Electrical System Problems of GMC Sierra 1500 - part 1

I stopped at a stoplight and my truck shut off, the doors unlocked and then immediately restarted and then came up with a bunch of errors telling me that my brake system failed and to get the traction control serviced. I then had no power braking. This is the second time my truck has shut off at a light and restarted, but I don’t lose my brakes the first time.

See all problems of the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Electronic truck tail gate opened while driving after washing vehicle. The tailgate button on the fob or inside the cabin were not pressed.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

The rear window on my 2017 GMC sierra shattered unexpectedly without any impact. The vehicle had been remote started in very cold weather and the rear window glass suddenly shattered while the truck was parked. There was no rock strike or external damage that would explain the failure. I later learned about gm customer satisfaction program n192265660 regarding rear window defroster thermal events affecting certain 2014–2019 GMC sierra and Chevrolet silverado trucks. Based on the sudden failure and the conditions at the time, this appears consistent with that issue. The auto rear defog feature in the vehicle settings was turned off, however the truck had been started using the remote start feature when the glass shattered. Photos of the shattered window are available. I am submitting this report because the rear window defroster system may cause the glass to overheat and shatter unexpectedly.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Electrical system…battery is completely dead after short in tailgate button. Yesterday afternoon I washed out the bed and tailgate. This is important to know as a result of my research. Several hours later I go out to the truck and the tailgate is open unexpectedly, thought I had left it opened. After going to dinner and shopping with family I tried to open tailgate with tailgate button and it would not work. After several attempts I then used my fob button, worked. The next morning I go out and the tailgate is opened not by me, I closed it. Got to my destination put truck in park and tailgate opened by itself. I closed it. Went inside grabbed what I needed 15 min later go back to truck and tailgate is open. . I close it. I go to start truck and battery is dead. Confirmed by battery plus in medford oregon. Did some research and see that a recall has been issued for this same reason: n232426400 tailgate may open unexpectedly. Yes the recall does not cover my vim however I believe this needs to be as a result of the cause and effect you have already confirmed. Today is Sunday. I will contact local GMC dealer though I wanted to start a formal process.

I had this truck as brand new for approximately 24 hours when it had a major failure. It had 450 miles on it at time of purchase, but was sold as new. While driving at 45mph it had a check engine light, service power steering message, lost power steering, lane departure system failure, and reduced power amongst several other lights on the dash. I limped the truck into a gas station parking lot. After turning the truck off, it would not restart. I unhooked the battery for a minute and hooked it back up. The truck did restart with no messages or check engine light. I was able to safely get it to the dealership. As a result of this issue, I forced the dealership to cancel the trade.

Vehicle battery dies and dealer cannot source issue. Voltmeter shows large fluctuations in voltage while vehicle is running and driving.

2022 GMC sierra the tailgate is electrical which cause safety awareness and concern due to the tailgate opening by itself. The tailgate seems to continuously electronically open and continue to release the latch causing the tail gate to open possibly loosing cargo from the bed or tailgate opening and hitting other vehicles that may park too close or cause damage on a hitch if available. It is a persisten issue and I have seen too many complaints. This should be looked at and recalled by manufacture or dealers it’s become a very common issues for GMC trucks and a lot of upset customers. I’m one of them.

The gauge cluster quit working, I have no way of knowing my speed or how much fuel is in the vehicle. Feel like this is a safety issue with not being able to see the speedometer.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

The rear vision safety camera failed. A red triangle with a camera icon appeared on the infotainment screen when the vehicle was put in reverse. After testing and diagnosing the issue, the dealership determined that the rear camera suffered an internal failure and had to be replaced. The part was replaced on 3/23/26 but the dealership did not give me the failed camera back. There was no advance notice or warning leading up to the failure.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the driver's side seat vibrated, and the automatic high beam feature disengaged, and the lane change indicator became inoperable. The message " crash sensor system inoperable" was displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to temporarily disconnect the battery. The contact followed the instruction; however, the failure recurred a day later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that there was a glitch in the crash sensor system. The dealer determined that the system needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired out-of-pocket. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the failure was a maintenance issue, and the repair was at the owner's expense. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

Rear tailgate on my 2021 sierra opens or drops when wet. This seems to only happen in a heavy rain or after a truck wash. This problem has been recognized by the manufacturer and the dealer. There is no warning other than the constant clicking of the electric switch allowing the tailgate to drop. This problem has been recalled on the 3/4 & 1 ton trucks but not the 1/2 ton. The tailgate and switches are the same on all 3. Because my VIN# does not show for this recall I had to pay for the replacement.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

While the 2017 GMC sierra was warming up via remote start, I noticed a smell of smoke as I walked by the passenger side of the truck. Then I heard a loud bang as I was walking around the rear of the truck. As I entered the truck from the driver's door I saw the back window, passenger side, shattered. The vehicle was then turned off. According to our dealership the vehicle was looked at under recall n192265660 and deemed safe in may of 2020. A call was placed to gm who said the recall expired in 2022. An offer was made by for payment assistance by the gm representative but could not say how much until we pay the dealership for a diagnostic. This is a know issue by gm. The location of the shattered window is situated inches behind where my child's head would have been had she been in the vehicle. The smell of smoke is extremely concerning because where there's smoke there's fire.

On Saturday at approximately 5:30 p. M. , while driving on a two-lane city street with vehicles around me, my GMC sierra began malfunctioning. The gauges flickered, warning lights appeared, and a transmission warning activated. As I attempted to safely pull over, the vehicle began stuttering and then completely stalled in the middle of traffic. Cars swerved and honked to avoid hitting me. Fortunately, no collision occurred, but the situation was extremely dangerous and frightening. Aaa towed the vehicle to the GMC dealership. When I informed them of the incident, I received a text asking whether an over-the-air update had been performed prior to the stall. I confirmed the vehicle had received an update within the past three months. I was then told there is a bulletin stating that after an over-the-air update, the vehicle may suddenly lose communication with multiple modules and stall. The foreman indicated this was likely the cause and that they were consulting technical assistance. I asked when it is considered safe to drive a GMC vehicle following an update, as I was never warned that the vehicle could suddenly lose power and stall without notice. I was told they were investigating further. Yesterday, I was informed that engineering directed them to replace the ecm (engine control module) and the fuel pump control module, with the ecm expected to arrive next Wednesday. I have not been given a confirmed timeline for completion. This appears to be a serious and known issue within GMC, yet there has been no recall and no warning provided to consumers. I was unknowingly driving a vehicle susceptible to sudden and complete power loss. This failure placed my life, my family, and the safety of others at significant risk.

I remote started my truck, and when I got to it there was smoke and a flame coming from the rear power window. The remote start activates the rear defrosters, which started the electrical issues. I shut off the engine, and a loud pop followed, which was the shattering of the driver side rear window. The flame went out, and could have easily ignited the tarp covering the truck bed. There were no warnings on the console for the issue, and no recalls available. I have seen similar recall, but in a different state and back in 2022. This leaves me with a shattered window in the back, which is unsafe for visibility, and a bill to pay due to manufacturing errors for a feature in the truck. The rear window is all melted, and the glass is chipping away.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Tailgate opens randomly on numerous occasions. Sometimes it won't open after pressing the button.

Truck broke down with a rear-wheel lockup and had the transmission replaced in June 2025. In December 2025 and February 2026, truck lost power two times and entered limp mode while on a major highway and major interstate. The problem was misdiagnosed in June 2025, diagnosed properly in December 2025, but not properly repaired, and diagnosed properly in February 2026. All three times the vehicle had this issue, two of the same exact dtcs were present. This is a safety defect, and I have lost all confidence that the vehicle is reliable enough and safe enough for myself and my family.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

1. Electronic power steering modular issue. My 2018 GMC seirra 1500 crew cab just lost all power steering. Then when I park it. Assist notifications come on, abs notices, brake light stays on, trailer/tow notifications, trailer assist, parking brake, etc suddenly a loud thump & feels like the whole truck just drops like 5” inches, settling. I cannot afford an inspection (id theft in 2025, compromised all accts & all credit cards) but. It is available as long as cost is covered by you !! 2. Lucky it happened in a grocery store parking lot. However not expecting power steering to go out, almost hit a pedestrian. 3. No it has not ben inspected yet I can’t afford the bill 4. No it has not been reported what for I didn’t hit anybody and the cops in this area they could give her rats ass they don’t make a report the question you like you’re like a criminal. 5. No warnings or anything until it happened that day leaving the grocery store. There is absolutely no notification it was gonna happen. It ran fine when I parked it to grocery shop come back out & I could barely back out to leave. I can lift up my had fatboy if needed so I’m sure turning a steering wheel…. Lol thnx a lot if I could figure out what part needs to be changed out or you could cover the parts needed. I do work in cars or have in the past, I don’t like the new ones, but this seems simple enough if I knew exactly what part I needed to pull out change out or I see that there’s recalls on previous vehicles and GMC after2020- 24 but I don’t see 2018 didn’t happen so I like to say whoever created that electronic steering can take that module along with the harness and they know exactly where they can put it don’t they I’m just saying as a used to be not sure now a GMC supporter, but I’m starting to think twice now if I.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Vehicle stalled in busy intersection in mckinney texas , unable to start are shift into a neutral position on transmission to remove from extreme dangerous intersection, sheriff advised that road side assistance that was contacted is not going to be in time (90min)to keep from causing an ongoing traffic backup , sheriff dispatched their own towing service to resolve the situation from getting extremely dangerous . Vehicle and my wife was towed to mckinney Buick GMC dealership.

The park assist would go on when I was at a stop light and no one was in front of me and auto stop was off all the time. Two ground straps were corroded. There is a recall on them from 2019 to 2024. My truck did not have a recall on it. I just want to let you know and maybe if enough people complain, you will put all trucks on the recall.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 67 mph, the transmission shifted to neutral(n) unexpectedly. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle off the road. A passerby slowed down and allowed the contact to move over to the side of the road. The engine seized, and the vehicle stalled between the shoulder and the line of the left lane. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the messages "battery low" and "reducing features to save battery" were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact called a friend who towed the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that due to the failure, the contact no longer felt safe while driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,680.

I was driving the truck on the freeway and the engine completely shut off with no warning. I pulled to the side of the shoulder and I could smell a burning smell. The truck wouldn’t start back up or move in neutral. Towed it to a shop and they said it had a camshaft issue and a slight knocking noise when they got it to fire up only would run for a little then shut back off. Now I’m having to replace the whole engine due to being bad with the cam code and knocking.

This complaint involves a sudden failure of my vehicle’s anti-lock braking system (abs) and forward collision warning system, both of which are critical safety systems. While driving my [xxx] son to school, multiple warning lights suddenly appeared on the dashboard without any prior indication of a problem. The vehicle displayed a warning message instructing me not to exceed 36 miles per hour, and several system alerts activated simultaneously, my abs brake system failed and a transmission failure warning. These issues appeared suddenly while the vehicle was in normal operation. Prior to this incident, the vehicle had been functioning perfectly. The evening before, I had driven the vehicle to pick up my son from wrestling practice with no issues. The following morning, during a routine trip to school, these critical safety warnings appeared without warning. Because the warnings involved the braking system, I immediately took the vehicle to beach Buick GMC for inspection. The dealership diagnosed the issue as a software failure affecting the braking system and informed me that the vehicle required a software update and system download in order to restore proper operation of the brakes and related safety systems. I was required to pay over $300 for this repair because my vehicle is approximately 3,000 miles outside of the warranty period. However, I believe a failure involving the braking system and safety warnings should not occur suddenly in a properly functioning vehicle and should not be treated as a normal maintenance expense. I contacted **general motors customer service to ask why a failure involving a critical safety system would not be covered or investigated further. The only explanation provided was that the vehicle was outside of the warranty period. I requested a written explanation of their decision for my records, but I was told that providing written explanations is against company policy. I have more to say but I am out of characters. . . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informa.

The front forward-facing camera module has failed, causing cruise control and driver-assistance features to become inoperative. Dealer diagnosis indicates the front camera must be replaced and recalibrated in order to restore cruise control and safety systems. This failure disables cruise control and driver-assist features that were standard equipment on the vehicle at purchase, resulting in a sudden loss of functionality while driving. The dealer has provided a repair estimate of approximately $1,150, including parts, labor, and required calibration, at owner expense. Based on similar reports from other owners, this appears to be a recurring issue affecting this model year.

The contact owned a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on the driveway, it caught on fire. The contact was inside the residence when a passerby knocked on the door and informed the contact of the fire. A neighbor helped extinguish the fire. When the contact stepped outside, the flames were by the instrument panel; the flames had risen to the rooftop. The front windshield was shattered. The fire was contained to the cabin. The fire department was called. The contact stated that weeks before the fire started, an abnormal sound could be heard coming from the engine. The contact removed the battery from the vehicle. The vehicle was not insured. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.  .

While driving the vehicle I hit a bump on the road and all 4 windows in the vehicle went down. I did not push any buttons. I tried to close the windows and they would not close. Nothing happened when I attempted to close them. It was 10 degrees out I pulled over, and tried again with out success. I shut the car off, opened the door and closed it and restarted the car after a few minutes. I was able to close 3 of the 4 windows. I started driving and eventually I was able to close the last window. On my drive I late hit another bump and again all 4 windows opened with out any action by me, I was on a highway, I again pulled over and was not able to close the windows. After I continued driving I was able to close 3 of the 4 windows and eventually the 4th. This is a safety issue.

I was driving on an overpass and suddenly loss propulsion in my vehicle. My vehicle stopped all of a sudden and while driving, leaving me stranded in the middle of the roadway blocking traffic. Numerous motorists stopped to give a hand but the vehicle would not switch gears from park, to neutral to even give me a hand moving the vehicle out of the roadway to the side/shoulder. Due to this issue, authorities were dispatched to my location to conduct traffic control and subsequently called in aide of a tow truck to safely move my vehicle to a better location. I used onstar in my vehicle and also spoke with a representative who notated the incident and I was advised that a tow truck would take approximately 90 mins to 2 hours to reach me. In this instance, that was too long of a wait for events going wrong with the vehicle itself and was subsequently transferred from the roadway to a GMC dealership, namely group 1 south on the gulf freeway. They are handling my repairs and have diagnosed that the engine needs to be completely replaced and are in the process of repairs. If any information is needed regarding status or repairs, please contact the dealership directly as I do not have any physical or written information on the status of my vehicle. Attached is the towing receipt.

To start off my truck has been to the dealership multiple time for the camera. After third time in the shop they fixed that issue. Then the infotainment started acting up after about 4 times in the shop it was fixed. They gave me the prescribed fix for the engine recall in November. Engine passed the test. Then 3 weeks ago the engine siezed up from the crank and bearings on the interstate doing 70 pulling a trailer in traffic. Leaveing me and my dad in the middle of the interstate. I had to have it towed 2 hours to my house. After the prescribed engine fix. They replaced the motor in 3 days. Great right? no they did not test drive long enough. Or they would have felt the shudder that developed after the new engine went in. It is now about to go back to the shop. Because of the shudder at low rpm and im haveing electrical issues again as well . My remote start also stopped working after the engine replacement.

Setting in a parking lot and the tailgate fell open and hit another car. The tailgate was closed and has fell open 3 more times while the vehicle is in park and one time it was powered off.

2026 Sierra 1500 at4 with 3. 0l duramax diesel. Three major issues. 1. 2960 miles, thrust bearing failure caused low oil pressure and internal damage. Vehicle needs complete engine replacement. The truck is still at the dealer with no eta on engine arrival and replacement. 2. Vehicle has severe electrical issues. Battery replaced on second day of ownership due to over charge and smoking. The truck would randomly lose the ability to produce sound through infotainment system on start. This includes warning sounds and audible turn signal sound. Dealer said it’s caused by faulty amp which was replaced. 3. The truck shut off (full system shutdown) and the transmission failed over to neutral while driving on the highway and failed to restart. Barely restarted on second attempt. Dealer has no idea why it is doing it. However the vehicle was throwing multiple code related to transmission module failure, brake module failure, transmission module failure, etc.

Lost brakes and couldn’t stop the truck.

Started car via remote start. When I went out to the car I noticed smoke in the cab. I then observed the rear power slide window to be smoking and further discovered the rear defroster wires the be smoldering creating considerable smoke. The tempered glass then began to spider and completely cracked. There is a former recall on the rear slide window involving fire hazards and the wiring components. It should also be noted that our 9 month old’s car seat is directly below the window and defroster wiring were the smoldering took place. No warnings lamps were observed prior to the incident.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-65 mph on an incline, the contact believed that the transmission was slipping or there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart automatically after the engine auto start/stop system was engaged after a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated that after driving for a while, the vehicle went into limp mode. The check engine warning light and other warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact related the failure to gm campaign number: n252515590 (corroded ground strap); however, the dealer had informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered because the VIN was not included and there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

I was driving up the road truck cranked up fine started a morning commute, on cruise control the truck instantly out of nowhere lost power completely with no signs of anything and engine won’t attempt to turn over now. I fear the worst has happened which would be catastrophic internal failure for to a faulty engine & its internals.

The windshield defroster and heater blower speed reduces and/or shuts off shortly after accelerating to highway range speeds. Blowing snow from alaska roads will melt and refreeze on the windshield reducing visibility creating a safety hazard. The truck has not been successfully repaired after multiple and lengthy attempts. The heated steering wheel also malfunctions intermittently. The blower motor does seem to come back up to speed when vehicle speed is reduced to city speeds but is intermittent also.

The intermediate speed sensor 2 and internal transmission harness failed. The repair was to replace the internal transmission harness and intermediate speed sensor. This vehicle is a 2021 and I was told this was recalled on a 2022 only.