Power Train Problems of GMC Sierra 1500 - part 1

On 9/27 the engine light went on and message transmission may not shift.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Constant engine issues. Cams, lifters, now needs new motor. Motor apparently unavailable.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

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”.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

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” .

My car is having the same issue as many other 2024 GMC sierra owners. Reverse gear is not working. It is due to the transmission valve body being faulty. Why GMC has not send a recall notice yet. Are they waiting for someone die in a car accident in a highway, it looks like it affects other gears too. A quick list [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] my car is only 10000 miles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Transmission failure at a little over 120,000 miles while towing a side by side on the highway. This highway has a speed limit of 80 which is dangerous when the vehicle stops working properly for myself and any other drivers in itself. Earlier this year the transmission had been updated due to a recall and was deemed to work good by the dealership but didn’t notice any difference. Had an engine light pop up a couple hours before but no messages or any other signs to inform me of the issue and was still working fine with no struggle until it gave out.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

I have contacted local GMC repair facility (frank brown in lubbock TX. ) about the safety recall on my 6. 2 liter engine to attempt to schedule an inspection of my engine and cannot get them to inspect the engine which the recall notice said they would do. They continue to stall and say the inspection isn't approved by gm. I've tried 3 different times to address this isuue without satisfactory results. I recieved the gm safety recall n252494000 notice for my vehicle in may 2025.

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

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted, prompting him to discontinue driving the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the output shaft speed sensor and the transmission control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 89,000.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced rough gear shifts. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the vehicle due to a lack of diagnostic equipment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

10 speed transmission isn't shifting right in the lower gears has a wining noise.

Transmission shutters when going over 50mph.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

My truck is under the national recall from GMC for the 6. 2l engine problems. I even received the recall notice from GMC stating this. This truck has been in and out of the shop for engine problems things I took delivery of it in 2022. The latest was in April of 2025 and while it was in the repair service at the dealership, the national recall came out. During that time the dealership tried to tell me the problem was with my exhaust system so I was not covered under the recall. I knew they were not being truthful so I refused to take possession of the truck as I new it had all the symptoms that GMC was describing in my recall notice. My truck sat at the dealership for almost 5 months and last week they force me to take possession of my truck my taking back my "loaner vehicle". They stated "my truck passed the required inspection", which I knew they were being dishonest, but was forced to take the truck back anyway. Three days after taking possession I was on the interstate doing 60 mph and the engine totally seized up and almost caused an accident from the vehicles behind me running into me because of the sudden decrease in speed. I was able to safely pull over and had to get towed back to the dealership. This incident is beyond just a engine recall now because they new my truck was not safe to drive and forced me to take back my truck. Im just thankful I was driving and not my wife, or having my two grandchildren in the truck with me. To make mtters worse in this scenerio, this truck is actually my replacement truck because my 2021 truck had to be taken back per the lemon law in 2022, so this will now be truck #2 being lemon law and my original truck loan isnt even paid off. I have all of the various engine repair paperwork on this truck dating back to 2022.

Torque converter failure confirmed by dealer: was driving at high way speeds when I noticed a slipping sensation from the transmission upon any sort of acceleration. No warning lights were illuminated or any symptoms leading up to the failure. This could have potentially caused me to lose any form of acceleration that would enable me to get off of the highway or away from a situation requiring sudden acceleration.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed toward the residence, the accelerator pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to drive forward as intended. The vehicle started rolling backwards and the contact carefully maneuvered the vehicle while attempting to park. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Transmission fail to shift. Have to stop, restart truck to get it to shift causing safety issue. Warning lighted eventually came on.

Initially experienced hard clunking sound when transmission shifting between 35-40 mph. I took in for service and dealership replaced egr sensor. The problem was not resolved with this fix. I took the vehicle back for service and the dealership then did a software/system reset. I then drove my truck with towing a trailer to san diego and upon exiting the freeway, the back tires locked up causing a screeching of the tires which caused my vehicle to swerve. I felt as though this could have caused an accident. Shortly after, the engine light came on and my vehicle went into “limp mode”. A dealership in san diego then told me that the valve body plate would need to be replaced. According to the internet this seems to be an ongoing issue with this year’s vehicle, yet no recall has been issued by gm. I understand gm has issues a special warranty coverage #n242454441 providing extended warranty for control valve issues. I’ve been told my VIN is not included for this special warranty when it is the exact same issue.

I have owned 4 of these trucks in my lifetime ranging from 2007-2015 all equipped with the same drivetrain. 5. 3l engine and 6l80 transmissions. All have had the same failures. The engine afm system particularly the lifters fail which in turn destroys the camshaft and destroys the engine. More importantly the transmission torque converter fails sending debris through the whole system causing a sudden loss of drive. This happened while driving down the road and was a safety concern for myself and others. This time it costed me $6500 to replace the transmission. All of the trucks I have owned experianced the same failures how is this not a problem?.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

At 12,018 miles on my 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 I experienced a rear wheel lock up. I have 4wheel drive capability but I had the truck in rear wheel drive only. Thankfully I was not going fast at the time. I was going between 35-45 mph when experiencing the lock up. As I was going down a straight away, I experienced a rear wheel lock up of my 10l80 transmission. My tires were squealing like crazy. I pulled off onto the side of the road. After shifting to reverse and then park and then drive the problem corrected itself. When I brought it into the dealership, they could not find anything wrong with it. Additionally my trucks software was up to date and not lacking any updates. I don’t drive this truck very far and only drive about 150 miles a week. A rear wheel lock up of this magnitude at this low of miles is concerning. I’m not rough on the truck by any means. It’s more so a family vehicle than a hauler. I have got the truck serviced 3 times since I bought it for regular maintenance so that’s not an issue either. There were no warning indicators that this problem was occurring when I experienced the rear wheel lock up. This could have resulted in a collision with vehicles around me if I had not been aware of what was occurring.

Driving on highway at 70mph loss of power. Transmision slipping and vehicle rapidly lost speed creating a very hazardous situation. Was able to barley get of highway safely going down to 40mph. Vehicle went into limp mode.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

I have a 2020 Sierra 1500 6. 2 with 86,000 miles. I have only had this truck 6 months. This was inspected before I purchased with no engine issues. Since purchasing we have driven less than 6000 miles. While driving my vehicle the rod in the engine failed and started knocking. I am a mechanic and I am GMC master certified. Both myself and the owner of the shop I work at diagnosed the vehicle with a bad engine. We looked at the recall for the 6. 2 engine and noticed that many of the 2020 vehicles with this engine have the same issue that is currently being recalled for this specific engine. I called GMC and they won’t fix the issue that the vehicle is having. They won’t perform the recall and again I have only had this vehicle for 6 months and with 86,000 miles should not be having this issue. I am GMC certified and told them that I looked into the recall and they them selves state that some of the defective engines got out into the 2020 models.

Transmission keeps shifting hard and stud stuttering at low speeds.

To whom this may concern, this GMC truck with the 6. 2 has had constant engine issues regarding the lifters failure causing the engine to destroy itself internally I’ve had to get it repaired every 3 months on average there’s also a class action lawsuit that applies only to the 2025-2020 years however they are the exact same engine in the 2017. The transmission is not in sync with the motor having a late take off or sounds like the gears are grinding between shifting.

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.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Transmission shutting and torque converter came apart destroying the transmission.

My daughter and I drove to town to run some errands, we live twenty-three minutes away and take the freeway. Speed limit on that specific section of the freeway (i80) is 80mph. As I was taking the on-ramp to enter traffic, my GMC started shifted very hard and losing power. The vehicle was sputtering and making strange sounds. I was unable to exceed 60mph due to excessive vibrations/shaking the vehicle. Steering was starting to be difficult at the same time I noticed oil pressure gauge slowly dropping on instrument panel below 25psi. I had to pull over immediately. Oil pressure remained lower than normal, verified oil was filled to manufactures specifications (changed June 30, 2025). Returned the vehicle to my place of residence as safe and slow as I possibly could and parked it as it is a major safety concern.

Transmission failed during acceleration leaving me in the middle of intersection almost hit by a semi truck that had to slam breaks. Then final shifted and redlined 6 times before shifting. Then proceeded to limp mode.

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment and serious concern regarding a critical safety failure I experienced with my 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 denali unlimited (VIN: [xxx] ), which I purchased brand new in April 2025 from cavender GMC, san antonio, TX. On Friday, [xxx], with fewer than 9,000 miles on the vehicle, I was driving on the highway at about 65 mph, with my minor son in the vehicle when the dash suddenly displayed a traction control (trc) fault message, followed immediately by "acceleration is limited. " the truck experienced a severe and unexpected power loss, severely restricting my ability to accelerate or maintain safe highway speeds. I was forced to pull off the road abruptly to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Truck will down shift and transmission will slam, super hard. Feels like I hit something. Almost causing accident. Dealership refuses to service my truck or even take a look at the transmission because "its not broken yet" in their words " it needs to fail before they can service it or even look at it, because they wont get paid. " I have expressed my concerns about this safety issue and at this point they are being negligent. My truck is a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 with 3. 0 duramax . Still under warranty with only 35k miles.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the coolant control valve has stopped working. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? while driving the truck can overheat very quickly which can lead to dangerous temperatures as well as cause me to make an emergency stop on the highway to allow the truck to cool down. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes, I have discussed with a dealership in person and independent mechanic who have confirmed the issue and confirmed it is a very common issue. So common that the only replacement part for the problem is backordered. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no, they confirmed the issue without inspecting the vehicle because of how common it happens. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there were no warnings before the issue. The issue happened and then the check engine light turned on as well as a "reduced engine power" message.

I have 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 6. 2l engine I have maintain my service on this vehicle and now facing a complete engine failure due to the poor design of the engine by GMC. I have spoken with alot people and dealer mechnics and they all agree GMC and chvrolet know that this is a bad design but refuse to acept responsiblity for it. There are tousands of people with this same issue we cant fight this on our own we need your help please.

I own a 2021 GMC denali with a 6. 2l v8 l87 engine and 45,500 miles. I have confirmed the presence of metal shavings in the oil and oil filter, indicating that the engine is beginning to fail. When I took the vehicle to my local dealership, I was informed that there is currently no fix for this issue and was advised to continue driving the vehicle. This poses a serious safety risk—not just to me and my family but also to others on the road. A sudden loss of power could lead to a dangerous accident, and I do not want to be responsible for something preventable that could harm innocent people. My concern is that gm is aware of this engine issue but has instructed me to keep driving the vehicle, despite the known defect. How can gm be allowed to avoid accountability for such a critical safety matter? if a fatal accident were to occur, would the responsibility fall on gm or the NHTSA for failing to act? it’s also troubling that gm continues to profit by selling new vehicles, including the 2025 models, with similar issues, all while neglecting to provide solutions for affected customers like me. I purchased this $80,000 truck in good faith, but now no dealer wants to trade or buy these trucks without me taking a significant financial loss—something gm should be responsible for. As a taxpayer, I find it unacceptable that we bailed out gm in the mid-2000s, yet they continue to disregard accountability for their actions. I urge the NHTSA to take this issue seriously. A specific deadline should be set for gm to resolve this issue, and they should face daily penalties for every day they fail to provide a fix. If no resolution is possible, full refunds should be mandated. Please address this issue promptly, as it affects real people’s safety and financial well-being every day.

While driving on the freeway, 65 mph, I went to accelerate as vehicle was slowing down with no response, looked at dash and noticed vehicle was in neutral, with a message saying “restart vehicle to shift” thankfully I was able to get over a few lanes to pull over and restart vehicle. Very scary incident while on a busy early morning commute to work.

I have a 6. 2 engine that had a number 4 cylinder failure due to a engine defect of the crankshaft. They have recalled the 6. 2 motors on the 2021-2024 year models. The 2018 year models with the 6. 2 engine should be recalled also bc they are having the same issue. Please help.