2011 GMC SIERRA 3500 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
24
Owner Complaints
5
Recalls
18
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500
The 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500 has received a total of 24 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 9 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. 18 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (8 complaints), Electrical System (2 complaints), and Fuelpropulsion System (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500
NHTSA has recorded 9 recalls for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500, potentially affecting up to 13,309,017 vehicles.
Recall 21V054000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 1,778,128 vehicles affected
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...
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...
View full details →Recall 21V054000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 1,778,128 vehicles affected
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...
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...
View full details →Recall 21V054000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 1,778,128 vehicles affected
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...
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...
View full details →Recall 21V050000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 2,641,272 vehicles affected
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...
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...
View full details →Recall 21V050000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 2,641,272 vehicles affected
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...
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...
View full details →Recall 21V050000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 2,641,272 vehicles affected
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...
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...
View full details →Recall 18V267000 — EQUIPMENT
| 6,154 vehicles affected
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...
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...
View full details →Recall 17V664000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK
| 35,292 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks equipped with dual fuel tanks. The low fuel level sensor for the front tank may stick causing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.
Consequence: If the front tank overfills, the excess pressure may cause the front tank to expand and contact the driveshaft, possibly resulting in a hole in the tank. The hole will leak fuel, which in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear tank fuel pump or update the fuel-level sensor software, as well as inspect the front tank, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2017. Owners...
View full details →Recall 14V407000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
| 9,371 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2007, to June 22, 2011, and GMC Sierra HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 22, 2007, to June 21, 2011, and equipped with an auxiliary battery. Owners may unknowingly draw too much current through the vehicle's trailer harness resulting in the melting of...
Consequence: If the fusible link melts it may come into contact with adjacent components, damage the electrical center cover, the nearby wiring harness conduit and other vehicle components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the jumper harness with one that includes a 40 amp inline fuse, and provide the owner with supplemental Owner Manual information, free of charge. The recall began on August 29, 2014. Owners...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500
24 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspensionfront | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
my 2011 fmc sierra 3500 drw denali suffered a failure of the Transmission Control Module (TCM). I could barely move the vehicle and almost got into an accident merging into traffic. Forward and reverse was affected. The transmission reverts to top gear after the failure, and makes driving very difficult. There was no warning for this failure Luckily I was minutes from my dealership. This problem could be bad.
my 2011 fmc sierra 3500 drw denali suffered a failure of the Transmission Control Module (TCM). I could barely move the vehicle and almost got into an accident merging into traffic. Forward and reverse was affected. The transmission reverts to top gear after the failure, and makes driving very difficult. There was no warning for this failure Luckily I was minutes from my dealership. This problem could be bad.
Apparently a common issue. The TCM (Transmission Control Module) failed and the vehicle will not start or shift. Vehicle went into limp mode on highway while towing a trailer. Part availability unknown and on backorder for a year.
Safety factor dash is cracking manly. around air bag on passenger side. across dash behind instrument panel. If air bag deploys it would send plastic before air bag, destroying your face even eyes. the GMC dealer said cracking happens on all chevy and GMC trucks.
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to accelerate, lost braking functionality and was difficult to steer before the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the injection pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
Safety Rating for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500
General Motors, LLC has issued 18 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
DOR-E6U3S-03 — FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
This SKU is a Diesel Fuel Filter Housing. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the fuel filter threads. The threads may be misformed such that the fuel filter cannot be installed.
15114A — ENGINE
Special Coverage. On some vehicles equipped with a 6.6L Duramax Diesel engine (RPO LML, LGH) the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) may illuminate due to a condition with the glow plugs. When diagnosed, replacement of one of the engines glow plugs may be required. No drivability issues are generally associated with...
PIT5451B — WHEELS
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a vibration at highway speed. Technician will need to replace the wheel for a rolled lip of aluminum in the hub opening.
PIT5052D — SUSPENSION
Steering Wheel Vibration Or Customers Looking To Add Steering Stabilizer.
PI1275 — EQUIPMENT
This preliminary information bulletin provides a procedure to install an air temperature sensor package kit, to correct the customer concern for reduced engine power and /or MIL illuminated.
130232001A — STEERING
Power Steering Noise or Fluid Leak from Power Steering Pump, Gear or High Pressure Hose During Extreme Low Temperature Conditions
PIT4474D — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Navigation or Radio Display Blank Or Flashing DTC B1265 B1288 Or B1289.
120232001A — POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:HYDRAULIC:HOSES AND FITTINGS
Hydraulic Power Steering Leak at Hose Connection to Steering Rack
PIT4551E — BACK OVER PREVENTION
Back Up Alarm Inoperative And Needs To Be Connected During PDI.
PIT4551E — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:ALARM
Back Up Alarm Inoperative And Needs To Be Connected During PDI.
Showing 10 of 18 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the GMC SIERRA 3500
- 2006 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 14 complaints
- 2007 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 19 complaints
- 2008 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 27 complaints
- 2009 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 7 complaints
- 2010 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 2 complaints
- 2011 GMC SIERRA 3500 (current)
- 2012 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 15 complaints
- 2013 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 15 complaints
- 2014 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 10 complaints
- 2015 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 40 complaints
- 2016 GMC SIERRA 3500 — 27 complaints
Other GMC Models
- GMC SIERRA 1500 — 10,327 total complaints
- GMC ACADIA — 7,420 total complaints
- GMC YUKON — 6,108 total complaints
- GMC SIERRA — 4,896 total complaints
- GMC TERRAIN — 4,098 total complaints
- GMC JIMMY — 3,778 total complaints
- GMC ENVOY — 3,269 total complaints
- GMC YUKON XL — 2,820 total complaints