2026 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 26V289000May 7, 202666 vehiclesDo not drive
  POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

  General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.

  Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 8, 2026FLCrashTowedElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   5/08/2026: I stopped outside my garage. I then placed the truck in park and exited the vehicle while running. I went inside my garage and several minutes later, heard a crash. The truck had driven forward while unattended, and crashed into the corner of my garage, causing damage to both the building and the truck. Truck indicated it was still in park upon reentry. 5/11/2026 In a separate incident 3 days later, while driving at approximately 50mph, truck engaged in an…

   NHTSA complaint #11769781 · source
2. Filed Oct 6, 2026LAEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   While driving on a public road, the 6.2L L87 V8 stalled without warning. There was heavy smoke and an oil trail of about 300 yards behind the truck. The engine would not restart, and the transmission would not shift into neutral. The truck was moved a short distance off the road and towed the next day to the selling GMC dealer. Odometer was 4,663 miles. Oil life remaining was 38 percent. The truck was stock, with no modifications, and was operated on premium fuel. No warning…

   NHTSA complaint #11769243 · source
3. Filed Oct 2, 2026TXEngineOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

   The powertrain/transmission is malfunctioning. The vehicle shutters, vibrates, and surges forward when coming to a stop, as if it wants to take off on its own. These symptoms began within the first couple of days after purchasing the vehicle on XXX. The valve body was replaced, but the issue continues. The vehicle is available for inspection. GM Case Number: XXX Dealership TAC Case: XXX This creates a serious safety risk. When stopping, the truck shutters and unexpectedly…

   NHTSA complaint #11768529 · source
4. Filed Sep 30, 20262,000 miTNTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2026 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle independently shifted into park(P). The check transmission warning light was briefly illuminated. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

   NHTSA complaint #11768027 · source
5. Filed Sep 28, 2026VAEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   Truck was sold to me and the dealership said the truck did not have the defect and the oil was changed to a thicker oil as a precaution. 4,000 miles later the engine failed, was diagnosed as catastrophic engine failure due to the known recall, and was replaced, new engine is now making the same rod knocking noise.

   NHTSA complaint #11767598 · source
6. Filed Sep 23, 2026TXEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   While turning right and at a slight incline the truck engine turned off, the transmission made a grinding noise, the truck went into neutral and the dash stayed “Press Start Button”. This is the second time this has happened within 5000 miles of the struck being purchased. Several others have reported the exact same issue on Facebook forums.

   NHTSA complaint #11766519 · source
7. Filed Sep 16, 20263,900 miFLElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2026 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while hauling a trailer and making a left turn at 5 MPH, at a busy intersection, the message "Shift to Park" displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The local dealer was notified of the failure by phone. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the telematics module had failed and needed to be replaced.…

   NHTSA complaint #11764703 · source
8. Filed Sep 4, 2026ARTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owned a 2026 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while slowly driving up a slightly inclined driveway and making a left turn, the engine shut off. The contact stated that either the parking brake activated, or the vehicle suddenly decelerated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times, with three identical vehicles, including the loaner vehicle provided by the dealer. During the failure, the messages, "Press Start" and "Service…

   NHTSA complaint #11762072 · source
9. Filed Sep 3, 202629 miARTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2026 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while slowly driving up a slightly inclined drive port and making a left turn, the vehicle shut off and the parking brake was activated or the vehicle suddenly decelerated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions with three separate identical vehicles, including the loaner vehicle provided by the dealer. During the failure, the messages "Press Start" and "Service Transmission" were…

   NHTSA complaint #11761966 · source
10. Filed Sep 3, 2026500 miKSTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2026 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted to park or neutral. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving at slow speeds. The contact stated that during one failure, the brakes independently activated, and the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle started. The contact stated that the failure was…

    NHTSA complaint #11761844 · source
11. Filed Aug 25, 2026IDEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

    I bought the vehicle brand new in april 2026. On May 3rd, approximately 2 weeks after I bought it, I experienced a lifter failure that caused metal to get into the oil pan/engine and the engine needed to be replaced. About a month later after repairs were complete, I picked up my vehicle on a Friday night, and the very next morning, had issues again. Took it back to the dealer and a fuel injector went bad and needed to be replaced. I recently attempted to use the remote…

    NHTSA complaint #11759298 · source
12. Filed Aug 25, 2026IDEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

    Bought the vehicle brand new at the end of april. 2 weeks later and at 557 miles, the engine had a lifter failure and needed to be replaced. One day after picking it up after the engine replacement, a fuel injector went bad and needed to be replaced. About 2 days ago, the check engine light lit up, and the GMC app said it was a code for the transmission system (popped on after attempting to remote start the vehicle, although the light did shut off on its own the next day…

    NHTSA complaint #11759297 · 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