We were driving down the interstate at about 75 mph when a message came up that said to shift to neutral and push the start button. My husband did and it continued to drive perfectly fine, but about 6 miles down the road it did the same thing again except when he pushed the start button it did not start. I cannot begin to tell you the cause as to why it would’ve been doing that as I have never had any other issues with it.
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 engine complaints
Page 5 of 10: complaints 101 to 130 of 260, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Bought the truck less than four months ago and as of yesterday it consumed a substantial quantity of oil and later refill. However today it made a noticeable noise until it shut off permanently. Dealer did not disclose this
I started to notice changes in performance around 75k miles. Seemed like performance was subpar compared to what was the norm. Seemed to lose some power. Minimal at first, more so just recently around 90k. Oil consumption was starting to accelerate at each oil change at 75k, 80k, 85k, 90k. To the point around 85k and 90k that I would not go over even 1 mile from the 5k threshold without changing the oil. Around 90k I could tell it was not getting any better, deficiencies were accelerating it seemed. At 91k miles I started to hear clicking noises and loss of power, starts were getting rough, bouncing at idle. I stopped driving it, only driving it to the dealership where I brought for a look at it. Will be driving it again for them to do a deeper diagnostic. Many misfires at cylinder 5. PO305 the issue. Showed up around 91k miles on 12/17/25 Now investigation into my model. I see online.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power with the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Vehicle Might Lose Power" displayed. The vehicle remained at the residence, and the contact used a self-diagnostic tool to retrieve a fault code related to the coolant valve D. The contact determined that the coolant valve D needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the contact was unaware of the part that needed to be fixed in the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown the federal safety agency Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.
Fuel management system caused a lifter to fail (stuck) which resulted in camshaft damage at 77,611 miles. GM refused to cover the repair, although there is a pending class action lawsuit against GM for this very issue. Truck was repaired at a GM dealership - Sunrise Collierville, TN. Repair costs was approximately $7,000. This occurred during a 2.5 hour road trip which put lives at risk. The truck began to vibrate, and the check engine light came on. There was no other warning before the failure occurred. No police or insurance were involved. This occurred on 9/27/25. It took the dealership 32 days to diagnose and repair the issue. Thanks.
The contact owned a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that after the vehicle was purchased and while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. However, the check engine light turned off, and the dealer refused to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and the check engine light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. However, the warranty had expired, and the dealer refused to inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was offered a five-hundred-dollar coupon. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that an unknown part was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that while turning on the engine, the contact's sister informed him that smoke was emitting from under the hood. The contact turned off the engine, opened the hood, and noticed that all of the wires were melted. The contact splashed water on the wires. The contact checked underneath the vehicle and noticed that the plastic that was burnt was leaking residue. The vehicle was left at the residence where the contact's mother lives. The next day, the contact noticed that the front windshield had shattered due to the heat from the burnt wires. The insurance company was notified and referred the caller to take the vehicle to be inspected. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The contact was informed that the vehicle had a factory defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. However, no assistance was provided since the warranty had expired. Â The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
In December of 2023 my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 was driving down the freeway, experienced a jerking and low oil pressure. Pulled over and shut vehicle off and wouldn't turn back on, engine locked up. The vehicle received a brand new 6.2l replacement motor in April of 2024- $15k in parts and labor. This vehicle was not included in the recent recall, but obviously experienced a similar issue. This was at 75k miles. The car was owned by a different owner at the time of the engine failure. I bought the vehicle as a repo and proceeded to get the engine fixed on it.
Engine lost all power while driving highway speed. Vehicle towed to Cavender Chevrolet dealer in Boerne, TX. Dealer inspected and determined cam bearings damaged. Engine replaced with remanufactured engine.
My 2020 5.3 l gmc at4 is experiencing loss of power with bucking & stalling. Cylinders are not activating when called check engine light is flashing, it starts rough and makes numerous noises at various speeds, as well as at idle. So I brought my vehicle to my local auto repair shop. Our mechanic found two failed fuel injectors and a failed throttle body. Then the loud knocks in my block failed an acoustic test. He also determined the lifters, push rods and camshaft are experiencing excessive wear. The afm system has failed! He warned me that further use of my motor (with only 42k miles on it) will cause a catastrophic failure. My research shows that these issues are becoming common of 5.3 gmc motors. We searched the country for a rebuilt motor and found that none are available for the next several months. However, I was able to find a new motor at much greater cost. Gmc has declined assistance at this time. My vehicle has no value as is, so I ordered the new gm engine. Without the dod system, these engines were designed to go well over 100,000 miles. I am a faithful gmc owner and none of my previous gmc trucks (2003, 2013, 2015, 2019) had such a major problem. Now the 2020's fuel saving system has failed and requires repairs that amount to half the value of my truck. When a full size truck stalls on the highway it's certainly life threatening.
Ticking noise coming from engine slight metallic noise as well. RPMs drop and when they drop, you can feel power loss constant hunting in the RPMs. Also a weird vibration, not all the time in the front end somewhere.
Driving on the Highway, the engine shuttered, but kept going. When I had to slow down, the engine stalled and would not restart. It left me in the center lane of a three lane highway. I was able to push the vehicle off to the side of the road. Very dangerous. No warning lights came on, no alerts. I had the truck towed to Folsom Buick & GMC in Folsom CA where the diagnosed a complete engine failure. The have now had my truck for a full month. They are trying to get GMC to share the cost of the replacement motor. In the meantime, I'm renting a pickup truck so I can continue to work.
-lifter failure on 6.2 v8 engine, causing damage to camshaft -lost significant propulsion while driving on the highway, nearly avoided being rear-ended by another vehicle due to loss of vehicle propulsion -dealer had to to replace lifter bank and camshaft -no issues, once lifter failed dash lights all lit up
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the check engine warning light and the brake warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that all the engine lifters and the camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Action Number: EA25007 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer offered to partially cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 107,787.
Engine fan has been constantly running, with engine temp reading around 230 consistently. After driving 5 miles on the interstate it shot up to 260 and said “engine temp overheating, idle engine”.
I am Having direct issues with the engine when the vehicle is started and continues while idling or driving at any rate of speed.There's a continuous "Knocking" noise that has concerned me for a while now. My vehicle (2020 GMC Sierra 6.2 liter gas engine) with almost 100,000 miles has been doing this for a while now (at approximately 50,000 miles) and (was documented at the dealership when I made a complaint which included what I considered the vehicle to be using/losing more "oil consumption" than the normal 3-4 quarts between oil change) dating back to 2022 0r 2023 when I was told by the dealership that the amount of oil being used/ lost still fit within the manufacturers specifications.
The engine failed and started burning oil at a rate of 3 quarts every two weeks. The vehicle is currently at the GMC dealership having the engine rebuilt at a cost of over $15,000. The vehicle has approx. 116,000 miles at time of failure, so it is outside of the manufacturers warranty. The GMC dealership (Fred Anderson Greer) has photos. The engine is a 6.2L but not currently under recall as it is a 2020, the recall includes 2021 - 2024 models.
My 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali with the 6.2L L87 V8 just began experiencing a new rough idle with intermittent RPM dips. There are no engine codes or warning lights. Idle drops are noticeable, suddenly began this week. I am concerned due to ongoing the federal safety agency Engineering Analysis EA25-007 involving this engine. Some owners reported engine failure with little warning. The truck has right over 68,000 miles on it and has had every oil changed performed at a GM dealer. I have had to top off the oil between cycles and always used the recommended oil, being the Dexos Gen 3 due to the truck burning a small amount of oil. More detail on a possible cause. I believe it would be worth investigating the DFM technology. I will be performing a fuel cleaner and possibly a lifter cleaner and/or additive. I would like to tune the truck and turn off the DFM since this is what I have read causes the truck to burn oil and damage the lifters. However, I will wait until this Analysis is completed before deciding to change the truck's stock tunes.
My engine is currently being torn down at the dealership.I heard a ticking noise coming from my engine so I took to the dealership I bought it from and when they did their diagnostics and inspection they said it was a connecting rod bearing failure.
This is the 3rd catastrophic engine failure since purchasing this new vehicle from the dealership, the vehicle is currently at the dealership and is available for inspection. The latest diagnostic report has been attached from the dealership for reference. My safety and the safety of others was at risk with each occurrence. The 1st occurred on the interstate when a lifter rod bent causing loss of power with no warning, engine was rebuilt by the dealership. The 2nd occurred on the interstate when a different lifter rod bent causing loss of power with no warning, engine was rebuilt again by the dealership. The 3rd occurred just recently while on a highway. The engine suddenly turned off with no warning. The dash told me to put it into neutral and start again. I had to coast the truck for a long distance after the sudden loss of power in order to attempt to restart the engine. The engine would not start. The diagnostic report from the dealership states "engine is seized tight, maxi fuse is blown, needs engine replacement."
First my torque converter went out, no warning lights only shaking wehn shifting, I got it replaced already it cost me $2400 Second Warning light service for Brakes, Traction and power steering come on and off. And sometimes truck doesn't brake well and steering wheel feels hard to drive, it has happened while on expressway with family. Third Engine oil low Add oil warning sign comes up alot and I have to add oil, engine has a rough idle now, also when I turn truck on smoke comes out while having a rough idle, recently it started knocking, I haven't moved the truck since than
This is a report on an incident that happened a year ago. Vehicle was taken to GMC dealer who replaced the engine at our expense. Seems to be consistent with the problem on newer GMC's that have been covered by a recall. This 2020 is one of three GMC's owned by our company. This expense was in the $12,000 range. (The 2019 experienced similar issues in 2022 and the expense was $2800 ish, and in 2024 another $1200 ish. ) Dash lit up like a Christmas tree, all warning lights on. Stalled, barely moved.
Engine ticking especially when cold, dealership claims they fixed it while it was under warranty but it has continued to do it.
At approximately 54,000 miles had a complete engine failure. Lifter blew apart and damaged crank shaft. Complete engine rebuild. Rebuilt in approximately 3 weeks. 2022 At approximately 138,000 miles had another complete engine failure. Lifter blew apart again, Entire engine was replaced. New engine took 10 weeks to get. Installed in 2 days after recieved. 2025 No symptoms or warning lights present prior to failure.
Engine knock, loss of power, engine failure warning, ticking
While driving at highway speed and attempting to pass another vehicle, I experienced an engine failure; loss of power, noise from engine, and numerous warning messages on the display. At the GM dealer, I was informed that a pushrod (cylinder #2) was bent, the source of the engine noise. Upon further inspection (removal of cylinder heads), it was determined that the cam shaft chrome had begun to flake causing pitting (lobe damage) which in turn caused the pushrod to fail. Had the pushrod broke instead of bent at highway speed, I feel there would have been a catastrophic failure with more severe consequences for my vehicle and others around me. Vehicle was diagnosed and repaired by a certified GM dealer. There were no prior warnings/indications of problem(s). I understand there is a current recall of the GM 6.2L L87 engine for model years 2021-2024. This incident occurred on a model year 2020 GM 6.2L L87, but the issues I experienced are identical to the 2021-2024 engines identified in the recall.
I experienced lifter and camshaft failure on my 2020 GMC Sierra equipped with the 6.2L V8 engine at approximately 72,000 km. GMC denied warranty coverage as my factory warranty had expired only four months earlier. The repair cost me nearly $10,000 out of pocket. My vehicle has been meticulously maintained with regular oil changes performed at my local GMC dealer every 5,000 km, and it has always been fueled with premium gasoline as recommended by the manufacturer. The engine failure was sudden and unexpected. All lifters and the camshaft were replaced during the repair. Since the repair, I have noticed intermittent RPM fluctuation under light load conditions. I am currently working with my dealer to diagnose whether this issue is related to the recent engine repair or a transmission flush that was performed at the same time. I am extremely disappointed in GMC’s handling of this situation. Despite this being a well-documented issue with the 6.2L engine, I received no goodwill assistance or warranty consideration from GMC. While my dealer provided a partial discount on parts and labor, I was still responsible for nearly the entire repair cost. I hope GMC and the federal safety agency will review this matter closely, as owners should not be facing such expensive failures on well-maintained vehicles with this engine.
A lifter in my cylinder is bad and damage to my cam shaft. This truck also has the 6.2L engine that was recalled for other GMC Vehicles.My safety was put at risk as I was driving it and it started smoking. I have had 2 different mechanics look at it. One mechanic was an independent business, the other was a certified GMC dealer. There was no warning lamps or messages.
Rod bearings spun and engine locked up while driving 70mph on the freeway. I was in traffic, and had to work my way over and off to the shoulder of the road. The engine was diagnosed and replaced by Hiley GMC at a cost of nearly $5,000 out of my pocket. This was at approximately 63,000 miles. Just out of warranty. No loaner vehicle provided. I was without my truck for 2 months. There were no warnings at all. No lights or noises of any kind. Rod bearings spun again on the replacement engine approximately 35,000 mile later. It happened same as before. Driving on the freeway at 70mph, and the engine seized. No power steering, no warning noises or lights. I had to coast across lanes through traffic and onto the shoulder. Diagnosed and replaced by Jerry's GMC. They replaced the motor at no charge except I had to provide the new radiator because it was on backorder. They had the truck for over 3 months and I had no loaner vehicle. With approximately 65,000 miles on the latest engine, a lifter went out. I put it in the shop to have all the lifters replaced, and motor mounts replaced at a cost of $6500. Upon taking the truck for a test drive, the engine seized in traffic under an overpass and blocked one lane of traffic. The shop dropped the oil pan to check it out, and, lo and behold, this engine has spun rod bearings again. There is definitely a serious and dangerous problem with the L87 6.2L. Being a 2020, it is not currently included in the recall, but it needs to be included. I spun bearings the first time in August of 2021. I was hoping it was just bad luck. I hadn't heard of all the instances at the time. I've never had a major engine failure prior to this model, and this one has failed 3 times in the same truck with meticulous maintenance.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. Multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The engine was repaired. Most recently, while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, with an abnormal sound coming from the engine. Multiple warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the camshaft, bearings, and lifters in cylinder #4 had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. However, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
The check engine light went off and started blinking. The engine started making ticking noise. I pulled over. The check engine light kept blinking. I had the truck towed to the Chevy Dealership. They found damage to the lifter and camshaft. They had the truck for over 2 weeks. Luckily I purchased the extended warranty. But the repair still cost me 1,200.00 dollars out of pocket. And cost the warranty company over 9,000.00 dollars
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