general problems of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 - part 2

We were driving down the interstate at about 75 mph when a message came up that said to shift to neutral and push the start button. My husband did and it continued to drive perfectly fine, but about 6 miles down the road it did the same thing again except when he pushed the start button it did not start. I cannot begin to tell you the cause as to why it would’ve been doing that as I have never had any other issues with it.

I started to notice changes in performance around 75k miles. Seemed like performance was subpar compared to what was the norm. Seemed to lose some power. Minimal at first, more so just recently around 90k. Oil consumption was starting to accelerate at each oil change at 75k, 80k, 85k, 90k. To the point around 85k and 90k that I would not go over even 1 mile from the 5k threshold without changing the oil. Around 90k I could tell it was not getting any better, deficiencies were accelerating it seemed. At 91k miles I started to hear clicking noises and loss of power, starts were getting rough, bouncing at idle. I stopped driving it, only driving it to the dealership where I brought for a look at it. Will be driving it again for them to do a deeper diagnostic. Many misfires at cylinder 5. Po305 the issue. Showed up around 91k miles on 12/17/25 now investigation into my model. I see online.

I took my 2020 GMC sierra in for an oil change. The engine seized when it the technician tried to restart the car. We had it towed to GMC where they confirmed the engine seized. The oil repair shop then replaced the engine and when doing so confirmed the original threw a rod which is the same recall issue that is occurring with the 2021-2024 models. I have since taken the car to GMC for a full inspection and made additional repairs. The vehicle is available for future repairs. My safety and others are at risk as the engine could seize leaving my family stranded or endangering others on the road if the seizure occurs while driving. Yes the vehicle was inspected at the GMC dealership and the shop where the engine was replaced with another l87 engine. There was no warning the engine seized after an oil change.

Engine fan has been constantly running, with engine temp reading around 230 consistently. After driving 5 miles on the interstate it shot up to 260 and said “engine temp overheating, idle engine”.

My 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 denali with the 6. 2l l87 v8 just began experiencing a new rough idle with intermittent rpm dips. There are no engine codes or warning lights. Idle drops are noticeable, suddenly began this week. I am concerned due to ongoing NHTSA engineering analysis ea25-007 involving this engine. Some owners reported engine failure with little warning. The truck has right over 68,000 miles on it and has had every oil changed performed at a gm dealer. I have had to top off the oil between cycles and always used the recommended oil, being the dexos gen 3 due to the truck burning a small amount of oil. More detail on a possible cause. I believe it would be worth investigating the dfm technology. I will be performing a fuel cleaner and possibly a lifter cleaner and/or additive. I would like to tune the truck and turn off the dfm since this is what I have read causes the truck to burn oil and damage the lifters. However, I will wait until this analysis is completed before deciding to change the truck's stock tunes.

This is the 3rd catastrophic engine failure since purchasing this new vehicle from the dealership, the vehicle is currently at the dealership and is available for inspection. The latest diagnostic report has been attached from the dealership for reference. My safety and the safety of others was at risk with each occurrence. The 1st occurred on the interstate when a lifter rod bent causing loss of power with no warning, engine was rebuilt by the dealership. The 2nd occurred on the interstate when a different lifter rod bent causing loss of power with no warning, engine was rebuilt again by the dealership. The 3rd occurred just recently while on a highway. The engine suddenly turned off with no warning. The dash told me to put it into neutral and start again. I had to coast the truck for a long distance after the sudden loss of power in order to attempt to restart the engine. The engine would not start. The diagnostic report from the dealership states "engine is seized tight, maxi fuse is blown, needs engine replacement. ".

My 2020 GMC sierra with a 5. 3l engine and 78,272 miles on the vehicle, experienced damaged lifters which also resulted in a damaged cam shaft. The total repair bill was $9,208. 86. While in the GMC dealership for repair, there were 2 other trucks - same model, same year, same engine - in for the same repair. When searching on-line, I found the recall for the GMC 6. 2l engine for similar issues. It is my opinion that the 5. 3l engine is experiencing the same types of issues. I have driven GMC trucks for almost 40 years and have never experienced these types of issues. I have been told by several people that it is related to the dynamic fuel management system and to fix the problem to disable the system to keep the truck in v8 mode. There are several solutions on line to make this happen. I am no engineer and only provide this as background information. From my perspective, it is clear that gm has a problem (whatever the root cause) with their 5. 3l engines.

First my torque converter went out, no warning lights only shaking wehn shifting, I got it replaced already it cost me $2400 second warning light service for brakes, traction and power steering come on and off. And sometimes truck doesn't brake well and steering wheel feels hard to drive, it has happened while on expressway with family. Third engine oil low add oil warning sign comes up alot and I have to add oil, engine has a rough idle now, also when I turn truck on smoke comes out while having a rough idle, recently it started knocking, I haven't moved the truck since than.

Engine knock, loss of power, engine failure warning, ticking.

At 96,000 miles (3,000 miles after the extended warranty expired), I noticed the "gm tick" more prominent and had more of a metallic sound than it ever did. Upon further investigation, it was found that a collapsed lifter may be the culprit. The truck was brought to the dealer and it was confirmed that the #1 hydraulic lifter had collapsed and needed replacement. This work was approved and tonight, I received a call from rivard Buick GMC saying that the collapsed lifter also caused significant wear on the camshaft which also now requires replacement. Loss of power on the road poses a significant risk as I carry my children in the vehicle. No warning lamps, messages, or other indicators appeared before or when the issue occurred. The issue was reproduced by the manufacturer/dealer. The dealer service manager confirmed that this is extremely common with these trucks with the 6. 2l engine and said it was a design flaw due to dynamic fuel management, as well as the oil viscosity recommendation from gm being too low. The year group before and after the 2020 has been recalled along with TSB's issued, however, this group is not part of it. I contacted gm customer service (case [xxx]) and was offered a 10% discount on the repair, being told that this is a "great deal considering the vehicle is out of warranty". Gm customer service has now resorted to not answering any further questions after several attempts to reach someone. This is also after replacing the 10-speed transmission that was also not part of any recall but that was such an issue that the dealer was only able to source used transmissions rather than new parts. Clearly gm won't make the right decisions to back their products or customers, so NHTSA intervention is necessary. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal sound while idling. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the engine was disassembled, and the dealer determined that the crankshaft and the thrust bearings had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA action number: ea25007 (engine, engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and partially covered the repair cost. The failure mileage was 60,000.

Driving on the highway, the engine shuttered, but kept going. When I had to slow down, the engine stalled and would not restart. It left me in the center lane of a three lane highway. I was able to push the vehicle off to the side of the road. Very dangerous. No warning lights came on, no alerts. I had the truck towed to folsom Buick & GMC in folsom CA where the diagnosed a complete engine failure. The have now had my truck for a full month. They are trying to get GMC to share the cost of the replacement motor. In the meantime, I'm renting a pickup truck so I can continue to work.

My engine is currently being torn down at the dealership. I heard a ticking noise coming from my engine so I took to the dealership I bought it from and when they did their diagnostics and inspection they said it was a connecting rod bearing failure.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 45-50 mph, the check engine warning light and the brake warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that all the engine lifters and the camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA action number: ea25007 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer offered to partially cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 107,787.

Ticking noise coming from engine slight metallic noise as well. Rpms drop and when they drop, you can feel power loss constant hunting in the rpms. Also a weird vibration, not all the time in the front end somewhere.

I noticed a ticking sound in my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 slt 5. 3 liter on 10/15/2025 after it was serviced at an authorize Buick GMC dealership on 10/13/2025. I made an appointment and returned the vehicle to the dealership for further inspection on 10/17/2025. I was informed later that day that my truck has lifters and camshaft failure. If my truck had stalled or stopped on the express way, myself and others safety could have been at risk. My truck has only been looked at by the dealership at this time, and it is available for inspection upon request. There were no warning lights, check engine lights, messages or symptoms prior to the failure. I did get a low oil level message in April 2024 when the dealership stated they must not have put the correct amount of oil in my truck during an oil change on 1/29/2024. They inspected my truck and assured me there was no damage done to my engine from this issue. I have recently learned there is a recall for gm vehicles manufactured between 2021 and 2024 with the 6. 2l engine installed. I am not sure why this recall does not include 2020 trucks with the 5. 3l engines installed. Apparently, the same problems exist with these engines also. I received an estimate for repair approximately $13,000 which can increase once the engine is town down and inspected further. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

The engine failed and started burning oil at a rate of 3 quarts every two weeks. The vehicle is currently at the GMC dealership having the engine rebuilt at a cost of over $15,000. The vehicle has approx. 116,000 miles at time of failure, so it is outside of the manufacturers warranty. The GMC dealership (fred anderson greer) has photos. The engine is a 6. 2l but not currently under recall as it is a 2020, the recall includes 2021 - 2024 models.

A lifter in my cylinder is bad and damage to my cam shaft. This truck also has the 6. 2l engine that was recalled for other GMC vehicles. My safety was put at risk as I was driving it and it started smoking. I have had 2 different mechanics look at it. One mechanic was an independent business, the other was a certified GMC dealer. There was no warning lamps or messages.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact disabled the stop-to-start feature, and the failure ceased. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. In addition, the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to remain with the dealer for two weeks while performing diagnostic tests on the vehicle. The contact was unable to be without a vehicle for two weeks. The vehicle was the only means of transportation. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle and that the manufacturer needed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

43000 miles 2020 GMC sierra with lifter engine issues. Oil change made every 3k miles.

The check engine light went off and started blinking. The engine started making ticking noise. I pulled over. The check engine light kept blinking. I had the truck towed to the chevy dealership. They found damage to the lifter and camshaft. They had the truck for over 2 weeks. Luckily I purchased the extended warranty. But the repair still cost me 1,200. 00 dollars out of pocket. And cost the warranty company over 9,000. 00 dollars.

When driving at about 30 mph the truck randomly shut off and would not start or try to start. I was later told the engine crankshaft rod bearings seized.

Fuel management system caused a lifter to fail (stuck) which resulted in camshaft damage at 77,611 miles. Gm refused to cover the repair, although there is a pending class action lawsuit against gm for this very issue. Truck was repaired at a gm dealership - sunrise collierville, TN. Repair costs was approximately $7,000. This occurred during a 2. 5 hour road trip which put lives at risk. The truck began to vibrate, and the check engine light came on. There was no other warning before the failure occurred. No police or insurance were involved. This occurred on 9/27/25. It took the dealership 32 days to diagnose and repair the issue. Thanks.

6. 2l v8 engine in 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 at4 suffered two lifter failures, which damaged crankshaft and sent metal shards throughout engine and oil. Total engine replacement required. This issue is subject to a recall for 2021 - 2024 model years and the recall should extend to 2020 model years. Vehicle was traded without functioning engine at a significant loss in value for new vehicle, and is not available for inspection. Vehicle was inspected by service department at GMC dealership and traded to a different GMC dealer. No prior indications of problems or warning lights until engine failure occurred while driving.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35-40 mph and hauling a trailer in stop-and-go traffic, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle started losing power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, where the electronic stability control (esc) and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The parking brake was engaging and disengaging independently. After turning off the vehicle and waiting for approximately 15-20 minutes, the vehicle was restarted, and the contact drove to the nearest independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, it was determined that the repair had not resolved the failure. The mechanic then diagnosed the vehicle cylinder #4 failure. The mechanic was in the process of determining whether the lifter or camshaft had failed. The mechanic determined that the engine might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

Constant engine issues, cams, lifters. Transmission problems. These engines in these vehicles need to be recalled. I have bought 6 of these trucks and all of them have the same issues. Spending 14k on new engines one after another is ridiculous. These are classified as “work” trucks and can’t handle “working”.

Constant engine issues, cams, lifters. Transmission problems. These engines in these vehicles need to be recalled. I have bought 6 of these trucks and all of them have the same issues. Spending 14k on new engines one after another is ridiculous. These are classified as “work” trucks and can’t handle “working“.

Constant engine issues, cams, lifters. Transmission problems. These engines in these vehicles need to be recalled. I have bought 6 of these trucks and all of them have the same issues. Spending 14k on new engines one after another is ridiculous. These are classified as “work” trucks and can’t handle “working” .

Engine lost all power while driving highway speed. Vehicle towed to cavender Chevrolet dealer in boerne, TX. Dealer inspected and determined cam bearings damaged. Engine replaced with remanufactured engine.

I heard a ticking noise coming from the engine compartment. I took it to the dealership that I purchased the truck from and that have been using consistently for service. I was told that the noise was coming from a lifter on the driver's side of the engine and, on further investigation, it was determined that the camshaft had been damaged. I was told that it could seize up as I was driving and that my safety and those with and around me would be at risk. At 85,000 miles, the engine had failed and would have to be replaced. There was no prior warning or no check engine light and the vehicle has been in for oil changes and all maintenance at the dealership. The new engine cost me $15000 including diagnosis and towing.

Engine misfiring and rough idle with occasional flashing engine light. Dealer said no codes to know what to look for despite replicating issue. Eventually it threw a cylinder 5 misfire and thus gm dealer was able to look further. They found metal in oil pan and concluded a bearing issue and would need to replace engine.

The engine failed completely while driving. On the day of the incident, I started my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 at4, and immediately upon cranking, the engine began knocking loudly. I shut the vehicle off right away to prevent further damage and called a wrecker service to have it towed to marianna Chevrolet, GMC. No warning lights or messages prior to the incident. The weather was clear and dry, and the truck was parked on level ground at the time. There were no prior warning lights, leaks, or unusual noises before this event. The vehicle has been well-maintained, with oil changes performed regularly every 4,000 miles at a local auto shop (though receipts are not available). The brakes were replaced earlier in 2025. Marianna Chevrolet, GMC inspected the vehicle and estimated the repair cost at $12,700 due to what appears to be a major internal engine failure.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and several messages were displayed. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road to safety and turned off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure milage was approximately 76,000.

2020 GMC Sierra 1500 elevation 5. 3l engine. Lifter failure due do faulty design I’m afm/dfm systems.

Engine timing chains failed at 71,000 miles requiring a $9,700 repair. Warranty covers 5 yr/ 100k miles and was not fully covered by gm since the vehicle was 9 months beyond 5 years, yet still well within the 100k miles. Issue was diagnosed via p0016-00 being set indicating misalignment between crankshaft position sensor and the intake camshaft position sensor. This issue is a known problem with the early lm2 engines, and the timing chain was upgraded in later lm2 engines. Early adopters of the lm2 are left to pay the price for a defective part.