general problems of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 - part 1

The engine lost all power while driving down the road and code says p0016 truck is now at a GMC service station being torn down.

The engine started making ticking sounds, then the check engine light came on on and it began running very rough. GMC dealer replaced camshaft, all 16 lifters and guides and one bent push rod. The repair (not including transportation - I had to leave in gallupnm when I was enroute to minnesota) cost was $7,832. 81. The vehicle has 93,000 miles.

Component/system that failed: the issue appears to originate from the transmission or drivetrain, specifically resulting in the rear wheels locking up and dragging at low speeds. It feels like something is seizing inside the drivetrain, making the truck very difficult to move. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk: this failure presents a serious and unpredictable safety hazard. The vehicle begins locking up randomly when slowing down, such as in parking lots or residential areas. If this occurred at higher speeds or in traffic, it could easily result in a crash, loss of control, or pedestrian injury. It’s completely unreliable and unsafe to operate in this condition. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center? the issue is part of a well-known transmission defect affecting gm’s 8-speed automatic transmissions. There are multiple class action lawsuits and thousands of consumer complaints documenting identical symptoms. Gm is fully aware of the defect but has refused to issue a recall, instead allowing the time-based warranty to expire even when the mileage is still well within the 60,000-mile limit. My local GMC dealer refused to offer a loaner or goodwill repair and quoted over a week just to diagnose it despite knowing that this is a known failure point. The symptoms are consistent with the known defect gm continues to avoid addressing. Has it been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance? no outside inspection has occurred yet. Given the widespread documentation of this defect and the consistency of symptoms, it should not be necessary to involve other parties. Were there any warning lamps or messages? no. There were no warning lights, messages, or alerts of any kind. The failure occurs randomly, and without any prior indication. That unpredictability makes the issue even more dangerous.

Had to have transmission rebuilt found metal shavings and was shifting bad and shuttering. Vehicle has 63,000 miles and is well maintained. Vehicle was taken to GMC but said their transmission person was on vacation for 2 weeks. Also parts dept said they had no transmissions in stock and were back ordered. Truck was taken to aamco and transmission was rebuilt and torque converter replaced . This is a common issue with GMC trucks.

I was driving with my wife about to merge into traffic on the interstate when I had a huge power loss. It was a busy part of the interstate where I could have been ran over. There was a lot of traffic and was fortunate the semi driver was alert and slowed down. I was not aware of any failures of this motor or received any notices from gm. After conducting research I found that this was a know issue that gm failed to report. My truck has been serviced regularly and until that point had not given any signs of a upcoming failure, I have read that gm is looking into other years such as 2019 which mine is. I have had no luck with gm customer care with the only response being I need to crunch the numbers from my claim advisor. I have the 6. 2 l87 motor and know of the clip failure do to poor assembly and parts and debris getting into the motor causing the failure. I am looking to report this and request any assistance available. My first stop was the dealership, then gm customer care.

I was headed out of town and stopped in the neighborhood at a stop sign. As usual, the auto stop/auto start feature turned the engine off and when I lifted my foot off the brake pedal to reengage the engine, the truck started rolling backward. The engine would not start even though all the gauges and systems were working as if the engine was on. I had the truck towed to my mechanic and after troubleshooting, they determined the engine was locked up and would need to be totally replaced. My truck has the 6. 2l gas engine and have since learned that GMC is recalling later model trucks with this engine in them due to engine failure. If my engine failure had happened anywhere other than at a stop sign in a neighborhood, it could have caused a significant accident. I can't find a new engine because of the GMC recall and the cost to replace the engine with a lower mileage, used engine is approximately $16,500.

I bought this vehicle at 80k miles and I have had an on going issue with the transmission. I have done research online and found that gm had put the wrong fluid in the transmission from the factory that has caused internal issues with the transmission leading to hard shifting and transmission shuttering. On my dime I have changed the fluid twice already and also the torque converter as well. This issue has gotten better but still a problem. This has caused me to not be able to trade my truck with out being upside down because of the dealers telling me they would have to put a new transmission to sell it. So now my trucks value has dropped as well. Now I am stuck in a truck that is not safe to drive. Thanks gm for not helping me.

I had engine failure two weeks after a schedule maintenance that included a tune up. When the engine failed all the components made the vehicle impossible to operate much less bring to a stop safely. I had to get the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer confirmed that the engine (6. 2 v8) has a known documented issue. The vehicle is at my dealer with the engine being disassembled. There weren't any warnings as I stayed on the maintenance schedule that the dealer mapped out since my purchase. The problem began 4/12/2025. After researching the issue I found this online. That is how I found your web site. . Read more...

Transmission keeps skipping missing gears and hard shifting, as well as jolting forward. When attempting to switch lanes vehicle transmission skips. When being placed from park to drive or any other gear vehicle transmission hard shifts. Vehicle radio and screen shut off intermittently every 30 to 45 minutes. Vehicle screen goes blank and black and resets itself after 30 to 45 minutes.

Transmission has been failing for the life of this vehicle. Shuttered shifting and hard shifting are the norm. It is available for inspection. Vehicle does not shift properly when vehicle is in motion. Shifting is often delayed resulting in temporary loss of power. I have had the vehicle in to a transmission shop they have been able to reproduce the events. There are no warning lights visible to indicate an issue.

While driving down the highway I experienced a sudden lose of power with check engine and other associated warning lights immediately illuminated. It has been confirmed by my independent service center and a GMC dealer that the engine lifters and camshaft failed. I have documentation to prove the vehicle has been traded to a GMC dealer. My safety and the safety of other divers around me was put at risk as I abruptly lost power at highway speeds and this caused traffic around me to slow very quickly and swerve to avoid collision. Serious personal and public injury or death was narrowly avoided due to the quick response of other drivers. I had to limp the vehicle to a safe place to exit the highway and avoid further danger. After speaking with the dealer and my independent maintenance professional I can say that the problem was showing eminent failure, for about a year there was a tik I was hearing that in the past had been described as the "gm tik" some mechanics said it was normal others said it might be a problem but none of them ever recommended a repair. I believe this is related to the problem reported by my local news agency on 4/30/2025.

Valve train/camshaft fairlure which damaged entire engine - happened at 99,650 miles.

While attempting to accelerate to get onto the expressway with no warning, the vehicle went into limp mode. Traction control, front end warning collision, auto/stop start functionality was all disabled and the engine light warning light on came on. The vehicle locked out and reduced acceleration. An attempt to pull over and turn the vehicle off for a few seconds was made. Once restarted, the vehicle continued running on limp mode at reduced speeds with the same indicators mentioned still disabled and locked out.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle shook violently. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted but after shifting into drive(d), and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 mph. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal "roaring" sound. The contact stopped the vehicle and had the vehicle to be towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the valve body on the transmission needed to be replaced; however, the part to complete the repair was on a national back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact stated that the failure was the second transmission failure. The contact had the transmission replaced in 2024 by the same dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would intermittently hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the check engine warning light had flashed on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where the mechanic informed the contact that there was a miscommunication between the engine and the transmission. Two dealers were notified of the failure, and each informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was also given a diagnostic fee to determine the cause of the failure; the vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Lifters in engine failed at beginning of March 2025 and destroyed inside of engine. Transmission failed in summer of 2024 and had to be replaced.

Accelerating from a stop, 1st and 2nd gear hard shifts. Gm previously changed program and type of fluid. Said this was normal.

My transmission keeps on jerking all the time when we are driving.

Bad torque converter with 56000 miles and a month out of warranty and gm says to bad.

The transmission is experiences periodic rough shifting, a shudder and droning noise between 1,000 and 1,500 rpm. An independent transmission specialty shop states the transmission is starting to fail. The transmission, differentials and transfer case fluids were changed at 53,000 miles and again at 104,000 miles.

My truck has had two lifters fail at different times which ended up ruining the camshaft now my truck feels like it’s going over a rumble strip on the highway at low rpm’s. During this speed the trans is slipping and can not pick a gear. Other Gmcs had a service bulletine to change trans fluid but my did not. I have emailed twice to gm and have not heard anything back. I have close to 10000 in repairs and my truck has been down for 4 months.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 mph, an abnormal sound was coming from under the floorboards. No warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission oil pump had failed and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

Subject: potential issue related to recall n202314870 for GMC Sierra 1500 problem description: I own a 2019 GMC sierra at4 (VIN# [xxx] ) and have identified a potential issue related to the drive shaft. Although my VIN does not appear in the official system as affected by recall n202314870, the vehicle exhibits the following symptoms: 1. Unusual and consistent vibrations in the drivetrain while the vehicle is in motion. 2. Noises coming from both the front and rear differentials. 3. Concern regarding the integrity of the drive shaft, as these issues align with the details described in the recall. Given that this issue potentially affects the safety of the vehicle, I kindly request a review to determine if my unit should be included in recall n202314870 or any other related campaign. I appreciate your consideration of these symptoms for a proper evaluation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Unknown mostly. Water pump ended up cracking while running. Power failure notice had come up on dash and then vehicle shut off while running. Dealership made repairs but unable to identify root cause.

Bought used 2019 denali oct 2024 with 41 k miles on it. 1200 miles later started feeling vibration under load on highway. Took to dealership and they said I needed to replace torque converter. After that the transmission went out during test drive. Then waited 45 days for new transmission to find out the unit was defective. Now we’re going on 5 months and the truck still waiting on a replacement transmission. Gm hasn’t acknowledged any of my complaints about this and said that they’re doing the best they can for me and is going to award me 10000 reward points for future use! what a joke! 5. Months to replace a transmission? gm has completely failed its consumers, at least this one!.

Took truck to dealership for transmission issues such as hard shifts and shuttering on highway. Waiting 2 months for parts that didn’t fix the issue. Now waiting on another transmission which I’m being told is on back order!.

Issue 1: driver side front seat airbag connector separated disabling the airbag. (repaired at my cost) issue 2: transmission (10 speed auto) developed stutter and skip consistent with complaints resulting in recall of 2020 (next model year truck) due to risk of rear wheel lock up. Gm needs to include the 2019 models that were built as 2019 (as 2020) in one of the plants while they continued to build the 2018 as 2018 "classics" during the changeover. My cost to repair will be $3600 and there is not guarantee that the new valve body is any better or if gm is simply giving me another 46k miles to wait for another failure.

The transmission failed and gm will not provide parts to repair the truck. Only has 57000 miles.

I am reporting a serious mechanical and safety issue with my 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 (5. 3l engine). The truck began misfiring, running rough, and would frequently “jump” and shut off while driving — creating an unsafe situation on the road. We attempted several repairs to resolve the issue: •transmission flush •replaced the intake manifold gasket •replaced all eight fuel injectors •inspected all ignition coils •replaced faulty sensors the vehicle repeatedly showed a cylinder 8 misfire, even after these repairs. Eventually, it was diagnosed that both the lifters and camshaft are bad, and the engine now needs a full replacement. This is extremely concerning because the truck has only about 47,000 miles on it. We brought it to the dealership in September 2024, while it was still under warranty, and told them it wasn’t running right. The dealership said there was nothing wrong. Now that the warranty has expired, gm is refusing to help with any repairs. This appears to be a manufacturing defect that was not properly diagnosed while under warranty. Engine failure at such low mileage, especially with early warning signs and repeated diagnostic errors, should be investigated as a serious reliability and safety concern.

While driving the vehicle caught engine fire later exploding within seconds.

When the transmission downshifts the rear wheels lock up and the truck skids out of control. I have to be very careful with gas pedal pressure to not allow the transmission to downshift by 2 or more gears. This is virtually impossible in mountain terrain, where I visit routinely.

My end of year 2019 produced GMC Sierra 1500 5. 3 v8, 4wd x31 4 door truck had a serious malfunction that could have caused great harm. I was driving down my driveway at approximately 20 mph when the truck's rear wheels locked up, stopping the truck instantly, sending me into the steering wheel narrowly missing the windshield with my face. After a moment, I attempted to drive again to move the truck out of the travel path. When I did, the truck back wheels completely locked up again (when I reached 6mph).  I had the truck towed to my local shop and was told that it was the transmission locking up making the wheels lock up. The part (transmission) that was ordered for repair was on national backorder and took over two months to get my truck repaired and functional again. I was fortunate to have a warranty (now expired) and pay a percentage of the repair fee, however, the total repair fee was near 12,000. This was paid for by myself and my warranty company. Considering the part was on national backorder, I know that these types of problems are occurring with many of these trucks. I learned of the recall for this same problem that my truck had and checked the recall for my VIN. To my complete surprise, my truck was not listed as being recalled, even though the exact same problem occurred with my truck. I would like to get the cost of the repairs refunded considering it took gm so long to recall the problem leaving me to pay for their errors. This is not a cheap automobile and was expected to be built well. I am very fortunate that I was not on a major highway or traveling at a high rate of speed when this happened. It was a very scary ordeal being propelled into the windshield of your vehicle when driving due to abrupt, extremely unusual 100% mechanical failure of no fault of your own. This recall should be expanded to include all vehicles that have the faulty transmission, including mine. Repair receipts can be provided. I appreciate your time and consideration.

Right lifter went out & damaged the cam shaft which in turn damaged the engine the vehicle has been sitting at the dealership since August 1, 2024 & confirmed on August 9, 2024, stating that a new cam shaft would need replaced or a new engine, which ever we choose. Note: vehicle only has 40,298 miles on it I was driving to work on August 1, 2024, service engine light came on & was blinking & the breaking system lights came on, this was the only warning that I received.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle was vibrating and shaking abnormally. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the shaking ceased. The contact stated that the failure became a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced transmission failure however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.

Check engine light came on while driving system scan states misfire cylinder 6 but resulted in the lifter being damaged as well as the cam shaft on a vehicle that has 108,000 miles. Prior to this I reported multiple times that it seemed that the transmission would slip and stuttered when on a incline and put in reverse. I was told it was a computer program issue and was charged for a software update which obviously did not fix the issue but ruined the engine.