2021 GMC Sierra 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 572 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 5th highest complaint count among 26 Sierra 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 5 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 2 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, automatic transmission, control module, softwareFeb 12, 2026
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.
Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 26V083000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalApr 24, 2025
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.
Campaign 25V274000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module, softwareOct 24, 2024
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.
Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 24V797000 on NHTSA.gov
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
Seat beltsDec 23, 2020
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
Campaign 20V811000 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
TiresNov 5, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
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.
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.
Campaign 20V684000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
349 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Sep 26, 2026
Excessive oil consumption. I am fearful that my vehicle engine will lock up.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 22, 2026
On [XXX], my vehicle suffered a complete loss of propulsion on the highway, displaying fault codes P0324 and P0016. The vehicle was taken to Boyd's Tar Heel Chevrolet in Roxboro, NC, where the engine block was replaced under the official GM 6.2L engine safety recall.The truck was delivered back to me, and on the very first day I drove it—only 28 miles from my house—it suffered a secondary catastrophic loss of propulsion on the highway on [XXX]. The check engine light began flashing violently, indicating an immediate catalyst-damaging safety hazard, and the vehicle displayed fault code P0307 (Cylinder 7 Misfire).The dealership explicitly instructed me to stop driving the vehicle immediately, authorized the recovery, and told me to bill the tow directly to them. After towing the vehicle back to their facility, Boyd's Tar Heel Chevrolet reversed their position. They are now attempting to hold me financially responsible for the towing fees, along with spark plugs, wiring, and fuel injector services, claiming the failure is due to routine maintenance.This represents a severe highway safety hazard, a direct failure of the manufacturer's official recall remedy, and potential dealer misconduct to avoid liability under the active NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA26005 for post-recall 6.2L engine failures. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Sep 18, 2026
While driving 40 MPH my entire dash lite up with every known light and the vehicle lost all power. The dealer stated I need an entire engine replacement, as with Many 6.2. My vehicle is 1 months out side of the recall, it has the exact symptoms and the exact damage as the recall.
Suspension, Engine, Sep 18, 2026
Both of my upper ball joints wore out and one broke as I was driving down the road at 65 miles an hour pulling me into the on coming lane of traffic, there was no warning of this. I had both upper and lower ball joint replace. If there had been another vehicle coming in the on coming lane we would have had a head on collision. At an earlier date the motor in this same truck had a fallen lifter which cause my motor to loss power, I was able to take it to the local GM dealer and they fixed it, there was no warning this was happening either. I am worried I will have a catastrophic engine failure and GM will not cover this. I have looked up my
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 14, 2026
The contact owns at 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the engine was overheating. The message "Reduce Engine Power" was displayed. The contact shifted to neutral to reach the dealer. The contact associated the failure with Special Coverage: N252508341; however, the VIN was not included. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with coolant control valve failure, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the cost of the repair was not covered under the special coverage program. The failure mileage was approximately 94,328.
Engine, Sep 11, 2026
Check engine light came on my vehicle (104,000/mi) and fans came on while truck was off. Took to dealership and techs diagnosed vehicle as having bad "coolant flow control valve". Dealership ran VIN check as there is a GM "extended special coverage program" N252508341 for the LM2 motor, which my vehicle has. However, N252508341 only applies to vehicles in CA. The dealership did not cover my repair. I filed a complaint with GM who denied it due to the program being only applicable to CA trucks. I was advised to file a complaint with NHTSA as the only avenue with recourse. I would like if NHTSA intervened and made GM honor the program in all 50 states and I be offered a refund for the 2500.00 repair I had to pay for. Thank you.
Engine, Sep 10, 2026
Engine stop working, lots of black smokes through the exhausts and vibrating weird. Lifters failed amoung other parts and they deemed the engine bad so they replaced it with a new one. The new engine started to make the same weird noises.
Engine, Sep 9, 2026
Catastrophic engine failure at 77357 miles. I went to the local GM dealer and my VIN is not in the L87 engine recall. Not sure how to repair my truck , but feel like the engine should not have locked up with such low miles, and I done constant engine maintenance , meaning oil changes every 5K miles.
Engine, Sep 9, 2026
Catastrophic Engine Failure due to Lifter Failure at approximately 51,000 miles driven. This has been confirmed by the dealership and reported/escalated to General Motors. The truck is at the dealership for repairs. General Motors offered to cover 65% of the repair as a Goodwill sign. As the 60K powertrain warranty had expired. This truck has the same components that are covered under the recall for the same model year. However the recall only extends to March 1, 2021 Manufacture date. My truck was manufactured a few weeks prior to that so it was not included. GM refused even discuss this could be potentially due to a recalled issue. Multiple warning lights and error messaged were present on the dash indicating issues when it failed. Additionally, a loud metallic knocking noise was present at speed and idle. Power was significantly reduced and the engine was running very rough.
Engine, Sep 9, 2026
Engine I believe The truck died while I was doing 78 MPH on the highway Dashboard stated “shift into neutral and press start” I pulled to the side of the road and did what it stated and it would not crank over. I also put it in park turned the vehicle off and back on to try to start it. The lights on the dashboard, all gauges, the AC, and everything works the truck just will not crank over. Check engine light came on but is not throwing any codes
Steering, Service brakes, Engine, Sep 9, 2026
XXX 2021 GMC Seria 108,339 miles driving home from [XXX] in town and out of nowhere the lights on the dash light up I saw it say adaptive steering and something breaking. There was a lot going on as the steering was rapidly shaking limited breaking while trying to avoid a collision. The engine started a loud knocking sound and sudden smoking out tail pipes. I was able to get the truck stopped turned it off and sat there for a while trying to collect myself. Restarted the truck and slowly drove it to my home 2 miles away. It was flatbed to local GM dealer that quickly diagnosed it saying heavy smoke knocking needs New Engine! They won't confirm exactly what the internal engine failure is. Other than its Failed. The engine build date is 2020 day 350 My VIN is not currently in the current GM engine recall However it's certain this failure is totally related to GM's engineering design and Manufacturing issues. Look deeper into the recall date ranges this failure is clearly a victim. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Sep 9, 2026
Coolant Control Valve failure. This vehicle year is included in a GM bulletin that extends the Coolant Control Valve replacement coverage to 150K miles due to a faulty design. My is valve failing exactly as described in the bulletin and GM will not cover the replacement due to my vin number. The vehicle randomly goes into reduced power whereby it is prohibited from safely keeping up with traffic. Research shows that there are a significant number of owners in my same situation where GM is denying repair and replacement coverage.
Power train, Engine, Sep 8, 2026
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 SOLENOID 430.00 OIL LEAK BETWEEN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION ?
Engine, Sep 5, 2026
I was notified my lifters in my 6.2 L V8 would need to be inspected for any defects. When I purchased my vehicle from Car Max here in Jackson, MS, I received a notification from the dashboard that the engine oil was low and to add oil. I turned around and took it back to the dealership as soon as possible. This happened on the first day of owner ship with in 5 minutes of driving off from the lot. I Car Max told me to just add oil and bring them the receipt and they would reimburse me. I chose not to and asked them to service the vehicle to avoid any issues with my warranty or my Car Max Shield Warranty. 2,000 miles later the same notification came across the dashboard again. I took it back to Car Max immediately and they ended up sending it off to my local GM dealership for service. They topped it off with oil after inspecting it for any leaks in the engine. None were discovered. After the 3rd notification about the engine oil level being low after close to 3,000 miles, they serviced the vehicle and put the vehicle under the Oil Consumption Watch. This took place from October 2025 through September 2026. After multiple visits, they informed me they would need to perform further test to see if the lifters were failing and that I would be responsible for the labor fees estimated at around 632.82. I informed them I have Car Max’s 150,000 mile warranty. Fidelity Insurance company informed me they would need to send an inspector out to the GM dealership. Before this takes place, they would need the vehicle to undergo various tests and I would be responsible for the labor fees. Should the engine components be found worn down. Fidelity would not cover the repairs. Should the engine components be found defective, they would cover the replacement part but not the label. Labor costs would estimate around 2,978.95. I asked the GM dealership to share this information with me in writing for documentation purposes. I asked for my vehicle to be parked until further notice.
Engine, Sep 3, 2026
Lifter locked up causing bent push rod. This situation caused truck to strand the driver without warning. Truck needed to be towed. This repair was performed by the dealership and is a known issue with 6.2 L engine.
Engine, Sep 1, 2026
Loss of power, had engine repaired, replaced passenger side head and cylinder. Now drivers side is having the same issue.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 1, 2026
Transmission stopped at 29,000 miles, engine died and was replaced at 32,000 miles
Engine, Aug 31, 2026
Cam Shaft and Lifter failure. Lifters were replaced 3 times
Engine, Aug 28, 2026
Driving on the highway lost proportion/acceleration, loud knocking coming from the engine
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle began to shake uncontrollably. A knocking sound was heard from the engine, and the vehicle entered limp mode. No warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall, and the contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 81,000.
Engine, Aug 28, 2026
I had the L87 recall completed, and the vehicle passed inspection. The dealership completed the required protocol and replaced the engine oil with 0W-40. Approximately 6,000 miles later, while traveling at about 75 mph and six hours from home, I experienced a brief loss of power followed by an immediate return of power. My wife and I noticed it but, with no warning lights or alerts, continued driving while monitoring the vehicle. About 10 miles later, we began hearing a faint squealing noise that progressively became worse. I was able to exit the highway safely, but once I came to a complete stop, the engine shut off and would not restart. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership, where it was determined that I had suffered a catastrophic engine failure. No loaner vehicle was available, leaving my family stranded six hours from home with an inoperable vehicle. It took approximately seven to eight weeks for the repair to be completed. When I received the vehicle back, I immediately noticed something still was not right. At around 40 mph and 1,000 RPM, the truck would shudder or hesitate. My local dealership diagnosed a poor spark plug connection on cylinder #3, which was causing arcing and a misfire. After the connection was repaired, the issue was resolved. My local dealership is currently working with the repairing dealership to address several minor workmanship issues, including wire clips, fittings, and missing bolts. This entire event was unexpected. There were no warning lights, alerts, or unusual noises before the initial loss of power. The only indication of a problem was the sudden power loss followed shortly thereafter by a horrific screeching noise. Thankfully, I was able to safely exit the highway and bring the vehicle to a stop. Considering I was traveling at 75 mph, the situation could have been much worse.
Engine, Aug 28, 2026
2021 GMC Sierra 1500 equipped with 6.2L L87 engine. At approximately 97,000 miles, the engine developed a significant knocking noise. I immediately took the vehicle to an authorized GMC dealership for diagnosis. The dealer determined that the engine required replacement but advised that my VIN was not included in GM Recall 25V-274. The dealer quoted approximately $15,000 for replacement. I subsequently had an independent repair facility replace the failed engine with a genuine GM replacement engine at a cost of approximately $12,400. I am reporting this because the failure appears similar to the L87 engine bearing/crankshaft failures addressed by Recall 25V-274, despite my VIN not being included in that recall.
Engine, Aug 28, 2026
My vehicle is on a recall list. Took it to the dealership for engine vibration test. They changed oil and put on a new cap. My engine blew up a couple weeks later. They replaced my motor. It blew up on the mechanics test drive. I'm now waiting on my 3rd motor. They have had it for over 5 months now.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The low oil level was observed, and the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was previously serviced at the dealer, where it was discovered that the oil was 3 quarts low at approximately 56,653 miles. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed. After driving 3,000 miles, it was observed that the oil level was 2 quarts low on July 16, 2024. The dealer confirmed there was no recall coverage, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer and manufacturer confirmed the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 59,075.
Power train, Engine, Aug 25, 2026
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.