2016 Gmc SIERRA 2500 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 has an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars, which indicates above-average safety features. It received high ratings for both front and side crash tests, with a perfect score of 5 in overall side crash rating and side pole crash rating. The vehicle is equipped with standard electronic stability control, which helps maintain stability in challenging conditions. Additionally, it offers optional forward collision warning and lane departure warning systems for added safety precautions.

However, there have been 52 complaints reported for this model, which is relatively high, and it has also been subject to 7 recalls. It is important for owners to address these recalls promptly to ensure the vehicle's safety and performance. Overall, while the GMC Sierra 2500 offers good safety features, potential buyers should consider the number of complaints and recalls associated with this model.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

52

Recall Count

7

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

4/5

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Safety Features

2016 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/EC RWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/EC RWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Optional
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

Optional

2016 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/EC RWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 PU/EC RWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2009 Score 2016 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2009 Score 2016 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2009 Score 2016 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating 4 3 Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated

Complaints for the 2016 Gmc SIERRA 2500

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"2016 denali 2500 diesel - loose steering, like many of the others complaining. i only have 13,000 miles on the truck since i don't drive it during ohio winters (salt) and use it to tow my 6500 lb boat. doesn't feel safe at all when towing. the dealer explained both the pitman and idler arm were worn. $1500 repair bill. very frustrating that gm doesn't cover this potential safety related issue regarding vehicle control/stability. several versions of technical service bulletin's exist #pit5501d as an example."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-12-03
Complaint:
"steering box adjustment screw backed out causing excessive slop in the steering wheel. this is a well documented problem with these trucks with gm's solution is to add locktite and torque nut. i believe that this is a temporary solution and it could backout again. should have a mechanical lock to prevent it from backing out."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-04-09
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2016 gmc sierra 2500. while driving at high speeds, there was a lot of play in the steering wheel. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to dave smith motors (210 n division st, kellogg, id 83837) where the contact was informed that the vehicle operated as intended. the manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. the failure mileage was 43,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2020-04-01
Complaint:
"truck steering is very dangerous. 4-8 inch play in the wheel left and right. you have to turn the wheel 4' either way for it to respond. the dealerships don't have a fix for this and there are 1000 of thread posts on this issue. this exact issue. people are going to die if this is not fixed properly and recalled by gm. the dealerships are putting loctite on the steering g but to prevent it from backing out but this does not last. it happens again only 1000s of miles later. going down the road i almost ended up in the woods because my steering would not respond. nightmarish."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-01-11
Complaint:
"2016 gmc sierra 2500 hd. consumer writes in regards to defective steering. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired under the instruction of a service bulletin. the consumer requested to reimbursed for the repairs. *js"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-01-08
Complaint:
"steering has excessive play before tires respond. this has been case since a couple thousand miles on vehicle. hard to keep traveling in straight line. always having to correct, especially with 17k fifth wheel in tow."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2016-03-10
Complaint:
"vehicle has been into gmc dealership service facility five times, in the span of 3 months. all service/maintenance has focused on loose steering and un-commanded vehicle pull. issue reoccurs immediately following service. first issue was extremely non-responsive steering, where i could move the steering wheel multiple inches in either direction with no movement or reaction from the vehicle. compounded with steering wheel had to be held off of center to make vehicle travel straight. gmc dealership service technician performed gm recommended fix, which did not resolve the issue. returned vehicle to gmc dealership service department, where they found the steering gear, steering box and pitman arm to be damaged and thus replaced all items. this did not fix the issue. returned the vehicle to the service department, where they found nothing wrong, and released the vehicle back to me the consumer with the persistent steering issue. the steering is loose. the wheel cants to the right if it is let go of, and when returned to center, the vehicle pulls to the left. took the vehicle to a different dealer, and asked them to inspect the steering and suspension components. the dealership test drove the vehicle, noticed the right off center cant, along with the left pull, yet found nothing visually wrong with the steering or suspension. they are refusing to further diagnose the issue as they claim their visual inspection found nothing wrong, yet when driving the vehicle there is a noticeable steering issue. 2016 gm heavy duty trucks have this as a known issue, yet gm has not acknowledged it or created a solution. this is a highly unsafe condition, where the steering is unresponsive, and veers the vehicle in un-commanded directions."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-09-12
Complaint:
"steering is not tight and has a lot of slop before the tires actually turn. gm dealer identified a bad steering box and followed tsb pit5501f to determine there is a defect."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-03-08
Complaint:
"steering wheel very loose, can move 3-4 inches without any steering taking place."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-06-07
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2016 gmc sierra 2500. the contact stated that the steering had excessive slack when turning the wheel. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who replaced the pitman shaft and performed further diagnostic testing. the mechanic drove the vehicle and the failure continued. the contact was waiting on a solution from the manufacturer. the manufacturer issued four technical service bulletins, but no recall yet to address the repair. the approximate failure mileage was 1,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2017-01-02

Recalls for the 2016 Gmc SIERRA 2500

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"general motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015-2016 chevrolet silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 crew cab special service, tahoe police pursuit/special service, gmc sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. the brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative."
Consequence:
If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal. Additionally, a loose pedal may also interfere with the accelerator pedal. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the nut and reinstall the nut with increased tightness, free of charge. The recall began October 3, 2018. 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 18278. Note: The vehicles in this recall need this additional remedy despite being covered by recall 16V069 for brake pedal loosening.

Component(s) Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC > PEDALS AND LINKAGES
Date of incident: 2018-08-30
Recall:
"general motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 chevrolet silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured october 1, 2013, to february 1, 2016, 2015-2016 chevrolet tahoe police pursuit vehicles (ppv) manufactured march 1, 2014, to february 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 gmc sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured october 29, 2013, to february 1, 2016. on the affected vehicles, the brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative."
Consequence:
If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, the driver may be unable to stop the vehicle by using the brake pedal. Additionally, a loose pedal may also interfere with the accelerator pedal. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the brake pedal pivot nut and reinstall with an increased torque, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016. 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 20760.

Component(s) Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC > PEDALS AND LINKAGES
Date of incident: 2016-02-05

GMC Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

GMC ranks 8 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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