2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems: Engine (453 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 is Engine (38% of 453 owner reports). There are 12 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 453 complaints · 12 recalls
What problems show up on the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?
171 of 453 filings named Engine (38% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Transmission / driveline (64 reports).
There are 12 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Seat belts, Fuel system, Electrical, Brakes, Airbags, Transmission / driveline, and Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2019 has 629 reports on file; this year has 453. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Engine 171 complaints · 37.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 12
- Fires 5
- Injuries 13
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine (ENGINE) | 171 | 37.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 64 | 14.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 35 | 7.7% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 26 | 5.7% | 2 crashes · 1 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 26 | 5.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 23 | 5.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 14 | 3.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 12 | 2.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 10 | 2.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 76 | 16.8% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 20V116000 was reported 34 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V650000 was reported 260 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V797000 was reported 1,723 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 26V083000 was reported 2,199 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 77 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 54 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V814000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V837000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V888000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V116000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V446000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V650000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V684000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V792000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V115000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V985000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V797000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V083000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE21010 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE25001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA25007 |
Safety Recalls (12)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Seat belts, Fuel system, Electrical, Brakes, Airbags, Transmission / driveline, and Tires.
-
Recall campaign 19V814000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192270600.
-
Recall campaign 19V837000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.
-
Recall campaign 19V888000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- An intermittent electrical connection between the B+ battery cable and the alternator could cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The intermittent connection could also lead to electrical arcing, which could generate sufficient heat to damage surrounding material, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect for the presence of glue or other contamination at the B+ cable attachment to the alternator and clean the connection and reattach the B+ cable connection, as necessary. If arcing has damaged the cable, nut, or alternator, the dealer will replace the damaged components. All services will be performed free of charge. GM issued owners an interim notification on February 4, 2020. GM issued second notice and the recall began March 9, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192273510.
-
Recall campaign 20V116000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- Broken caliper bolts can reduce brake performance or interfere with wheel rotation and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake caliper bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N202294420.
-
Recall campaign 20V446000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N202305380.
-
Recall campaign 20V650000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- If the driveshaft separates, there may be a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N202314870.
-
Recall campaign 20V684000
Safety recall 20V684000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202319030.
-
Recall campaign 20V792000
Safety recall 20V792000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.
-
Recall campaign 21V115000
Safety recall 21V115000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
-
Recall campaign 21V985000
Tires
- Report date
- Component:
- Tires (TIRES)
- Consequence:
- An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212346510.
-
Recall campaign 24V797000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
-
Recall campaign 26V083000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252516560. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 12, 2026.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 9 of 453 complaints · page 1 of 19
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, 3.0L LM2 Duramax. In service 08/13/2020. Five glow plug failures on five different cylinders in under 19,000 miles, all at one GM dealer, all part 24000504: Cyl 1, 10/21/2024, 38,650 mi, P0671, RO 13714, warranty. Cyl 6, 11/05/2024, 38,793 mi, P1330, RO 26665, warranty. Cyl 4, 11/29/2024, 39,683 mi, P133B, RO 57498, warranty. Cyl 3, 01/22/2026, 52,959 mi, P0673/P06C7/P133A, RO 100951, I paid $713.38. Cyl 2, 08/26/2026, 57,466 mi, P06C6/P0672/P1339, RO 115953, GM under N232430460. The first three came within 39 days and 1,033 miles. Every RO documents the same finding: high internal resistance in the plug, circuit tests good. The failure is internal to the plug. Glow plug failure on a diesel causes hard starting, extended cranking, no-start in cold weather, and startup misfire - risk of being stranded or unable to start. GM has documented this defect three times: PIP5762 (12/2020), TSB 22-NA-027 (2/2022), Special Coverage N232430460 (1/2024). All name an inadequate camshaft housing cover baffle plate weld, and all limit the remedy to cylinder 2. On the recorded walkaround for RO 115953 the tech stated my engine serial falls inside the affected population and my earlier failures were probably the same condition. GM replaced only the glow plug. The camshaft cover GM identifies as the cause is still installed; GM quoted me $5,100 to replace it at my expense. Four of five failures were on cylinders 1, 3, 4 and 6, outside that scope. If the bad weld passes oil into the PCV and intake path rather than only the cylinder 2 glow plug well, ingested oil would reach other cylinders. No RO shows anyone inspected the intake tract, charge piping, cooler, PCV separator, a removed plug, or a glow plug well. I ask ODI to examine whether the cylinder-2-only scope of N232430460 is under-inclusive, whether replacing the plug while leaving the cause installed is an adequate remedy, and whether repeated internal failure of part 24000504 warrants a recall.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Driving approximately 75mph on a local highway, my engine shut down with no warning, the screen said to shift into neutral to restart but nothing happened so I was stranded along the side of the highway and had to wait 2hrs for a tow truck in the middle of the night and the engine is currently locked up.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
This truck was bought brand new by my father. Around 38,000 miles it begin having issues with shifting which eventually got worse. When I searched google for issues many others on different pages have had the same issues. The shifting would be so rough it feels like you're being hit by another vehicle. This could cause accidents for anyone who cannot afford to fix these known issues by GMC. I was told today by my local dealership their transmissions for my specific truck is on backorder. Should that not indicate an issue when this truck is a 2020. But to my father having a stroke I was not able to handle this issue sooner as he was very ill for four years and passed last year. The truck was not the priority at the time.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Misfire on 2 cylinder, noise on start up diagnostic code P0300 P0302 P050 I was driving home and the engine started making a strange sound, vehicle would could no increase speed normally. The dealership did basic analysis from the onboard computer and did a compression test. Heavy knocking sound on passenger side of the engine. The issue happened on Aug 5th 2026. The issue is due to the AFM that causes the lifter to fail and dealership says I need a new engine $15787 or replace cam shaft $14530.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On XXX my GMC 6.2L Sierra 1500 Denali engine cutoff in Traffic and had to be towed. There was no indications prior to failure. Found out after replacing battery that the 400amp fuse blew and the engine seized. Vehicle was then towed to Hendrick Buick GMC dealer in [XXX] for repair. My engine has 49,500 miles but is out of warranty due to time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have a rear sliding window on the cab of my truck that leaks from both ends of the plastic guide. I noticed it when placing my young children in their car seats. I contacted my dealership and was informed the repair would cost $1500+ and not be covered by GM or warranty.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
High pressure fuel pump went at 80k and now on my 2nd transmission under 100k miles this is absolutely absurd
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Engine went into limp mode and engine is no longer good
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The 5.3L Engine active fuel management failure problem. This known problem with the GMC motors was not disclosed by any dealerships or the manufacturer. While driving down the roadway, the truck had an engine malfunction and I was fortunate enough to be able to safely pull over. The check engine light activated and I took it to the dealer the next day. I was informed by the dealer that this was a known, common issue that GM was aware of but was not offering assistance. I had to pay $11,000 out-of-pocket because of this.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?
Owners named Engine most often — 171 of 453 reports (38%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA lists 12 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Seat belts, Fuel system, Electrical, Brakes, Airbags, Transmission / driveline, and Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.