2019 GMC Sierra 1500 problems & reliability
615 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 10 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
7 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 283 | 46% |
| Power Train → | 129 | 21% |
| Service Brakes → | 107 | 17% |
| Electrical System → | 94 | 15% |
| Unknown OR Other | 43 | 7% |
| Steering → | 42 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 23 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 21 | 3% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) → | 16 | 3% |
| Structure → | 15 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 15,400 miles (middle 50% between 5,500 and 71,000 miles), based on 197 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Complete failure on Cylinder 3 after AFM system caused lifter collapse in 5.3L V8. Lifter fell into cam shaft and scored the shaft at 55mph. Truck started surging and shaking violently. Truck shaking had me swerve to the side of the road as I was coming up on a crosswalk with golf cart about to cross the road. Vehicle…”
Engine · filed Aug 2, 2026
“ENGINE DIED!!,Had it towed to local dealer and was told I have L87 engine failure ,but the recall dosen't cover 2019 models. Service tech says it only covers 2021-2024 6.2 engines. Is there any action I can follow to be added to the recall. Thanks for your swift attention.”
Engine · filed Jul 29, 2026
“The Lifter on my GM Sierra AT4 truck with a 6.2L (L87) engine collapsed and damaged the engine shafts and cylinders in the block. While driving, the engine started to lose power, and a ticking noise started to occur. I pulled the car over to the side of the road and called the dealer, which told me to have the truck…”
Engine · filed Jul 28, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Engineering Analysis EA25007 · opened Oct 23, 2025 · open
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE25001 · opened Jan 16, 2025 · closed Oct 23, 2025 · led to recall 25V274
Technical service bulletins
1,746 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The 10 most recent:
This document assists GM dealer technicians with diagnosing torque converter concerns to ensure torque converter replacement is necessary. The torque converter part number will be placed on order restriction, and the…
PIP6127 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2026
This PI provides information to repair the door water deflector which is not sealed properly allows water into the door jam/sill area.
PIT5680B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2026
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This PI was created to help avoid unnecessary front camera module replacements
PIT6473F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2026
This PI provides a diagnostic tip on poor a/c performance due to a condenser issue and instructions to replace the ac condenser.
PIT5767B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2026
The purpose of this PI is to inform dealer technicians of a normal cab pressure relief valve noise to avoid unnecessary part replacement
PIT6532 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026
This document restricts dealers from ordering an engine assembly. The technician must contact GM Technical Assistance to have diagnostics verified and that an engine assembly is needed.
PIP6114A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2026
The document advise technicians after an engine repair involving removal of the camshaft actuators, the vehicle may set p1101 P0172 and or stalls when taken off idle. The technician is instructed to verify the intake…
PIP6115 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2026
This document restricts dealers from ordering an engine assembly. The technician must contact GM Technical Assistance to have diagnostics verified and that an engine assembly is needed.
PIP6114 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2019 GMC Sierra 1500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 15,400 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.