Vehicle Safety Hazard Summary: This complaint concerns an incomplete, non-compliant post-collision structural repair on a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 (VIN: [XXX]). It has resulted in immediate vehicle tracking failure, dangerous steering drift, and a compromised cabin safety cage following a passenger-side side-impact collision. 1. Severe Suspension and Tracking Misalignment • Electronic Alignment Failure: The post-repair electronic wheel alignment documents a Rear Thrust Angle of 0.17°. General Motors OEM specifications require a maximum allowable thrust angle of 0.10° or less for this 4WD Crew Cab chassis. The system printed a critical warning: "One or more values are not within specification. Tire wear, handling and safety problems may result." • Physical Wheelbase Displacement: Physical cross-measurements confirm a 1.25-inch tracking variance between the rear wheel wells. This proves the solid rear axle has shifted along the leaf springs due to a sheared centering pin or a bent axle/spindle assembly. • Road Hazard Handling: The truck exhibits a severe right-hand steering drift. The driver must hold the steering wheel significantly off-center to prevent the vehicle from pulling off the road. This creates an immediate risk of control loss during highway driving, sudden avoidance maneuvers, or wet weather. 2. Compromised Cabin Structure and Latch Failure • Structural Binding: The facility performed an outer B-pillar sectioning repair. Upon delivery, the B-pillar door check bracket was left un-torqued. When this structural hardware is torqued to factory specifications, the passenger door binds severely against the cab shell and will not latch or close without being violently slammed. This mechanical binding confirms the underlying inner high-strength steel pillars remain deformed, compromising side-impact and rollover crashworthiness. The vehicle is mechanically out of safe operating specifications, and the repair facility refuses to perform further corrections INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
2021 GMC Sierra 1500 body problems
13 complaints (2% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 30,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 13
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 30,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body8
- Body: tailgate1
- Body: door1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
GMC Sierra 1500 body problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
rear sliding window has plastic body seam that is broken allowing water to leak into the truck and cause mold and rust
There is a water leak in the rear passenger compartment of my vehicle. Unsure where water is coming from. Continued leaking poses a risk to my safety as I may be exposed to black mold as well as anyone else who is riding in my vehicle. The problem hasn’t been addressed by the dealer yet but this is a known issue. At this point I have spoken with a representative from the service department at the dealership but cannot get an appointment for several weeks. I was also advised that the problem would need to be diagnosed before being addressed at my cost due to being outside of the warranty period. There were no warning lights or any other signs that this is occurring and was only discovered because I was putting something in the back seat on 6/26/26.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra LD Crew. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's bedrail attachment fully detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
The contact owned a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking erratically, and the vehicle lost motive power. In addition, the contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured front-end frame. The contact was informed that the front-end frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the inner tailgate door failed to open while pressing the release button. On several occasions while pressing the release button, the inner door would lower down. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 45,000.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that there was water leaking through the rear sliding window. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that a fee would be charged for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Tailgate drops without warning, lower button on tailgate doesn't work.
I have a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 with a power 6-point tailgate. The inner tailgate has been spontaneously opening for some reason. It seems the electric lock mechanism trips. This could case the contents of my truck bed to fall out. This issue is a known issue for GMC Sierras and a recall has been issued for the 2500's and 3500's but for some reason not the 1500's even though the tailgate is the exact same. I have an appointment to have the issue serviced at dealership, but since there is no current recall they will not cover the expense.
GMC1500 Sierra pick up truck. Rear tailgate dropped today, 3.15.2024. Weather was rainy, tailgate was up at the start of the trip. Contacted GM Corp and was told this model 1500 was not part of the recall??
Questions about the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 body
Does the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 have body problems?
Owners have filed 13 complaints about the body of the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500, 2% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 30,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the GMC Sierra 1500 have the most body problems?
The GMC Sierra 1500 model years with the most body complaints are 2022 (107 complaints), 2023 (97 complaints) and 2011 (45 complaints).
Other 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Engine 372Transmission 147Electrical 76Fuel system 42Steering 35Brakes 25Driver assistance 15Locks 10Suspension 10Acceleration 7Visibility 7Airbags 6Wheels 5Tires 4Seat belts 3Lights 2Seats 1
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