VehicleVerdict

2010 GMC Sierra 1500 problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 carries two red flags at once: 216 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). It is one of the Sierra 1500 years to avoid.

Airbags leads the complaint categories with 77 reports (36% of the total).

216

NHTSA complaints

4

Recalls

2

Investigations · 1 open

2

Crash-involved

4

Fires reported

4

Injuries

0

Deaths

—

NCAP overall

How does 2010 compare to other Sierra 1500 years?

Sierra 1500 NHTSA complaints by model year, 2010 highlighted1,025 complaints1994: 15 complaints1995: 3 complaints1996: 7 complaints1997: 100 complaints1998: 68 complaints1999: 182 complaints2000: 215 complaints2001: 171 complaints2002: 192 complaints2003: 210 complaints2004: 253 complaints2005: 218 complaints2006: 182 complaints2007: 310 complaints2008: 439 complaints2009: 280 complaints2010: 216 complaints2011: 362 complaints2012: 146 complaints2013: 147 complaints2014: 1,025 complaints2015: 923 complaints2016: 440 complaints2017: 472 complaints2018: 415 complaints2019: 856 complaints2020: 648 complaints2021: 704 complaints2022: 699 complaints2023: 542 complaints2024: 431 complaints2025: 141 complaints2026: 84 complaints
Sierra 1500 NHTSA complaints by model year, 2010 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Sierra 1500 years to avoid →

What are the most common 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Airbags7736%
Other4722%
Body & Structure3315%
Engine157%
Electrical System115%
Speed Control63%
Fuel System63%
Transmission42%
Suspension31%
Seats31%
Steering31%
Visibility & Wipers21%
Lighting21%
Seat Belts21%
Driver Assistance10%
Brakes10%

Does the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 have recalls?

4 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

21V050000AirbagsFebruary 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 units

Defect

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.

21V053000AirbagsFebruary 5, 2021 · 692,526 units

Defect

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.

21V054000AirbagsFebruary 5, 2021 · 1,778,128 units

Defect

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

18V267000OtherApril 26, 2018 · 6,154 units

Defect

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

Consequence

In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA21002

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“TL-CONTACT OWNS A 2010 GMC SIERRA --- RECEIVED TK HOLDINGS LETTER --- HAD NOT CONTACTED GM REGARDING AIR BAG REPLACEMENT ---- CONTACT WAS IN ACCIDENT WHEN VEHICLE WAS SIX MONTHS OLD AND DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN ACCIDENT... VEHICLE WAS FIXED DUE TO LOW MILEAGE AND VEHICLE ONLY BEING SIX…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · August 15, 2017 · crash

“MY 2010 GMC SIERRA HAS 47,000 MILES ON IT, PRIMARILY SITS IN A TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED GARAGE, AND HAS 3 CRACKS IN THE DASH. TWO OF THE CRACKS HAPPNED WHILE SITTING STATIONARY IN THE GARAGE. TWO OF THE CRACKS ARE CONNECTED TO THE AIR BAG CREATING A HAZARD. GMC NOR THE DEALER WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · January 1, 2018

“MY 2010 GMC SIERRA HAS 47,000 MILES ON IT, PRIMARILY SITS IN A TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED GARAGE, AND HAS 3 CRACKS IN THE DASH. TWO OF THE CRACKS HAPPNED WHILE SITTING STATIONARY IN THE GARAGE. TWO OF THE CRACKS ARE CONNECTED TO THE AIR BAG CREATING A HAZARD. GMC NOR THE DEALER WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Body & Structure · January 1, 2018

“SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013, OUR 2010 GMC SIERRA K1500 CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AS MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. AS SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE CAB AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON, HE ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE SO THAT HE COULD ESCAPE, BUT THE BRAKES WERE GONE, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · July 27, 2013 · fire

“PERSISTENT BURNING OF HEADLIGHT BULBS. NUMEROUS HEADLIGHT BULB CHANGES, WIRING CHANGED, HOUSING CHANGED, AND LIGHT CONTINUES TO BURN OUT. NUMEROUS OWNERS OF THIS YEAR AND MODEL REPORTING THE SAME OCCURRENCE. VERY TIME CONSUMING, COSTLY, AND IRRITATING ESPECIALLY WHEN COPS BECOME INVOLVED AND HAND…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · January 5, 2018

2010 GMC Sierra 1500 — common questions

Is the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 216 complaints put the 2010 model at #18 of 33 Sierra 1500 years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Sierra 1500 years to avoid.

What are the most common 2010 Sierra 1500 problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are airbags (77 complaints), other (47 complaints), body & structure (33 complaints).

Does the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns affecting the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which GMC Sierra 1500 years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Sierra 1500 years to avoid are 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2020, 2023, 2017, 2016, 2008, 2024, 2018, 2011, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2012. The cleanest record among Sierra 1500 years belongs to 1995.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.