Power Train Problems of GMC Sierra 1500 - part 2

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.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

The vehicle has a vibration and stuttering feel during highway driving. Cruise between 70-75 has off and on again vibration is seat, steering wheel, and center console. The issue feels more pronounced between 60-65 and exhibits more of a hum, much like a washing machine drum that is out of balance. I have had the truck at 2 different dealerships and they have insisted it was a whee balance issue. I have also had the truck balanced at costco. None of these issues have been alleviated with wheel balance. The dealership, where the truck was purchased, refused to test the truck at highway speeds and would only drive it for a short period at speeds up to 55mph. I have also reached out to GMC customer service, and they simply regurgitated what the dealer indicated about balance and testing at 55 mph or less in town. There seems to be a number of tsbs out on this issue. Most related to torque converter issues, but none of the dealers have indicated that my truck is impacted by any of the current tsbs, even though it exhibits all the symptoms. Not sure of the safety replications, but I am disappointed in the fact that the truck has had this issue since around 1,000 miles, and it seems like the dealer service departments are just ignoring it and refusing to do a thorough evaluation of the issue unless a code triggers or until a major failure occurs.

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.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

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 was driving on the freeway and my GMC sierra at4 received a notification that I could could no longer accelerate. I pulled off to the side as safely as I could in a slanted hill in a major freeway with no shoulder. I sat on the side of the road for 45 min and then ran out of diesel gas waiting for the tow truck. We took into GMC and they said nothing was wrong, we were out of gas. But I ran out of gas waiting for the tow truck. The truck never shut off and ac still going, I just couldn’t accelerate. We’ve had the truck in the shop every single month for the past year for sensor issues and replacements and have all the documentation of the last few years of similar issues. No extensions of warranty’s nothing. Well we started to smell something burning this week and now we were told today we have a faulty fuel pump that will cost us $1,000 to fix and is not covered under our warranty. The truck is still under warranty, so why is something in relation to the power train not covered? there is a current t recall on other GMC models of this year for this fuel pump issue and the safety recall is exactly what happened to us on the freeway and the issue we have now. Why has this not been extended to other Gmcs????? my entire family could have died on the side of the freeway!!.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph and attempting the pass another vehicle, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated unintendedly. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 mph. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 81,000.

Wn a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 6. 2l (VIN: [xxx] ), which is now experiencing a severe misfire, engine ticking, and diagnostic code p318a. I’ve confirmed this issue is related to gm recall n252494001 for engine connecting rod/crankshaft failure. However, I’ve been told my VIN has not yet been activated for recall repairs, and both the local dealership and GMC support have refused to escalate my case or offer assistance. This is a known safety issue, and I’m now at risk of total engine failure and significant financial loss while waiting for gm to act. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Purchase a used 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 denali with a 3. 0l diesel at around 42,000 miles. Drove it for about 1,500 miles before I started noticing unusual shifting with the transmission which became more noticeable with time. At around 44,000 miles, the truck had two hard shifts going 35-40 mph on a flat round and put itself into limp mode. Turned off and on the truck multiple times, the engine light always stayed on but the symptoms would come and go. Either way the truck always went back into limp mode after a few miles. I did a quick scan and it came out with a p0700 and p0746 code. I limped it to the dealer and was told that it was a bad valve body which is apparently on back order with no eta and they can’t tell me when I will get my truck back.

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that after shifting to drive (d) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact shifted to park(p) and attempted to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact stated after several attempts, the vehicle turned off; however, the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the "service engine" warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The contact stated that the tow truck driver was unable to shift the vehicle to neutral(n) to winch the vehicle onto the flat bed. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

This vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure while I was on vacation 400 miles from home. I have researched this failure and there is a class action lawsuit against GMC. My truck has been at the dealer for 25 days and still waiting for authorization from fidelity warranty services. Considering it’s such a common problem I feel GMC should be paying for this. At the very least the warranty company is aware of this problem and purposely delaying the authorization to repair. I just bought a new camper which I cannot use. I am fisherman and cannot use my boat. My beach pass is also on the vehicle. So essentially my summer has been ruined by a company that produced a faulty vehicle and didn’t discord this information to me.

Vehicle was in for routine service, oil change and tire rotation. Per the published engine recall bulletin [manufacturer recall number n252494000] the recall directs the technicians to check for a dtc and if not present to drain and replace filter and oil using 0-40w oil, to replace the oil filler cap with new oil specification labeling, and provide a corrected page for the owners operating manual. All very simple steps. There is absolutely no reason for this check and service not to be performed during routine maintenance. Gm is dragging their feet on performing a critical recall and should be held accountable for slow walking this recall. Servicing dealer claims they had zero 0-40w oil in the entire dealership. I can go to walmart and get cases of this oil. Replacement filler caps, which must be replaced can be quickly produced by the tens of thousands if desired, which apparently is a very low priority for gm. Servicing dealer was heritage GMC, rockwall, TX. Desired outcome is to require completion of all outstanding recalls if the vehicle is presented for servicing regardless of reason. Further, to specify a definitive timeline to complete any outstanding recalls and have that information communicated to each owner. Manufacturer recall number n252494000 has not been completed at this time.

While driving on the highway at 70 mph, the truck experienced a harsh transmission shift followed by a sudden loss of acceleration and entered shutdown mode to protect the engine. The steering became stiff, all dashboard warning lights illuminated, and a message appeared on the driver display indicating a transmission issue and advising to drive with caution. The rpms surged and the truck struggled to maintain a speed of 45 mph while the remaining at 4000 rpm. This created an extremely hazardous situation for both me and my passenger. I safely pulled into the breakdown lane, came to a complete stop, shifted into park, and turned off the engine. Upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine light remained on, and the transmission continued to shift abnormally at low speeds, including noticeable shuddering.

The check engine light came on at one point. I took it to figure out why the check engine light was coming on and the scanner indicated that the nox catalyst was below threshold. I researched it and it is a common issue. The check engine light eventually turned off after a couple of days. About 2 weeks later it came back on. I noticed as I was driving the coolant fans were running at 100% meaning that they were blowing long and hard. So I scanned it and it said that the engine coolant valve was at fault. This is also a common issue with the vehicle, particularly in the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 3. 0 turbo diesel. It is a faulty part and it costs thousands of dollars to replace. How can these two issues not be on a national recall by gm? they are too common and very expensive to repair. This issue is so common that now the valve is on a national back order. Meaning the parts may not be available for 30-120 days. The vehicle is not safe to drive with a bad engine coolant valve. I have now a rental car for the past 7 days while my truck sits waiting for a valve to arrive and pay thousands in repair just to drive it again.

There is an active recall regarding the safety of my vehicle. Nhtsa: 25v274 manufacturer: n252494000 I contacted gm and was told to see a dealer to have my engine replaced. The dealer is refusing to remedy the recall and pointed me back to gm stating that "gm told us not to service this recall because there isn't yet a remedy". I'm stuck with a very unsafe vehicle that is less than 1 year old and the manufacture is refusing to honor their own recall.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, there was an abnormal vibration coming from the steering wheel. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,326.

This is the second time in 2 days!! while driving ~35mph the truck experienced a harsh transmission shift followed by a sudden loss of acceleration and entered shutdown mode to protect the engine. The steering became stiff, all dashboard warning lights illuminated, and a message appeared on the driver display indicating a transmission issue and advising to drive with caution. This created an extremely hazardous condition for me while driving on s busy stretch of road. I pulled onto the side of the road, came to a complete stop, shifted into park, and turned off the engine. Upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine light remained on, and the transmission continued to shift abnormally at low speeds, including some noticeable shuddering. My GMC application recorded the issue and reminded me to schedule service.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the valvetrain system failed due to broken rocker arms, which resulted in additional internal engine damage. This failure occurred under normal driving conditions. The affected components have not yet been discarded and are available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the failure caused sudden engine misfiring and knocking, reducing engine power while I was operating the vehicle. This significantly compromised acceleration and response time, especially during merging and lane changes, which could have led to an accident. Any unexpected loss of power or engine instability at highway speeds poses a serious risk to myself, passengers, and other motorists. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. The issue has been diagnosed and confirmed by an independent certified mechanic, who verified the broken rocker arms and resulting engine damage during inspection. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Only a certified independent mechanic has inspected the failure thus far. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? yes. The check engine light appeared and the engine began running rough and producing a knocking sound. These symptoms occurred just prior to the confirmed failure and prompted me to stop driving the vehicle immediately and have it inspected. Given the seriousness of this issue and reports from other GMC 5. 3l engine owners experiencing similar rocker arm failures, I urge the NHTSA to investigate this potential defect. It poses a real and significant safety risk.

Truck completely shuts off at any speed going down the highway. Complete loss of power. Have to coast to side of road and restart vehicle.

See all problems of the 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

Truck randomly shuts off and steering wheel locks up going down the road.

My 2023 GMC sierra at4 with the 6. 2l l87 engine is showing signs of premature engine issues despite passing the recall inspection. I hear persistent lifter chatter, which is known to be a precursor to catastrophic failure in these engines. I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle due to the known defect with the crankshaft, rods, and valvetrain. Gm issued a recall, but it appears to be incomplete and does not address the underlying issue in many vehicles, including mine. I am worried about sudden engine failure and safety while driving.