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2005 GMC Sierra 1500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 181.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

158 reports with mileage · 19 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports9 fire reports4 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

8 reports
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78,000 miles · Jan 17, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

2005 GMC SIERRA TRUCK WITH 5.3L MOTOR. EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10376955

85,000 miles · Dec 12, 2008
Engine And Engine Cooling

GMC PICKUP DEVELOPED COOLANT LOSS. TOOK IN AND FOUND THAT HEAD HAD CRACKED. SERVICE BULLETIN REVEALED 50% OF HEADS FOR THAT YEAR CAME FROM ONE MANUFACTURER AND HAD BEEN PRONE TO CRACKING. DISCOVERED MINE INDEED HAD THE SUSPECT HEAD AND DID HAVE THE CRACK AS DESCRIBED. WHY DIDN'T GMC ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE AND SAVE ME $4,0…

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GMC PICKUP DEVELOPED COOLANT LOSS. TOOK IN AND FOUND THAT HEAD HAD CRACKED. SERVICE BULLETIN REVEALED 50% OF HEADS FOR THAT YEAR CAME FROM ONE MANUFACTURER AND HAD BEEN PRONE TO CRACKING. DISCOVERED MINE INDEED HAD THE SUSPECT HEAD AND DID HAVE THE CRACK AS DESCRIBED. WHY DIDN'T GMC ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE AND SAVE ME $4,000? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10251636

72,300 miles · Nov 6, 2008
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO COAST. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. SHE SHIFTED THE GEAR FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. LATER THAT WEEK, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED 55 MPH WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO COAST. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. SHE SHIFTED THE GEAR FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. LATER THAT WEEK, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED 55 MPH WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. WHILE DRIVING TO HER PLACE OF BUSINESS, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED 100-120 MPH. LATER THAT DAY, THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED TO BRING IT BACK FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,300. UPDATED 2/2/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE SPEEDOMETER BECAME STUCK AT 47 MPH AT STARTUP. THE CONSUMER STATED HE DID NOT KNOW HOW FAST HE WAS DRIVING, SINCE THE SPEEDOMETER WAS INOPERATIVE. UPDATED 02/04/09. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10247867

94,000 miles · Apr 10, 2008
Engine And Engine Cooling

PURCHASED A USED 2005 GMC SIERRA FROM A GM DEALERSHIP. TWO MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BLOWN HEAD. AFTER DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE, I WAS MADE AWARE THAT GM HAS HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD CASTING MANUFACTURE OF MY PARTICULAR TRUCK. I AM HAVING IT REPAIRED AT A GM DEALERSHIP AND HAVE ASKED GM TO ASSIST ME IN AN…

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PURCHASED A USED 2005 GMC SIERRA FROM A GM DEALERSHIP. TWO MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BLOWN HEAD. AFTER DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE, I WAS MADE AWARE THAT GM HAS HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD CASTING MANUFACTURE OF MY PARTICULAR TRUCK. I AM HAVING IT REPAIRED AT A GM DEALERSHIP AND HAVE ASKED GM TO ASSIST ME IN ANYWAY WITH THE COSTLY REPAIR, SINCE IT IS ONLY A 2005. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH ME IN THE LEAST. THE GM MECHANIC EVEN STATED THAT THESE PARTICULAR HEADS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR CRACKING AND GM IS AWARE OF THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10224109

60,470 miles · Feb 25, 2008
Engine And Engine CoolingVisibilityFire

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RESISTOR MELTED THE GROUNDING WIRE AND CAUSED THE BLOWER MOTOR TO FAIL. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (060139002) FOR THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE THE CONTACT'S RESPO…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RESISTOR MELTED THE GROUNDING WIRE AND CAUSED THE BLOWER MOTOR TO FAIL. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (060139002) FOR THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE THE CONTACT'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,670 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,470.

NHTSA ODI #10219100

80,000 miles · Feb 17, 2008
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

1. DRIVING ON INTERSTATE IN MY 2005 GMC SIERRA WITH MY MOTHER WHO NOTICES SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE AIR VENTS. IT WAS NOT SAFE TO OTHER VEHICLES TO PULL OVER FOR ABOUT .5 TO 1 MILE AT WHICH POINT IT WAS ALL WE COULD TO EVACUATE THE TRUCK AS IT WAS GOING UP IN FLAMES. 2. GM'S THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR ESIS DENIED MY CLAIM WITHO…

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1. DRIVING ON INTERSTATE IN MY 2005 GMC SIERRA WITH MY MOTHER WHO NOTICES SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE AIR VENTS. IT WAS NOT SAFE TO OTHER VEHICLES TO PULL OVER FOR ABOUT .5 TO 1 MILE AT WHICH POINT IT WAS ALL WE COULD TO EVACUATE THE TRUCK AS IT WAS GOING UP IN FLAMES. 2. GM'S THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR ESIS DENIED MY CLAIM WITHOUT EVEN CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION. I DID RECEIVE A LETTER FROM ESIS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT SUBMITTING A FORMAL CLAIM AGAINST GM. I NEITHER HAVE NOR CAN AFFORD AN ATTORNEY TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS DOCUMENTATION. I LOST MANY PERSONAL ITEMS INCLUDING CASH, MY WALLET, PHONE, AND TOOLS. I AM A CONTRACTOR AND HAVE MISSED MANY WEEKS FROM WORK AND HAD TO FORFEIT WORK BECAUSE I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD A RENTAL TRUCK. THIS INCIDENT HAS CAUSED ME MANY PROBLEMS AND EMBARRASSMENT BOTH FINANCIALLY AND PERSONALLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10218405

43,000 miles · Nov 26, 2007
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE DIES. WE CAN'T STEER, WE CAN'T START THE TRUCK, WE CAN'T MOVE IT. WE ARE STUCK FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES, WITH NO ANSWERS. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG, BUT THE TRUCK IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10210003

54,000 miles · Sep 10, 2007
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ERUPTED INTO FLAMES APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER IT WAS PARKED. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILU…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ERUPTED INTO FLAMES APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER IT WAS PARKED. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 54,000.

NHTSA ODI #10202364

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.