Service Brakes Problems of GMC Sierra 3500 - part 1

The electronic part of the truck gave a warning and shut off my trailer brake system while towing a 21k 5th wheel trailer (x2). The truck is available for inspection. Any part of the electronics package that has the ability to disable a trailer braking system while towing needs to be removed/disabled immediately. The truck has not been seen by a dealer yet. Yes there was a warning I briefly saw both times, but I can't say what it said.

See all problems of the 2025 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

The truck automatically engages the parking brake only when on an incline, never at any other time. I am so used to engaging the parking brake at all other times I also engage it when on an incline. The problem is the truck disengages the brake automatically after I've engaged it. This has happened multiple times when I've been towing a large boat on a launch ramp or towing my heavy 5th wheel. I can be fully exited from the truck and 10 ft away when it disengages and I watch it lurch forward. Simple answer would be for me to not engage the brake on an incline, but its a total habit all the time so I never remember to not engage it on an incline. This is a dangerous feature that needs to be removed ASAP. Thank you.

Driving on the freeway going approx 70 mph and the abs warning light, and stabilitrak warning light suddenly turned on. I’m sure you can imagine how panicked I was going that fast on the freeway and having my brake warnings suddenly turn on. Especially with my entire family in the vehicle with me at the time. Could feel a difference when I was attempting to brake and exit the freeway. Had to apply tons of pressure to get the brake pedal to engage. The cruise control would no longer work, and the trailer brake monitoring system also began flashing. Truck has been to 2 GMC dealerships the abs module was replaced made it approximately 2 miles and it came back on. Truck is currently waiting for another part to attempt to fix the problem. Truck has 86,000 miles on it.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the abs independently engaged. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.

See all problems of the 2013 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

My truck is experiencing the brake controller failures as documented in gm bulletin n232414840 - customer satisfaction program intermittent loss of trailer brakes. This problem has occurred several times over the past year. I thought it was the wiring on my trailer - so I checked and found no problems (plus it works properly on other tow vehicles). Additionally, the problem resets and works properly after turning the truck off and back on (resets the system). It then works properly until it unexpectedly disconnects again. I thought the problem was unique to my vehicle until I got online and discovered that this is a known issue for others as well (2024 gm hd trucks). I contacted my gm dealer (and gm's customer satisfaction center as noted in the bulletin) and they informed me that my truck is not covered under this recall (not one of the covered vins). I told them that I'm having this issue and they told me to report the problem to the NHTSA. Needless to say, gm has not included all the applicable vehicles in their recall (like mine) and I need the issue corrected before it causes a serious accident.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the messages "service charging system" and "service diesel emissions system" were displayed and suddenly the power steering and power brakes malfunctioned, causing the contact to almost lose control of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 79,000.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

Hose from power steering pump came off causing truck to loose power steering and brakes. Fortunately we had just exited the interstate and were in a parking lot when this occurred. Truck was towed 90 miles to dealer who confirmed that hose was incorrectly installed by factory.

Driving down the road and I got a service trailer brake code pop up and would not go away and kept dinging it is very distracting and sometimes causes the trailer brakes to malfunction.

See all problems of the 2016 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

This is my 4th gm 3500 dully and the first time with this kind of problem. I took my truck in for inspection and it came back with a clean bill of health about 25,000 miles on the 2024. When I got it back I noticed a vibration when breaking. I took the truck back in to find it had bluing on the rotors and the break pads have holes in them. I was told this came from over heating. I looked up info to see if this was a common problem and found the in 2022 gm changed the material to help with noise problems and this material had been know of premature break problems. I called gm customer service and they told me to work with the dealership, the dealership called the district manager and all parties have decided to ignore the issue. I also have 2 of these truck driven by 2 different people with the same problem at the same millage. I will make a 2nd report for the 2nd truck.

While towing my fifth wheel trailer, the truck intermittently disconnects the trailer brakes while in motion. This results in a sudden loss of roughly 75% of my braking capability, creating an extremely dangerous situation. I have a professional driving background, which has helped me avoid an accident so far, but this issue could easily result in a collision, especially under emergency braking or downhill conditions service attempt: on June 17, 2025, I brought the vehicle to madras Chevrolet in oregon. The dealership acknowledged the issue but stated the truck is “within gm parameters,” so no repairs were made. They claimed the problem might be with the trailer, but I’ve confirmed the trailer works properly with other tow vehicles. This appears to be a systemic electrical or control issue with the truck. Safety concern: no vehicle should be allowed to disable trailer brakes while moving. This is a clear design or control system fault. I am concerned that other GMC or gm truck owners may be at similar risk and urge the NHTSA to investigate this problem before it results in serious injury or death. Ps. On social media most owners say this is happening to them.

I just bought my truck a 2024 GMC 3500 and in a few weeks after purchase. I took my truck in for a break vibration. I took the truck back in to find it had bluing on the rotors and the break pads have holes in them. I was told this came from over heating. They said it was missed on the pre sale inspection they did. I looked up info to see if this was a common problem and found the in 2022 gm changed the material to help with noise problems and this material had been know of premature break problems. The dealership denied doing the work under warranty. I called gm customer service and they told me to work with the dealership, the dealership called the district manager and all parties have decided to ignore the issue. I also have 2 of these truck driven by 2 different people with the same problem at the same millage. I will make a 2nd report for the 2nd truck.

Engine started skipping, then service parking brake light came on, then service engine light came on and speed dropped to 44 mph.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

Trailer brake system connection warning intermittent when towing it will say trailer not connected, while still having a secure 7 pin connection. This causes me to loose trailer brakes. My camper is nearly 14,000 lbs. Very dangerous situation. Happened since new. Was into / complained to gm service dept over 6 times.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 mph and towing a forest river riverstone legacy 5th wheel trailer, the brake pedal was depressed to slow for oncoming stopped traffic; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed with the “service trailer brake” warning light illuminated. The contact was able to stop however, the brake pedal had to be depressed to the floorboard to slow the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer and was made aware of customer satisfaction program: n232414840 - and replaced the trailer brake power module (tbpm). The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact returned the vehicle to the same dealer and the trailer brake power module was replaced a second time. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact had taken the vehicle to another dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was with the 5th wheel RV. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

Breaks and/or drive train. It is available for inspection. 1) breaks sink causing slowed break time and decreased breaking ability. If the breaks are "pumped", more often than not, they will come back up to full pedal. However, in an emergency breaking situation, there is not time to "pump" the breaks. I was nearly in an accident recently when the break pedal would not stop the truck in time, due to the soft break pedal. I literally had to steer to the shoulder of the road. 2) when placing transmission in drive or reverse from the park position, then taking foot off of break pedal, there is about a 1 - 2 foot roll, then the truck stops as if the e-break has been engaged (but it is not engaged). By tapping the accelerator, it will "break free" (with a popping sound and a slight "jerk" in the truck) and then roll fine. This does not always happen ~ guestimate of about 10% of the time. 3) I don't know if this is related, but when I set the drive mode to "normal", it automatically goes to "off road" ~ this happens no matter the driving conditions. This isn't safety related necessarily, however, it may be a part of the total problem. . . . It also decreases my fuel economy. I took the truck to the local GMC dealer/shop. They said the truck had 2 recalls and they took care of those. They believed one of the recalls would help solve the "sticking" when placing in drive or reverse ~ it did not. They also (supposedly) checked the breaking system and took it for a test drive. They said the breaks were fine. I doubt this happened as the soft break pedal and the need to "pump" the breaks to bring them to full pedal is completely obvious. I took the truck home after the inspection and recall. The same issues continued, so I took it back to the shop where it was inspected again. Again, I was told everything was in working order ~ it is not! there are no warning lights that I can find to indicate there is an issue. I'm begining to think that I should have bought a ram truck. . .

I purchased my vehicle in 2019. Since then, I have had several issues. I've had to replace the coolant reservoir, def heater/pump and twice changed the number 8 injector plug. The warning light came on just after the warranty went out. The code reader read the ambient sensor and no sensor.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

The contact owns a 2005 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to come to a stop while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the brake pedal felt loose. The abs warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop and the contact became aware of a brake fluid leak coming from under the hood, and that both front and rear brake lines were rusted. An appointment with the dealer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

See all problems of the 2005 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

Encountering trailer brake issue where the brakes on our 5th wheel do not activate via the GMC trailer brake control module. Have just had it replaced and still experiencing the same issue where it posts an alert on the screen multiple times and does not activate brakes on trailer. This is a widely known issue with GMC trucks and the trailer brake that has been outstanding for over 3 years now and is a safety issue as there doesn't appear to be a fix from any dealerships or GMC. GMC has not taking adequate accountability for this issue. I'm looking at putting together a class action lawsuit with several other customers having the same issue. We are fed up with the inaction and falsely advertised towing package as we are unable to safely tow anything with their trucks.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

Driving approximately 50 mph when vehicle suddenly made loud bang and locked up rear brakes for 25' coming to a stop in road side ditch, numerous vehicles had to make evasive actions to avoid me and other vehicles. Flat spotted tire abut no visible physical damage. Sat on side of road for transmission temp to cool down then drove to shop without repeat. Called dealer was told the earliest appt was a month away. Have not been able to repeat incident so far. This has happened a few times and is becoming more frequent, mfg has TSB issued but indicates they cant assist because my warranty has expired so I will have to pay 225 per hour diagnostic fee. This is untenable and dangerous. This needs a recall and repair ASAP.

Service brake brake system comes on randomly. Have to hit reset when driving. Constantly.

The truck disengages the 5th wheel trailer brakes. The dic states "trailer brakes disabled - service required". I intermittently lose trailer braking capability.

The in cab brake controller does not work with electric over hydraulic trailer brakes. In my research to diagnose and fix the problem I find out GMC has known about this for years and has done nothing to correct. I pulled code c1114 and GMC issued a bulletin for part number (k58-036-00) which I purchased and still did not correct this issue. In short there are many 3500 trucks out there running with no trailer brakes. Here is the worst of this problem. If brakes are tested at a stop they appear to work perfectly however once driving this is when the error code is delivered to the truck so the brakes work at a stop when not needed and do not work under driving when they are needed. GMC has ignored this for years and after spending more of my hard earned money for a fix that did not fix the problem. Below I had to choose a date however this has been an issue since first purchase December 5th 2023 to present.

When towing our 5th wheel RV we started getting messages on the computer that the trailer brakes were not working due to an issue with the brake controller. Trailer brakes would come and go. The only time we got notification was when towing. Only 20 minutes after getting the first notification we were involved in an accident due to the trailer brakes not working. We thoroughly had the trailer brakes and plugs checked and they are not the problem .

When braking, the service trailer brake system message and service stabilitrac message appear on the dash and brake pedal gets soft to hard repeatedly and truck pulls from side to side violently as if one side of the trucks brakes are working and the other side is not.

When starting the vehicle, I got a message to service the parking brake (this is the second time I’ve had this warning appear in the 21,000 miles I’ve owned it, first was approximately 5,000 miles ago). When this warning is active the parking brake does not engage, and can’t be used to stop the vehicle when the brakes fail as they did today. With 42,774 miles on the vehicle, and the onboard monitor for brake wear showing remaining brake life at 94% front and 96% rear, brake fluid reservoir between max and min the brake pedal went soft and the vehicle would not stop. I resorted to putting the vehicle in neutral and pumping the brakes until the pedal got hard. As soon as I let off the brake my vehicle began to roll backwards, stepped on the brake pedal again and the pedal again went to the floor without stopping or slowing the vehicle (pumping the brakes got it stopped again inches away from running into my house). The mygmc app notified me that I need to service the abs system. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership for diagnostics and repair. Possibly related, this afternoon before the brakes stopped working I felt a mild vibration when traveling 20-35mph that resembled the vibration that occurs when a wheel bearing has begun to fail. Tow truck driver witnessed the vehicles inability to stop when putting it in neutral to load vehicle. It is unimaginable that a vehicle can be placed on the highway that has no backup system in the event of brake failure. Had a kid run out in front of me there would have been no way to avoid the accident (no other warnings appeared to indicate the vehicle was unsafe to drive. Brakes worked correctly and stopped appropriately until they didn’t).

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

Critical part failure - the master cylinder attached to the brake pad is leaking at the seal where the piston is depressed into the cylinder. It's leaking brake fluid onto the driver brake assembly and some sort of cable. While this is repairable under warranty, this should never ever happen on a vehicle. Arguably, the main part on the most critical system on the car - the brakes. Please investigate whether gm should be responsible for replacing this part on any affected vehicle for the life of the vehicle thank you for all you do to keep us safe! have a great day.

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the message “trailer brake disconnected" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was hauling a 5th-wheel trailer during the failure. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. Most recently, while driving 55 mph, the message "trailer brake disconnected" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and waited before restarting the vehicle and continuing driving. The contact stated that before the most recent failure, the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the trailer plug was replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 21v758000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Service trailer braking system. Faulty control in the dash. Known issue per mechanic but no recall issued. Safety issue as trailer brake may not function properly when towing as a result.

Rear tires locking up out of no where almost made me jack knife.

Various warning lights are coming on sincve I purchased this vehicle, such as abs, engine power reduced, oil changing service, service engine light, service trailer brake system, wheel tracking, service esc, passing gear cuts out. My vehicle has been in the shop many times and is in the shop now. I have a deep concerned for the safety performance of this vehicle for myself and my family.

The trailer brake system has stopped working and displays the message "service trailer brakes" it does this no matter if several different tralers are hooked to the truck. These trialers test fine in other trucks and with meters. The trailer brake controller does not work. There are many owners reporting the same thing. It is a critical safety feature to stop the truck & trailer and probably already has led to some fatalities. Please issue a recall. Thank you.

4 weeks ago, constant repeated loud chime and visual warning stating " service trailer brake system". This is constantly alarming and unable to be cancelled or acknowledged throughout the drive. This results in distracted driving. Furthermore, it occurs both when towing a trailer or not towing. I have noticed decreased braking of the trailer as well. Have not gone to dealer yet.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.

A persistent, very distracting alert saying "service trailer brakes".

Brake are very spongy all the time we’ll while driving in parking lot at low speed we lost brakes happen to hit person in front. This has been a continuous problem to point we are scared to even use the truck to go to store. Took it to firestone. They told me it was the master cylinder. So they replaced that, replaced the front rotors and pads, did a fluid exchange abs as well? don’t know what that is. On the internet there is tons of this issue. I even see GMC 1500 is having this issue and there is a recall for the recalibration electric brake controller? couldn’t it include the full sierra line?. Why not on the 2500, 3500? looks to be same system? rotors and calipers are different thats it if anyone can help please let me know. It’s not covered under warranty and they want to replace some pump for $1500. I just paid $1500 for something totally different.

The service brakes lights has come on a d disabled my brake controller. This is a safety issue while towing and completely unacceptable.

See all problems of the 2012 GMC Sierra 3500 🔎.