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.

Complaints by model year
  1. 645

Of the 2019 reports, 13 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 12 people were injured.

Primary concernEngine305 reports · 47% of complaints
Owner complaints645Filed with NHTSA
Recall relationship10 safety recallsNHTSA campaign records

What owners report most often

  1. Engine305
  2. Power train136
  3. Service brakes115
  4. Electrical system95
  5. Other or unspecified44
  6. Steering42
  7. Engine and engine cooling25
  8. Fuel/propulsion system23

Recalls and investigations

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

645 reports, newest first.

  1. Power train, Jul 22, 2022

    Transmission hesitate going into 2 gear

  2. Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Jul 20, 2022

    When driving my truck I lost all power steering got notifications to service abs in 7 days, service esp, and service power steering as well as a stability at light being on. Could no control my vehicle, restarted the truck 4 times, and it disappeared, garage could not pull any codes. This is VERY unsafe!!!!!! And has been issued a recall in past models and years. I could have been killed, for a problem the GM is aware of and have not issued a recall yet.

  3. Electrical system, Jul 18, 2022

    The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while at a traffic signal, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that he shifted the vehicle into park(P) and needed four attempts to restart the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact proceeded a few miles on the road and the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the vehicle needed a new battery. The battery was replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer who informed the contact that the wiring harness nearby the front suspension control arm was chafed. The contact was informed that a short circuit had caused the vehicle to stall. The dealer stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 21-NA-149 (Engine Wire Harness Chafing). The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,799.

  4. Suspension, Jul 10, 2022

    Ball joint separated from control arm while driving. Vehicle was undrivable had to be towed.

  5. Service brakes, Jul 1, 2022

    When I began to accelerate my vehicle the brakes locked automatically. I noticed that once I hit 6 mph the brakes locked. I tried troubleshooting by turning the truck on and off, turning off all of the assistance buttons, turned the parking brake on and off. I was able to drive it in reverse.

  6. Power train, Jun 2, 2022

    The vehicle jerks when I put it in reverse or drive. And when I'm going down the road while it shifts gears. It's be doing it since I purchased it (new). It was light at first but lately its been worse. I took it to the dealership a couple of months ago & they replaced something small & said it was fixed. But it still bad. My truck still only has 30K miles.

  7. Electrical system, Service brakes, May 20, 2022

    Last Weekend was taking the kids and my brother and his son fishing, so 2 adults in front seats 3 kids on the backseat. Got my boat all hooked up and we're off. About 2 miles down the road the truck rebs up really high and then bottoms down hard on the RPM's. As soon as this happens all lights and instrument cluster goes crazy. Check Engine light on, Parking Brake Light On,Traction Control Light On, And I'm sure I'm forgetting more. The Cluster states ESC failure drive with caution, Do Not Exceed 43 miles per hour speed limit Brake Failure and So on. I have since found pictures pf the exact same thing that happened to me that morning and will provide. Needless to say I have no brakes and have a 19 ft bass boat behind me. All I could do was let off gas completely and push brake pedal all the way to the floor and pray that it stopped. Good Lord willing it did. Pulled over asap and killed truck, let sit a few minutes while I assessed the situation and cranked it back up. All lights and brakes were fine. Has not done it since but I only drove to dealership to find out the issue and 4 days later still no answer. Its a 2019 with only 26000 miles, and has never had 1 issue before this

  8. Power train, Service brakes, Apr 23, 2022

    The transmission on this truck it’s not good first they said it was the torque converter then they said it was the valve body ,it work for a few days and I told them before they change any of that that the transmission was making a rattling noise they just patching the problem not fixing the problem told them to give me a new truck or new transmission but they just keep patching the issue I been at cullman dealership like 7 times ,, also had a p25a2 code had a check engine light I told the dealership about and they didn’t do anything about it bc the check engine light wasn’t on anymore

  9. Structure, Apr 22, 2022

    The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the hard tri-fold bed cover detached and flew off of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

  10. Suspension, Apr 18, 2022

    The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the front driver’s side tire detached from the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and noticed that the ball joint had separated from the A-arm. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front driver’s side tire, ball joint, and the upper A-arm to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

  11. Engine, Apr 12, 2022

    The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil cooler line detached causing oil to leak onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine oil cooler line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

  12. Power train, Apr 12, 2022

    The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 15000. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH as the vehicle was placed into "drive" the transmission, would hesitate and would not shift into gear. The contact stated that when the "drive" engaged, the shift was very hard and shook the vehicle, which then lunged forward. The contact stated that the "check engine" warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission failure is recurring. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

  13. Exterior lighting, Apr 8, 2022

    The screen on radio is so bright in the cab when backing is blinding when backing up and dangerous. No way to turn down the brightness.

  14. Electrical system, Mar 29, 2022

    Shift to Park lights Stays on sometimes.

  15. Power train, Mar 18, 2022

    when I bought the vehicle in October2018, I have taken the vehicle back to the dealership multiple occasions and they refuse to fix this issue. The transmission shifts from first to second gear or second to first gear is clunky, jerks forward and shifts without warning. While sitting at a stoplight, the vehicle will sometimes lurch forward several inches without warning even with your foot on the brake. Furthermore when accelerating between first and second year it's sluggish and takes several seconds to shift from first to second the engine Revs high.

  16. Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical system, Feb 8, 2022

    The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the battery was draining quickly and was replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with brake system failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

  17. Power train, Jan 31, 2022

    Hard shift on take off from 1st to 2nd gear and while driving around random hard erratic shifting. Feels like pickup is getting rear ended. Have take in to Gregg Lair in Amarillo TX and they have reset shift points to no avail. I talked to head service writer and he stated that GM had a problem with their transmission but did not have a remedy for them. He advised to drive for about 3,000 miles and we have and still have the issue. We have been back multiple times and Gregg Lair states that it is still in learn mode after over 10,00 miles. I am a mechanic by trade and in my opinion there is a design flaw with the transmission and/or they have the wrong transmission fluid for the design.

  18. Power train, Jan 26, 2022

    The 2019 GMC SIERRA I own shifts extremely hard from a stopped position or when changing from reverse to drive. The shift is so forceful, that it feels like I have been struck by another vehicle. The overall feeling is that the vehicle is not safe to drive and it is not a reliable mode of transportation. The delayed shift, vibration and jerk, makes this vehicle a hazard to drive, as the ability to predict the issue is impossible. There are no other warning lights, or messages prior to the error. Online forums show this to be a known issue.

  19. Engine, Jan 21, 2022

    My 2019 GMC Sierra was traveling on the highway at 70MPH. The oil cooler line detached, and the truck shut down telling me to get over now. There was oil everywhere. I am shocked it did not catch fire. there was also 7 quarts of oil on the highway I called the dealer, and they are well aware of this problem. They were sorry but there is nothing we can do for you. They told me they do 1-2 oil cooler lines a month. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

  20. Other or unspecified, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 20, 2022

    2019 Sierra 1500 slt Defective front camera surround only 51,000 miles. Forward collision warning not work,lane departure warning not work,intellibeam head lights not work. Replace camera with labor at the dealer cost me $860.00 dolls.

  21. Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jan 10, 2022

    Transmission jerks, slams, forces a feeling of being rear-ended, delayed acceleration with sudden engagement causing uncontrolled acceleration. I've had it looked at every time I've taken it into the dealership for regular maintenance. They haven't been able to reproduce it as it only happens once, first time after not driving it for a while. No warning lamps or messages ever appear.

  22. Engine, Jan 7, 2022

    Every time I start the engine I get loud ticking noises. This is Lifter noise! I took it into the Dealership and they said the noise was normal. GM is known for having this Lifter problem in the heads. This can destroy my engine, causing premature wear on the lifters themselves.

  23. Power train, Nov 29, 2021

    transmission shudder, jerk, high engine rev and transmission look ing for a gear to go in then it jerks. traded this truck to gmc to get rid of it. cost me extra money that i would not have spent otherwise. only had 22,000 mi on it.

  24. Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Nov 25, 2021

    While driving on a two lane road I proceeded to pass a slow moving vehicle, after accelerating from 45 MPH to 60 MPH my Check Engine light, Service Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Service Electronic Brake System lights illuminated on my display. My RPMs increased before shifting gears and I noticed a significant loss in power. Thankfully there was not an accident when the incident occurred; however, if an oncoming vehicle or bad weather it could have been a different outcome. I took my vehicle to a GMC dealer to diagnose the issue where I found out my lifters for my valves are bad and my fourth cylinder is inoperable along with a bad CAM. A new vehicle at 65K miles on it should not be having mechanical issues that can pose a danger while driving, putting others and my safety at risk. GM needs to reevaluate the products and materials their using to build engines to ensure there are no flaws starting with the valve lifters.

  25. Service brakes, Oct 18, 2021

    Vehicle had the "Service ESC" warning come one along with the warning of brake failure do no exceed 43 miles per hour. Called the dealer to discuss options and was told that I could not get in for 1 month..... For a critical failure and known issue this is unfathomable.