10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
15,792 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Owner Comments (Page 3 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #27

May 272020

Sierra 1500 8-cyl

  • 11,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought this vehicle new from day one I noticed the truck was jerking between 2nd gear and third. Only when cold I figured it was normal. I have 11,000 miles now and the jerking is worse and does it when I hold a speed between 45mph and 50mph also. When I am coming to a stop it hit hard into 1st gear and when I take off it hits hard into 2nd gear.

- Harbor, OR, USA

problem #26

Mar 102020

Sierra 1500

  • 35,750 miles
A/C stops working 2.) mechanic does vacuum test and replaces refrigerant ($200) freon 3.) A/C is blowing hot air again after 3 days; refrigerant completely gone 4.) mechanic runs dye through lines to find the leak, replaces refrigerant again and states the problem is compressor failure ($200) again 5.) the overall fix would be to replace the compressor ($1,000) but there are no compressors to be found, the part is on national backorder because of the widespread problem." Left side of wheel making aloud noise when backup, it is a know problem with the steering rack tansmission downshift from 30-15 make a push effect and couching noise

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #25

Apr 022020

Sierra 1500 8-cyl

  • miles
The front end of my truck has an very noticeable intermittent rumble and shake when I'm holding steady around 1200 RPM and 45 mph. My RPM gauge will surge about 50-100 rpms when it rumbles. If I speed up or slow down it goes away. My wheels and tires are balance so that not the issue and my drive is smooth otherwise.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #24

Mar 092020

Sierra 1500

  • 1,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2018 GMC Sierra denali, when the vehicle is cold, usually first thing in the morning, the truck starts out in first gear and then feels like it lacks power or transmission is slipping and then bangs into 2nd gear.the more I drove the truck the worse it got. While driving down the road there is a vibration within the truck. The faster you go the more of a vibration you feel. During the vibration the steering wheel is not shaking and when you let go of the wheel the truck stays straight, so it's not the front end. Took the truck to the dealership where it was purchased, pellegrino GMC, which is a 30 minute drive and they couldn't duplicate the problems. The service advisor was advised prior to my appointment, that the banging into gear only happens when its is cold. He advised me that what I was feeling was a normal shift for my truck. I advised him about the service bulletins and he stated that it didn't pertain to my truck.the mechanic test drove my vehicle for 13 miles and didn't feel the vibration. He checked the engine codes and found none. I have had the truck a little over a year and it has 6000 miles on the odometer.

- Absecon, NJ, USA

problem #23

Apr 032019

Sierra 1500

  • 13,700 miles
Jumps into gear hard from 1st to 2nd gear under 25 mph very dangerous when on icy roads and also down shifting coming down from a hill RPM's stay high even though you aren't going very fast less then 17000 miles on it had it too the dealer nothing they can do just document

- Arcadia, WI, USA

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problem #22

Dec 202019

Sierra 1500

  • 4,500 miles
Transmission shifts very hard from first gear to second gear when in motion. It also has a violent shudder when it is trying to select a different gear, most apparent around 35mph. If brake isn't pressed hard enough, shifting out of park could cause vehicle to run into something due to the hard shift when stationary.

- Franklin, TN, USA

problem #21

Sep 272019

Sierra 1500

  • 29,562 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I own a GMC Sierra which is 14 months old, purchased in dubai uae from alghandi auto. The last service for 40000 kms was done on August 8th, 2019 and no problem was highlighted except the battery that was subsequently changed. On Friday early morning (Sep 27, 2019), we have escaped a major accident on sheikh zayed road on account of the front wheel axle that just broke/came apart while driving, causing the front right wheel to detach from the vehicle, subsequently skidding to the right causing major damage to the suspension and many other parts in the vehicle. This could have caused even death of my son who was driving the vehicle. I would appreciate an immediate call from your office to resolve this as I am no longer interested in driving this car that can cost me & my family our lives. This needs to be done immediately as I would otherwise be in the process of seeking legal advice against GMC.

- Dubai, 00, USA

problem #20

Nov 272019

Sierra 1500

  • 26,000 miles
The truck shifts very hard - from what I've read online, GM knows of the issue but will not "fix" the issue -- only 26K miles on the truck

- Smithfield, VA, USA

problem #19

Aug 152019

Sierra 1500

  • 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving, the vehicle failed to shift into gears, switching from V8 to V4. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to classic Buick GMC arlington (1400 E interstate 20, arlington, tx 76018, (817) 264-7782), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #18

Jan 162019

Sierra 1500

  • 13,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. When the contact shifted into drive, the vehicle lunged forward with the brake pedal depressed. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a handicap sign. There were no injuries. Prior to the crash, the vehicle was taken to bill kay Chevrolet (located at 601 ogden ave, lisle, il 60532, (630) 968-2900) to be diagnosed due to hard shifting. The contact was informed that a transmission re-learn of the software was needed to correct the hard shifting; however, the failure became more pronounced. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and declined to assist. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #17

Nov 082019

Sierra 1500

  • 6,003 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I experienced failure of the transmission to sift up or down on several occasions between 11/01/2019 and 11/11/2019. On 11/08/2019 I was monitoring the transmission temperature, and when the transmission temp reached 164 deg, the transmission would stop shifting properly at 25 to 30 mph, and the trans temp would jump to 192+ deg. Transmission seemed to slip and the vehicle would not accelerate. Rpms jumped to 3K-4K rms but speed would not change up or down. Contacted the dealership and made an appointment for 11/11. On 11/11 I drove the to the dealer 10 miles away. I monitored the trans temp as I drove, and no shifting issues until just before reaching the dealership (trans temp had reached 154 deg). I road with the dealer rep for a test drive and he was able to duplicate the problem at 30-mph and trans temp quickly rose again to over 192-deg. Dealer rep tried to use the manual shift option but even using that he was unable to get the transmisson to shift properly ans engine rpms exceeded 5K and stayed there until the transmission shifted into gear. Dealer rep stated that is not good during the test drive. Arriving back at the service department the dealer rep that test drove the vehicle told the service dep amanger the vehicle was not safe to drive. I was told the transmission would need to be torn down to figure out what the problem was and it might be after the first of the year before they would have it fixed due alack of parts due to the recent strike, and a bag log of vehicles already waiting repair parts. Other complaints that seem to match mine are NHTSA ids: 11193281, 11230193, 11221668, and 11205523. Issue is a serious safety issue if the vehicle cannot accelerate safely to merge with traffic.

- Tyrone, GA, USA

problem #16

Sep 152019

Sierra 1500

  • 9,000 miles
When the truck is driven first thing in the morning the transmission shifts from first gear into second gear the transmission shifts very hard or hesitates causing the driver to surge forward almost as if the vehicle were hit from behind.

- Anderson, SC, USA

problem #15

May 172019

Sierra 1500 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,768 miles
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. While attempting to accelerate, the contact noticed a hard shift with the eight speed transmission. The contact thought the transmission had fallen off the vehicle. The contact felt this was a defect, especially during cold starts in the morning. Ray skillman southside Buick GMC (8424 us-31, indianapolis, in 46227, (317) 497-0711) was contacted and provided a report indicating that this was a normal occurrence. The manufacturer was not contacted. Through online research, the contact believed he had a case with the lemon law. The failure mileage was 4,768.

- Bargersville, IN, USA

problem #14

Aug 272018

Sierra 1500

  • 16,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the transmission shifted from first to second gear while driving 15 to 20 mph. Also, when driving on the highway for a long period of time, the transmission would not downshift until the vehicle came to a stop, and would then fail to move forward. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to golling Buick GMC (1491 S lapeer rd, orion charter township, mi 48360, (248) 693-5900), but the failures could not be duplicated. On another occasion, when the vehicle was engaged in two wheel drive, the rear end failed to unlock and would jerk. The contact drove the vehicle to the same dealer where diagnostic testing was completed, but a failure could not be found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred three times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 16,000.

- Ortonville, MI, USA

problem #13

Jul 232019

Sierra 1500

  • 47,000 miles
Truck shift into gear very roughly. Shakes when driving through all speeds. Feels as if something is falling off the truck.

- Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #12

Sep 032018

Sierra 1500

  • 600 miles
After truck has set for a while and start to take off from a stand still and it goes to shift from 1st to 2nd it will hard shift and truck will sometimes lurch forward. When accelerating slowly truck with shutter when shifting gears, almost like it can't decide to shift to the next gear. Once truck is warmed up this no longer happens.

- Owensboro, KY, USA

problem #11

Jun 182019

Sierra 1500

  • 6,000 miles
No transmission power regardless of the gear shifter position. I turned the engine on and off several times trying to get a solution, no luck. I returned to the vehicle 5 minutes later and did get it to move, ,,would only go 25 mph at 3000 rpms. I was in the middle of wi not near any major dealership on-star was useless saying I had a major engine problem and the computer was trying to protect the engine. I was directed me to a Chrysler dealer ship, who told they could not get me in for 2 weeks, suggested another branch which was over 45 miles away. I drove 5 miles to a friends house and was able to find a dealership in janesville, wi (fagan). When I started the vehicle to drive to janesville, the transmission did work. Fagan spent 2 hours working on it, and could not find a cause for the problems, they checked every computer, could not duplicate what happened. They reprogrammed all the computers. Then in cincinnati, oh the power steering assist went "off", while staionary. I tried restarting several times to no avail, drove the 3 miles left to the G'kids house, no power steering, trailer problem lighjt on, no RPM or mph needles moving. Called local dealership (borcharding) and they suggested I drive it to their location 12 miles away. When I started it, the power steering was back on, but the unit would not get out of 2nd gear, ran 40 mph at 2500 RPM, warning lights all on, engine light still on. Next moring I started the vehicle, everything was okay including the transmission problem, but still had the "check engine on", the dealership kept it (2) days, involved GMC engineers, could not determine the cause for all the problems, including loss of "steering assist". they drove it over 50 miles on two trips, could not duplicate what happened. They told me it was some kind of computer problem, but could not determine, they reset everything again.

- Delavan, WI, USA

problem #10

May 052019

Sierra 1500

  • 15,000 miles
Upon starting the engine the vehicle makes a clank sound and either surges forward or backwards slightly. It seems to do it more often on a light incline. Local Chevrolet ( GM) dealer has looked over twice, no suggestions made or given to me.

- Jacksonville, AR, USA

problem #9

Jun 122019

Sierra 1500

  • miles
When 1st cranking truck and put in drive motors rrev up and shifts hard to second. Occasionally when I out in reverse it will sit there N not shift in. Then when it does it shifts hard. When accelerating the truck it sounds like a clattering sound under drivers side under hood. Tried different type of gasoline and nothing changes. Gmac needs to do a recall on both of these items. I am very disappointed in my GMC and gmac

- Bullard, TX, USA

problem #8

Oct 012018

Sierra 1500

  • 50 miles
Daily the transmission has a hard shift from 1st to 2nd gear. Potentially causing me to loose control of the vehicle. Ive had it in the GMC shop 3 times and GMC is unable to fix the problem. After the vehicle sits for periods of 4 hrs or more the problem reoccurs. This is a serious political saftey hazard in the 8speed transmission and needs to be recalled and fixed with a new transmission.

- Ogden, UT, USA

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