2020 GMC Sierra 1500 problems & reliability
464 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 12 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
6 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 231 | 50% |
| Power Train → | 96 | 21% |
| Electrical System → | 79 | 17% |
| Service Brakes → | 49 | 11% |
| Unknown / Other | 43 | 9% |
| Steering → | 37 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 25 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 19 | 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%.
All 27 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 106 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 44,000 miles (middle 50% between 8,850 and 84,374 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“5/5/25 woke up back seat entire truck flooring soaking wet back glass cracked. 4/8/25 transmission went out 117,000 miles 7/3/25 exhaust leak and placed nox 1. 7/8/25 127551 mileage exhaust leak replace gaskets, belt , tensioner, and pulley, 6/8/2025 3 knock sensors replaced and replaced intake manifold.”
Engine · filed Sep 15, 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing power and decelerated. The check engine warning light was flashing with several unknown messages displayed. The vehicle was parked on the side of the road and later towed to the local dealer…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Sep 14, 2026
“Powertrain issues and a chassis issue that is extremely dangerous.Tailgate on rare occasions falls open by itself. There is a design flaw in the placement of the catalytic converters. The heat is burning up the fluid. I could not believe my eyes when I serviced the transmission. This is another shortcut by GM to save…”
Engine · filed Sep 9, 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
1,536 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The 10 most recent:
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2026
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…
PIP6127A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 27, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates an issue where an aftermarket autostop device or rear taillights is causing a dead battery.
PIT6031B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2026
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
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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 44,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.