GMC Complaints

Electronic truck tail gate opened while driving after washing vehicle. The tailgate button on the FOB or inside the cabin were not pressed.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal tapping sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while traveling out of state. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with lifters failure. The contact was informed that the lifters and camshaft needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the lifter's failure had damaged the camshaft. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,700.

The panoramic sunroof on my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate XL spontaneously exploded while driving westbound on I-20 on March 13. There was no impact from road debris, no vehicles ahead, no overpass, and no external cause. The failure sounded like an explosion or gunshot. Tempered glass shattered with the sunroof in the closed position, showering the interior with glass fragments. Five occupants were in the vehicle at the time. No injuries occurred, but the sudden explosive noise and shower of glass created an extreme distraction and safety hazard while operating the vehicle at highway speed. The incident could easily have caused a loss of vehicle control on the interstate. The component that failed is the factory-installed panoramic power sunroof glass, standard equipment on the Denali Ultimate trim. The vehicle was taken to Lugoff Chevrolet for inspection. The dealer confirmed the glass failure and submitted a request to GM for warranty or goodwill coverage. GM offered to cover only 10% of the repair cost, characterizing the failure as an out-of-warranty wear issue despite the spontaneous nature of the defect. There were no warning signs, cracks, chips, warning lamps, or any indication of a problem prior to the failure. The sunroof was closed at the time. The vehicle has been dealer-maintained with no modifications to the sunroof or roof structure. This is a known industry-wide defect. NHTSA has previously investigated spontaneous sunroof shattering and documented over 4,000 complaints. GM has acknowledged awareness of this issue in other GM vehicles and previously issued corrective actions for sunroof glass on the Buick Regal and Chevrolet Cruze. Other GMC Yukon owners have filed NHTSA complaints describing identical failures. The failed sunroof glass and vehicle are available for inspection upon request.

Months ago I took my car to the dealer for the engine failure recall and they said there were no issues and changed the oil to a higher viscosity oil. Today I was driving and my engine failed while turning onto a busy road and took multiple tries to get started. It finally started and the engine light was flashing. The dealer told me th flashing engine light was bad and to not drive at all. I pulled over and had it towed to the dealer. The engine light stopped flashing. The dealer said they pulled a code on the computer and would look at it. They had my car for a full day so far and have said they can't find an issue. I do not feel safe having my family in this car when the engine can fail and they say nothing is wrong. I am lucky that I wasn't hit at the location it failed at.

While driving under normal conditions, a front grille trim component detached from my vehicle without any impact or external cause. The piece became airborne and struck my windshield, creating an immediate safety hazard and risk of loss of control. There was no prior damage or warning. This represents a failure of a vehicle component under normal operation and indicates a defect in materials, design, or installation. Exterior parts should not detach and become projectiles at roadway speeds. The manufacturer has been notified but has declined responsibility. Given the safety risk, this may not be an isolated issue.

On March 27, 2026, I experienced a complete brake failure while driving a 2021 GMC Acadia in a school zone at approximately 3:00 PM. When I pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not respond. I attempted multiple times, including using the emergency brake, which did not activate immediately. The vehicle remained in motion for several minutes in an area with children and parents present. The emergency brake only engaged after approximately 30–45 seconds of repeated attempts. I was forced to steer off the road to avoid a collision. The vehicle had been inspected at a GM dealership on March 16, 2026, just eleven days prior, where the brake system was evaluated and no issues were identified. After the incident, the dealership diagnosed a leaking vacuum pump, which is a component that supports the brake booster system. This failure occurred without warning and created a dangerous situation. I am concerned this may indicate a broader safety defect.

The vehicle has a serious transmission/drivetrain defect that repeatedly occurs when accelerating from a complete stop, especially onto an incline. The vehicle sometimes does not respond at all when the accelerator is pressed and fails to move, even though acceleration is being requested. In one recent incident, it remained stopped for about one minute before finally responding. During these events, the vehicle jerks and shakes severely and fails to gain speed as expected. This creates a major safety risk at stop signs, intersections, and uphill starts because the vehicle may not move when needed and cannot keep up with traffic. The problem has worsened, and during one of these incidents the check engine light came on. I have video evidence showing the loss of response to accelerator input, severe jerking/shaking, and the check engine light illuminating during the same event. The issue has been reported to dealers and GM customer service but has not been properly resolved.

Vehicle warning light, and noise alerts when placing in park. Vehicle does not register PARKED. Vehicle has to be restarted several times and shifter moved in and out of park until registers as parked. When viewed by mechanic, it was stated there has been a recall to contact manufacturer about recall, but none noted on site.

Motor spun a bearing on the crank and the vehicle is needing a new motor. 73,000 miles. Passed the GM recall inspection less than 6 months ago. Vehicle has had regular oil changes and all maintenance done on time. Engine started hard then started knocking. Made it to dealership for diagnostics.

Twice the side detection system failed due to corroded wiring under the bumper which then led into the electrical system failing on side air bag detection/blind zone detection/traction control system/display monitor and blinkers all failing to the point of vehicle not starting. The safety is these features failed which were both safety and stability. Risks occur in becoming stranded and the problem was first noted by dealer to be a poor battery. GM pushed out a "Special Coverage Adjustment' to have the wiring/module kit to be ordered and repaired by a dealer for no charge. Stipulations was within 6 yrs or 80,000 from 'placed in use'. Warning lamps occurred after the corrosion was too far along to be rectified and after the 6n yrs off the lot. Manufacture GM issued the special adjustment but dealership did not provide notice beyond letter at point of failure in vehicle so that twice I have had to contend with this issue and pay in full for the service work performed. The second fail of this wiring system and module was within 3 years of first replacement.