GMC Sierra
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Engine family
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9 offered
GMC Sierra 8.1L V8
The L18 is the most common engine code the VIN decodes to on the 8.1L V8 configurations below; hybrid variants of the same displacement carry their own code. We decode it on 1,302 VINs across 19 factory builds, and 21 listings are reported active. The configuration price reference is $19,322.
- Cylinders
- 8
- Induction
- Naturally aspirated
- Fuel
- Gasoline
- Fitted
- 2001–2006
- Drive
- 4WD
◷ Updated November 10, 2026 ▤ National asking prices, refreshed nightly
The price reference is the median of configuration medians, not the median of all active cars. Each configuration has equal weight. Configurations with at least 3 priced listings are used when available; otherwise the reference uses the configurations with a recorded price. Model years, mileage and condition vary. Open a model-year report below for its asking prices across all engines.
Where the 8.1L 8-cyl sits in the Sierra engine lineup
Every engine family this model was sold with, ordered by size. The bar spans the model years recorded for it; the price is a reference across priced configurations, with each configuration weighted equally. Older engines look cheaper because the cars are older — overlapping years alone do not match the vehicles by age, trim, mileage or condition.
9 engine families, one nameplate. Open the GMC Sierra price hub to compare them side by side, or to jump into any of the others.
Which Sierra years got a 8.1L 8-cyl engine
Every model year this engine was fitted to, newest first. The bar is how much of the family's VIN volume sits in that year — long bars are the years this engine was everywhere.
VIN counts come from our decode of the model's build patterns, not from live listings. A year link opens the full Sierra report for that year — every engine of the model, not just this one.
19 factory configurations with this engine
Each one is a distinct build as the VIN decodes it — trim, body, gearbox and equipment. Open a build sheet for its full spec and the VINs recorded on it.
2006
1 build2005
2 builds2004
2 builds2003
3 builds2002
4 builds2001
7 buildsThe 8.1L 8-cyl Sierra: common questions
Which Sierra years have the 8.1L 8-cyl?
2001–2006, without a break — 6 model years in our VIN decode, across 19 factory configurations and 1,302 VINs.
What does a 8.1L 8-cyl Sierra cost?
$19,322 is a configuration price reference: the median of configuration medians, with each priced configuration weighted equally. It is not a listing-level median or a valuation of an individual car. The year-by-year ladder shows VIN and inventory counts; its links open model-year price reports covering all engines.
What is the engine code, and does it matter?
L18 — the code the VIN decodes to on the configurations on this page. It matters when you order parts or read a service history: the same displacement badge on another model can be a different code with different outputs.
8.1L 8-cyl Sierra on the market
Individual vehicles carrying this engine, each with its own listing-history page. The sample is pinned to fixed VIN buckets, so it does not reshuffle day to day.