2020 GMC SIERRA 1500 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with crankshaft failure. The contact was informed that the crankshaft could be replaced; however, the dealer suggested that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.

The brakes suddenly activate and cause the vehicle to rapidly stop with no warning of any kind and without any braking action being taken by the driver. Then, the brakes do not release and the vehicle cannot be moved as the brakes remain on. Turning the engine off and then restarting it or shifting to other gears does not release the brakes. The vehicle remains immobile and cannot be driven. After a few hours have passed, like overnight, the brakes release and the vehicle can started and driven just as if nothing had happened. A message briefly appears on the vehicle information screen each time this inadvertent braking occurs. It reads, “Brake Failure System”. These brake lockdowns occurred when driving on streets and in the driveway. No accident resulted but could have easily occurred. This is dangerous for a driver and occupants of a vehicle with this safety flaw as well as for other people and vehicles in the vicinity. This has happened five times. The last two instances resulted in the vehicle being loaded onto a tow truck and taken to a dealer of the vehicle’s manufacture. Thus far the dealership has not found what may be causing this intermittent braking problem.

On Friday, January 30, 2026 while driving our 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, we experienced sudden loss of power and the motor making a faint rattling noise. The motor soon after began making a horrible sound - - it was obvious something was very wrong. This vehicle only had 31,995 miles on it at the of the issue. We had the truck towed to the dealer the following day for evaluation. Upon inspection, it was determined that the #5 lifter had collapsed and the left bank of lifters needed to be replaced at an estimated cost of $4500. There were no warning lamps or alerts on our app for over 24 hours. Once at the dealer, we explained to the service advisor that our research concluded that GM is fully aware of these issues and that they are under investigation for possible recall. Our service advisor then made a call to GM who agreed to cover this repair under warranty (which we appreciate and feel was the right thing to do). However, after additional research, we are concerned that the right bank of lifters will fail next, or even worse, catastrophic engine failure that GM will refuse to cover. It is our understanding that NTSB is aware of these issues and is in the process of conducting an investigation. I would like to have our issue added to the investigation.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly sputtered. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The dealer determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly went into LIMP Mode. There was no warning light illuminated. On several occasions, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and lunged forward while stopped at a traffic light. There was no warning light illuminated during the failure. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle 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 97,000.

The brakes suddenly activate and cause the vehicle to rapidly stop with no warning of any kind and without any braking action being taken by the driver. Then, the brakes do not release and the vehicle cannot be moved as the brakes remain on. Turning the engine off and then restarting it or shifting to other gears does not release the brakes. The vehicle remains immobile and cannot be driven. After a few hours have passed, like overnight, the brakes release and the vehicle can started and driven just as if nothing had happened. A message briefly appears on the vehicle information screen each time this inadvertent braking occurs. It reads, “Brake Failure System”. These brake lockdowns occurred when driving on streets and in the driveway. No accident resulted but could have easily occurred. This is dangerous for a driver and occupants of a vehicle with this safety flaw as well as for other people and vehicles in the vicinity. This has happened five times. The last two instances resulted in the vehicle being loaded onto a tow truck and taken to a dealer of the vehicle’s manufacture. Thus far the dealership has not found what may be causing this intermittent braking problem.