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2016 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems

85 complaints (25% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 47,000.

owner complaints
85
of this car's complaints
25%
typical mileage
47,000
crashes
0
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Automatic transmission: torque converter
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems in other years

1994200020052010201520202026

Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Jerking 32Harsh shifting 18Shudder 14Hesitation 12Transmission failure 7

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Nov 1, 2026 · Transmission · NH

Loss of power, shuddering, hesitation upon attempt to accelerate. 8-speed automatic transmission failure, known to GMC at the time of purchase (2017). GM Service Bulletin 39370 dated April 2016.

Filed Oct 10, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · CA

Transmission was replaced about 13 months or so after purchasing and was already out of warranty.

Filed Apr 7, 2026 · Brakes, Transmission · IN

1- transmission issue, it’ll occasionally slip from 1-2 gear and engine rpm’s will shoot up making it when you release the gas pedal it’ll kick into second gear it’ll also do minor kicks into other gears (8l90 transmission) 2- breaks issue, unsure of what the problem is but at very low speeds like parking or going in slow traffic the break pedal will get really hard making you have to press extra hard for it to break, releasing and pressing again doesn’t help either

Filed Mar 19, 2026 · Transmission · NY

since we have had this truck the transmission has not worked right to where no longer works plus we have paperwork from other dealship have said this truck should have never been sold to us by the other deal they told us this truck has a lot of issues and is not road safe we where told by that dealer they cant help us so we need help with this the truck don't even have 100,000 on it the truck also pulls to the light sometimes and sometimes to the right .....

Filed Jul 14, 2025 · Transmission · 66,456 miles · AR

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated while responding, shuddered, and made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter clutch shudder and failure. The dealer determined that the torque converter clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to partially cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 66,456.

Filed May 12, 2025 · Transmission · IA

Truck has 8L90 transmission, has recently started shuddering at speeds from 65-75 and higher, I am experiencing issues with occasional hard shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, and 2 days ago experienced a very hard shift around 30-40mph when it slammed it made the tires chirp. 85k miles.

Filed Mar 18, 2025 · Transmission · MA

Vehicle sluggish upon acceleration. Transmission downshifts unexpectedly. Vehicle continues to rev bounce at steady acceleration and when driving at speed without acceleration.

Filed Mar 16, 2025 · Transmission · MI

6 speed auto transmission issue with shuttering and will intermittingly sounds like when you drive over the groves on the side of the highway and sometimes hard shiffting between lower gears . It has same issue as being already report with gmc transmission . I have taken truck to local buick dealership and have them flush fluids and replace filter . Issue has reaccurred . Trans does not slip forward or revers .

Filed Feb 26, 2025 · Transmission · CO

My transmission jerks randomly. It's done it since it's been brand new. When it does it, it is usually when it deaccellerates. I don't know if it's dangerous but I was hoping they had a fix for it by now.

Filed Nov 17, 2024 · Body, Electrical · FL

Paint bubbling on roof. When turning on key, the radio makes a loud buzzing sound. On 11/16/2024, when leaving a traffic light, the truck began surging and shuddering. Tachometer was revving up and down like the transmission was slipping with loss of power while trying to take off and accelerate. While attempting to return home, loud booming noise was coming in from under floorboard. I was unsure if I would make it home before the transmission totally failed. People were passing around me because I was unable to acceleration fast enough because of the shuddering and loss of power. No previous signs of any powertrain issues or failures before. It happened for the 1st time today, and my truck is no longer safe to drive. GM has known about this transmission issue for years on several different models and has failed to broadly rectify the mechanical problem on all affected vehicles. Instead, GM has allowed the vehicle owners to continue to drive a vehicle with a known problem while it waited for a failure. This put me and my family at risk because I am driving around in a vehicle with a known transmission problem not knowing when it would fail or where I could be located when it failed. GM needs to pay for all repairs on all vehicles with this transmission failure because GM has known about this problem for years before someone gets hurt or killed. GM knew about the shuddering problem from the beginning, and they fixed the problem by tuning the transmission which then caused the total transmission failures over time which vehicles owners are not dealing with. Metal shavings are being located in the pan when inspected. GM should be held responsible for the cost of these transmission repairs. I would have never purchased the GMC Sierra 1500 if I have known GM was installing defective transmissions in new vehicles. That is shady, reckless, and unsafe. GM, pay to fix these problems.

Questions about the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission

Does the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 have transmission problems?

Owners have filed 85 complaints about the transmission of the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 25% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 47,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the GMC Sierra 1500 have bad transmission?

The GMC Sierra 1500 model years with the most transmission complaints are 2021 (147 complaints), 2019 (141 complaints) and 2018 (131 complaints).

Other 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 problems

Brakes 106Electrical 54Engine 41Steering 38Suspension 15Visibility 14Airbags 12Fuel system 9Driver assistance 8Body 7Seats 7Acceleration 4Lights 4Wheels 4Seat belts 2Tires 2

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