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In the world of heavy-duty trucks, there aren’t many options. That’s why the 2018 GMC Sierra 2500 continues to gain popularity. The automaker claims that the newest lineup features “powerful performance,” but many owners are struggling to get this pickup to perform at all. From a recall dealing with the engine to a defective powertrain and faulty fuel system, the manufacturer has a lot to answer for.
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 GMC Sierra 2500
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Engine | |
| Equipment | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Power Train | |
| Power Train:automatic Transmission | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Tires |
Problems with the Engine
To create a “powerful performance” the truck must be equipped with a potent engine. While this pickup appears to have everything in order by looking at the specs, a quick glance at reviews shows it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Here is one NHTSA complaint. “The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 2500. While driving 30-50 mph up a hill, the vehicle shuddered. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.”
Furthermore, there was a massive recall affecting more than 300,000 vehicles. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V328000 says that the engine block heater might suffer from a terminal short-circuit, which could increase the risk of fire. What’s even more dangerous is that many dealers aren’t fixing the problem, because they don’t have the parts yet. Some are even disconnecting the block heater instead of making the repair. Considering owners pay more to drive the GMC versus the Chevy model, it’s no wonder that consumers are angry. After all, they might as well drive the Silverado.
Problems with the Transmission
The most critical component in a powertrain is the transmission. With all of the towing and hauling that owners need to do with the 2018 GMC Sierra 2500, this component must be in top-notch working order, but it’s not.
Here is one NHTSA review worth reading. “Truck began rolling downhill while the vehicle was in PARK with the keys out of the ignition. I was removing a child seat from the passenger side rear seat at the time. Spouse was able to hurriedly jump into the vehicle and apply the brakes.”
It’s a good thing that there wasn’t a child in the seat at the time or things could have been much worse. The company isn’t trying to hide powertrain issues. In fact, one of the many communications, Service Bulletin #080730026F, states that some vehicles might actually rock or move forward even when in Park. This is most common after sitting in the cold and can also be accompanied by a clunking noise. Apparently, the Sierra 2500 wants to get away, by any means necessary.
Problems with the Fuel System
A look at the fuel system reveals the same level of defects and poor manufacturing practices. Without the right amount of fuel, the truck has no hope of performing the way it should, especially if it is broken down.
That’s precisely the case with this next Edmunds review. “So this is a replacement of a Chevy 3500 I purchased (that was bought back after 18 months). Primary purpose of purchasing is to haul a tiny house (12K lbs) across country 2 x a year between CA and Carolinas. Have made trip 5 times across and broken down 3 x. Ugh. Currently sitting at a friend’s house in CA while truck remains unrepaired in AZ and have been waiting nearly 3 weeks for a replacement part (believe fuel pump) that they can’t locate. Have had to incur hotel expenses as well as cost to tow my tiny house and additional expenses as being stuck out in desert. GM hasn’t been helpful, took over a week to reach the GM rep who I called daily. Very frustrating after paying over $70K and it is the 2nd vehicle.”
It’s inconceivable that a dealer would have to wait for weeks to get a fuel pump for a truck. It’s almost as ridiculous as reading Service Bulletin #18NA137 which discusses the need to rebuild the fuel injectors because of an underhood odor and trouble cranking. Is there any part of this heavy-duty truck that knows how to get the job done? In fact, it might be time for the GMC truck to change its tagline to “powerful underperformance” instead.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes GMC pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 23, 2023 |
| State | ID |
| Description | I have a 2018 gmc sierra duramax quad-cab and when it is connected to either my boat, stock trailer, or cargo trailer the lights and electric trailer brakes on the trailers do not work. And the chime from the "service trailer brake" indicator sounds and doesn't stop until I unplug my trailer harness from my truck making it a distraction and an unsafe situation when trying to navigate through traffic(changing lanes, stopping, and other functions needed when hauling trailers). The dealership said it was a module and specified which one and so I elected to replace it myself and it wasn't the issue. I choose to do the work myself as they quoted me a price of 0. 00+ to repair the problem. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 02, 2022 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Water leak, known in other years of the same model vehicle, caused the rear defrost to fail and smoke when in operation nearly causing a fire in the vehicle as it was being operated. |
| Category | Power Train:automatic Transmission |
| Date | Jul 15, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | 2018 gmc sierra 2500. Consumer writes in regard to transmission cooler lines recall. The consumer stated the vehicle began leaking fluid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to have the vehicle repaire, which could not be done the same day. The consumer was seeking reimbursement for the hotel expense, since the consumer was traveling out of state when the failure occured. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Apr 15, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Faulty pigtail connector for fule injectors. Cause the vehicle to shut down even while going down the highway possibly causing injury by immediate deceleration wich could cause an accident. For me on this vehicle I've had this happen three times and it has cost me anywhere from 0 to 1000 per injector especially if damage is done to one of the fuel injectors. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 14, 2022 |
| State | MD |
| Description | 2018 gmc sierra 2500 hd. Consumer writes in regards to acceleration issues. The consumer stated the vehicle displayed warning lights. And began shaking. The vehicle became difficult to accelerate. The dealer informed the consumer that number 4 injector was the cause of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. Shortly after, the glow plug failed and the computer required an update. The consumer requested to reimbursed for the rental vehicle as well as repair costs. |
| Category | Equipment |
| Date | Feb 09, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 gmc sierra 2500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v496000 (equipment) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 08, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Diesel exhaust fluid systems limited to slower speeds causing traffic back up. Issue is these components are failing on these trucks. Mine failed with in 3 yrs of manufacture date. |
| Category | Equipment |
| Date | Nov 12, 2021 |
| State | CO |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 gmc sierra 2500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v496000 (equipment) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 13, 2021 |
| State | CO |
| Description | Both the outside mirrors are loose and will fold while driving. At night if I am not aware and it is dark the mirror fails to identify vehicles in the visibility area because they vibrate closed to the door from the driving air on the mirror. I will have to pull over and push the mirror back. I have brought it to the dealer and they say they all do it. It is normal. The issues has been confirmed by the dealer. It has been present on the car for about 1 year. The internet is filled with this safety complaint. They are starting to fold when you close the door. |
| Category | Equipment |
| Date | Oct 04, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 gmc sierra 2500. The contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 21v496000 (equipment) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact recently stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was 30,600. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
| Category | Equipment |
| Date | Sep 30, 2021 |
| State | TN |
| Description | The contact owns a 2018 gmc sierra 2500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v496000 (equipment) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that parts were not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts are not available. |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Aug 23, 2021 |
| State | NV |
| Description | Lt265 60 r20 goodyear wrangler sr-a tire experienced a tread separation while traveling at 68 mph. This resulted in significant vibration in the steering. This tire was inspected at a tire shop and the tread separation was confirmed. The tire still had 7/32 of tread left at the time of the failure. There were no prior indications of the eminent failure of the tire. This was the first of two goodyear wrangler tire failures for tread separation within 300 mile of each other. |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | May 14, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The passenger seat has no warning system if the seat belt is not buckled. On this vehicle only the driver has a warning for an unbuckled seat belt. *tr |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Apr 12, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Headlight shakes and flickers while driving over bumps in the road. Happens on city streets and highways. Flickering is very distracting and draws attention away from your surroundings. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 20, 2020 |
| State | MD |
| Description | My 2018 gmc sierra hd experienced an electrical short or overload, causing a thermal event that melted areas around the rear defrost circuit. Lots of smoke and burning smell, but luckily, I did not see flames. The exact issue is currently being addressed under gm recall# "n192265660 rear window defroster thermal events", however my vin is not included. The issue I had is exactly what is described and I believe should be included in the recall. I've attached a few images of the burned, melted and broken parts. Again, I'm lucky there was only smoke when this happened, and no fire. Please review and advise |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 24, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Rear camera only works intermittently and never early mornings when truck is put in reverse. A blue screen comes up with 'service back up camera ' on screen. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 16, 2019 |
| State | ID |
| Description | While trying to merge onto the insterstate my truck started lost power and started to chug. My truck slowed drastically which caused a tractor/trailer to almost run into the back of me. This has been an ongoing issue that my dealership has addressed by reflashing my computer. To my knowledge the first flash was for the transmission and the second time was for the fuel injectors. The reprogramming has not fixed the issue. I was trying to merge with traffic on I 80 in utah |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 02, 2019 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 gmc sierra 2500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v328000 (engine); however, the parts for the recall remedy were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to repair the vehicle. Jones buick gmc of lancaster (1335 manheim pike, lancaster, pa 17601, (717) 394-0711), turner buick gmc (612 e main st, new holland, pa 17557, (866) 680-8360) and keim chevrolet inc (3265 lincoln hwy e, paradise, pa 17562, (717) 879-9614) were contacted and confirmed that parts were not available and were being shipped to the northern states. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 17, 2019 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 gmc sierra 2500. While driving 30-50 mph up a hill, the vehicle shuddered. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 5,641. The vin was invalid. |
| Category | Tires:sidewall |
| Date | Sep 03, 2019 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 gmc sierra 2500 equipped with original firestone transforce h/t tires, size: 245/75/r17 (na). Upon inspection, the contact discovered that all four tires had experienced sidewall bubbling. The unused spare tire also experienced the failure. The vehicle was taken to griffin motor company (2500 west roosevelt blvd, monroe, nc) to be diagnosed, but no failure was found. The tires were examined at the firestone tire center and the contact was informed that the tires were defective. The tire manufacturer was also notified. The vehicle and tire failure mileage was 8,000. *tr |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Apr 26, 2019 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Hid headlights shake when hitting the slightest bump in the road. Gm says it's normal and refuses to try to fix. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 12, 2018 |
| State | MO |
| Description | Truck began rolling downhill while the vehicle was in park with the keys out of tge ignition. I was removing a child seat from the passenger side rear seat at the time. Spouse was able to hurriedly jump into the vehicle and apply the brakes. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Oct 16, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Headlights shake when going over bumps in highway. Its distracting and irritating and takes your attention from the road when it happens. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Aug 13, 2018 |
| State | AL |
| Description | While the truck was unattended, smoke was observed by a passer-by who called the local fire department. Fire dept broke a window for access, extinguished fire. Hauled vehicle away for safekeeping. Happened while we were at a condo complex, vehicle parked for the evening. Heat intensity and melted plastic indicated that fire occurred in console area. Vehicle was off, we were asleep, nobody had access to interior of vehicle. A phone charger was plugged in, possibly another charger as well. We contacted gm to file a warranty claim. It was denied, according to yvette young because "gm could not determine the cause of the fire so it is not our problem." gm did three investigations, one by the adjuster, and two more that included a "destructive inspection." this was a two and a half month process. We were notified by phone that the claim was denied and the letter that arrived last week is attached. We don't smoke, did not have anything combustible in or near the area and are concerned that the fire was related to the chargers. Something in that vehicle allowed the chargers to overheat even though the truck was off, in our opinion. Our concern is that if this had been in a garage or had people been in the vehicle, lives could have been lost. Vehicle had 12,000 miles on it. Purchased new, no obvious cause for this event. Event occurred at bay point in panama city, florida. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Jul 17, 2018 |
| State | OR |
| Description | My husband was driving our brand new denali which has only 3500 miles on it. The engine completely shut down crossing a highway with 55 miles per hour posting and my daugther of 8 years old was in the back seat. The engine as I said completely shut down with no indicator lights or warning and my husband was unable to steer the vehicle. It stopped off the side of the road by miracle and onstar was called and the vehicle was towed to the closest gmac dealership. Apparently the fuel injector pump was defective from the factory. Then it also blew shrapnel through the whole fuel injection system and destroying and all the fuel lines and parts to it. I am very concerned as my family was in the car and this could have certainly been a huge tragedy. I don't feel safe with this car and I want a full refund for my automobile. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
See more posts from Brian Jones
Vehicle shows low radiator fluid, but it is completely full. Also check engine block heaters.