Summary
The GMC Sierra 3500 has 9 recalls spanning 2007 through 2024, with the most serious being a roof rail airbag defect on 2018-2019 Crew Cab models where the inflator end cap can detach or the inflator sidewall can rupture, sending compressed gas and fragments into the cabin.
The 2018-2019 recall covers both the roof rail curtain airbags and affects Crew Cab configurations specifically. On the transmission side, 2020 Sierra 3500 vehicles that received a prior repair under a separate transmission recall may still have a transmission control valve that can fail and lock the rear wheels, raising the risk of a crash. The 2020-2024 models with power-unlatching tailgates have an electronic release switch that can short circuit from water intrusion and unlatch the tailgate while driving, dropping cargo onto the road.
Going back to 2017-2018 models, the front seat belt retractors were built with an incorrect internal torsion bar, meaning the belts may not restrain occupants properly in a crash. The 2011-2015 Sierra 3500 trucks equipped with dual fuel tanks have a low fuel sensor in the front tank that can stick, allowing the rear tank to overfill the front one until pressure causes the tank to expand and contact the driveshaft, potentially punching a hole in the tank.
The 2007-2011 models carry two separate airbag concerns. The front passenger airbag inflator, which in some 2007-2008 vehicles was replaced as part of an earlier Takata remedy using a non-desiccated ammonium nitrate propellant, can explode and send metal fragments into the cabin. That same explosive inflator failure risk applies more broadly to 2009-2011 Sierra 3500 models originally sold or registered in high-humidity states. The 2007-2011 models equipped with an auxiliary battery also have a fusible link that can melt and contact surrounding wiring and electrical components, raising the risk of a fire.
