There are 42 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2002 GMC Sierrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA 3500. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS NOTICEABLE INSIDE THE CABIN. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED FUEL HAD LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRIA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V201000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLT BROKE OFF. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS.
THE TRUCK HAS SEVERAL BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS THAT ARE COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT CAUSING FAILURE OF CORRECT EMISSION CONTROLS THROUGH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND OUT OF THE HEADERS INSTEAD. THIS IS ENVIRONMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY, AND IS REALLY ANNOYING AS THE EXHAUST LEAKS FROM UNDER THE HOOD DUE TO LACK OF BOLTS ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT 7 OUT OF 8 GLOW PLUGS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE GLOW PLUGS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,649. ..UPDATED 12/05/12 *BF UPDATED 12/06/2012 *JS
THREE BROKEN MANIFOLD BOLTS. FROM WHAT I HEAR THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THE BROKEN ONE CLOSE TO FIREWALL, WILL HAVE TO PULL ENGINE TO FIX. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE MANIFOLD BOLTS. *TR
EXHAUST LEAK ON DRIVERS SIDE OF ENGINE. BROKEN BOLTS ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR
2002 GMC SIERRA 2500HD. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE ENGINE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING, LOOSING ALL POWER TO THE STEERING AND BRAKES, AND COULD NOT BE STARTED AGAIN, UNTIL THE TRUCK WAS PUT IN PARK AND THE KEY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THERE WERE ALSO TIMES, WHEN THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START AT ALL. THE DEALER KEPT THE TRUCK FOR THREE WEEKS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE CONSUMER PICKED THE TRUCK UP AND DROVE 10 MILES, IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS FUEL RELATED. *JB
EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BREAK CAUSING EMISSION FAILURE AND EXHAUST LEAK. THE REPAIR BILL IS UP TO $1000. OR MORE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GARAGE DRILL OUT OLD BOLTS AND REPLACE. *TR
I HAVE A GMC 2500HD 4X4 WITH THE 8.1 LITER ENGINE IN THE PAST YEAR IT HAS STALLED AND THEN RESTARTED ITSELF 5 OR 6 TIMES ONE TIME I HAD TO SIT FOR ABOUT 6 MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD RESTART. *TR
THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AFTER IT WARMS UP. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AND ANY SPEED. AFTER WAITING APPROX. 2 MINUTES IT WILL START AGAIN AND RUN FINE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS OR DIAGNOSTIC CODES ARE AVAILABLE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2001 MODELS (CAMPAIGN ID # 07V521000). THIS PROBLEM ALSO EXTENDS INTO NEWER MODEL YEARS. MINE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1/02
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF FOR A FEW MOMENTS. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER FIVE ATTEMPTS AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED ON TWELVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,798. UPDATED 01/26/11*LJ UPDATED 03/31/11
2002 GMC SIERRA 2500HD 6.0L 4X4. THE 6.0L ENGINE IS KNOCKING CONSTANTLY, AND FROM DOING SOME RESEARCH. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. DEALER SAID IT IS NORMAL! SINCE WHEN IS AN ENGINE KNOCKING, NORMAL? *TR
TRUCK WAS STALLING MAYBE THREE TIMES A YEAR APPROX. 3 YEARS AGO. DOESN'T REGISTER ANY CODES. APPROX. 1 MONTH AGO STARTED STALLING DAILY. *TR
OUR 2002 SIERRA 3500 GMC PICKUP TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH AN 8.1L V8 ENGINE AND THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CAUSES THE TRUCK'S ENGINE TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY WHICH IN TURN CAUSES THE ENGINE TO FAIL COMPLETELY. WHEN THE ENGINE OPERATES INTERMITTENTLY, THE MESSAGE LIGHT ILLUMINATES 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER' AND THE VEHICLE RUNS ROUGH AND ULTIMATELY STALLS. THE ENGINE MAY RE-START IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME. BECAUSE THIS SENSOR HAS FAILED ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED (70 MPH) ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE (OR SOMEONE ELSE) WERE NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. BECAUSE NHTSA RECALLED THE 2001 GMC SUVS/TRUCKS THAT HAD THIS DEFECTIVE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND BECAUSE THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER 2002 SUVS/TRUCKS THAT ARE ALSO HAVING THEIR ENGINES FAIL DUE TO THIS SAME DEFECT, THE NHTSA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATE HAVING GMC RECALL THE 2002 MODELS AS WELL. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS LISTED ON NHTSA'S WEBSITE THAT DEAL WITH THIS SAME ISSUE (E.G., COMPLAINT NUMBERS 10038110, 10009727, 1009569, 10009556, 10001480, 10054217, 10069780, ETC.) THAT ARE IDENTIFIED UNDER VARIOUS 2002 GMC MODELS (I.E., SIERRA, GMC TRUCK, C SERIES). ADDITIONALLY, SINCE CONSUMERS FREQUENTLY PURCHASE GMC TRUCKS WITH THE 8.1L V8 ENGINE TO TOW LARGE TRAILERS, THIS SITUATION CAN CREATE A SERIOUS HAZARD ON THE HIGHWAYS THAT NHTSA MUST ADDRESS EXPEDITIOUSLY. THUS, SINCE WE ARE A CONSUMER THAT PURCHASED OUR TRUCK TO TOW A LARGE TRAILER AND OUR TRUCK HAS STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR OUT-OF-POCKET. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 GMC SIERRA 2500HD PICKUP WITH THE VORTEC 8.1 ENGINE. I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME CRANK POSITION SENSOR FAILURE AS EXPERIENCED IN THE 2001 MODEL YEAR RECALL (SAFETY RECALL # 06083). I AM NOT ALONE, AS MANY MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES IN THEIR 2002-2004 PICKUP TRUCKS. I BELIEVE THE NHTSA SHOULD EXTEND SAFETY RECALL # 06083 TO INCLUDE MODEL YEARS 2002 TO 2004, AS SOME MODELS MANUFACTURED IN CANADA FREQUENTLY USE PARTS FROM PREVIOUS US MODEL YEARS. MY VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO OPERATE ON THE HIGHWAYS AS A RESULT. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 GMC SIERRA 2500HD WITH THE 8.1L ENGINE THAT IS EXHIBITING THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS THAT LED TO THE RECALL OF THE 2001 MODEL. (NHTSA # 07V521000). ONE MINUTE I'LL BE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND THE NEXT MINUTE THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. SOMETIMES IT'LL RESTART BEFORE IT COMES TO A STOP. SOMETIMES IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER IT'S COME TO A STOP. I'VE RESEARCHED IT ON-LINE, AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RESTRICTED TO THE 2001 MODELS. THE DATE I'VE LISTED IS WHEN I FIRST REMEMBER IT HAPPENING. IT'S VERY INTERMITTENT. IT'S GETTING WORSE. *TR
BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON IN MESSAGE CENTER AND ENGINE CUT OFF, DISABLING STEERING AND BRAKES. NEARLY AVOIDED ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY AS VEHICLE HAD TO CUT OVER TO LANES INTO DIRT SHOULDER TO STOP. VE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND A NEW DIAGNOSTIC CODE ENTERED IN THE VEHICLE. FOUND 3 OTHER ODI'S WITH EXACT SAME PROBLEM, 10159068,10174007, AND 10164369.*AK
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE IN GEAR ON FOUR OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TO A SERVICE DEALER TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THIS WAS A DEFECT.*AK THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 12/15/06. *JB
2002 GMC SIERRA STALLS WHILE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND NORMAL DRIVING. 2 NEAR ACCIDENTS, SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WILL CRANK WITH A NO START CONDITION. KILLED ONE OF MY AC DELCO BATTERIES. HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY AND CRANK POSITION SENSOR. *JB
Showing 1–20 of 42 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026