Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2017 GMC Sierra has 430 owner complaints, and the most cited part is transmission and drivetrain, with 144. It is rated 17 to 20 mpg combined and has a 5-year fuel cost of $16,240 to $19,110 at U.S. average prices, based on 15,000 miles per year. NHTSA gives it 5 overall stars. It has 6 recall campaigns that may apply, covering air bags, stability control, brakes, and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
17–20 mpgcombined; city 15–18, highway 19–24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$16,240–$19,110U.S. average; Ohio $14,510–$17,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2017 Sierra. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 430 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Sierra. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
144
4
0
0
Service brakes
119
13
0
0
Engine
64
0
0
0
Electrical system
61
1
3
0
Unknown or other
41
0
1
0
Steering
28
2
0
1
Visibility/wiper
13
0
1
1
Exterior lighting
12
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
12
0
0
0
Suspension
11
0
0
0
Structure
9
1
0
1
Fuel/propulsion system
8
1
0
1
14 more parts
Service brakes, hydraulic
7
1
0
0
Air bags
6
3
0
3
Forward collision avoidance
6
1
0
1
Wheels
5
0
0
0
Tires
4
1
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
3
0
0
0
Seats
3
0
0
0
Visibility
3
0
1
0
Lane departure
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
1
0
1
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2017 Sierra over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262569920. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 24, 2026.
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 wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
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.
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The owner's manual for the affected vehicles may be missing instructions on how to use the tether anchorage and child restraint anchorage systems. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: If the instructions are missing from the owner's manual, the child seat may be installed incorrectly and not be properly secured, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will provide a corrected insert for the owners manual, free of charge. The recall began on September 25, 2017. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 17307.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 2,056 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 Sierra, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (644), electrical system (441), engine and engine cooling (316), power train (222), engine (208).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2017 Sierra.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: standard pickup trucks. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3–4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Sierra 15 Hybrid Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Sierra 15 Hybrid 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 21 / 18
Sierra C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
4.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
18 / 24 / 20
Sierra C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 23 / 19
Sierra C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
16 / 23 / 19
Sierra C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Sierra C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
Sierra C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Sierra K15 4-Wheel Drive
4.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
17 / 22 / 19
Sierra K15 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Sierra K15 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
16 / 22 / 18
Sierra K15 4-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Sierra K15 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Sierra K15 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 19 / 17
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data