power steering locked up while driving. multiple dash lights turned on, on its own after the issue, 4wd, emergency brake, abs, and other ones im not sure what they are. took it to the dealership for a recall and told them the issue that happened.
2021 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 76, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My truck will not start when I press the push-button ignition. After waiting a few seconds and trying multiple times, it typically starts on the third attempt. Additionally, it will not restart after the auto stop feature activates at stop signs or traffic lights. This is very concerning, especially when pulling into oncoming traffic, as I’m worried the truck could shut off while I’m crossing. I have already had the battery, starter, and alternator checked, and all components tested fine. However, the issue is still occurring. There are also no warning lights or messages displayed on the dashboard.
Shift to park dings continuously and vehicle won’t turn off draining battery leaving doors unlocked. Don’t want to force into park and break anything more.
Coolant Control Valve
2021 GMC Sierra AT4, VIN [XXX] , the federal safety agency Campaign 25V‑274, GM Case XXX. Brake pad monitor failed at 128,923 miles -- 24 miles after leaving Penske Chevrolet (released at 128,899, RO XXX, 04/17/2026). Brakes became spongy immediately following service. Monitor disabled entirely to stop recurring red Service System alert. Root cause is a burnt fuse block ground fault confirmed in writing by two GM-authorized dealers. Ray Skillman (RO XXX, 06/05/2025) documented the fault then deleted Labor Operation 14BUZ ENGINE ELECTRICAL from the recall repair work order. Penske documented verbatim: "all of these other faults share this same ground circuit." The recall repair at Ray Skillman used a remanufactured short block instead of a complete engine per N252494002. The original seized-engine oil pan has never been replaced across three dealerships and 128,000 miles. GM's own Part 573 filing states this defect "increases the risk of a crash." I drove 300 miles on an interstate on 04/22/2026 with active brake warning and no loaner because GM Executive Resolution refused to authorize one. Three GM dealers have inspected this vehicle. GM Executive Resolution Team [XXX] ) has not returned calls or emails and has not confirmed in writing this vehicle is safe to operate. OnStar issued a Critical Alert for P0617 on 04/15/2026. Zero brake faults existed in the 13 months prior to the Penske visit. This is a direct continuation of unresolved electrical damage from a botched federal safety recall repair at 384 days and counting. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving down road and had total loss of power steering and yes it is available for inspection. Almost drove it off the road due to loss of steering Yes, it happened to be a failed main grounding strap that created the issue. The dealership made the repair. No, it was inspected and repaired by the dealership Yes, started with loss of power steering, then truck died and these codes popped up: Low fuel code, but tank was full; trailer brake system code; side detection code and esc traction control code.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-65 MPH on an incline, the contact believed that the transmission was slipping or there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart automatically after the engine AUTO Start/Stop system was engaged after a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated that after driving for a while, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light and other warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact related the failure to GM Campaign Number: N252515590 (Corroded Ground Strap); however, the dealer had informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered because the VIN was not included and there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Following the remedy of the engine recall in 2025, the truck started having intermittent electrical issues (i.e. warning lights on dash turn on/off: service 4WD, Loss traction Control, etc) come one while the truck is being driven. If the truck is turned off while the dash warning lights are on, it will NOT Start for about 24 hours. If the warning lights are ignored, eventually they will go off on their own. Additionally, the truck is having "no-start" problems (randomly the truck does not start, then after a few days it starts). A New development, when backing up there is a scraping/squealing sound (possibly universal joint). Truck has been back to the dealership that replaced the engine block for the recall and they have failed to identify any issues as these problems are intermittent. Engine Recall Replacement Invoice (Attached)
Rear tailgate on my 2021 Sierra opens or drops when wet. This seems to only happen in a heavy rain or after a truck wash. This problem has been recognized by the manufacturer and the dealer. There is no warning other than the constant clicking of the electric switch allowing the tailgate to drop. This problem has been recalled on the 3/4 & 1 ton trucks but not the 1/2 ton. The tailgate and switches are the same on all 3. Because my vin# does not show for this recall I had to pay for the replacement
Truck went in service 9/17/2025 because the wheels locked up while driving. Transmission was replaced. Picked up truck and 2 hours later the truck shut off while driving and was started back up and was limp mode. Was told wire chaffing and they taped and rerouted wires. Picked truck back up and next day it did the same thing. Took back to the dealer and they said wires again. They taped wires back up and we picked up the truck. We had it 7 days and while driving down the expressway the whole truck shut off and would not start up again. Clearly that is a safety issue. After sitting on the side of the expressway for 10 minutes it started up again and was in limp mode and taken to the dealer again. I don’t know what has been done to it yet as they are not great at communication but they have had our truck for 4 months minus the 7 days we had it before it had to go back to the dealer.
Muti pro tailgate has electric issues due to moisture. Tailgate will open up driving down the road.
The Intermediate speed sensor 2 and internal transmission harness failed. The repair was to replace the internal transmission harness and intermediate speed sensor. This vehicle is a 2021 and I was told this was recalled on a 2022 only.
experience a automatic OTA update to the info system on my 2021 GMC Sierra(I did not iniciate) which burnt out the radio module which controls the info system. I am being charged $1,300+ for repair due to vehicle being out of warranty(52,000 miles) and no recall on this vehicle model for this issue. GMC does have a recall for this exact issue on the 2021 GMC Tahoe models, but not the GMC Sierra. If the GMC utilizes the same componets for both models of vehicle how doe the recall#N202319250 not cover the exact same issue on both models?
I am an active U.S. Air Force member. My 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 failed GM Recall N252494003 on Sept 29, 2025 (L87 engine loss of propulsion). GM states this defect can cause sudden engine failure and loss of propulsion, increasing crash risk. Despite the confirmed failure, Ocean Cadillac (Miami, FL) told me to keep driving the unsafe vehicle and refused all Courtesy Transportation. The Service Manager admitted in writing that the engine failed, the defect can cause loss of propulsion, and the replacement engine is delayed under GM National Control for up to 3 months — yet they still denied me a loaner or rental. His statements contradict the GM documents he attached: • GM Bulletin DCS7222 says Courtesy Transportation CAN be provided during L87 recall downtime and dealers MUST consider loaners/rentals. • GM FAQ N252494002 says Courtesy Transportation IS available for this recall. • GM FAQ lists recall symptoms (check engine light, hesitation, high RPM, reduced power) — NOT battery drain. • GM states: “If the engine fails, the vehicle WILL lose propulsion.” Ocean Cadillac ignored these rules and put me back on the road in a known unsafe vehicle. As an American manufacturer, GM has a responsibility to protect American drivers. Their failure to follow recall procedures placed me, my family, and other motorists at risk. I request the federal safety agency investigate whether GM/Ocean Cadillac are complying with recall safety requirements and whether customers are being told to drive unsafe vehicles after confirmed failures.
I took my truck through a car wash and then parked at my parents house. While the vehicle was parked, the trunk latch kept releasing. The trunk popped open. I left it open but you could hear the latch continually releasing and the lights blinking. This went on for an hour and I was unable to drive home because my trunk kept unlatching! A recall was released for other Sierras but not mine. Please investigate my vin and others that may be affected.
I am experiencing a recurring issue with my 2021 GMC Sierra where the dashboard displays a “Shift to Park” warning even though the vehicle is already in Park. This typically occurs when I attempt to shut off the vehicle. The doors unlock as expected, confirming the truck is in Park, but the warning prevents me from turning off the ignition immediately. After a few seconds, the warning usually disappears, allowing me to shut off the truck. This issue is more frequent in cold weather, suggesting a temperature-sensitive electrical or mechanical fault. Based on research and community reports, this appears to be a known issue across multiple GM vehicles, often linked to a faulty micro switch or wiring harness in the shifter assembly. I am concerned about the safety implications, especially if the vehicle fails to shut off properly or if the issue worsens over time. GM has not issued a recall for this problem, and I believe it warrants further investigation due to its widespread nature and potential risk.
2021 GMC Sierra 1500 [XXX] miles 36,500. My childs seatbelt does not work and the lane keep assist does not work INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that there was an abnormal change with the RPM. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The dealer received an email from the manufacturer, but the verbiage was incorrect to move forward with the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
GM has has a known issue with a switch/sensor placed at the base of the shifter that causes the “shift to park” error message that prevents the electrical system from shutting down when the vehicle is physically in park and the engine is turned off, In fact, GM has issued a recall for several different models in which a “shift to park” error message is displayed because of the poor design; however, they continue to see the same issue occur but claim it is not a warranty issue (unless it occurs within 3 year/36,000 mile time frame. This is not an issue that can be caused by owner misuse, and I believe that GM should be held liable for repairs given that the issue is, and has been, known for several years now.
While driving my truck with my wife and two young boys, the truck engine completely shut off while operating it. We were stuck in the middle of the road and had to cautiously wait until we could move the vehicle out of the way. The engine locked up. Now they are trying to repair the engine with the same exact engine that is on recall and potentially put me and my family in the same dangerous position.
See attached vehicle repair orders/Carfax/vehicle registration. The trucks transmission has been slipping/jerking hard since I pulled off the lot at dealer ship. Its burning oil no leaks has been doing so since the day I drove off the lot at dealership. I have asked to fix or address and problem still exist. They sold vehicle as everything was working The Left head light wasn’t working the day I drove off the lot didn’t notice until I got home I reached back out to dealer to explain and said light had a short in kept truck for almost a week said the were going to replace the head light and never did. The remote start wasn’t working the same day i purchased the truck but sold it as everything is working. I went to try it as I was getting ready to leave dealership and did nothing. Then I discovered the fog lights were missing, and dealer said oh there was never any in the truck but if you read the service paper work there was lights in truck. Took truck back to address the issues the next day or so after purchase I was told to bring truck back the following week. All the conditions still exist and I should not be having any of these issues as the sold vehicle nothing wrong. They even had an October inspection saying everything was SAT but I get in truck no fog lights and left head lamp is not working but they performed an 360 inspection….yeah no way… This truck is doing the same as my 2021 chevy Silverado but there is nothing wrong with vehicle according to dealership. Sold A Lemon if you asked me… ***Highlighted in yellow is a recall that the dealership has not done nor can they find anything on the recall**** *****Power train**** Recall date 2024-10-24 Recall no. 24V797000 General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel en
Transmission recall was performed at a gmc dealership. Vehicle has been the the shop repeatedly since. Coolant control valve crank case position sensor new catalytic converter and dpf system. New low temp coolant loop pump. In the shop now for another low temp coolant pump that’s been shorted out. Seems to have on going electrical issues since recall was performed
ESC ERROR PARKING BREAK NOT RELEASING Dashboard lights started flashing Check engine light came on
This truck, along with many others, has had wiring harness issues. My truck has fought this issue within the first six months of owning the truck. Since Jan 2025 it has left me stranded 3 times to be towed, and in the shop a total of 6 times for wiring harness issues. Rubbing that GM is 100% aware of how its designed. This has caused the truck to hesitate, shake, lunge, go in and out of gear severely hard then shut off while driving. All three time this happened to me recently i was on the interstate. GM has work orders out with all the codes and symptoms but wont do anything about it. Yes, i am out of warranty, but i am now paying over $5,000 for a new harness to be installed by a different dealer. The dealer that had always worked on this truck requested $8,100 so i called a new GM shop. This is a large issue and they keep turning their back and not addressing the issue and putting drivers at risk! Can provide last diagnostics and can request all notes from Stoops Buick GMC in Muncie Indiana, i have a rather large file there on this truck.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle remained running. A message was displayed to shift to park(P). The contact stated that the lights, radio, and other functions remained operational. On another occasion, the vehicle jerked, and the steering was difficult to turn. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle had not been taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact also stated that the trunk failed to fully close. The message that the trunk was open was displayed. The contact attempted to close the trunk and message on the displayed was turned off; however, the trunk remained slightly open. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,315.
My truck was part of a GM buyback program where GM Corporation bought the truck back to fix it around Aug 7th 2023 for engine problems. I am reporting this because I do not believe that GM ever reported this to NTSHA. There are also other issues happening at the same time period that should be looked into that may or may not be coincidences. At or before 10,126 miles the truck started having engine lifter and other engine issues. General Motors will not tell me exactly what was done other than lifters according to paperwork supplied. It may have had other issues like a spun bearing but it was never disclosed. Can NTSHA please look into this and information is found, could I please get the records. I asked for the paperwork of what was done while GM owned and troubleshot all the problems. I was told that information is only available to the original owner and I could not have it. It is very frustrating when General Motors Corporate use owner’s personal data as a way to hide what was done and not have to disclose required information. I am asking for service records while General Motors owned it and the service records they did to fix it. I know that there are many more engine problems that are not documented on the vehicle summary. GM will not buy back the truck over a few lifter issues. The truck was later fixed and Art Gamblin Motorsv in Enumclaw Wa, purchased it. I am told it is fixed but have no real paperwork proving this, I was able to purchase an extended warranty just in case. There is also quite a few of battery and electronic issues that do not seem normal with the car as well. The battery was replaced at 10,126 miles at the same time as the engine issues and the battery module was replaced at 29,536 miles. At 29,875 miles and 29,965 some type of communications module and On Star module was replaced. This is the around the same time as the truck was having engine issues and was eventually bought back for what is called “engine noise”.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine had seized. The contact was also informed that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Action Number: PE25001 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,000.
Multi functional tail gate will open on its own while driving. I have had this repaired by gm 3 times and still have issues. This problem is currently on the recall list for 2500 hd series trucks and the 1500 series trucks in Canada but not on recall in united states. This problem poses a life threatening problem while on the road due to contents of truck possible becoming projectiles to other drivers due to tailgate opening on its own .
[xxx], I purchased a 2021 gmc sierra 1500 from faulkner chevrolet in bethlehem, pa. I test drove the vehicle before purchase and it showed no indication of any mechanical issues that I was able to detect. I was shown by the dealership the carfax and was informed that there are currently no recalls for the vehicle. I was LED to believe that the vehicle was in good condition and safe to drive and, therefore, agreed to purchase the vehicle for the aforementioned price (including tax and title fees). I purchased the vehicle with 60,077 miles on it, and after driving it normally for only 5 days (on [xxx]) it broke down and I was stranded on the highway 16 hours from home. I was able to get the vehicle towed and paid $1,200 for the starter to be replaced, which is what the mechanic suggested but this ended up being entirely unnecessary as the real issue was due to a catastrophic defect in the engine. After the starter was replaced, I was driving the vehicle only a few days later (on [xxx]) and it suffered a catastrophic engine failure while driving 70mph on the highway. I lost control of the vehicle and nearly got in a collision with another vehicle. I was able to get the vehicle to the nearest auto shop and after inspecting the vehicle they informed me that there is a serious engine issue relating to a seized bearing and the engine will need to be rebuilt entirely. At this point it had been only 12 days since the purchase and the odemeter read 61,662 (1,585 miles driven since purchase). Due to the faulty vehicle, I was forced to pay to have the vehicle shipped from the location where it broke down to the dealership where I originally bought it (around $1,200). Faulkner chevrolet knowingly sold me an unsafe vehicle that they were well aware had a defective 6.2l v8 engine. This defect is currently under investigation by the federal safety agency and faulkner chevrolet purposefully ommitted this crucial information until after the vehicle was sold. Clearly, this is an unethical bus information redacted pursuant to the freedom of inform
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission slammed into gear and the rear wheels locked up. In addition, the vehicle decelerated independently. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact noticed that the vehicle was independently reset. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed wiring harness. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,129.
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