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: other or unspecified
42 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 6, 2025
Dealer keeps ignoring engine knock noise states its normal , mpg is down dramatically . Shift to park , vehicle only has 34k miles and dealer does not want to repair under warranty due to vehicle being a 2021 Battery keeps draining for no reason , new battery added still does the same thing
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 1, 2025
We NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FYI . This vehicle has been serviced consistently.never an issue. Driving on [XXX] very busy! Truck literally stopped in the middle of the freeway in a very bad location. Desert. Noon. Kids with us. Could have died. Preliminary eval: engine seized, piston rod failure. Not sure the rest - we have to tow it home first. Failed while traveling. Please call for more information if needed. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, May 1, 2025
I've noticed rough or jerky gear shifting when accelerating, rough and reduced propulsion, loss of power. Dealership repaired power torque converter but the truck continue to have the same symptoms.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 1, 2025
The transmission is constantly whirring, rattling, and screeching.
Other or unspecified, Apr 8, 2025
My tailgate will randomly open on its own. I’ve had several instances( 5 or 6 times so far) when I’ve had open on its own. Only once so far when i was driving. Luckily, i was on my private road without anything in my bed that could fall out. I often carry mountain bikes over the tailgate which could pose a serious danger if the tailgate were to open when driving. Also earlier this evening when the tailgate came down on its own while driving, when I got to my destination, I was unable to open the tailgate at all from outside the vehicle. It is apparent the button to release the switch is malfunctioning. I was able to get it to open by using release button inside the vehicle.
Other or unspecified, Jan 28, 2025
Transmission, rear wheel lock up issue. Dealer performed recall notice work. Truck still has same issue after dealer visit. When issue starts, feels like you ran over something in the road, All warning lights are on, loss of power to engine and the engine did quit working once. Door locks continue to cycle repeatedly, multiple screen warnings appear on dashboard. It appears that everything that could go wrong happens at once. Have heard transmission valve control modules is a major problem with GM 10 speed transmissions.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 4, 2024
My vehicle was issued an OTA ( over the air update ) automatically, and the update failed, leaving the screen in my vehicle inoperable, with a message displayed stating " Update failed return to dealer" My vehicles radio/information system is now inoperable. The blue-tooth calling capability is also inoperable. This is a safety issue due to the fact that I am a resident of Minnesota and we have a law that states it is illegal to use your phone while driving. In addition, I am unable to receive severe weather alerts via the radio and do not have the ability to make phone calls in my vehicle in the event of an emergency since it is illegal to use my phone in MN while driving. This is a serious safety hazard The GMC dealer (Mills GMC in Baxter, MN ) that the vehicle is currently at has stated this is not a warrantable repair, even though my vehicle is under warranty. I have also contacted GM service directly and was told they would be willing to offer me "rewards points" There is an active recall for the same issue for other GM models of the same year. Recall # N202319250 Essentially, GM is pushing updates to vehicles without the owners consent, giving the owner no choice but to bring the vehicle to the dealership for a repair which they are calling "wear and tear" This is highly unethical and is making customers vehicles unsafe.
Other or unspecified, Jun 26, 2024
The transmission/torque converter is causing (bucking, kicking, jerking, slipping, difficulty when taking off, shuddering during driving, fishbite, and chuggle). Its becoming a safety hazard now because its putting me and others at risk for an accident. The vehicle will hesitate to go in which if traffic may be rear ended by another vehicle. During weather/rain the vehicle will lose traction and the rear wheels will spin causing an accident. Problem has been reported to dealership multiple times and the only solution they can provide is keep driving the vehicle. Vehicle has no warning lights at all or any other symptoms of problems prior to when the components started to fail. The issue first happened around February 2024 and remains to be an issue to this present day. I've been the dealership more than 6 times with no solution/fix. I'm concerned for my safety now and need this issue addressed ASAP.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 17, 2024, fire
On [XXX] at approximately 3 pm I left my house and was traveling on [XXX] in Fort Mohave Arizona I was only traveling 7 miles. When I looked at the temperature in the cab was 121 degrees a few moments after the display system went black and never turned back on. I arrived at the store 4 minutes after the display shut off with no warning lights or any type of notification on my phone, I had rolled down the windows to get air in the cab to see if that would help cool down if needed. I was in the store 20 minutes. I returned to the truck turned it on and everything was normal, from there I drove back home nothing happened on my drive back the display was working. At 8 30pm I was traveling on [XXX] Driving towards a casino called Avi. I had the driver's side window halfway down when I smelled a faint plastic burn thinking it was coming from the outside because I had the window halfway down. That is when the cab of the GMC filled up with smoke that came in thru the air vents and flames started to show coming from the defrost vents and under the hood while I was driving. I had to stick my head out of the window to see where I could pull over without starting a huge brush fire. As I pulled over and the truck within seconds fully ignited into flames. Enough time to grab my belongings that I was able to save. My life was at risk by this vehicle igniting while I was driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Jan 16, 2024
The Flex Tailgate has on multiple occasions has malfunctioned in cold temperatures. I have had instances where I can get it open when I have vital supplies in the bed of my truck because of the Tonneau Cover being on (I have a hard cover made for this truck) and the tailgate malfunctioning. I have also had an instance where my tailgate opened (after clicking shut) while driving without the notification coming up on my dash. I could've been held liable if my equipment fell out and caused an accident. Moral of the story this truck as a lot of issues when temps are below freezing even after being warmed up for 15 minutes or longer. I wouldn't recommend this truck based on the function of the Flex Tailgate. I would prefer a classic a handle and less tech now that I have seen it fail so many times.
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Nov 28, 2023
5 days after purchasing and While driving down the interstate at 80 mph, there was a loud clunk at the same time the back wheels locked up for a split second, long enough to burn the tires and throw everyone in the vehicle forward then the vehicle continued on. It happened three more times, we trailered it and brought it to the dealer. They said nothing is wrong with it. However, I was able to locate the previous owners who stated they'd been bringing it to several dealerships to have it taken care of for the past six months and every dealer said that nothing is wrong with it. But the same thing happened to them for six months. One mechanic in Idaho even replaced the motor trying to fix it and it still continued. The dealer I purchased from never mentioned it having a new motor, and I pulled the Carfax report and it shows several times it was in the shop including the motor replacement, but the shop visits aren't detailed it just says maintenance. Several mechanics we've spoken with say it's in the transmission, drivetrain. But the dealer refuses to do anything unless it'll replicate when they test drive it. But they don't test drive it on the highway or for a long enough time. Multiple owners now in multiple states the same problem and no one will help. This could be a catastrophic incident if the roads had been a little wet or someone was close enough behind us when it happened it would have been a serious car accident, if not worse. I am not sure you can help but Im reaching out to everything that I can find.
Other or unspecified, Jun 11, 2023, crash
I have HD surround vision cameras. I was parallel parking very slowly. The back end of my truck was in so I was watching the camera to see the front right of my truck and the back left of the other vehicle. I could see both vehicles including the road between them. There was space between the vehicles on the camera when I hit the other car. I called Sewell Buick Gmc and explained the camera might need calibrating. They sent a loaner car and picked mine up, When the driver arrived I explained the situation. It surprised his so I said get in my truck and put in reverse to activated the camera and watch me as I walk toward the right front tire. He saw mw as I approached, however, when I got right next to the tire I disappeared from she screen. GM said the vehicle was operating as designed. Operating as designed? They designed a SURROUND camera to show objects until they get next to the vehicle. Imagine if it was a toddler.
Other or unspecified, May 8, 2023
I have a GMC Sierra 2021 Denali. The vehicle currently has less than 16,000 mile and is at the dealership service department for lifter replacement. This is an extensive repair considering how new the vehicle with low miles. From extensive online research and collaborating with others, this is a common concern with multiple GMC vehicle that's been on GMC radar starting in 2017. GMC haven't yet issued a recall for these products and the consumers are footing the bills. Please put pressure on GMC to rectify their wrong.
Other or unspecified, Dec 15, 2022
I have a 2021 GC Sierra 1500, The guidance lines in the display when in reverse go from non-existent to barely visible and are not usable especially in sunlight. The service man at Miller Chevrolet in Marianna Fla says GMC is aware of the problem, that it was caused by the last update download and will be fixed by another download to correct the problem. He also says the same issue is nationwide and all trucks have the issue which I find hard to believe. 1.If that were true it would be a simple matter of a few lines of code to correct the problem. 2. I have been chasing this problem since October and have now made four trips to the dealership. 3. I cannot believe all trucks have this issue and also I suspect the same backup system is in all GMC vehicles regardless of type. 4. I cannot believe GMC would allow such a problem to exist since the last update download which was months ago. 5. I contacted GMC Customer Care in October after the dealership told me they had no idea what was causing the issue. I have had a case number [XXX] since that time. I was told on the first call that if necessary a Tech would be sent to fix the problem. Today I called asking for a tech to be sent only to be told I had to take it to another dealership and try them before a Tech could be sent! I have two questions, can you help with this and does this qualify as a "lemon law" case? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Sep 24, 2022
The driver-side mirror on my 2021 GMC sierra is unusable at freeway speed. When traveling at freeway speed the glass moves due to wind and causes the reflection in the mirror to be blurry. The reflection from the mirror is blurry to the point that I'm unable to identify objects in the mirror and it is difficult to gauge size and closing speed of any objects in the mirror. The issue has been with the vehicle since I purchased it new in June of 2021. The issue has been reproduced by two different dealership service centers and the entire driver-side mirror assembly has be replaced twice with the issue persisting. I have videos showing the issue but they are too large of files to upload on this form.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 10, 2022
My truck shakes/shutters at random times. while steadily driving at constant speed and/ or shakes/shutters even more when I try to accelerate.
Other or unspecified, Jan 17, 2022
The only way to get the heater to work on your feet is to turn off defrost, turn on only feet, turn on AC and sync both sides. I live in North Idaho and when you do this your windshield fogs up and freezes. I have taken this to the dealership and was state "Works as designed by GMC". To me this is unacceptable. I drive 90 miles each way to the airport and have to decide what condition i can live with. Completely frozen feet and a clear window or the reverse.