Selling a junk GMC Sierra 3500
Any Sierra 3500 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the GMC Sierra 3500
NHTSA has 630 owner complaints on file for the GMC Sierra 3500, model years 1996 to 2022, the 362nd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are brakes (126, 20%), transmission and drivetrain (66, 10%), electrical system (63, 10%). 34 complaints involved a crash, 24 a fire, and 22 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 58,500 miles. The 2020 model year has the most complaints (72). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is brakes, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to deciding whether to repair or junk: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
GMC Sierra 3500 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 | Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 15 | Steering | 4 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1998 | 12 | Brakes | 0 | 2 | 4 | — |
| 1999 | 25 | Brakes | 1 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2000 | 30 | Brakes | 3 | 1 | 3 | — |
| 2001 | 44 | Brakes | 3 | 1 | 3 | 66,250 |
| 2002 | 29 | Fuel system | 3 | 1 | 3 | 101,000 |
| 2003 | 9 | Brakes | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2004 | 29 | Brakes | 0 | 2 | 1 | 87,000 |
| 2005 | 29 | Brakes | 0 | 2 | 1 | 50,500 |
| 2006 | 14 | Transmission and drivetrain | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 19 | Air bags | 0 | 1 | 3 | — |
| 2008 | 28 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2009 | 8 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 0 | 5 | — |
| 2010 | 2 | Steering | 0 | 0 | 5 | — |
| 2011 | 24 | Air bags | 0 | 1 | 5 | — |
| 2012 | 15 | Engine | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2013 | 15 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2014 | 10 | Speed control | 1 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2015 | 42 | Electrical system | 1 | 3 | 7 | 48,815 |
| 2016 | 27 | Brakes | 0 | 0 | 7 | — |
| 2017 | 18 | Brakes | 1 | 3 | 7 | — |
| 2018 | 20 | Brakes | 0 | 0 | 6 | — |
| 2019 | 20 | Brakes | 1 | 1 | 7 | — |
| 2020 | 72 | Transmission and drivetrain | 6 | 4 | 8 | — |
| 2021 | 28 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 0 | 5 | — |
| 2022 | 44 | Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 3 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
GMC Sierra 3500 recalls
NHTSA lists 42 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (17), fuel system (4), brakes (4). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2016 model year, air bags (campaign 26V611000, Sep 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail …
- 2019 model year, air bags (campaign 26V325000, May 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rai…
- 2019 model year, air bags (campaign 26V166000, Mar 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof…
- 2020 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 26V083000, Feb 2026): General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recal…
- 2019 model year, air bags (campaign 25V432000, Jun 2025): General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side ro…
What a GMC Sierra 3500 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk Sierra 3500 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
Should you junk or repair your car? 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other GMC models
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Questions people ask
- What is a junk GMC Sierra 3500 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Sierra 3500 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a GMC Sierra 3500 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a GMC Sierra 3500?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these GMC Sierra 3500 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.