2020 GMC Sierra 1500
This year had more than double the complaints of this model's typical year.
This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.
- Complaints
- 469
- Recalls
- 12
- Investigations
- 3
- Top problem
- Engine
Campaigns on file for 2020
Opened by NHTSA
50% of complaints
Complaints per year
2020: 469 complaints
View as data table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 13 |
| 1995 | 3 |
| 1996 | 5 |
| 1997 | 83 |
| 1998 | 59 |
| 1999 | 158 |
| 2000 | 181 |
| 2001 | 140 |
| 2002 | 166 |
| 2003 | 180 |
| 2004 | 212 |
| 2005 | 177 |
| 2006 | 145 |
| 2007 | 262 |
| 2008 | 380 |
| 2009 | 234 |
| 2010 | 167 |
| 2011 | 284 |
| 2012 | 107 |
| 2013 | 115 |
| 2014 | 738 |
| 2015 | 719 |
| 2016 | 342 |
| 2017 | 353 |
| 2018 | 302 |
| 2019 | 643 |
| 2020 | 469 |
| 2021 | 570 |
| 2022 | 575 |
| 2023 | 470 |
| 2024 | 366 |
| 2025 | 111 |
| 2026 | 125 |
Known problem areas
Percentages can add to more than 100% — a complaint can name more than one system.
Engine
50% · 235 reportsShow complaint excerpts
Piston 5 dropped compression to 120 the rest were 190-200. The engine failed therefore none of my parking assist sensors were working and I backed into a car because the truck was misfiring.
NHTSA ODI report, 2026-08-24
Also filed under Back over prevention
The truck starting making a ticking noise within 24 hours the check engine light was on and it starting shuttering. I got it to the dealership were they informed me of lifters failure, and catastrophic engine failure.
NHTSA ODI report, 2026-08-04
I brought my truck into a certified GM dealer for recall work on the ground strap. I left the dealership and multiple lights came on dash: check engine light, service ecs, traction control, service parking brake, steering assist reduced.
NHTSA ODI report, 2026-08-03
Power train
21% · 97 reportsMost commonly citing torque converter.
Show complaint excerpts
My truck shudders when driving. It has 78,000 miles on it. It started shuttering around 73,000 miles. I baby my truck and don't do switch backs or hot rod around.
NHTSA ODI report, 2026-08-03
My truck transmission beed jerking off and on for over a year. One time it lose power when i was driving and could have caused an accident. I took it to the dealership and they said i new a new transmission for $12000.
NHTSA ODI report, 2026-07-17
Also filed under Suspension
Electrical system
17% · 80 reportsMost commonly citing speedometer/odometer and sensors.
Show complaint excerpts
Tailgate releases on its own while parked, without the use of the switch. Tailgate released on its own with my trailer attached while parked on many occasions.
NHTSA ODI report, 2024-12-04
Service brakes
11% · 53 reportsMost commonly citing hydraulic and air.
Show complaint excerpts
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 GMC sierra. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the system brake failure warning message illuminated on the instrument panel.
NHTSA ODI report, 2020-06-17
Also filed under Steering
The ABS system failed while driving down the road causing the brakes to lock up and caused the truck to spin out of control nearly crashing into another vehicle and jumping over the center divide into oncoming traffic.
NHTSA ODI report, 2020-03-04
Steering
8% · 37 reportsMost commonly citing power steering fluid.
Safety timeline
12 recalls · 3 investigations · oldest first
To check one car, enter its VIN on the NHTSA recall page. Check a VIN →
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2019-12-13Seat belts19V814000 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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019.
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2019-12-18Fuel system, gasoline19V837000 General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019.
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2020Complaint volume 469 complaints filed for this model year.
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2020-03-09Electrical system19V888000 General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks.
Remedy: 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.
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2020-03-23Service brakes, hydraulic20V116000 General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The bolts used to attach the front and/or rear brake calipers may have not been heat treated and may break under load.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake caliper bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-866-522-9559.
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2020-09-03Air bags20V446000 General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020.
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2020-12-10Power train20V650000 General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 trucks.
Remedy: 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.
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2020-12-17Tires20V684000 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.
Remedy: 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.
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2021-01-26Seat belts20V792000 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.
Remedy: 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.
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2021-03-22Tires21V115000 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...
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021.
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2021-04-09Preliminary evaluationClosed 2023-08-24 Air Bag Malfunction
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2022-02-07Tires21V985000 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.
Remedy: Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge.
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2024-12-12Power train24V797000 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...
Remedy: 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.
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2025-01-16Preliminary evaluationClosed 2025-10-23 Loss of motive power due to engine failure
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2025-10-23Engineering analysisOpen Loss of motive power due to engine failure
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2026-03-06Power train26V083000 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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026.
Buy-smart checklist
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 — pre-purchase inspection
Inspect
- Engine: 235 reports on file for this year.
- Power train: 97 reports on file for this year.
- Electrical system: 80 reports on file for this year.
Verify these recalls were completed
- Recall 19V814000 · Seat belts
- Recall 19V837000 · Fuel system, gasoline
- Recall 19V888000 · Electrical system
- Recall 20V116000 · Service brakes, hydraulic
- Recall 20V446000 · Air bags
- Recall 20V650000 · Power train
- Recall 20V684000 · Tires
- Recall 20V792000 · Seat belts
- Recall 21V115000 · Tires
- Recall 21V985000 · Tires
- Recall 24V797000 · Power train
- Recall 26V083000 · Power train
Other years of this model
See all years ranked →FAQ
- Is the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaint volume compared to this model's typical year, the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 is rated "significantly worse".
- What are the most common problems with the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?
- The most-reported component is engine, accounting for 50% of complaints on file.
- How many recalls does the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
- 12 recalls on file for this model year.
Data updated 2026-10-09 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.