"How reliable is the 2002 Gmc Sierra 2500?"

"Based on 164 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Gmc Sierra 2500 has a median complaint mileage of 85000 miles. The most common issue is SERVICE BRAKES."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Gmc Sierra 2500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Gmc Sierra 2500 is SERVICE BRAKES, accounting for a significant portion of the 164 total complaints filed."

2002 Gmc Sierra 2500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 164 complaints

164

Total Complaints

85,000mi

Median Mileage

SERVICE BRAKES

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

51,000 25th Percentile

85,000 Median Mileage

118,809 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

SERVICE BRAKES

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

STEERING

POWER TRAIN

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL DOWN SHIFT ABRUPTLY AND VEHICLE MAY LUNGE FORWARD WHEN SITTING AT LIGHT. DRIVER MUST KEEP FOOT PRESSED HARD AGAINST BRAKE PEDAL TO KEEP FROM MOVING WHEN SITTING STILL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK"

"CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE HITCH WAS DRAMATICALLY BENT UPWARDS AND IMMEDIATELY UNHITCHED THE TRAILER. A VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE CENTER ROUND TUBE SECTION OF THE HITCH WAS TWISTING AND THE RECEIVER WAS DEFINITLY POINTED UP. CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE AN AFTER MARKET HITCH TO MAKE IT TO THE..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28