2020 GMC Sierra 1500 problems & reliability
441 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 12 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.
6 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 213 | 48% |
| Power Train | 88 | 20% |
| Electrical System | 77 | 17% |
| Service Brakes | 48 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 42 | 10% |
| Steering | 37 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 24 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 4% |
| Suspension | 18 | 4% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 14 | 3% |
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 44,000 miles (middle 50% between 8,800 and 82,000 miles), based on 105 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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. Dealer is recommending replacing engine since it's a 2020 and not part of recall.”
Engine · filed Aug 4, 2026
“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. 7 minutes later the engine began miss firing. The dealer asked me to bring it…”
Engine · filed Aug 3, 2026
“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.”
Power Train · filed Aug 3, 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
- Air Bag Malfunction
Preliminary Evaluation PE21010 · opened Apr 9, 2021 · closed Aug 24, 2023
Technical service bulletins
1,533 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 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
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 PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 14, 2026
This PI provide diagnostic tip for an SES MIL with DTC P16A7 and/or P16AF. Dealers are to inspect for a loose connection.
PIT5687B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 8, 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 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 has 12 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 2020 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 44,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.