# 2021 GMC SIERRA 1500 — STEERING
> NHTSA complaint `2253188` · 2026-10-03 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** GMC
- **Model:** SIERRA 1500
- **Year:** 2021
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** STEERING
## Narrative
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 
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · MORVS · CC0 1.0*