2019 GMC SIERRA 1500 Complaints

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.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would intermittently hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the check engine warning light had flashed on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where the mechanic informed the contact that there was a miscommunication between the engine and the transmission. Two dealers were notified of the failure, and each informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was also given a diagnostic fee to determine the cause of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the message "Battery Saver Alert" was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that the battery gauge was reading 9V on the 12V battery. The vehicle was driven to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a battery tender was needed. The contact asked the dealer to check the 12-Volt battery which was replaced 2 years prior by the same dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the alternator needed to be replaced. The contact was later informed that the battery fuse also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V888000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 43,742.

While traveling on the freeway at freeway speeds and with the cruise control on, on 7/22/2025, my vehicle abruptly start making an odd noise, the steering wheel started to vibrate / move as if I had a flat tire. I safely existed the freeway and pulled over to investigate, there was no flat tire yet the vehicle still made the noise and experienced issues when the throttle was applied. I proceeded to call a tow truck, and have the vehicle towed from Alpine, CA to Temecula and Temecula Valley GMC. While there the dealership gave me an initial diagnosis of "Miss fire in cylinder 8". We left the vehicle, and awaited more information. The next day I received a phone call stating that they needed to do an engine teardown to completely diagnose the issue, to the tune of approx. $1,500. In the dealers words, they needed to do the teardown to determine if "They could salvage the engine, or if it had to be condemned". The following day I received another call stating that the engine needed to be completely replaced due to a collapsed cylinder. The estimate for this work is over $13,000. the truck is 6 years old with 58,XXX miles.

Yates GMC Replaced my engine a couple of years ago under warranty and my truck has never been the same. I’ve been to the dealer multiple times. The drive, the way it operates always making cranking snapping sounds.

The contact owns 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while reversing and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted to park(P), turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the starter was replaced, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25001 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 84,000.

Power Steering failure. Loss of power steering while driving the vehicle made any turns nearly impossible. Dealership identified root cause and a problem with a grounding strap. They reported that in addition to our vehicle, another GMC Sierra 1500 had come in the same day with the same problem. Loss of power steering while driving can lead to collision. This should be a safety recall.

Had to have transmission rebuilt found metal shavings and was shifting bad and shuttering. Vehicle Has 63,000 miles and is well maintained. Vehicle was taken to GMC but said their transmission person was on vacation for 2 weeks. Also parts dept Said they had no transmissions in stock and were back ordered. Truck was taken to AAMco and transmission was rebuilt And torque converter replaced . This is a common issue with GMC trucks.

On or around July 12th 2025 at low speed of 2-4 mph my rear end locked up sending everyone in the vehicle hard stop forward. The vehicle wouldn't disengage leaving me no choice but to have it towed for the second time 1st time happened exactly the same about month and a half prior. Gmc service department department claims they couldn't find anything wrong after it sat for two days in there lot after having it towed they were closed weekends and looked at it that Monday morning finding no signs of anything wrong. After picking up my vehicle I strongly feel like if at higher speeds or even environment this issue will endanger myself passengers and bystanders. I need help with resolving this safety issues asap please. Gmc hasn't been much help service department nor Gm support options.

On 7/17/25 vehicle was taken to Star Buick/GMC in Easton PA for rear brakes and an oil change. This vehicle has 49,981 miles on it. I was told after the oil change the tech took the truck for a test drive. I was told he made it about 20 feet and the engine seized. Either the tech forgot to refill the crank case or it is another GM 6.2 disaster. Please advise as the dealer is quoting over 12K to replace engine.