FaultScore

GMC Sierra transmission problems

345 of the 4,896 complaints filed about the GMC Sierra are about the transmission — 7% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1999.

345

Complaints

7%

Share of all complaints

14

Crashes

10

Fires

Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year

1983 Sierra 1 0.3%
1988 Sierra 1 0.3%
1990 Sierra 3 0.9%

Median failure at 55,000 miles

1992 Sierra 2 0.6%
1993 Sierra 12 3.5%

Median failure at 20,425 miles

1994 Sierra 8 2.3%
1995 Sierra 15 4.3%
1996 Sierra 27 7.8%

Median failure at 108,748 miles

1997 Sierra 33 9.6%

Median failure at 73,000 miles

1998 Sierra 16 4.6%

Median failure at 79,000 miles

1999 Sierra 41 11.9%

Median failure at 75,500 miles

2000 Sierra 31 9.0%

Median failure at 57,500 miles

2001 Sierra 15 4.3%

Median failure at 35,749 miles

2002 Sierra 18 5.2%

Median failure at 39,000 miles

2003 Sierra 31 9.0%

Median failure at 3,945 miles

2004 Sierra 19 5.5%

Median failure at 8,000 miles

2005 Sierra 11 3.2%

Median failure at 4,609 miles

2006 Sierra 2 0.6%

Median failure at 34,500 miles

2007 Sierra 4 1.2%

Median failure at 66,689 miles

2008 Sierra 2 0.6%

Median failure at 71,500 miles

2010 Sierra 1 0.3%

Median failure at 78,000 miles

2011 Sierra 6 1.7%

Median failure at 37,000 miles

2012 Sierra 2 0.6%

Median failure at 54,585 miles

2013 Sierra 5 1.4%

Median failure at 3,000 miles

2014 Sierra 10 2.9%

Median failure at 2,000 miles

2015 Sierra 6 1.7%

Median failure at 4,900 miles

2017 Sierra 23 6.7%

Median failure at 9,900 miles

What owners said

2014 GMC Sierra at 105,000 miles Longview, TX

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while making a right turn into the driveway, the steering wheel had become stiff. No warning light had illuminated. The vehicle was no longer being driven since the steering wheel was too stiff and required excessive force causing control to be lost while driving. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA complaint #11620327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 60,000 miles Riverside, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission inadvertently shifted from high to low gears and the RPMs revved up. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. However, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve body, the clutch, the piston, and the transmission plates needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving and an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shifting hard into a lower gear, then into third gear without warning. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11489094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 3,000 miles VAN Buren Township, MI

POWER TRAIN

HAVE HAD THIS INTO THE DEALER AT THE FIRST OIL CHANGE AND COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION SHIFTING ISSUES AND IT BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. COMPLAINTS ARE: HARD SHIFT, IT CLUNKS BOTH UPSHIFTING AND DOWNSHIFTING. GOING AROUND CORNERS FROM A STOP THE TRUCK WILL EITHER FALL ON ITS FACE OR JERKS YOU VIOLENTLY FORWARD. IN STOP OR GO TRAFFIC IT IS UNSAFE AND HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY- IT RANDOMLY ACCELERATES (JUMPS) QUICKLY ON ITS OWN WITH SLIGHT PEDAL PRESSURE TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CONSTANTLY HAVE TO BE AWARE AND HAVE YOUR FOOT NEAR THE BRAKE OR YOU CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT, ITS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION ELECTRONICS GET CONFUSED ON HOW TO ACT. FEEL SHUDDERING FROM TRUCK'S MOTOR WHERE COLUMN SHIFT LEVER WOULD SHUDDER VIOLENTLY WHERE I WAS AFRAID IT WOULD VIBRATE OUT OF POSITION. ROUGH IDLE IS INCONSISTENT AT LOWER SPEED WHERE YOU SEE TACH GOING UP AND DOWN. STARTING COLD YOU GIVE IT AN EASY PEDAL TO MOVE AND WOULDN'T GO. TRANS DOESN'T KICK IN UNTIL YOU PRESS HARDER AND SOMETIMES WILL LUNGE. HAVE TAKEN INTO THE VARIOUS DEALERS 5-6 TIMES, VALVE BODY CHANGE, ENGINE MOTOR MOUNTS CHANGE AND DEALERS CAN FIND NO FIX. GM POWERTRAIN WAS EVEN INVOLVED WITH NO HELP. COMPLAINED TO THE GMC HOTLINE AND THEY SAID NEED 12,000 MILES ON TRUCK BEFORE THE TRUCK KNOWS HOW TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE 'SMART' TRANSMISSION WHERE IT LEARNS YOU'RE DRIVING HABITS. COMPLAINED THERE ARE 2 OF US THAT DRIVE IT HOW CAN IT LEARN EACH INDIVIDUALS DRIVING WHEN IT DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHO IS DRIVING. THEY FINALLY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE FOR IT, THAT IS THE WAY IT IS. THIS ALL HAPPENS SPORADICALLY IN BOTH CITY LOW SPEED DRIVING AND HIGHWAY DRIVING, TURNING, BACKING UP OR GOING FORWARD FROM PARKING. BECAUSE OF THESE ISSUES, DIDN'T REALLY DRIVE THE TRUCK MUCH BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #11311579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 55,000 miles Jonesboro, AR

POWER TRAIN

VEHICLE SHIFTS VERY HARD IN AND OUT OF 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. WHEN STARTING TO GO AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE ALMOST STOPS WHEN SHIFTING AND THEN JERKS WHEN IT SHIFTS. SAME OCCURS WHEN SLOWING TO A STOP. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE POWER TRAIN WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE ISSUE WAS A LITTLE BETTER FOR A WHILE. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SAME ISSUE APPEARED AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER IN JANUARY 2020 AND THERE IS NOW A CHECK ENGINE CODE. DEALER PLANS TO CHANGE 2 HARNESSES AND CHANGE THE FLUID. UNFORTUNATELY THE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER WHICH KIND OF TELLS A STORY.

NHTSA complaint #11307097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 61,719 miles Dublin, GA

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH THEIR WAS SUDDEN LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND THE GEARS DISENGAGED. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT DISAPPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO (DUBLIN CHEVROLET GMC BUICK, 2042 VETERANS BLVD, DUBLIN, GA 31021 (478-246-4916) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOWED EVIDENCE OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF METAL SHAVINGS FROM THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THE OIL PAN ALSO SHOWED EVIDENCE BURNT METAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,719.

NHTSA complaint #11306166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 45,000 miles Syracuse, NY

POWER TRAIN

THERE IS A SHUTTERING IN THE TRANSMISSION AS THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTS TO CLIMB SLIGHT/STEEP GRADES AT SLOW TO MEDIUM SPEEDS. AROUND 1500 RPM THE VIBRATION IS SENT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE VEHICLE. HAVING TO INCREASE ACCELERATION TO ALLOW THE TRUCK TO SHIFT PROPERLY TO OVERCOME THE LACK OF POWER HAS CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE NAVIGATING UP SNOWY/ICE HILLS. THE VEHICLE ALSO PERFORMS A LURCHING OR SUDDEN SPEEDING UP WHEN DOWNSHIFTING WHEN SLOWING TO COME TO A STOP. DEPENDING ON ROAD CONDITIONS THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN APPROACHING ICY/SLIPPERY INTERSECTIONS.

NHTSA complaint #11291966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra Parkton, MD

POWER TRAIN

WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY, I EXPERIENCE A SHAKE/SHUDDER WHEN AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH AND HIGHER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER STATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER DID SHUDDER. DEALER CHANGED TRANSMISSION FLUID AND I WAS ADVISED TO DRIVE FOR 200 MILES TO SEE IF PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. SHUDDER STILL REMAINS AND NOW THE VIBRATION IS CONSTANT AT 70 MPH. I CALLED DEALER AGAIN WHO SAID THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A TIRE BALANCE ISSUE. I ARGUED WITH THEM AND STATED I HAD NO SUCH ISSUE BEFORE FIRST BRINGING VEHICLE IN. DEALER IS SETTING UP APPOINTMENT FOR ME TO TAKE IN AGAIN. VIBRATIONS HAVE LITERALLY CAUSED MY 6 YR OLD DAUGHTER TO VOMIT ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHEN IN THE VEHICLE. SHE HAS ONLY BEEN IN VEHICLE 5 OR 6 TIMES. VEHICLE FEELS UNSAFE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS ONLINE STATING THIS ISSUE IS ON MANY VEHICLES GM HAS MADE. I AM CURIOUS AS TO WHEN GM WILL BE MANDATED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION OR BUY THE VEHICLES BACK FROM THE OWNERS.

NHTSA complaint #11291983 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 2 miles Clarksville, TN

POWER TRAIN

VEHICLE IS SHUDDERING AND SHACKING AT SPEEDS ANY WHERE FROM 35 TO 55 MPH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT'S A KNOWN TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11287017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 100 miles Mechanicsville, VA

POWER TRAIN

MY 2017 GMC SIERRA SHUTTERS AND JERKS WHEN GOING INTO AND OUT OF 1ST GEAR AND GOING AROUND CORNERS WHEN IT CHANGES GEARS. ESPECIALLY WHEN COLD. DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. AT TIMES IT HAS JERKED INTO AN INTERSECTIONAND WAS SCRY. MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. HAVE HAD IT LOOKED AT NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY HAVE CHANGED THE FLUID. THEY TELL ME I HAVE A QUIRKY TRANS OR IT IS INHERENT TO THIS TRANSMISSION. IT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND SCARY AT TIMES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO GET GM TO FIX IT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK ON 10/31/2017.

NHTSA complaint #11271464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 5,200 miles Triadelphia, WV

POWER TRAIN

THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS VIBRATIONS THAT CAN BE RATHER EXTREME AT TIMES. IT SEEMS TO BE MOST NOTICEABLE IN THE 70-75 MPH RANGE BUT CAN SOMETIMES BE FELT AT OTHER SPEEDS. IT FEELS LIKE THE VIBRATION ORIGINATES FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. TWO DEALERSHIPS HAVE REPLACED MULTIPLE PARTS AND HAVE PERFORMED NUMEROUS ALIGNMENTS AND ROAD FORCE BALANCES BUT CAN NOT IDENTIFY/REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON MULTIPLE ONLINE FORUMS OF THIS SAME ISSUE FOR 2014-2015 GM 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCK. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO FIX FOR THEM EITHER. GM TREATS IT AS AN ANNOYANCE IN THE COMFORT OF THE RIDE, HOWEVER IF THEY CAN NOT IDENTIFY THE ISSUE HOW DO THEY KNOW IT IS NOT A SAFETY RISK.

NHTSA complaint #11266458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 89,000 miles Douglas, GA

POWER TRAIN

WE WERE DRIVING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE IN A PARKING GARAGE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING AND SHUT OFF. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT STARTED AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO A PARKING SPACE WITH THE ENGINE STILL SPUTTERING. I RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FROM THE TRUCK, DECREASED ENGINE POWER. THE NEXT DAY I BROUGHT IT TO BE CHECKED BY THE LOCAL GMC DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSIS IS VAPOR LOCK WHEN THE FUEL PUMP GETS NEAR OR OVER 100 DEGREE. ITS MY OPINION THAT GMC PLACED A FAULTY PART WHEN MANUFACTURING THE VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #11266097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 7,000 miles Montgomery, AL

POWER TRAIN

MY WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID ONLY SPRAYS OUT 30% OF THE TIME. USUALLY IN THE MORNING THEN ANY OTHER TIME OF THE DAY IT WILL NOT SPRAY OUT. THEY REPLACED THE PUMP AND THAT DID NOT FIX IT AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE AND NOW IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. WHEN RUNNING LOWER RPMS DRIVING THE TRUCK IT BEGINS TO FEEL LIKE ITS SHAKING FORWARD AND BACKWARDS, LIKE A SHUDDERING FEELING. I HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND IT DESCRIBES MINE PERFECTLY. I HAVE THE 8SPEED

NHTSA complaint #11265931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 4,000 miles North Platte, NE

POWER TRAIN

EXTREMELY HARD SHIFTS UP-AND-DOWN IN THE 1ST 2 GEARS FOLLOWED BY HESITATION AFTER STOPPING AND STARTING

NHTSA complaint #11258157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 24,000 miles Fresno, CA

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, IT BEGAN TO RATTLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FRESNO BUICK GMC (LOCATED AT 5515 N BLACKSTONE AVE, FRESNO, CA 93710, (559) 742-4113) WHERE AN UNKNOWN DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR WERE PERFORMED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

NHTSA complaint #11257530 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 2,000 miles Minden, NV

POWER TRAIN

SINCE DECEMBER OF 2017 THE TRANSMISSION, WHEN COLD, AT APPROX. 25 MPH AND AT 40-44 MPH WHEN NEUTRAL THROTTLE IS APPLIED, BANGS BETWEEN GEARS FORCING THE OPERATOR TO EITHER ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE SO THE CONDITION WILL CEASE. IF THERE IS NO CHANGE BY THE OPERATOR, IT FEELS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WILL BREAK THE U-JOINTS IN THE DRIVELINE OR BLOWOUT THE REAR-END GEARS. I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WITH GMC TO REMEDY THE ISSUE TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP IN EXCESS OF 40 DAYS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NO RESOLUTION

NHTSA complaint #11254751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 37,000 miles Piedmont, OK

POWER TRAIN

HARD SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS AND COMING TO A STOP

NHTSA complaint #11220783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 415 miles Thousand Oaks, CA

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC SIERRA. WHILE REVERSING, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND SURGED FORWARD. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SILVER STAR BUICK GMC (3601 AUTO MALL DR, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91362, (805) 222-4789) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER ,THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 415.

NHTSA complaint #11219070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 9,800 miles Wausau, WI

POWER TRAIN

TRUCK LAGS POWER WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AT TIMES AFTER PUTTING TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE FROM REVERSE. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD INTO AND OUT OF FIRST GEAR AND AT TIMES FEELS LIKE IT IS SKIPPING 2ND GEAR DURING A DOWNSHIFT.

NHTSA complaint #11174364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 20,000 miles Selma, AL

POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION HAS SURGING AND HESITATION. DEALER CANNOT FIX.

NHTSA complaint #11166335 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 GMC Sierra at 29,500 miles Barto, PA

POWER TRAIN

THE "CHEVY SAKE". AT SPEEDS OVER 70MPH EXCESSIVE VIBRATION INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON-LINE, PARTICULARLY VARIOUS GM FORUMS AND YOU TUBE VIDEOS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT GM DENIES IT IS A PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING SOME BUY BACKS AND IF YOU READ SOME OF THE DEALER BLOGS IT IS EVIDENT THAT GM KNOWS IT IS A PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #11122903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other GMC Sierra problems