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.
I purchased a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali (VIN: [XXX] ) from J.C. Lewis Ford in Pooler, Georgia. The dealership did not disclose an active federal safety recall (NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V-xxx / GM XXX) related to engine connecting rod and crankshaft defects that can result in sudden engine failure and loss of propulsion. The Blue Certified delivery document they had me sign includes a section requiring disclosure of any open recalls, but they left the recall section blank and checked that all recalls were explained to me. No disclosure of any recall occurred during the sale. The vehicle developed engine problems within days and is currently in GMC service. The nondisclosure put me at risk of driving a vehicle with a known safety defect. I am reporting this as a dealer nondisclosure of a federal safety recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was traveling home from work and lost all power to the vehicle while driving. No warning lights, check engine lights came on. I was able to cross traffic and park it in a business place. I had it towed to a chevy dealership for diagnostic. They said that the timing chain came off and i would need a new engine. I had it towed to a auto mechanic shop for a second opinion and they gave the same result. The vehicle is only 4 years old with 92,000 miles on it. When i lost all power to the vehicle, I did not hear any strange noises.
This was the first time I had ever experienced the rear differential locking up at highway speeds in my truck. It was probably the day after I bought the truck. I was going down route one southbound going probably around 60 miles an hour and the wheels locked up and the vehicle felt like it was gonna come to a screeching hole. It felt like I hit something And then the wheels unlocked and it allowed me to keep driving. I thought that I might have hit the cruise control button on the steering wheel by accident and chopped it up to operator error which now I know is one of the most dangerous recall issues I-??ve ever had to experience or indoor. Thank goodness my family was not with me at the time. But these issues continued on for months-??
I was driving at highway speeds probably doing 55 and another vehicle pulled out in front of me forcing me to slow down rapidly. That-??s when my wheels locked up and my vehicles wheels locked up in the middle of the highway. Screeching tires, almost like the vehicle went into park for a second. After about two seconds, I was able to continue driving a highway speed no check engine lights no error codes. It felt like I just hit something nearly gave me a heart attack. My family was in the car. It felt like we all almost died. It was terrifying. This transmission issue recall situation has happened to me more times than I can count. Now it-??s almost a guarantee that if you have to shift too hard too fast it locks up the differential and it is terrifying. Every time.
The retractable running board on the driver side retracted well my 3-year-old daughter was climbing into the back of the truck. She then fell off and to the ground. On more than one occasion, I was standing on the retractable running board on the driver side. I was buckling my daughter up in her car seat. The running board retracted in without me doing anything. I did not touch the door and had the driver's side driver door and passenger door open at the same time. This has also happened when just the passenger door was open. The running board retracts and knocks my shins into the truck body. This is quite dangerous and could easily cause great harm. I am not the only one with this issue and have read numerous complaints in online forums. I came across a potential remediation of the problem in an online forum. That remediation included disconnecting the rear toes switch that moves the running board towards the back of the truck, allowing a person to easily reach items that have slid all the way to the front of the bed. Since I disconnected that I have not had a problem with the driver side running board. The passenger side running board is not exhibiting this behavior. For clarity, the running boards are the factory installed running boards, not an aftermarket running board. Please get GM to fix this blatantly obvious safety concern. Thank you very much.
- Victoria, MN, USA
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I took my truck through a car wash and then parked at my parents house. While the vehicle was parked, the trunk latch kept releasing. The trunk popped open. I left it open but you could hear the latch continually releasing and the lights blinking. This went on for an hour and I was unable to drive home because my trunk kept unlatching! A recall was released for other Sierras but not mine. Please investigate my vin and others that may be affected.
I am experiencing a recurring issue with my 2021 GMC Sierra where the dashboard displays a -??Shift to Park-?? warning even though the vehicle is already in Park. This typically occurs when I attempt to shut off the vehicle. The doors unlock as expected, confirming the truck is in Park, but the warning prevents me from turning off the ignition immediately. After a few seconds, the warning usually disappears, allowing me to shut off the truck. This issue is more frequent in cold weather, suggesting a temperature-sensitive electrical or mechanical fault. Based on research and community reports, this appears to be a known issue across multiple GM vehicles, often linked to a faulty micro switch or wiring harness in the shifter assembly. I am concerned about the safety implications, especially if the vehicle fails to shut off properly or if the issue worsens over time. GM has not issued a recall for this problem, and I believe it warrants further investigation due to its widespread nature and potential risk.
The plastic frame of the rear sliding window failed. This has allowed water to enter the cabin, which can cause mold and other health issues. This seems to be a common issue with these trucks. My truck has a certified preowned warranty and GMC said they would only cover part of it. They charged me $400 as a deductible, which there should be no deductible per certified preowned warranty. I feel like GMC needs to put out an official recall.
Engine experiences missing when accelerating in lower speeds...also now, and since driving for a few thousand miles, f umes are entering cabin frequently and causing nausea, 'headaches and burning of mouth, lips and eyes.....all the time. My youngest granddaughter got sick and so did my oldest son just this past weekend! As far as I know, police or dealership never inspected, nor did they acknowledge it! No warning lamps appeared
When I am in park my engine shuts off the light goes from green to orange which indicates it-??s still on electrically. I have to turn on/off my vehicle multiple times for it to turn off fully. It-??s an intermittent problem.
Dealer keeps ignoring engine knock noise states its normal, mpg is down dramatically. Shift to park, vehicle only has 34k miles and dealer does not want to repair under warranty due to vehicle being a 2021 Battery keeps draining for no reason, new battery added still does the same thing
We NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FYI. This vehicle has been serviced consistently.never an issue. Driving on [XXX] very busy! Truck literally stopped in the middle of the freeway in a very bad location. Desert. Noon. Kids with us. Could have died. Preliminary eval: engine seized, piston rod failure. Not sure the rest - we have to tow it home first. Failed while traveling. Please call for more information if needed. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I've noticed rough or jerky gear shifting when accelerating, rough and reduced propulsion, loss of power. Dealership repaired power torque converter but the truck continue to have the same symptoms.
My tailgate will randomly open on its own. I-??ve had several instances( 5 or 6 times so far) when I-??ve had open on its own. Only once so far when i was driving. Luckily, i was on my private road without anything in my bed that could fall out. I often carry mountain bikes over the tailgate which could pose a serious danger if the tailgate were to open when driving. Also earlier this evening when the tailgate came down on its own while driving, when I got to my destination, I was unable to open the tailgate at all from outside the vehicle. It is apparent the button to release the switch is malfunctioning. I was able to get it to open by using release button inside the vehicle.
Transmission, rear wheel lock up issue. Dealer performed recall notice work. Truck still has same issue after dealer visit. When issue starts, feels like you ran over something in the road, All warning lights are on, loss of power to engine and the engine did quit working once. Door locks continue to cycle repeatedly, multiple screen warnings appear on dashboard. It appears that everything that could go wrong happens at once. Have heard transmission valve control modules is a major problem with GM 10 speed transmissions.
My vehicle was issued an OTA ( over the air update ) automatically, and the update failed, leaving the screen in my vehicle inoperable, with a message displayed stating " Update failed return to dealer" My vehicles radio/information system is now inoperable. The blue-tooth calling capability is also inoperable. This is a safety issue due to the fact that I am a resident of Minnesota and we have a law that states it is illegal to use your phone while driving. In addition, I am unable to receive severe weather alerts via the radio and do not have the ability to make phone calls in my vehicle in the event of an emergency since it is illegal to use my phone in MN while driving. This is a serious safety hazard The GMC dealer (Mills GMC in Baxter, MN ) that the vehicle is currently at has stated this is not a warrantable repair, even though my vehicle is under warranty. I have also contacted GM service directly and was told they would be willing to offer me "rewards points" There is an active recall for the same issue for other GM models of the same year. Recall # N202319250 Essentially, GM is pushing updates to vehicles without the owners consent, giving the owner no choice but to bring the vehicle to the dealership for a repair which they are calling "wear and tear" This is highly unethical and is making customers vehicles unsafe.
The transmission/torque converter is causing (bucking, kicking, jerking, slipping, difficulty when taking off, shuddering during driving, fishbite, and chuggle). Its becoming a safety hazard now because its putting me and others at risk for an accident. The vehicle will hesitate to go in which if traffic may be rear ended by another vehicle. During weather/rain the vehicle will lose traction and the rear wheels will spin causing an accident. Problem has been reported to dealership multiple times and the only solution they can provide is keep driving the vehicle. Vehicle has no warning lights at all or any other symptoms of problems prior to when the components started to fail. The issue first happened around February 2024 and remains to be an issue to this present day. I've been the dealership more than 6 times with no solution/fix. I'm concerned for my safety now and need this issue addressed ASAP.
On [XXX] at approximately 3 pm I left my house and was traveling on [XXX] in Fort Mohave Arizona I was only traveling 7 miles. When I looked at the temperature in the cab was 121 degrees a few moments after the display system went black and never turned back on. I arrived at the store 4 minutes after the display shut off with no warning lights or any type of notification on my phone, I had rolled down the windows to get air in the cab to see if that would help cool down if needed. I was in the store 20 minutes. I returned to the truck turned it on and everything was normal, from there I drove back home nothing happened on my drive back the display was working. At 8 30pm I was traveling on [XXX] Driving towards a casino called Avi. I had the driver's side window halfway down when I smelled a faint plastic burn thinking it was coming from the outside because I had the window halfway down. That is when the cab of the GMC filled up with smoke that came in thru the air vents and flames started to show coming from the defrost vents and under the hood while I was driving. I had to stick my head out of the window to see where I could pull over without starting a huge brush fire. As I pulled over and the truck within seconds fully ignited into flames. Enough time to grab my belongings that I was able to save. My life was at risk by this vehicle igniting while I was driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Richmond Hill, GA, USA