Power Train Problems of GMC Sierra 1500 - part 1

Transmission shudder and vibration at highway speed.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

While driving a "service transmission" message appears on the information center. The truck shifts slowly, sometimes slamming into gear, doesn't seem to have smooth acceleration through the gears until a high gear is reached. Unusual sounds occur during the shifting sequence. The vehicle was dropped off at the dealer for service. Dealer claims that since they were not able to duplicate the conditions reported to them, the vehicle was fine and not in need of any further investigation or service. Transmission problems are a known concern with vehicle as recalls have been expanded to include this class of truck in the recall but gm is not including this vehicle.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

While driving at approximately 60 mph on an open road with no obstacles present and no braking input, the rear wheels spontaneously locked up without warning. No brake pedal input. No warning light prior to the event. No obstruction in the road. The vehicle has been subject to an active manufacturer recall for rear wheel lockup due to transmission control valve failure. The dealer's own diagnostic system generated a report showing six active fault codes in the following days including lost communication with the brake system control module and transmission control module. These codes were not addressed on the repair order. The dealer attributed the lockup to an automatic emergency braking activation without diagnostic confirmation and performed no repair. The manufacturer's own internal bulletin dated January 22, 2026 acknowledges the exact fault codes present on this vehicle as a known defect. The dealer cited this bulletin to dismiss the concern while stating no problems exist. A persistent brake noise has been confirmed by two separate authorized dealers across three visits with no repair performed at any visit. The vehicle has required five dealer visits in 77 days of ownership with 1,729 miles. The defect remains unresolved and poses serious risk of loss of vehicle control at highway speed.

My 2023 GMC sierra has 60,571 miles for a while now while driving the transmission slips and slams into gears. Recently driving with my kids in the car on highway going 70mph the back brakes locked up multiple times, so scary and dangerous while driving. I now currently have a code p-0747 in the system.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

While driving down the highway experienced a partial loss of engine power causing jerky/rough operation, harsh shifting, and unpredictable behavior. Was told by the dealer service manager that it was likely a misfire in one of the cylinders. After diagnostics and servicing that included changing spark plugs, wires, and a full engine service it was later confirmed to most likely be due to a stuck lifter and will require a complete engine replacement. I have subsequently learned that this is a common problem with this l87 engine and may be an early indicator of failing crank bearings associated with a recall for later model years of my same vehicle. Seems to me that recall ought to be expanded to include earlier models with l87 engines.

With the cruise set at 55-60 mph the rpms will jump, along with a slight shudder feeling. Cruise control has turned off a few times due to this. Cruise set at 25mph and would shudder/lunge forward. Torque converter is showing it’s slipping and will need replaced. No check engine lights.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure characterized by a percussive "shotgun blast" noise from the rear chassis, followed by an immediate, total loss of braking power (pedal to the floor) and a violent loss of directional stability. This incident represents an aggravated safety failure of known gmt900 platform defects. The technical chain of causality began with the factory exhaust manifold fasteners suffering a metallurgical shear, a universal defect documented under gm bulletins 19-na-218, pip5075, and pip4701. This shear created a high-velocity, high-heat exhaust leak directed at the brake master cylinder and vacuum assembly. This "heat soak" event compromised the engine-mounted mechanical brake vacuum pump (recall n192268490 / NHTSA 19v645) and destroyed the internal seals of the master cylinder (special coverage 15143 / NHTSA 11v599), resulting in total depletion of vacuum assist and hydraulic pressure. Simultaneously, the "shotgun blast" and violent swerve were caused by structural failure consistent with rear brake caliper bolt fracture (gm 13247 / NHTSA 13v342) and rear axle shaft/pin fracture (gm 14892 / NHTSA 14v819). This mechanical collapse caused the caliper to strike the wheel, resulting in a catastrophic rim blowout and immediate loss of tire pressure. Despite the vehicle having aftermarket long-tube headers installed, the root cause of the heat-related brake failure was the failure of the oem gm manifold fasteners which snapped off in the cylinder head, as documented in the aforementioned bulletins. Under the magnuson-moss warranty act, the manufacturer remains liable for these pre-existing safety-critical defects. The vehicle is at glenn polk Chevrolet for a 901-series product allegation investigation (case #90199492). This report is filed to demand federal oversight into these life-threatening defects. The combo of failed fasteners, rim blowout, and compromised braking created a vehicle that was both unable to be steered or stopped.

See all problems of the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Per GMC dealership, this vehicle suffered a transmission valve body failure and they are recommending replacement of the entire transmission.

My 2024 GMC Sierra 1500's engine has gone bad, and needs to be replace after only 71,000 miles, and this is only 90 day after already replacing the transmission.

On 2/23/26 my GMC Sierra 1500 at4 3. 0l inline-6 turbo-diesel, it auto stopped (which I will never keep on again) on an incline and would not start back up or shift gears and rolled a few feet. I had to turn it off and restart it, then the engine light came on and a notification about conditions not favorable for shifting? my app said service was needed for engine/transmission issue. I took it to the dealership and it now has to have the transmission control valve body assembly replaced. I did not receive a recall notice for my truck but, it seems to be the same issue that the recall was for on gm vehicles of the same time period. Of course the dealership said they have no loaner vehicles and I'm supposed to be without my truck for approx. A week and a half at this point. I am disappointed with GMC and the quality that I am paying $70k for. I had a 07' silverado 2500 I purchased new and drove it for almost 15yrs. W/ no issues. Hopefully this is a good fix and it'll last but, from what I've seen, gm is not the quality it used to be. This is on top of being in the shop for a coolant control valve issue that wasn't recalled either but, a known issue on the pickups so beware. I did call GMC and they will reimburse up to $44 a day on a rental (has to be a gm vehicle btw) during this fiasco of course afterwards and with a bunch of paperwork but, I have to have a vehicle, in TX nothing is close by. Good luck everyone!.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

My engine seized up on me on the highway. I was stranded and couldn’t start the vehicle and it was freezing outside.

While driving the vehicle I received dash warnings of temperature rise. Pulled over and saw a large coolant leak coming from right side of engine compartment. Towed to dealership. Dealership informed me that coolant hose coming from heater core was routed by the manufacturer so that it rubbed on the frame. Dealer indicated problem persists on all vehicles and no given, other than replacing the hose and not remedy the problem. New hose will be in contact with frame again, causing inevitable where and breakage. Dealer did not cover under warranty nor did they offer solution for repair other than replacing those hose.

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 🔎.

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.

Hi, was driving vehicle GMC 1500 denali, vehicle lost power, all lites lite up on dashboard, vehicle just lost power and I swerved off road and sideswiped a plant holder on side of road, damaging side passenger rear door. I bought the truck to GMC rvc and they said vehicle blew cam shaft and lifters. I explained to them I'm very concerned for others safety in these vehicles with the 6. 2 engine. Someone is going to get killed or even a family. I did look up this vehicle its not listed in recall, but this vehicle has same engine as ones in recall. Rvc GMC issued me a bill for repairs for the amount of $8185. 20 and they stated they took 3k off invoice. I did pay total invoice. . . . I'm just asking you to please look into this as this is defiantly an issue and this year should be listed on recall as well. . Thanku for at least looking at this. My cell is [xxx] if you need to reach us. . . Thx. . . . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My vehicles transmission is part of a recall but my VIN is not registered for this recall repair. Please assist.

I was driving on the highway with the cruise control engaged. An instruction came on the information center telling me to push the start button, while I was driving at highway speeds. Then the transmission downshifted numerous times violently the last few times. By the tachometer the engine was doing 6000 rpm. I pulled over and the start button would not shut down the engine until about the third time I pushed it. Then it would not restart. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership and they told me that they had gotten the truck to start but that the engine seized while pulling it into the repair bay. I had followed the recall directions that they had sent me for the recall on the 6. 2 liter and they said that mine was fine and that I should use thicker oil from now on. I had done that but still had ths failure, which as a person that has worked on mechanical equipment my whole life, this failure is violent.

Transmission shuttering which was confirmed from from GMC dealership , but refused to do any repairs after confirmation or diagnostic and test driving. Demanded a 220$ fee be paid before releasing my vehicle back. Also gave GMC bulliten # 25-na-148 which states the same issues I'm currently having.

I have had shuddering on the highway and a few hard random diwnshifts. Last week I went to start my truck and the transmission started grinding and rattling. I was told after towing to the dealer it needed a transmission due to pump not getting enough fluid and had failed. I was told I needed to pay, even though the part causing the problem had a extended 150,000 miles and the subsequent pump failure is a result of the control valve failure.

Transmission started hash shifting and at highway speed it felt like the dark converter kept falling out of lock up. Stopped and took picture of service light.

I was driving on a highway on my way home from work. Thank god there was not a lot of traffic because my truck just shut off lost all power, then I received a message on the dash to put on neutral and restart. I tried multiple times to turn it back on. It never turned on and had to get it towed to nearest dealership. It took them a week to inform that the engine locked up even though I tried to take it for the recall they told me to wait and reschedule the appointment. Never got a new appointment until the engine failed and I got it towed to the dealership and have also not received a new kind of loaner from gm. This will be my last GMC truck I purchase.

Drastically reduced power on highway resulting in reduced acceleration due to code p0198 engine coolant control valve position sensor. Required me to drive at reduced speed on highway to get to dealer. Safety issue.

My 2026 GMC at4 3. 0l duramax had a catastrophic engine failure on Sunday, February 8, 2026. It went into reduced acceleration and also fault code po6dd. Thankfully I was not on a highway. The truck would not run over 45 mph on flat ground, and then by the time I got it to a safe location 5 miles away it would not run over about 30mph. This obviously resulted in the truck being towed to a dealership. I have been told the entire engine will be replaced. Upon further reading, I suspect this is a thrust bearing failure that is a well-known issue in this lz0 duramax engine. What I have read, this issue is occurring mostly on trucks built from may-sept 2025, and my truck has a 7/2025 build date. This could have been major safety hazard if the engine had failed in a major freeway/highway.

I’ve gone through two transmissions on my 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 both times the same issue. The gears are shot, hard shifting. Vehicle is well maintained. Both transmissions one original equipment and second bought at the dealership the truck was bought both only lasted over 80000 miles. Driving the truck loss of power or torque is noticed, then a hard shifting. Checked fluid all was good not seeing metallic shavings. Then the overheating of the transmission, faulty valve replaced with aftermarket bypass and did transmission flush. But each occasion there was an incident I would’ve driving on the interstate and vehicle would lose power and almost hard stop and cause a crash. Then vehicle would only go in reverse both times the transmission gave out. The only warning light that ever came on was a transmission overheating and nothing else. I’m currently in the process of having to get another transmission because of the same issue again. Vehicle was seen by a technician and deemed the transmission was shot again.

See all problems of the 2018 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.

On 2/4/2026, my vehicle (2019 GMC sierra at4 and VIN # 3gtp9eed5kg240494) experienced a catastrophic failure of the engine oil cooler lines. This is a well-documented manufacturing defect involving the failure of the crimp joints between the rubber hose and metal tubing. This failure occurred abruptly, causing massive oil loss and posing a severe safety risk due to the potential for sudden loss of oil pressure and engine seizure while operating the vehicle at highway speeds. This specific component failure is recognized by general motors under customer satisfaction program (csp) n212326940. Gm explicitly acknowledged this failure as a manufacturing defect. Despite the fact that the defect is inherent to the part’s design—and not a result of typical "wear and tear"—gm has denied my request for reimbursement, citing that the vehicle is outside the standard 36,000-mile warranty period. I exhausted all good-faith efforts to resolve this through GMC’s internal escalation process. I spoke with a representative and a supervisor, both of whom refused to honor a reimbursement request based on the manufacturing defect. They refused to consider that the defect, as documented in gm’s own internal bulletins, is independent of mileage and that the repair was performed at an authorized gm dealership. I am seeking full reimbursement of $2,171. 58 for the repair of a known, safety-related manufacturing defect. Gm is failing to stand behind their "professional grade" standards by refusing to cover a part they have already admitted is defective. I request that your office mediate this dispute to facilitate a full refund of my out-of-pocket repair costs.

Incident summary: on 2/2/2026, my vehicle was serviced under safety recall 25v-274 at an authorized GMC dealership. The service technician performed the mandated diagnostic protocol (including the picoscope test) and informed me that the engine had "passed" inspection. No internal components were replaced; the remedy was limited to an oil change to a higher-viscosity oil (0w-40) and a new oil filler cap. The failure: approximately 48 hours after this "successful" recall remedy, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic engine failure while in operation. The engine failed entirely. The vehicle lost all propulsion while in motion, creating an immediate safety hazard for myself and other motorists. Diagnostic and risk: the failure has been confirmed by a GMC dealer, who subsequently performed a full engine and radiator replacement. In the 48-hour prior to failure, there were no warning lamps or symptoms; the vehicle had just been cleared by the manufacturer's own diagnostic tools as safe and free of defects. Systemic concern: this incident demonstrates that the current diagnostic protocol for recall 25v-274 is insufficient to identify terminal manufacturing defects in the connecting rods and crankshaft of the l87 6. 2l v8 engine. The "remedy" of higher-viscosity oil failed to prevent the exact catastrophic loss of propulsion the recall was intended to address. The replaced engine is available for inspection upon request by the NHTSA office of defects investigation.

I've been to the dealership a few times due to the truck jerking violently under very light acceleration when its trying to shift gears. Also there was a few times that the rear wheels have locked up while driving.

Vehicle is shifting hard when switching gears. Typical with the recall and the valve body being the issue. Dealership is saying it is not covered by recall.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring transmission issue in my vehicle. The transmission consistently jerks and shifts erratically, particularly in the morning during initial operation when at cruising speeds of about 50-75 mph. This behavior occurs when the transmission temperature is below approximately 100°f and happens on a daily basis. The gear changes feel harsh and abrupt, kind of like it doesn’t know what gear to be in its raising concerns about both drivability and long-term transmission reliability. I brought the vehicle to an authorized dealership for inspection. After evaluating the issue, the dealer informed me that the behavior was due to the vehicle being in “sport mode. ” however, this explanation does not resolve the concern, as the severity and consistency of the jerking appear abnormal and occur regularly under the same temperature conditions. Given the persistent nature of this problem and its potential safety implications — especially during acceleration and low-speed driving — I am requesting that this issue be formally documented and investigated. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I was driving and the engine abruptly stalled. The truck self-shifted to neutral. Once stopped, I shifted to park to attempt a restart. It would not crank. I was on a 2-lane road so I did not have a shoulder. Once I realized it would not restart I tried to shift to neutral so I could push it to a subdivision road about 50 yards away only to find out my transmission has no ability to shift to neutral (the dealer confirmed this later). So I was stuck on the road for hours just over the crest of a hill with people coming up on me and my family at 50mph. It was a windy 10 degrees so we could not wait on the side of the road where we would have been safer. This is how people get killed; being stopped where people can't see you and do not expect you to be stopped. Why can I not get the truck off the road? if this happened on an 8-lane highway how would I get to a shoulder, even after traffic had stopped behind me? on top of all that, the problem with the truck ended up being an engine bearing failure (per the dealership service dept) that is a known problem with this engine and truck build date. General motors needs to proactively diagnose and get these engines replaced before someone gets hurt. There is a TSB issued for the bearing issue but when I asked my dealer about it a month ago, before the failure, they acted like they knew nothing about it and told me to bring it in if I hear noises. If they had offered to check the crankshaft endplay when I asked about it ( as the TSB suggests), I may not have gotten stranded and my family's safety put at risk. There were no warning lamps, and no strange noises before the engine seized. My fuel economy had decreased by about 20% in the last month but that may be from cold weather operating conditions. I have a separate electrical issue that I've been chasing down and I assumed this stall condition was related to that. But the dealer confirmed this was a bearing failure.

See all problems of the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

On Friday, January 30, 2026 while driving our 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, we experienced sudden loss of power and the motor making a faint rattling noise. The motor soon after began making a horrible sound - - it was obvious something was very wrong. This vehicle only had 31,995 miles on it at the of the issue. We had the truck towed to the dealer the following day for evaluation. Upon inspection, it was determined that the #5 lifter had collapsed and the left bank of lifters needed to be replaced at an estimated cost of $4500. There were no warning lamps or alerts on our app for over 24 hours. Once at the dealer, we explained to the service advisor that our research concluded that gm is fully aware of these issues and that they are under investigation for possible recall. Our service advisor then made a call to gm who agreed to cover this repair under warranty (which we appreciate and feel was the right thing to do). However, after additional research, we are concerned that the right bank of lifters will fail next, or even worse, catastrophic engine failure that gm will refuse to cover. It is our understanding that ntsb is aware of these issues and is in the process of conducting an investigation. I would like to have our issue added to the investigation.

I was driving my 2022 GMC sierra with the 6. 2 engine 10 speed transmission and I was at at a red light, the light turned green and I went to go and I could feel my rear wheels lock up and then it released went into limp mode was not shifting gears correctly and I had no reverse.

Odd noise from bell housing area at 1200 miles that went with engine rpm. Took the truck in to the dealer and they said they couldn't recreate it but to bring it back in if it returned. Jan 27th at 5200 miles on the truck, I was driving down the highway at 60mph and got a reduced acceleration message on the dash along with a check engine light. Brought it to the dealer and was informed it was a bad thrust bearing and needed and engine and turbo replacement. Still waiting for the truck to be done.

Transmission locked up after leaving a stop sign. Rear wheels locked and vehicle was inoperable. Dealership repaired with replacement transmission valve body parts under warranty.