2015 GMC Sierra 1500: jerking or lurching

Filed Jun 20, 2025 · Driver assistance, Transmission · AL

I am reporting a critical issue with the transmission. The transmission frequently slips, hesitates, and jerks unexpectedly during acceleration and gear shifts. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has lost power or failed to respond while entering intersections, merging onto highways, or attempting to accelerate—posing a serious safety risk. The issue often occurs without warning and has worsened over time. Additionally, there are instances of harsh downshifting, delayed engagement from park to drive, and sudden lurching forward or backward, which could easily result in a collision. Despite visits to the dealership and complaints made, the issue has not been resolved, and I’ve learned that many other owners of this same model have reported nearly identical symptoms. This appears to be a systemic problem with the transmission system. Given the safety risk, especially in traffic and at high speeds, I strongly believe this defect warrants immediate investigation and a formal recall.

Filed Mar 17, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · SD

Motor blew up while driving down the road. Had to replace motor on 08/23/2023 at about 116,000 miles. Left me and my family stranded in the middle of no where. Was going around 60 miles an hour and when passing someone got up to 71 mph and then motor blown push rod bent. Transmission issues. Hesitation when switching from park to drive/ reverse. Takes at least 40 seconds and when you accelerate it will jerk so hard. Will lunge forward very sudden and sometimes even when coming to a stop at a stop sign. This happens almost every day.

Filed Apr 11, 2024 · Transmission · 88,000 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while at a stop light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle jerked and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Filed Mar 4, 2024 · Electrical, Transmission · MD

I purchased my truck (15 GMC Sierra z71 4x4) with around 122,000 miles on it. I would be owner #2. Truck ran great. Around 150,000 miles I noticed my truck's transmission start to jerk while accelerating from gear to gear. No engine light ever appeared. Problem stopped. A few days later while dropping my daughter off at school, my truck wouldn't go passed 35 mph. I had to put the shifter in manual and shift to third gear. Other gears would just rev the rpm's to 4 or 5. Since I didn't want to put my family, me and others on the road at risk. I parked my truck and started driving my other vehicle. A few months went by, and my other vehicle had a flat tire, I had to drive my truck to work. On the way home from work, my truck started acting up again, jerking while accelerating. speedometer would go up however truck didn't move. I had to pull over quickly so I wouldn't be broken down in the traffic lane. I turned the ignition off and waited five minutes and started the truck up. I was able to make it home. At this time the engine soon light came on. I ran my scanner on my truck and code P0700 TCM was the only code showing. I had a Gmc dealer look at my truck and stated I would need a new transmission. I have done many months if not almost close to a year of research with results showing that transmission problems just what I was experiencing are a common problem with 2014-2019 chevy and Gmc / Silverado pickups with transmission 6L80. I dropped my truck off at another transmission shop just yesterday 3/3/24 and the results today were I need a new transmission. Torque converter issues. The shop stated that they repair / rebuild almost three chevy / gmc trucks like my truck a week with the same transmission problem. I still owe on my truck and shouldn't have to pay almost 6K for a transmission that is known to be an issue from the start of factory build. I own many older model gm / chevy vehicles and only had one other issue with one which also had a known recall issue.

Filed Nov 10, 2023 · Transmission · SC

Vehicle has jerking and feels like you are being hit. scared for my safety. Have taken my my Vehicle to a transmission shop for investigation.

Filed Jul 27, 2023 · Acceleration, Electrical · TX

When I turn the steering wheel, the ac turns off, lights turn off, the computer screen turns off, steering wheel gets hard and does a jerking movement. The truck turns off too and then suddenly turns on. This can cause a death. If this happens in a highway or a street where speed is high this can easily cause a death.. fortunately this has happened going at 30 mph and no one close at the time and also at a drive through fast food restaurant. It has not been confirmed by the dealer but I will soon have to take it. The only light that comes up is the StabiliTrak.. but it only lights up when it happens and then it goes away.

Filed May 1, 2022 · Transmission · ME

The transmission is lurching forward when initially put into "D" then when driving it seems to be confused on which gear to go into especially between 40- 50. The other problem is the truck will make a shudder like driving over a washboard but only on smooth pavement, then shift into allow gear and the engine will rev up. is this something that the dealer will repair. I'm concerned to drive it.

Filed Feb 11, 2021 · Engine, Transmission · 25,000 miles · TN

Violent and erratic shifting during acceleration and deceleration... A simultaneous pop and jerk happens... Also when accelerating and hitting passing gear the truck seems to stall out and then quickly engages to apply more power than expected... This can be dangerous for a driver attempting to merge onto highways/highways! The jerking occurs on a regular basis and at various speeds on various highways...

Filed Sep 2, 2020 · Engine · 111,338 miles · AL

When I was driving my truck off the highway onto the main road where I was going I noticed there was an issue with my truck. After coming to a stop at a red light once it turned I accelerated and suddenly felt a jerk from the truck and heard a loud whistling noise. It did this multiple times about 5-6 time every time I would accelerate from a speed of 30-40. I decided to drop it off at my local gmc to get it looked at. They called me the next day to pick it up since they ran it through diagnostics and didn't find an issue with the vehicle. Once I got there I demanded for the mechanic to come drive the truck with me to see what the issue was and they decided they needed to keep it for a couple of days to get it looked at. They then called two days after and said that the transmission was messed up and needed a new one totaling the cost to $5346.07 which is certainly not something we can afford right now! I don't understand how they didn't see the issue the first time they diagnosed it?? This is something that needs to get recalled I have seen many similar issues.

Filed Jun 17, 2020 · Transmission · 71,122 miles · IA

My 2015 gmc sierra has the 8 speed transmission which has been an issue since I have owned the vehicle. I bought the vehicle used in the fall of 2018 and the truck/tranny ran good for about 10 months. Then in late summer and early fall of 2019, the truck jerking hard shifts started to appear. In october of 2019 I brought my truck into my dealer to have them look at my tranny due to the really hard shifts from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd and vice versa 3rd to 2nd and 2nd to 1st. I had to pay a $80 diagnosis fee and they reprogrammed my tranny and the ecu to smooth out the shifts and not make the shifts so hard. In all the software reprogram did get rid of the hard shifts, but in return now my vehicle drove like it has a 6 speed transmission instead of an 8 speed. In june of 2020 I brought my truck back into my dealer to look at my tranny again! Now my tranny felt like it was always "hunting" for a different gear. When driving on the interstate at 75 MPH 1600 RPM, if there was a little bit of head wind or I started to drive up a hill, the tranny would downshift and RPM's jump up to 2200 RPM to make up for the difference in road grade, same as when driving in town up a hillat 35mph. A 8 speed transmission should not be doing that! At interstate speeds (75 MPH) my passenger side seat will sit there and just wiggle and shake back and forth. I have changed out ball joints and struts with brand new ones thinking that was the problem and the seat still wiggles back and forth. When driving my vehicle it feels like I am driving with a 6 speed transmission than an 8 speed. I have read that this seems to be a common problem in these model year gm vehicles and I feel gm needs to finally address this issue once and for all and keep their gm customers satisfied. I didn't plan on buying a 3 year old used vehicle for it to have the issues it has had since I have owned it.

Filed May 1, 2019 · Electrical · 41,000 miles · CO

10113356 steering wheel kicks/ jerks back and forth. Car shuts down completely. Electronics reset for no reason. Sounds like its known issue, but gm doesn't want to do anything for it.

Filed Apr 26, 2019 · Transmission · 102,000 miles · AR

Transmission shifted hard, delayed acceleration at times, shuddered and jerked. This was usually slowing down to turn around 30 or 40 MPH as the truck was in motion. After only two years the entire transmission had to be rebuilt. The transmission was shifting poorly the moment I drove it off the lot even if it "adaptive learning" you could tell there was something wrong.