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2015 GMC Sierra 1500 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
32%
202 of 637 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 32% of relevant complaints.

Better than 67% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 180 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 25%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 202 of 637 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (32%). For comparison, the 2014 scores 25% and the 2016 scores 37%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
202
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
817
this model year
Fires reported
10
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
9
29 crashes · 14 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES243 · 30%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING130 · 16%
POWER TRAIN115 · 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM104 · 13%
STEERING91 · 11%
ENGINE88 · 11%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2015 compares with other GMC Sierra 1500 years

Of the 14 GMC Sierra 1500 years with enough complaints to score, the 2015 is the 6th-best on engine and transmission share (32%). The worst is the 2021 (77%), the best the 2013 (19%). By volume, the 2015 drew 817 complaints (202 drivetrain), against 859 for the 2014 and 48 for the 2016.

GMC Sierra 1500 years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN03/01/2016CRASH1 INJURED
DRIVING NORTH ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY IN THE CENTER LANE IT FELT LIKE I HAD A BACK TIRE BLOWOUT BUT WHAT HAPPENED WAS MY REAR AXLE BROKE CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO BE EXTREMELY HARD TO CONTROL. I WAS TRYING TO STEER THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT CONTROL THE TRUCK, IT FELT LIKE I HAD LIMITED BRAKING ABILITY, SMASHING INTO …

One of 202 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2015 GMC Sierra 1500 engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns on the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

9 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: side/window: curtain: inflator21V504000 · Jul 2021
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from…
seat belts: front21V245000 · Apr 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2014-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement…
air bags: side/window: curtain: inflator20V736000 · Nov 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air…
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: wheel speed sensor/tone ring19V761000 · Oct 2019
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,…
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum19V645000 · Sep 2019
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…
steering: electric power assist system18V586000 · Sep 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade vehicles. Electric power steering (EPS) assist may be…
air bags: frontal17V437000 · Jul 2017
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…
air bags: frontal16V651000 · Sep 2016
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…
seat belts16V209000 · Apr 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks manufactured January 29, 2013, to January 21, 2015. While entering the vehicle,…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2015 GMC Sierra 1500? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500

Does the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 202 of 637 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (32%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 is service brakes: 243 of 817 complaints (30%) name it, followed by exterior lighting (130) and power train (115). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 32% of the relevant total.

Is the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 32% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 67% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 14 GMC Sierra 1500 years we score, it ranks 6th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500?

No. NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns on the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which GMC Sierra 1500 years are better?

Among the GMC Sierra 1500 years we track, the 2013 (19%), the 2010 (22%) and the 2014 (25%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2015 (32%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/gmc-sierra-1500

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.