE A FIRE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I NOTICED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THAT THEY NOTICED REAR DEFROSTER WIRES GLOWING AND MELTING TRIM WHILE OTHER HAVE REPORTED SMOKE AND SUBSEQUENT SHATTERING OF THE REAR WINDOW. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO (I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT DATE).

NHTSA ODI 11176504

Nov 28, 2018Electrical system

WHEN REVERSE IS ACTIVATED AT NIGHT, THE BACKUP CAMERA COMES ON AT FULL BRIGHTNESS AND IS NOT DIMMABLE. THE BRIGHT SCREEN PREVENTS VIEW OF THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES VISIBILITY IN THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR WHILE REVERSING. THE SCREEN CANNOT BE DEACTIVATED AND BLINDS THE DRIVER. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11154567

Oct 14, 2018Electrical system

WHEN REVERSE IS ACTIVATED AT NIGHT, THE BACKUP CAMERA COMES ON AT FULL BRIGHTNESS AND IS NOT DIMMABLE. THE BRIGHT SCREEN PREVENTS VIEW OF THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES VISIBILITY IN THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR WHILE REVERSING. THE SCREEN CANNOT BE DEACTIVATED AND BLINDS THE DRIVER. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11140197

Working with the data? Download all 98 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 GMC Sierra 2500 Hd verdict →