2021 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 26V083000Feb 12, 20261,055 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:VALVES/VALVE BODY

  General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.

  Risk: 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.

• Recall 24V797000Oct 24, 2024463,295 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:VALVES/VALVE BODY

  General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.

  Risk: 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.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 5, 202638,000 miFLTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced. The contact stated that 20,000 miles later, the vehicle started to experience erratic hard shifting while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle failed to respond upon shifting into reverse(R). The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000…

   NHTSA complaint #11769106 · source
2. Filed Oct 1, 2026INElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Received Re-Call for Engine Failure! Dealer replaced Engine Oil and Oil Cap @ 85,544 Miles. I read of the Re-call prior to the notice and I waited for it to come. After I received it and the Dealer made the changes, it made me afraid to leave town using my truck for fear of a breakdown on the Freeway. I use a Walker, so if I broke down and I was in the left lane and lost all power it would be very dangerous for me to get to the right side of the road! The truck started using…

   NHTSA complaint #11768259 · source
3. Filed Oct 1, 2026CAEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   1. I am being told that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) catastrophically seized and locked up internally while driving. Because the HPFP on the 3.0L Duramax (LM2) engine is directly driven by the engine's timing system, this sudden mechanical seizure instantly destroyed the engine timing gears and snapped/skipped the timing chain. The failed components are currently intact inside the vehicle and are fully available for inspection upon request at Ron's Smith GMC in Merced,…

   NHTSA complaint #11768206 · source
4. Filed Sep 30, 2026CAEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   1. I am being told that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) catastrophically seized and locked up internally while driving. Because the HPFP on the 3.0L Duramax (LM2) engine is directly driven by the engine's timing system, this sudden mechanical seizure instantly destroyed the engine timing gears and snapped/skipped the timing chain. The failed components are currently intact inside the vehicle and are fully available for inspection upon request at Ron’s Smith GMC in Merced,…

   NHTSA complaint #11768204 · source
5. Filed Sep 28, 2026NYTransmission & Drivetrain

   The transmission overheats on this vehicle shutting the vehicle into “limp mode” this is extremely dangerous when at interstate/highway speeds and the vehicle slows it self down to a dangerously low speed and all other vehicles around are traveling at a high rate of speed, this has happened twice, it has also happened while in back roads and tractor trailers have had to swerve to avoid a collision.

   NHTSA complaint #11767398 · source
6. Filed Sep 24, 2026CATransmission & Drivetrain

   I own a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 with the 3.0L Duramax diesel. The vehicle developed severe transmission problems, including harsh/jerky shifting and a hard clunk when shifting into reverse. The vehicle was subsequently diagnosed with an internal transmission failure. The repair facility informed me that the transmission gears had failed and caused damage to the transmission and stated that the failure appeared to be related to a manufacturing issue. The repair facility also…

   NHTSA complaint #11766718 · source
7. Filed Sep 23, 2026MOTransmission & Drivetrain

   Purchased a used 2021GMC SIERRA in Mar. 2025 from W&K GMC Sedalia Mo. Two mths ago ([XXX]) noticed an occasional slipping in transmission, wheels lock up. The truck would slip, lock for 1-4 seconds and then return back to normal driving. Has done this while accelorating and while driving down the highway. I took truck to my local repair garage who indicated it was most likely the torque converter and it would need to be taken to the dealership for repair. After mechanic…

   NHTSA complaint #11766353 · source
8. Filed Sep 8, 2026MAEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission failed, Value Body is listed by dealer as the cause. GMC is saying that my vehicle is not part of the recall, even though it is part of the same model, same years as well as the same problem, the value body on the transmission. See estimate from dealership Tucks GMC Hudson, MA TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WITH BYPASS VALVE $6800.00 RADIATOR REPLACEMENT LEAKING $1980.00 ABS TRACTION LIGHT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR $395.00 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON NEEDS PCV VALVE HOSE AND…

   NHTSA complaint #11762717 · source
9. Filed Aug 28, 2026NMTransmission & Drivetrain

   Rear wheel lock up. Very unsafe. I am on my 3rd valve body for my transmission. GM doesn’t want to replace transmission but will warranty for 150k miles. I bumped a semi during one of my lock ups.

   NHTSA complaint #11760336 · source
10. Filed Aug 25, 2026MOEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    For close to one year, there feels like a catch, grind, stall, or slight shake, mostly while the vehicle is shifting gears, made worse or noticed more by higher speeds like driving on the highway vs. slow city streets. It's difficult to explain or assess so not sure if it is the engine or transmission. With the open recall from GMC on some vehicles with the same engine as mine it is concerning that maybe it should have been included.

    NHTSA complaint #11759464 · source
11. Filed Aug 12, 2026NDTransmission & Drivetrain

    Transmission Valve Body failure. - Caused wheels to lockup momentarily and killed the engine with sudden loss of propulsion. Link to video of incident: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

    NHTSA complaint #11756447 · source
12. Filed Aug 5, 202638,875 miCATransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shuddering, especially while driving uphill. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed and determined to have a failure associated with a GM TSB for the incorrect transmission fluid inside the transmission reservoir. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately…

    NHTSA complaint #11754985 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology