At approximately 9,000 miles and 9 months of ownership, both front wheelhouse liners on my 2025 GMC Sierra 3500HD Denali Ultimate permanently deformed and sagged into the front tire clearance area. The truck is completely stock, including the factory wheels, tires, suspension, and ride height. No modifications have been made that would affect tire-to-wheelhouse clearance. The condition occurred during approximately four hours of highway towing at approximately 65 MPH while pulling a travel trailer weighing approximately 12,000 pounds. Ambient temperature was approximately 105 - 114°F and side winds were approximately 20 MPH. Both front wheelhouse liners became visibly deformed and sagged downward toward the tires. Both liners now contact the factory front tires during normal steering, particularly during tighter low-speed turns such as parking-lot maneuvers. On the driver's side, repeated tire contact has worn completely through the wheelhouse liner, leaving a hole and exposing components behind the liner. I temporarily tied the driver's-side liner back to reduce further tire contact, but because the liner has permanently lost its original molded shape, tire interference can still occur during tight turns. The passenger-side liner has not been tied back or otherwise modified and shows similar deformation and tire interference. There was no collision, road-debris impact, tire failure, or other known event that caused the damage. The vehicle was being operated normally and towing a load appropriate for a GMC Sierra 3500HD. I am reporting this as a potential safety defect because the factory wheelhouse liners have deformed sufficiently to contact rotating front tires on an unmodified vehicle. Continued contact could potentially damage a tire or surrounding components and may affect safe vehicle operation. Photographs document the deformation, tire-contact area, hole worn through the driver's-side liner, and similar deformation of the passenger-side liner.
GMC Sierra 3500 tire blowout problems
22 of the 586 owner complaints about the GMC Sierra 3500 describe tire blowout or tread separation, most of them for the 2020 model year.
- owner complaints
- 22
- worst model year
- 2020
- typical mileage
- 29,400
By model year
- 20253
- 20231
- 20223
- 20212
- 20204
- 20111
- 20051
- 20041
- 20021
- 20011
- 19993
- 19981
Often reported together
What owners say
Catastrophic failure of drivers side rear tire. Complete delamination of tire causing severe vehicle damage. Tire and vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Tire exploded causing serious risk to passengers at highway speeds. Tire has not yet been inspected due to date of incident being on Saturday. Immediately prior to incident a small vibration was noticed in the rear approximately 1 minute before failure. Tire pressure was at 80 psi when troubleshooting vibration while traveling. Tire size 275/65 R20
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Wrangler Trailrunner AT, Tire Size: LT275/65/R20, DOT: (N/A). The contact stated that while hauling a camper and driving approximately 45 MPH and making a left turn, the driver's side rear tire had a blowout and the tread detached from the tire. During the failure, the camper swayed to the left. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and decelerated until the contact was able to stop the vehicle. While on the side of the road, the contact replaced the tire with the spare tire. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,666.
275/65R20 - Goodyear Wrangler. This is the tire that came with the vehicle. It had approximately 32,000 miles. The tire separated and exploded. We installed the spare but one of the other tires is getting ready to explode. This is not normal wear and tear. This is out of the ordinary that tires on a new vehicle explode. We were on [XXX] when this happened. This tire is a death trap. This is forcing us to replace all 4 tires because we do not know what is going to happen. The dealership (Jerry Seiner) will do NOTHING. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am reporting a potential safety defect involving Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner AT tires size LT275/65R20. I purchased a new 2025 GMC Sierra 3500HD in August 2025. By the time the vehicle reached approximately 1,800 miles, noticeable sidewall bulges appeared on both rear tires. As a 36-year automotive professional, I recognized the serious safety risk posed by this condition and replaced all four tires at my own expense with a different brand. Since then, I have seen multiple reports of similar sidewall failures on brand-new trucks, which suggests this may be a systemic issue. Based on my experience and these reports, I believe this defect may be known to both Goodyear and GM but has not been adequately addressed. I urge the federal safety agency to investigate this matter to determine whether these tires pose a significant safety risk to the public. Vehicle Information: Make & Model: 2025 GMC Sierra 3500HD Tire Model: Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner AT tire size LT275/65R20. Mileage at Issue: ~1,800 miles Purchase Date: August 2025 Summary of Issue: Sidewall bulging on new tires, potential for blowout or loss of vehicle control.
LT275/65R20 While driving Westbound on I87/US64/US264 at the on ramp of US64 business at highway speeds, the driver’s side rear tire tread de-laminated from the belts of the tire. Observed the entire tread airborne in rear view mirror. Pulled over to shoulder and observed for damage to other vehicles, no vehicle was hit but drivers did have to make evasive maneuvers to avoid debris. Tire remained at required PSI, thus did not deflate. Drove vehicle ¼ mile to ** exit to look for safe parking. Called AAA and had vehicle towed to residence. No police report filed. Reported incident to insurance agent in the event of a subsequent damage claim by other drivers. Tire was inspected by ** Tire and confirmed tread had indeed de laminated from tire core. Clear failure of factory tire mounted on factory wheels with no suspension or drive train modifications. Vehicle was totally stock at time of the incident. The safety of the other drivers on the road could have been significantly impacted had the tread hit their windshield or front tire. The violence of the tire separation was similar to an impact with large road debris. The vehicle suffered significant damage to the drivers side truck bed, bumper, sensors and wheel-well. Local tire company confirmed failure mode of tire. Vehicle had received required annual NC State safety inspection, by certified inspection station, including tires on April 30, 2025. There were no warnings prior to incident, visual or audio. The tire(s) involved are available for inspection, as owner has retained all 4 tires at time of replacement.
I am reporting a potentially serious and widespread safety defect involving Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner AT tires installed as factory equipment on General Motors trucks. My 2025 GMC Sierra 3500HD Denali has just 5,800 miles. Both rear tires, with DOT code 2724, have developed identical sidewall bulges behind the “NER” in the “TrailRunner” stamp. These bulges are consistent with internal structural failure, not road hazard damage. The truck has never struck a pothole or curb, and there is no evidence of impact or external damage. I have personally inspected several brand-new GM trucks on dealer lots, equipped with the same Goodyear tires, showing the exact same sidewall bulge in the same location. These trucks also have newer DOT Manufacture date stamps. Most importantly, these vehicles have never been driven, which strongly suggests a tire manufacturing defect, not a driver-related issue. At my first scheduled service, the dealer’s service department refused to rotate the tires, citing the bulges as a safety risk. I filed a formal complaint with GM and requested that they involve Goodyear. GM denied the request, claimed the damage was from road impact (without evidence), and stated that the decision was final and not disputable. They refused to conduct any further investigation or escalate the claim. I believe GM’s refusal to act on a potential structural defect, especially one seen across multiple new vehicles, demonstrates a failure to exercise due diligence and exposes the public to unnecessary danger. A blowout from these bulges could lead to serious injury or fatal crashes. I am urging the federal safety agency to open a defect investigation into Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner AT tires, particularly those with DOT code 2724 and newer, as installed on GM trucks. I am prepared to submit photographs and dealership documentation as necessary.
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra Denali 3500 equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Wrangler, Tire Size: LT275/65/R20. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH and hauling a camper, the passenger’s side rear tire experienced a blowout. The driver was able to change the tire. The tire struck the camper and caused damages. The vehicle was taken to a tire center, where it was determined that the tire was defective. The tire was replaced. The driver sustained injuries to his back, and medical attention was provided. There was no Police report filed. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000. The approximate vehicle and tire failure mileage was 31,000.
The right rear tire (Goodyear Wrangler 275/65R20) separated and blew out on the highway, the truck was very difficult to control however it was safely stopped and there were no injuries. There was no observed warning prior to the blow out. The tire separation caused damage to the right rear quarter panel. The spare was installed and finished the trip safely. A tire shop found a second tire with evidence of separation on the left front corner. The tire that blew out on the highway is (DOT PJOT JB1V 0721) and the other 3 including the one with evidence of separation is (DOT PJOT JB1V 0821). The blown tire has been returned to Goodyear in Ohio by the auto repair facility at Goodyears request. Goodyear is refusing to assess the other 3 tires unless I bring them to an authorized service center which is not possible with only 3 functional tires including the spare. The 3 remaining tires are at the auto repair facility.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 3500 equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Wrangler Trail Runner, Tire Size: LT275/65/R20), DOT Number: (NA). The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle exhibited the death wobble, causing the vehicle to become difficult to steer. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the wheels aligned; however, the contact was informed of tread separation on the front driver’s side tire, and that the driver’s side rear tire had bubbles. The contact was informed that the passenger’s side front and rear had bubbles as well. The tires were replaced with a different brand tire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,400.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the GMC Sierra 3500 tire blowout
Which GMC Sierra 3500 years have tire blowout or tread separation problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2020 (4 complaints), 1999 (3 complaints) and 2022 (3 complaints).
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