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
572 reports, newest first.
Power train, May 31, 2025
Reached the 100,000 mile mark and the truck started shuddering. Took it to the dealership and they tell me the torque converter is coming apart and I need a new transmission.
Power train, Engine, May 30, 2025
My truck has a known recall from GMC which results in total loss of propulsion. It has not failed yet, but this is dangerous to me, my family/kids, and potentially others on the road. I have made multiple attempts to speak with GMC about the issue and also my local dealer. Neither group will provide concrete information as to when they can look at/service my truck even though there is a known remedy - [XXX] I brought my car into the dealer December of 2024 for brakes and also a rattling noise since it was uncharacteristic. Noises can be indicative of this larger problem (which I know now and didn't then) but they "didn't hear a rattle" and the "condition could not be duplicated" which is patently false since it still makes the noise/has gotten worse. Since then, I have taken the following actions: - I called and spoke with the local dealer service team on 5/5 - was told since it's showing incomplete, no remedy available there was nothing they could do - Spoke with GMC on 5/5 - they directed me to the local dealership - Made an appointment online on 5/10 to get my truck serviced and to check for this problem - They immediately called me first thing on Monday 5/12 to cancel my appointment and again tell me there is nothing they can do about this issue - I have continued to express my safety concerns to both parties - I spoke to GMC today, 5/30 and was told that there is no timeline for the issue (with my VIN) even though the remedy is known - An appointment is scheduled on 6/12 with my local dealership, but if I recall status hasn't changed, they will not check for this problem INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, May 30, 2025
front idler gear for the transmission pump failed at 39500 miles. was fixed under GMC warranty. but now after getting the truck back the transmission has extremely harsh down shifts. still waiting for GM to figure out what to do next..
Power train, Engine, May 29, 2025
The truck ever since of bought it has been nothing but issues. Starting with the fuel pump issues then electrical issues and most recently the coolant flow control valve. This is my work truck and now I’m out of a truck with no loaner and the dealership has no eta.
Engine, May 28, 2025
I’m filing a complaint regarding GM Recall N232404000/N232404002, which affects the L87 6.2L V8 engine in my 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4. This recall is tied to a serious defect that can cause sudden loss of propulsion due to internal engine failure. My vehicle has shown symptoms since purchase — including engine ticking, unusual noises, and low oil levels — all documented by dealership service records. GM originally instructed dealers to replace engines based on build date, which made sense given the nature of the defect. But now they’ve changed the remedy midstream. Instead of replacing potentially defective engines, they perform a PicoScope test, and if it “passes,” the only action taken is replacing the oil with a different grade. This does nothing to resolve the underlying issue. How does a manufacturer go from replacing engines due to internal failure risks to simply changing the oil and calling the problem solved? This undermines the purpose of a safety recall and places future liability on the consumer. A known internal mechanical defect cannot be fixed with an oil change, yet GM is closing out cases this way. Now I’m stuck with a vehicle I can’t fully trust — one that may still fail unexpectedly — and possibly face diminished resale or trade-in value due to an engine that other buyers will view as unreliable or patched over. GM is leaving owners with the long-term risk while clearing their books of liability. I urge the NHTSA to investigate whether this revised approach truly meets federal recall standards.
Engine and engine cooling, May 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, May 23, 2025
Unknown There is a recall on the this model but with different motor but when I took mine in they said it was a.manufactured defect but I was out of warranty because I purchased it cash and didn't get extended warranty now im having to replace and pay for a head and new engine over 10,000 when vehicle doesn't even have 70,000 miles it started with a engine light going on amd off for 2 weeks then it just stopped working It's too coincidental that the sister truck make n model to this had a recall for exactly what is wrong with mine
Engine, May 22, 2025
We have the 6.2 liter GM engine that has lost propultion. We are not covered in the recall and are 30,000 miles above the milage warranty, but still within the time portion of the warranty. GM payment assisitance has only offered us $1600 to help with replacing our engine. The dealership told me their warranty parts price was higher, so it really didn't offset any cost. This is our ONLY vehicle for our small appliance repair business. Our vehicle was manufactured at the plant in Canada where all the other faulty engines were manufactured. Please consider widening the recall to include our vehicle.
Engine, May 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 67,600.
Power train, Engine, May 20, 2025
Engine has stopped a couple of times at low speeds, Was able to restart and continue. Engine will occasionally make a "straining / Dieseling sputtering sound" when execellerating from low speeds or Stop. Transmission will make strange and strained shifts from time to time. This is reaccruing problem that comes and goes over the last approximately 2 yrs since about 9000 miles to current approx 25000 miles.
Engine, May 20, 2025
My GM 6.2L V8 engine has seized in less than 100K Miles. Thankfully not whilst driving and being potentially harmful to myself or others with the catastrophic failure. This problem is being widely report and continually occurring. GM is saying that I am not included in the massive recall for this, However NHTSA notes the vin range as NR and indicates incidents are still occurring. Seems to be a real lemon situation here and even bigger a letdown to uphold consumer safety.
Power train, May 19, 2025
The transmissions in this as well as several other models of GM as well as Ford products with these transmissions are known to have major issues. My particular vehicle has major transmission shipping issues that started right around 90,000 miles or so. It started with a hard shift occasionally and has now progressed to a consistant hard shift, as well as a major shudder issue in the 35-45 mph range as well as the 65-75mph range ( when shifting into applicable gears) this has gotten worse over the last few weeks. These GM/Ford collaboration transmissions have been faulty from their inception and are well known to start malfunctioning in the 80-120,000 mile range. Please recall these transmissions so that consumers are not faced with thousands of dollars in repairs in vehicles that should last well beyond the short life span of the transmissions. I have been quoted 62-6500.00 for a replacement as there is no rebuilding these transmissions according to the mechanics I have consulted...(some have cited part availability issues as a reason). This has been a well reported problem with these vehicles/ transmissions for years now with many complaints and issues about the faulty transmissions. Just google it. I don't understand why theu have yet to be recalled.
Engine, May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with cam shaft and lifter failures. The contact was informed that the cam shaft and the lifters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased in 2020, the failure had occurred; however, the repair was covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the rear tailgate panel buttons had deteriorated causing water intrusion into the panel, and the buttons became inoperable when pressed, and the rear tailgate would not open. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the rear tailgate panel, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Engine, May 19, 2025
code P1098. Engine light comes on, power is reduced, coolant fan runs on high. Temp gauge fluctuates. This last for 20 minutes or so. The engine then returns to normal. After a few days the engine trouble light goes off. This happens every several weeks. Parts are backlogged and I understand this is a common problem with this engine. I have 64000 on it.
Engine, May 17, 2025
While driving vehicle started running rough and exhaust was white from tail pipes, could not accelerate and warning lights were flashing. Limped to dealership and diagnosed with a bent rod and had to tear both sides of engine apart and replace heads on both sides due to bulletin for Gmail at 7500 miles. Why is this vehicle not part of the recall to protect my investment?
Engine, May 16, 2025
While the vehicle is traveling at highway speeds it is misfiring and sputtering, giving the feeling of a hard shift. When the vehicle is idling, the engine is sputtering like it’s going to shut off. If the truck were to shut down, as it seems to be trying to do, this could be deadly at highest speeds or intersections. The vehicle has been at a dealer since January 2025. They claimed to have fixed it but upon paying over $1200 and picking it up from the dealer, the problem persisted. We had to take it back to the dealer within 5 minutes of picking it with zero repairs and no estimated time of repairs ever since. No warning lights appeared at all.
Electrical system, May 15, 2025
GM has has a known issue with a switch/sensor placed at the base of the shifter that causes the “shift to park” error message that prevents the electrical system from shutting down when the vehicle is physically in park and the engine is turned off, In fact, GM has issued a recall for several different models in which a “shift to park” error message is displayed because of the poor design; however, they continue to see the same issue occur but claim it is not a warranty issue (unless it occurs within 3 year/36,000 mile time frame. This is not an issue that can be caused by owner misuse, and I believe that GM should be held liable for repairs given that the issue is, and has been, known for several years now.
Engine, May 14, 2025
So there is recall already for the engine but I’m not part of it which is weird cause my engine has been acting weird which I’m trying to take to dealer ship but they don’t want it due to I not being in the recall list. I have the engine 6.2 LTI have an 2021 GMC Sierra Denali
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, May 11, 2025
The engine coolant flow control valve position sensor is faulty. I brought mt truck in to my dealership and I have been waiting for over a month to get the issue fixed because “the part is on backorder”. This issue makes my truck sound like a jet engine because it makes the truck think overheating and causes the fan to come on at full blast. After drivinf for awhile it goes into “ reduced engine power mode” which is totally unsafe because it reduces the horse power to that of a lawn mower. It takes about 30 seconds to get from 0-60, so merging onto freeways or in conditions where you need extra speed its completely useless and increases the scenario of being rear ended, immensely.
Power train, May 11, 2025
VEHICLE IS DIAGANOSED WITH A COOLANT CONTROL VALVE ISSUE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A GM DEALER AWAITNG REPLACEMENT PART AND PART IS ON BACK ORDER FOR AN UNDERTEMINED AMOUNT OF TIME. IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND YEAR MODEL OF VEHICLE. THIS MATTER PUTS AN UNDUE HARDSHIP ON ME AS A VEHICLE OWNER. WITH NO KNOWN ETA FOR THIS PART I STAND TO BE OUT OF USE OF THIS VEHICLE FOR A LONG TIME. GM NEEDS TO BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND ATTENTIVE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AT A TIME LIKE THIS.
Engine, May 11, 2025
The camshaft cover in pre 2021 3.0L Duramax motors is leaking oil/def internally causing oil loss. This is something GM has noted in their TSB pages but has not issued a recall over. This is a hazard to emissions, oil consumption, and the def system. Also could result in premature engine failure.
Engine, May 8, 2025
-While driving the vehicle on the highway, abruptly lost power and RPM. Check engine light, along with multiple other warning lights lit up. When parking the truck soon after, had an associated rough idle with low RPM. The truck was then towed to GMC dealership. -Multiple fuel injectors failed, starting misfiring and caused damage to the engine. Unknown if previous injectors are available, replaced at GMC dealership. The damage resulted in recommendation to replace the engine. -Engine began misfiring while traveling at highway speeds, placing me at an increased risk of loss of control of the vehicle. -The problem was reproduced, confirmed, and inspected at a GMC dealership. -No warning lights or symptoms were present prior to accident. Incident occurred abruptly.
Engine, May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road, and upon parking on the side of the road, the message "Shift to Neutral" was displayed. The contact shifted into neutral, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, and was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 24,453.
Power train, Engine, Lane departure, May 6, 2025
El motor de mi camioneta falló por completo empezó a hacerle unos ruidos muy fuertes dentro del motor con solo 80,000 millas es del 2021 la compré el año pasado no llegó ni un año de uso una camioneta que supuestamente era muy buenas Estaba en el momento de lo sucedido estaba con mi mujer y mi hijo en el auto regresábamos de un restaurante acá en Miami y la camioneta se paró de pronto La camioneta fue inspeccionada por la garantía extendida la cual no asumió la reparación Luego del problema si salieron luces amarillas y rojas en la pantalla de mi camioneta