2019 GMC Sierra 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 645 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 26 Sierra 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 13 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 12 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Tires, temporary/emergency spare tireDec 16, 2021
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.
An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 21V985000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresJun 3, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
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.
Dealers inspect and replace the tires as necessary, free of charge, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 25, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212336230.
Campaign 21V423000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresFeb 25, 2021
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
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.
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.
Campaign 21V115000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsDec 17, 2020
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
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.
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.
Campaign 20V792000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, driveshaftOct 22, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 trucks. One of the driveshaft joints may not have been properly welded, causing the driveshaft to separate while the vehicle is moving.
If the driveshaft separates, there may be a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
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.
Campaign 20V650000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, power assistJan 30, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. These vehicles received updated software for the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM). This software has an error, and as a result, the vehicle's electronic brake assist may be disabled. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
A loss of electronic brake assist can increase the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 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 N192268091.
Campaign 20V055000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, abs warning lightDec 12, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Cadillac CT6, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. Due to an Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) software error, the vehicle's Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Antilock Brake System (ABS) may become disabled. Furthermore, if this specific error occurs, the vehicle's diagnostics will not illuminate the instrument cluster ESC and ABS malfunction warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
If the driver operates the vehicle unaware that ESC and ABS are not functioning, there is an increased risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192268090.
Campaign 19V889000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, 12v/24v/48v battery, cablesDec 12, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The battery positive (B+) cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially causing an intermittent electrical connection between the B+ cable and alternator.
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.
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.
Campaign 19V888000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, pretensionerNov 14, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket, possibly igniting the carpet.
A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
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.
Campaign 19V814000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator moduleDec 6, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab and GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The passenger-side frontal air bag module may have been damaged during assembly, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly in the event of a crash.
In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate properly can increase the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N182198820.
Campaign 18V868000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
44 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Sep 20, 2026, crash
The vehicle has experienced repeated Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction warnings that appear related to a prior GM recall for ESC malfunction codes. These warnings occurred before and after dealer repairs. The ESC malfunction may have affected other safety systems. I was involved in two separate accidents while driving this vehicle, and in both incidents the airbags did not deploy. In one accident, the vehicle struck multiple objects in a frontal collision at significant speed. The airbags did not deploy at all. I lost consciousness, sustained injuries, and have experienced ongoing physical symptoms since the incident. The ESC malfunction warnings continued even after GM dealership repairs following each accident. The defects were not resolved, and the vehicle has remained unsafe and inoperable. The vehicle has been inspected by a GM dealership multiple times, but the issues were not corrected. The ESC malfunction warnings and airbag non‑deployment have been reproduced and confirmed through these service visits. There were warning messages related to ESC malfunction prior to the failures, and these messages continued to appear. The combination of ESC malfunction, loss of control, and airbag non‑deployment suggests a possible cross‑module safety failure involving the airbag system and ESC. I have contacted GM’s corporate safety team and GM’s executive support, but the responses I received did not address the safety‑defect issues. I have sent follow‑up emails and made phone calls but have not received further assistance. The vehicle remains unsafe to operate, inoperable, and available for inspection.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 27, 2026
Subject: Event of engine failure • While driving on a level paved road at 15 miles per hour in a busy area my 2019 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck stalled in the middle of a busy street. • Truck stalled in a heavy traffic area at an intersection putting myself and passengers in a dangerous area and situation. This obstructed the normal flow of traffic causing a danger to pedestrians and normal vehicle traffic pattern. Each had to go around my disabled truck into oncoming traffic putting them and normal traffic flow at risk. •Upon securing a towing service the truck was transported to the nearest GM dealership. This happened on a Friday afternoon and the truck got to the dealership after hours. I returned to the dealership the next morning and was told that they may not be able to check the truck until probably Tuesday. On Monday afternoon I called and they hadn't been able to get to it. I received a call the next day and was informed that the technician at the dealership had put a breaker bar to the crankcase and the engine would not move and therefore the engine is seized. • There were no warning lights that came on prior to the truck stalling in the street. There was no noise prior or any other symptom to give any indication that the truck was not operating in a normal fashion.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Jul 15, 2026
TSB 19-NA-121. My truck is experiencing the exact issues detailed in the listed TSB. Randomly and quite often my truck feels like I am running over speed bumps. This just started about 3 days ago. The truck has been maintained. Oil is changed on time and there was a 100,000 mile service and I just had a 150,000 service done. Currently there are roughly $148,000 miles on the vehicle. Is there a way to have GM cover the costs of the repairs even though my VIN# was not listed. Also I am experiencing sudden power loss which is also mentioned in other bulletins. Basically it feels like the engine hesitates to accelerate.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Jun 4, 2026
Transmission blew on a 7 year old vehicle. Was replaced entirely and is NOW having the EXACT SAME PROBLEM AGAIN!
Other or unspecified, May 30, 2026
Back window water leaking causing bad smell and mod
Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 16, 2026
I was driving in a city at 30 miles per hour no acceleration and no load. I lost oil pressure, dumped all the oil out of the crankcase and then the engine locked up. I had it towed to my mechanic shop that i have work done. The technician diagnosed it as a failed oil cooler pressure supply line. Where the solid steel line crimps to a rubber oil hose, that connection had not been applied enough pressure and the rubber line became separated from the steel line.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 16, 2026
For the past month I have noticed my truck has been dripping oil, I pulled the shield off and saw my engine oil cooler lines leaking at the crimp points. I’ve seen GM put out customer satisfaction notice but when I tried to have the dealership fix mine they said mine is covered under any recall or warranty. If the line comes uncrimped at highway speeds I’ll lose all my oil where the trucks engine could lock up and lose all forward motion and in my eyes could cause a crash
Power train, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 27, 2026
This vehicle shudders and vibrates during shifting and acceleration at different speeds. Transmission shifts out of gear quite often leaving me stranded at times trying to make it safely out of traffic.
Other or unspecified, Jan 22, 2026
IntelliBeam will sometimes allow me to activate the system but will turn itself off and not allow it to be reactivated until the power is cycled. Other times it will not activate at all. This is on a dark backroad with no traffic.
Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2025
Experience water leaking 3rd brake light and rear window. Leaking in both areas. Also concerned about mold that could be caused by this.
Other or unspecified, Sep 28, 2025
UNKNOWN: Transmission/Torque Converter etc. like driving over "rumble strip. shuddering (rumble strip feel, shake), when it happens (e.g., during light acceleration between 25–80 mph)
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Jul 26, 2025
On or around July 12th 2025 at low speed of 2-4 mph my rear end locked up sending everyone in the vehicle hard stop forward. The vehicle wouldn't disengage leaving me no choice but to have it towed for the second time 1st time happened exactly the same about month and a half prior. Gmc service department department claims they couldn't find anything wrong after it sat for two days in there lot after having it towed they were closed weekends and looked at it that Monday morning finding no signs of anything wrong. After picking up my vehicle I strongly feel like if at higher speeds or even environment this issue will endanger myself passengers and bystanders. I need help with resolving this safety issues asap please. Gmc hasn't been much help service department nor Gm support options.
Other or unspecified, Jun 30, 2025
I washed my truck on a Saturday and as I was driving later that morning my tailgate opened while in transit. I did not notice this until I had stopped. After a little digging I found the 2019 tailgate electric switch is prone to this problem when it gets wet. There were no warning lamps for this problem.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Apr 29, 2025
Bought used 2019 Denali Oct 2024 with 41 k miles on it. 1200 miles later started feeling vibration under load on highway. Took to dealership and they said I needed to replace torque converter. After that the transmission went out during test drive. Then waited 45 days for new transmission to find out the unit was defective. Now we’re going on 5 months and the truck still waiting on a replacement transmission. GM hasn’t acknowledged any of my complaints about this and said that they’re doing the best they can for me and is going to award me 10000 reward points for future use! What a joke! 5. months to replace a transmission? GM has completely failed its consumers, at least this one!
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 3, 2025
Cylinder 5 failure and cam shaft miles 78k. Have to replace full top end or brand new motor cost $10k up to $13k to fix at dealer
Other or unspecified, Oct 20, 2024
Rear sliding window has a leak. While washing the vehicle or if it rains, water penetrates threw the window and into the inside headliner causing water stains and mold. Water also runs down the inside of the back window to the floor carpet, also creates water stains and mold. General Motors has a Bulletin 18-NA-383, Which does not fix the problem, but only puts a temporary patch. The permanent fix would be to replace the whole window.
Other or unspecified, Jul 6, 2024
Engine oil cooler line blew apart at factory crimp.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 16, 2024
GMC of Vacaville California sold me a 2019 GMC Sierra that has a know back window leak issues. I was told by service worker GMC of Vacaville California sold me a 2019 GMC Sierra that has a know back window leak issues. I was told by service worker Brent Lewis/405 that is a common issue and GMC is aware of this issue that the vehicle was brought in before for this same issue prior from [XXX] but was not taken care of. I purchased this vehicle on [XXX] along with a 5k extend warranty that I was told is a bumper to bumper warranty. Come to find out it does not cover a manufacturer defected back window installation. My concern is that they are aware of these issues and water sitting on the inside of the cab due to a leak causes black mold and could cause serious illness to myself and my children. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Apr 15, 2024
Unknown. My truck has only about 46,000 miles . We experience heavy rains on the week of 4/8/2024 and I went to go load groceries in the back and saw water coming down the back window. I went straight to the dealer and spoke with Tom a manager at GMC. He took me to service and a mechanic came out and said this a common and expensive job. He said I may need anew window replacement. I left and did research on this problem. There seems to be EVERYONE who has a GMC or Chevy has this problem. Many people are experiencing rust, mold, etc. This is a MAJOR issue. All you hear about mold health isssues. NOT any issue that should be over look. Whenthere is water there IS mold. This issue probably has been going on longer but due to heavy rain and me going in the back I saw water. This is something that dealers need to fix.
Other or unspecified, Feb 15, 2024
Purchased a brand new from dealer 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 in July 2019. I noticed not long after that time that the back window leaked once in a while when it rained. I live in Phoenix Arizona, so rain is a rare occurance and it is in the back seat area of the truck where I do not sit back there or look back there very often checking for leaks. I mentioned it to the service advisor when I was trying to get a very long running issue with the tire pressure monitors that they would not properly fix. It took nearly 2 years for them to correct that issue, and by the time they fixed that issue, truck was out of warranty and they said they had no record of this problem and they could not fix. I am worried about the water causing mold or rust up under the head liner that would cause me and my family medical issues. Water, metal amd fabric head liners do not mix and there is a water stain on the roof liner that grows every time it rains. This is a medical issue and nobody should have to wonder what is growing above their head inside their vehicle while going to work. I see many online reports of a cracked window frame on these model year trucks, so it seems to be a widespread problem with either their vendor for these windows or the installation process at the factory.
Other or unspecified, Nov 13, 2023
The frame of the rear window cracked which allowed water to enter the cab. Water made its way onto the rear anchor strap of a car seat and saturated it which could have caused it to possibly not perform properly, which could have injured a child. Since the rear window can be opened electrically it is possible that a short could occur due to the water intrusion. GM has a service bulletin out about resealing the window but will not cover the repair or replacement of the window if it is outside the 36,000 mile warranty period. Obviously this is a manufacturer defect that has numerous occurrences or there would not be a bulletin created for it.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 9, 2023
There is a water leak coming into the back cab of my 2019 GMC Sierra. My truck smells horrible the dealership can't find the leak. It smells very moldy and very concern for my children riding in the back breathing the unsafe air.
Other or unspecified, Sep 25, 2023
The rear window is leaking severely. It seem to be an ongoing issue with these trucks at the rear brake light spoiler. It’s a substantial amount of water and there is water damage and mold.
Other or unspecified, Aug 23, 2023
Water getting in cab
Other or unspecified, Aug 13, 2023
2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited transmission problems could include shifting delays, grinding when accelerating, the car shaking on the road