Overview & Reviews

Next time you hear someone refer to the "Sierra Nevada Mountains," please direct them to your state's Department of Redundancy Department. The folks at DORD will immediately inform them that Sierra is, in fact, Spanish for mountains -- it's no different from saying Rio Grande River, ATM Machine or Los Angeles Angels.

Thankfully, the GMC Sierra 3500 made plenty of sense as a heavy-duty pickup. As a near-identical twin to the Chevy Silverado, the Sierra 3500 was a sturdy workhorse thanks to upgrades over the regular 1500 model such as a more rugged frame, a stiffened suspension, more powerful engine choices and the availability of dual rear wheels. Although it certainly could have benefited from better interior materials, the GMC Sierra 3500's reputation for durability and tremendous hauling and towing capabilities made it a long-running favorite.

When GMC redesigned the Sierra 3500 for 2007, it changed the truck's name slightly to "3500HD". Information about that truck can be found here.

Used GMC Sierra 3500 Models
The last Sierra 3500 was sold from 2001-'06. GMC further extended the model's life by one year by calling it the 3500 Classic for 2007. Changes to this truck were minimal during its production run. Updates were made to exterior styling and the interior for 2003, with further exterior tweaks for 2005. These trucks initially came in SL, SLE and SLT trim levels, with the Work Truck added for 2004. That latter year also saw a regular rear axle become available to supplement the dual rear-wheel setup.

The standard engine was a 6.0-liter V8 that made 300 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. There were two optional engines: an 8.1-liter gasoline V8 producing 340 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque and a 6.6-liter turbodiesel producing 300 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque. This diesel was upgraded for 2006 with more power and refinement and fewer emissions -- it made 360 hp and a whopping 650 lb-ft of torque. These engines carried over for the 2007 Classic. A five-speed manual transmission was standard with the 6.0-liter V8, with a four-speed automatic optional. The 8.1-liter V8 and turbodiesel engines came with either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. (It became a six-speed for 2006.)

In reviews of the GMC Sierra 3500, we were always impressed by the truck's powerful engine lineup and substantial towing and hauling abilities. It was a reasonably comfortable truck for everyday use, but don't expect the plush ride of its light-duty siblings. Any of the three available engines will provide swift acceleration (for a full-size 1-ton truck, that is) and ample towing power, but the diesel V8 is probably the best choice for those who tow heavy loads -- especially the more powerful 2006 Duramax. Our principal beef with the Sierra 3500 concerned the shoddy interior design, materials and build quality. GMC improved it gradually during its lifespan, but it was never quite up to snuff.

The previous-generation GMC Sierra 3500 heavy-duty pickup ran from 1988-'98 with a significant refresh for 1995. It was known as the Sierra 3500 Classic for 1999 and 2000. This 1-ton Sierra was powered by a series of V8 engines (including a diesel option), with enhancements made in 1994. New gasoline "Vortec" engines debuted for 1996, including a 7.4-liter V8 capable of 410 lb-ft of torque. The 6.5-liter turbodiesel was upgraded for 1998. Strengths of these trucks include strong, durable powertrains, while weaknesses center on sketchy build quality and materials within the cabin.

User Reviews:

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  Best vehicle i have owned - 2006 GMC Sierra 3500
  By mark mcrae - October 26 - 7:26 am

  Bought deisel truck for camper and boat. this truck goes over mountain passes like the load isnt there, 15,000lbs. I bought an aftermarket engine program to increase performance, and with this chip I get 20mpg empty, 15mpg with boat or camper, 13mpg with boat and camper. Programer takes 5 minutes and allows me to program for specific loads or to put it back to stock settings, recommend this. There has not been 1 problem with truck and have already put on 12,000 miles in the first 4 months. Very happy customer.

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  A disaster - 2006 GMC Sierra 3500
  By MyGMCLemon - August 8 - 4:26 pm

  I am absoultely horrified that I have a brand new vehicle that actually just shuts itself off while I am driving. It has now been into the dealership twice with only 1200 miles on it. Since they can not get codes out of the computer they can not isolate the problem and fix it. This truck has been a nightmare. It has been to the dealership twice now for repair. I still do not have it back and they still can not figure out what is wrong.

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  My Truck - 2005 GMC Sierra 3500
  By Liz Cox - June 11 - 4:30 am

  I have to say my experience with my GMC has been awesome. I have travelled over 17,000 miles since I first got it. It hauls my 42 5th wheel with no difficulty and my daughter enjoys the DVD system w/the wireless headphones only a little more than I do. Great sound system and entertainment system. Shocks are a little stiff but only when Im not hauling. I did a lot of comparision shopping and my GMC had the most options for the best price.

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  Duramax Dually 2004 - 2004 GMC Sierra 3500
  By Gilles - June 25 - 11:26 pm

  I purchased the Sierra dually Duramax (LLY - 310hp & 605flbs) to pull a heavy fifth wheel and so far my experience has been trouble free. So far I am fully satisfied although I only have 30,000 km and time will provide more information on reliability of the Duramax. I find it fun to drive and fuel efficiency is good compared to the other diesel (Ford & Chrysler). It provide plenty of performance compare to a gas engine. The interior is perhaps blend as per the critics but it provides a price advantage compare to the Fords King Ranch. It does not take away from the performance.

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  My 2005 3500 Xtend Cab 4x4 SRW 8.1L - 2005 GMC Sierra 3500
  By Dale - April 21 - 4:13 pm

  Ride seems very smooth. Some wind noise through the extended cab doors. Very powerful with the 8.1L V-8

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  GMC Sierra duramax - 2004 GMC Sierra 3500
  By Rich in suffolk - April 6 - 2:00 am

  You can always ask for more, but this truck gives the best of all I have ever driven. The Duramax is quiet and it seems to have more pep than my old 350 gas. Over the road unloaded I have gotten 22 mpg at I-95 speeds. Pulling a medium size 5th wheel is a pleasure. The allison transmission is absolutely super. I will buy another. By the way my other car is a Ford ambulance (diesel), the powerstroke is great but cant hold a candle to the duramax. The Dodge is just too loud.

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  2007 GMC 3500 carbon monoxide in cab. - 2006 GMC Sierra 3500
  By daveo08 - May 4 - 8:10 pm

  Having driven this truck only a short distance, 2400 miles, problems are already evident. The worst being a diagnosis, from a blood sample test, of carbon monoxide poisoning due to cab infilteration. This is caused by the missfiring of the injection electronics package and the poor cab fit and finish allowing the engine exhaust to get into the cab unless the recirculate mode is used on the heating system. Recirculate is defeated by the controller which will not allow the recirculate mode to be engaged except on max ac. The engine has very poor throttle response and smokes excessively under heavy acceleration. The engine has a propensity to consume oil.

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  GMC 8.1drw excab - 2002 GMC Sierra 3500
  By ssolfer - April 6 - 5:23 am

  Only problem has been the left door speaker went bad. Only thing I dont like about it is that the rear springs clunk with just the camper on some bumps at lower speeds

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  Piece of crap - 2004 GMC Sierra 3500
  By Carlos Fernandez - July 31 - 10:00 am

  This was the worst vehicle i ever had. It broke down right as i was pulling out of the dealership. The dealership then actually charged me for towing it the 10 feet to the service area!! Turns out the axle was faulty. They also found that the radiator leaked too.

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  GMC 3500 - 2005 GMC Sierra 3500
  By ronshoney - April 18 - 11:36 am

  Its a beautiful truck, feels like your riding in luxury. We have the TV/DVD package and that works great for our 4 kids who fit comfortably in the back on long trips. Good on gas for something that size, always runs and drives great. Have also used it to pull out the tractor when it got buried plowing the field, was not a problem it came right out and the truck barely had to try. Also pulled out a boat hauler that was stuck in a field, no limit to this truck.