Service Brakes Problems of GMC Sierra 1500 - part 1

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, he depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact stated he drove across four lanes of traffic and regained control of the vehicle. The contact stated that as he was slowing for a traffic signal, he again depressed the brake pedal. The contact stated that the pedal went to the floorboard, and the vehicle would not stop. The contact stated no warnings illuminated. The contact stated that his vehicle crashed into the rear end of the vehicle in front of him. The contact stated that there were scratches on his front bumper and no damage to the other vehicle. There were no injuries, and the police were not called. The contact stated that both vehicles were able to drive away. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the master brake cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

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This has now happened 4 times and I'm taking the truck to the dealership to figure out what the issue is. At high speeds, 65 to 75 mph, on the freeway, the rear brakes suddenly lock up for no apparent reason. Extremely dangerous for myself and surrounding vehicles, especially behind me. The most recent incident pretty much gave me whiplash because it's unexpected with no warnings whatsoever. The freeway was clear, with light traffic. I was almost rear ended because the vehicle behind me had no reason to believe the my vehicle was going to suddenly come to an abrupt stop. I looked up any known similar issues for the 2023 model, and found that there GMC did a recall for similar issues on the up to 2022 models, but that the issue had been resolved. Obviously it hasn't.

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The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle started running abnormally rough, promptly the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The message “service traction control” was displayed, and the abs warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.

No wreck.

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I purchased a 2025 GMC denali a few months ago. At approximately 7,000 miles, the front brakes failed unexpectedly and were replaced by the dealership. However, by 14,000 miles, I began experiencing brake issues again. Before I could return the vehicle for service, I was driving on the turnpike when the engine suddenly seized without warning. This created an extremely dangerous situation—vehicles behind me nearly collided as I lost power and control. I managed to pull over safely, but the tow truck operator struggled to load the vehicle due to all four wheels locking up and the engine being completely seized. Once the vehicle was inspected at the dealership, I was informed that the engine had failed and would need to be replaced. I am aware of the recurring issues associated with the 6. 2l GMC engines and related component failures, and I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle. Given the repeated mechanical failures and the serious safety risks involved, I am formally requesting that GMC initiate a buyback of this vehicle. I believe this situation qualifies under lemon law protections and warranty obligations, and I urge GMC to take immediate action to resolve this matter.

The 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 has an electronic parking brake (epb) that bolts on to the rear calipers. The epb does not release, in order for service, you have to long press the parking brake, then the truck goes into service mode & will release the brakes for service, some newer models may not have this feature. The vehicle has 36,000 miles on it & the inside rear brake rotors are worn down from the epb dragging & not releasing as supposed to, causing excessive premature wear & that could cause a safety hazard fleet wide. The epb should not be in use while the vehicle is moving, but it is coded to not release, meaning whenever you press the brake it never moves back out away from the rotor, causing drag & or even can cause warping of the rotor. I do not understand the thought process in regards to not letting the epb release, it acts like the screw type caliper that would have the same issues of every time it moves out it will not go in until taken apart & screwed in, again meaning the brake pad is constantly dragging on the rotor which could in turn also affect the miles per gallon. I see the thought process to use epb as useful but not a good execution by the manufacturer.

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Was driving down the freeway around 65 miles an hour attempted to pass a truck when the steering started wobbling the abs that ems and the breaking system came on with the check engine light almost had no control and barely avoided having an accident the only way it went back to normal was slowing down.

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My vehicle displayed numerous brake failure codes and limited my speed to 43mph. When taken into my local GMC dealer the diagnostics I was given were a bad/leaking master cylinder. This vehicle has 16,200 miles on it and was never used for towing or hauling. The brakes are hard and brake assist has clearly failed. I’ve found numerous recalls and issues with other year vehicles from GMC, yet they are denying any liability on my vehicle. They want over $3000 to replace the master cylinder even though there’s no physical leak observed via fluid loss. This is a major safety concern when a major brake component fails on such a low mileage vehicle. This truck also has a well known seal leak on the rear window that causes mold to grow inside of the vehicle cabin. Apparently no one has died yet so they have not been forced to put out a recall. Consumers should not be forced to spend thousands of dollars on major components on such low mileage vehicles. Especially when it comes to safety items like braking. I’ve researched this for hours and have found this has been a known issue on these 2020 models many people. Some even brand new after driving them off the dealership lot. Clearly there is an issue and the manufacturer refuses to address it.

Gm is recommending that I replace my brakes for the 3rd time within 30,000 miles but cannot explain the irregular wear. I am confident that there is a larger issue causing this is the brakes failing are just a symptom of a larger issue that have failed to address after 6 dealership visits, escalating (twice - due to first advisor never getting back to me) to gm customer care, emailing an executive, regional service manager, and countless hours to fix the safety issue of my brakes (and the larger root cause issue). Gm customer care case #[xxx] - brake safety issue 2024 GMC sierra at4 (VIN: [xxx]) - 46,000 miles Nov 2023: 1st visit - brake squeal at 25k. Pads replaced, gm denied warranty. Early 2024: safety issue returned at 30k miles. May 2025: 2nd visit - worsening brake noise. Dealer couldn't replicate despite video evidence. Recommended $500 repair. Manager acknowledged "irregular/abnormal" wear. June 2025: 3rd & 4th visits - tech found unexplained "weird line" on pad. Manager kyle confirmed unusual wear but no root cause identified. June opened gm case #[xxx] after dealership failures. July 7: gm failed to coordinate promised appointment. July 5th visit - les stanford Buick GMC, ferndale. Tech rode with me, confirmed brake safety issue but offered no solution. Critical safety concern: recurring brake defect with abnormal wear patterns acknowledged by multiple technicians. Same brake failure pattern occurring 3 times in 18 months poses serious safety risk. Despite 5 dealership visits, video evidence, and confirmed defect, gm refuses warranty coverage while acknowledging the problem exists. Issue remains unresolved - I've exhausted all customer remedies. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Brake pedal pivot nut came loose and fell off while driving.

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Starting vehicle in parking lot and backing out of parking space. Brakes failed and truck continued to roll backwards almost hitting a pedestrian. I was able to stop hard on the pedal and stop the vehicle. This has happened several times. I have a steep driveway and backing down to the street the brake pedal will unexpectedly have little resistance and the truck will continue to roll into the street almost hitting oncoming traffic.

I was test driving this 2017 Sierra 1500 slt and experienced issues while braking. Issues with brakes as the vacuum level drops the brake assist decreases which meant I had to use excessive force to get the vehicle to stop. No warning light, nothing to tell me there is a low pressure brake. This could result in a fatality if a small animal or child walks/runs in front of the truck while truck is moving forward or backwards at low speeds. The dealer doesn’t acknowledge any recall on this vehicle because it isn’t noted as such with gm. I worry that all of the other recalls (4 others) may be an issue too, which include frontal airbags not deploying during an accident, faulty wheel sensor causes opposite wheel to engage and cause the vehicle to pull to one side, fuel leak, and child seat anchoring restraint instructions not included in the owners manual.

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Pressing the brakes more than once locks the brakes up multiple times this has happened. Not an isolated event.

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I will start by saying that I have had this issue since I had the truck (2020), less than 10k miles. I mentioned to the dealer multiple times. I was told that they can't figure it out since it has to be doing it while it is at the dealership to figure it out. I am finally fed up with that answer. The issue is with trailering. It will randomly lose trailer brakes while driving down the road. Sometimes the brakes will come back right away, sometimes they will not. Other times other lights that should be working will randomly stop working as well such as turn signals. This has happened multiple times and I only tow a few times a year when I pull my travel trailer. I have a video of it doing it as I am driving down the road. For the additional details with approximate date that this incident occurred, I will put the last date that this was found.

While in the parking lot of a local grocery store, I shifted the vehicle into reverse, at which point all dashboard warning lights immediately illuminated and the braking response became significantly weakened and nearly unresponsive. I placed the vehicle back into park, paused, and then attempted to shift into reverse again, but the dashboard alerts and brake issue persisted. This created a very unsafe driving situation because the brake system was very unresponsive. Despite the unsafe condition, I cautiously drove to my home 2miles away at a speed of under 20 mph, requiring excessive brake pressure to bring the vehicle to a stop. I parked the vehicle in my driveway and left it there overnight. The next morning, I tested the brakes, and they seemed to return to normal so I drove 5 miles to my local GMC service center. Service tech confirmed check engine light on and reported code p0700 and p00ff in the report.

I was driving my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 on a local street when the dashboard suddenly displayed a “brake failure” warning. I immediately realized I had no braking power and had to safely roll into an uphill parking space to stop the vehicle. While waiting for the tow truck, I researched the issue and discovered there is a known recall related to the brake calipers on some 2020 Sierra 1500 models. However, when I entered my VIN, it showed no open recalls. I also contacted GMC directly, and they confirmed that there are no active recalls associated with my vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle's onboard information system indicated that the front brakes were at 65% and the rear brakes at 80%, suggesting that brake wear was not a contributing factor.

2017 GMC sierra almost hit a parked car in the store parking lot. Pedal was hard push down . Also when moving truck around in my yard at times the pedal is hard other times sounds like there is air in the lines. Truck has all new brakes and rotors all the way around. I pull a camper and side x side at times so this is scary.

My 2017 GMC sierra brakes started acting up a slow speed it would seem like there were no brakes or pedal would push very hard. I pulled into a parking space at the store and it was like I had no brakes had to push pedal very hard and thank god there wasn’t a car in front of me because I would have hit it. The truck has new front and back brakes and rotors put. The truck was throwing some codes and 3 out of the 4 codes pointed to faulty vacume pump. I pull a camper and sometimes a side x side so this is very concerning and I hoping to get this expense covered by recall like all the other models with the same issues. I really don’t know why my truck isn’t being recalled. This has been a good truck for me no complaints tell this.

While traveling on the interstate the vehicle lost all propulsion and started to rapidly decelerate. Shortly after propulsion was lost the engine turned off completely affecting the steering and braking of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the GMC dealership that we purchased it from. Repairs have not begun so I assume it would be available for inspection. We were traveling on a three lane interstate up a grade at 80 mph. Had I not been able to safely get the vehicle stopped and out of traffic or had we lost control going down a grade we would not have been able to stop the vehicle and there would've potentially been a catastrophic accident most likely resulting in injury or death. No the dealership has not diagnosed the failure physically. The service writer did suggest that it sounds like the failure reported from the recall not being addressed. I did contact the dealer about the recall on Saturday may6th. At which time I was informed there was not a solution for the vehicle for my vehicle at that time. There were no warning prior to the incident. After the engine stopped operating there was a warning produced on the instrument panel that read "engine oil hot" and the instrument panel no longer registered any oil pressure.

I am experiencing an issue with a hard brake pedal on my 2014 GMC Sierra 1500. This same issue was previously addressed through a recall and special coverage program by gm, which I had performed. However, the hard brake pedal condition has returned, significantly impairing stopping power at low speeds. This poses a serious safety risk, especially when towing or parking. I can no longer park my trailer safely. The vehicle is difficult to stop, and braking distance has increased substantially. This is a known issue with this model and year. It appears the prior recall may not have adequately resolved the root cause. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether additional action or recall extensions are warranted.

I was driving pulling an empty small u-haul trailer and attempted to pull in to a fuel station when my brake became impossible to depress. I barely was able to miss hitting gas pumps and ran down into a ditch before the truck stopped. I informed the dealership where I had just purchased this truck used. I took it to their service department and I was told there was no issues with the brakes. They had to have this recall bulletin in their computer system yet failed to make me aware or to perform this recall or report it to gm. The problem continues to worsen to the point I am scared to drive it. I almost rear ended another car at a stoplight yesterday because I was unable to depress the brake pedal. I stood on the brake and heard an electronic sound but finally came to a stop.

This is a second report of an issue that first happened in February 2025, the dealer replaced the battery and called it fixed. On Friday 5-2-2025 I started the vehicle and as I was driving the dash lit up with these warnings: service trailer brake system, service esc, brake system failure 62 mph top speed, steering assist reduced drive with care, the vehicle steering got stiff and brake pedal went to the floor board with a little braking available if I stood very hard on the brake pedal. I got off to the side of the road, cycled the truck on and off and was able to drive off. It did this three times before I could get it to the dealer the next day, if my daughter was driving I would have expected that two of the three would have resulted in a wreck as she would not have been strong enough to steer or stop the vehicle. The dealer had it three days and replaced the brake master cylinder and called it fixed, I picked the vehicle up and on the way home I stopped for gas, after the gas station the dash displayed: service brake assist, I turned right around and took it back to the dealer, they checked the code and said the brake assist module was drawing too much current, I picked the vehicle back up three days later, they said they bleed the air out of the brake system and called it fixed. No one wants to ride with me and my daughter is begging me to trade the truck, they call it a death trap waiting to happen. Gm says it is all normal issues.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

6. 2l v8 the same as 2021 to 2024 engine built the same way and im experiencing the same issues and the dealership wont fix it , I would like to get a response if this will be included or should I file a lawsuit and take legal action thank you.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, while depressing the brake pedal to slow down, the brake pedal lost pressure, and the vehicle experienced a reduction in braking power. The contact had to depress the brake pedal with additional force to properly slow the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated; however, the message "brake assist" was displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

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Esc error parking break not releasing dashboard lights started flashing check engine light came on.

Engine has seized twice, completely shutting down without electrical power or brakes. The vehicle also shut down in an intersection (no power, brakes, flashers). I was able to pull to the side on the 2 engine seizures but not during the electrical shutdown at the intersection in the turn lane. The engine was replaced the first time by quality GMC in albuquerque, nm. The 2nd engine is being replaced by diamond GMC in palmdale, CA. Warning lamps on the 1st engine seizure was tire pressure warning. The electrical shutdown was forward collision warning, emergency braking, etc. The 2nd engine seizure said something about engine needed to be restarted.

I was driving about 45 mph when the vehicle started to brake on its own. Message center said "brake failure max speed 62 mph". I had to move the vehicle, so I continued forward. It was still trying to self-brake, I decided to stop and turn ignition off so computers could re-set but I had no brakes. I had to stand on brake pedal to get it stopped. Turned ignition off and restarted. The problem was gone, but it happened again 2 weeks later. Took to dealership where purchased and they said it needed a computed recalibration. Something I didn't know about. They charged me $200 to recalibrate the computer. My issue is the danger of not having brakes, not the $200. How many similar vehicles could this happen to?.

Recently when starting truck brake message alert comes across on dash reading brake error, and not to drive above 45 miles per hour and brakes are not totally operational, meaning brake pedal has alot of play in it to bring truck to a stop. Have to turn off vehicle , sometimes repeatedly before it apparently resets computer system. This has now occurred four times in last five months. Events and dash warning message very similar to recall issued 3/3/20, but listed as "complete" on recall data base. Need to seriously and immediately looked into and corrected!.

On March 10, 2025, I was driving down a residential street, about 40 mph, when the "brake system failure, 42 miles top speed," indicator light came on. Seconds later, I was approaching a stop sign and pressed down on the brake pedal. The brakes failed and the brake pedal went directly down to the floor. Luckily there were no other vehicles around and I was able to coast through the stop sign. I continued to coast until the truck stopped on its own and I was able to shift the gear into park. I've checked for recalls on my truck for this issue and did not find any. There is a similar issue with the GMC 2500 and 3500 series. Perhaps the issue is broader than expected.

The brake system failed in a parking lot three times within a month. It’s related to the special policy and recall regarding the vacuum and the loss of brakes at slower speeds and in reverse. The first two accidents were very minor creating no damage. The third one was at 10mph when I lost my brakes and crashed into a concrete barrier in a parking structure causing significant damage to my truck. I did not get injured but I have a wife and two kids that I am so grateful were not in the truck for the third one with major damage. With that being said my son was in the truck the second time it happened when I crashed into a parked vehicle in a parking lot because I was unable to stop which made me very frustrated and worried for my families safety in my truck. The first accident was in a parking lot where I was backing up and lost the brakes and crashed into a building which is my veterinary office causing damage to the building. Therefore after the first crash due to this issue I have decided that driving with my family in the truck is not an option anymore. It is very disappointing that a truck I purchased for the functionality and safety of having my wife and kids in it is no longer safe for passengers or myself in it. This problem is very reproducible and is a major concern for my family and my safety. It was towed to a GMC dealership in waukesha and is being inspected and they have stated it is reproducible. No warning lamps or messages were indicated for this issue. The truck will next need to get towed to crash champions auto body repair to ultimately get repaired which will take another month. All of this is a major inconvenience as I am a full time firefighter and in paramedic school as well. Not having a reliable safe vehicle for an extended period of time has caused great stress and inconvenience to my family. I’m hoping and praying that something can be done about this quickly and promptly to make this right. Thank you.

Ok I know my VIN don't go under the 10 recalls for 2019 GMC sierra limited 1500 rwd, but my truck has the same problem with the brake module has those recalls I feel like GMC might have used different parts for the other recall but used the same brake module for my truck cause I have that same problem has the recall. It's obviously a issue that needs to be look in and my brake module should be fixed by GMC.

Ebcm software update errors.

I was slowing down in a parking lot to park. I applied the brake and the pedal was very stiff and the vehicle wound not stop. I finally stood on the pedal and it acted as though the antilock activated and started shuttering. It finally stopped without damage. A warning of service brake assist displayed on the dash. This began to happen about 3 months ago intermittently, but now is a more frequent action. I have not taken it to the dealer and thought of replacing the brake vacuum pump but don't know what to do. Any assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a great day! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Below 10,000 miles my truck had the master brake cylinder to put which they repaired under warranty. At about 89,000 miles the engine went out stating a misfire on cylinder 2. After talking with gm the vehicle needed all the rods and cam shaft replaced which was almost an $11k repair of which I had to pay almost $5k. The truck still has sporadic shakes while at idle. Many other owners have complained of the same issues. It’s hard to understand that a new truck would have so many issues. The truck was also sold without the chip to heat the seats or the heated steering wheel. These were down afterwards one of them about a year after purchase. We feel GMC should have paid for this repair given all their engine issues. They changed the warranty from 100k miles to 60k miles because they knew these engines have major issues.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 🔎.

I was traveling north on interstate 95 and approaching my exit ramp. I was initially in the inside lane of travel. I accelerated to merge into the outside lane, between two other vehicles, and then onto the exit ramp. Once on the exit ramp, I let off of the throttle and the engine suddenly shut down. I noticed a message on driver information center instructing me to shift the vehicle into neutral and press "start again". The engine had shut down without any warning whatsoever. I complied with the instructions to no avail. The truck is over half full of fuel. I was within an hour of home after completing an approximately 8 hour, 500 mile, round trip over 2 days of driving. After this event, I connected an obd2 scanner and the only code found was p25a2 brake system control module. I placed the truck in park and tried repeatedly to start the engine. It would not turn over, crank or start. I had power to all systems and no other codes. I had to have the truck towed from the scene. The truck's performance had previously been flawless during this entire trip and had given me no warning whatsoever of the sudden engine shutdown. This is extremely dangerous and a safety concern.