Model year record

2011 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls & problems

The 2011 GMC Sierra 2500 has 4 safety recalls and 63 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is air bags (20 complaints).

Recalls4safety recalls

Complaints63filed by owners

Crashes · fires1 · 1reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths1 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Air bagsFeb 5, 2021

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 21V0500002,641,272 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

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

Air bagsFeb 5, 2021

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 21V0540001,778,128 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

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

EquipmentApr 26, 2018

Equipment

Recall 18V2670006,154 vehicles

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

Electrical systemJul 2, 2014

Electrical system

Recall 14V4070009,371 vehicles

Problem: 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 fusible link for the auxiliary battery.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 14260.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2011 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/RC 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	19.1%

2011 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/EC 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	19.1%

2011 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/CC 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	19.1%

2011 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/RC RWD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	20.4%

2011 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/EC RWD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	20.4%

2011 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/CC RWD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	20.4%

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Air bags	20	1	0	1	62,000 mi
StructureBody	11	0	0	0	51,493 mi
Electrical systemIgnition › Interlock/lockout; Cybersecurity	9	0	1	0	10,050 mi
Unknown or other	8	0	0	0	45,500 mi
Power trainAutomatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift	6	0	0	0	—
Engine	5	0	1	0	155,000 mi
Steering	3	0	0	0	—
Vehicle speed control	3	0	0	0	—
TiresTread/belt	3	0	0	0	—
Wheels	3	0	0	0	56,800 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	3	0	0	0	—
Engine and engine cooling	1	0	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Suspension
Vehicle is being remotely hacked and placed into regen Parts have been swapped and truck has been tampered with and continues to be tampered with
Sep 11, 2025
Unknown or other
Dash board is cracking in various places even after being repaired. Concerned that it could disintegrate sending plastic pieces flying in an accident or air bag deployment.
Sep 27, 2022
Electrical system › Cybersecurity
Vehicle is remotely being hacked into by [XXX] and buddy's, there are many people connected just do your job and ypu find all the evidence for which you need INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
May 20, 2025
Tires
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra equipped with Nitto tires, Tire line: N/A, Tire size: 285/55r20, DOT number: 73BM, and Nitto tire Tire line: Ridge Grappler Tire size: 285/55r20 and DOT number 73 BM The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the contact noticed the vehicle would vibrate. An independent was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the tire failed due to the lump found on the front driver's tire. The tire was replaced. The contact stated the failure recurred. The contact inspected the tire and the rear passenger tire also experienced the same failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage…
Mar 25, 2025 · 265,000 miles
Structure
The contact called on behalf of a Fire Department that owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while the Fire Department technician was performing a routine maintenance on the vehicle, the technician became aware that the sub frame was rusted with a hole in the sub frame. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 19-NA-255. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 29,252.
Aug 2, 2024 · 29,252 miles
Power train
On or about [XXX], the Transmission Control Module, FAILED, on my 2011GMC Denali 2500 6.6 diesel. It was a KNOWN faulty part .General Motors was aware of the issue years ago. This part should have been deemed a Safety Recall item. Imagine, pulling a trailer down a busy Freeway, with Semi's presence. Module goes out, truck goes idle, people hurt or worse. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Jun 27, 2023
Power train
TCM failed. Couldnât find the parts required. Truck sat 700 miles away from me for four weeks. Had to have part repaired in hopes it worked. As of now I still have some issues but would not have the truck at all if I had to wait for a part
Aug 18, 2023
Power train
When vehicle is warm and shut off, upon restart it will not go in to any gear, there was no warning lamps. An independent repair facility determined the Transmission Control Module was defective. General Motors has no parts available, and I know fro a fact it is a rather large issue.
Jul 2, 2023

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
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…
EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021