When I'm driving at a slow speed turning the truck looses all power and the steering wheel jerks out of my hand, stabilitrak is on the display and it says roll down driver window and roll back up! It also looses all power just driving down the road no matter the speed! I have also been stopped at a stoplight and it lost all power wouldn't come back on so I had to get out pop the hood and bang I. The battery box and cables and it started again! Very scary going 75 MPH and it shuts off leaving you no steering no brakes no lights no nothing! Sometimes it says power steering failure sometimes and sometimes it says stabilitrack problem at something about towing! The brakes were also affected no brakes
GMC Sierra jerking problems
61 of the 3,904 owner complaints about the GMC Sierra describe jerking or lurching, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 61
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical mileage
- 55,000
Is there a fix? There are 8 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Harsh shifting 4Slipping 2Power steering loss 2Hesitation 2Check engine light 2ABS 2Wipers 1Transmission failure 1
What owners say
Have had this into the dealer at the first oil change and complained about transmission shifting issues and it being unsafe to drive. Complaints are: hard shift, it clunks both upshifting and downshifting. Going around corners from a stop the truck will either fall on its face or jerks you violently forward. In stop or go traffic it is unsafe and happens very frequently- it randomly accelerates (jumps) quickly on its own with slight pedal pressure to the point where you constantly have to be aware and have your foot near the brake or you cause an accident by rear ending the car in front, its as if the transmission electronics get confused on how to act. Feel shuddering from truck's motor where column shift lever would shudder violently where I was afraid it would vibrate out of position. Rough idle is inconsistent at lower speed where you see tach going up and down. Starting cold you give it an easy pedal to move and wouldn't go. Trans doesn't kick in until you press harder and sometimes will lunge. Have taken into the various dealers 5-6 times, valve body change, engine motor mounts change and dealers can find no fix. Gm powertrain was even involved with no help. Complained to the gmc hotline and they said need 12,000 miles on truck before the truck knows how to drive because of the 'smart' transmission where it learns you're driving habits. Complained there are 2 of us that drive it how can it learn each individuals driving when it doesn't really know who is driving. They finally said there is nothing that can be done for it, that is the way it is. This all happens sporadically in both city low speed driving and highway driving, turning, backing up or going forward from parking. Because of these issues, didn't really drive the truck much because of the problems.
Vehicle shifts very hard in and out of 1st and 2nd gear. When starting to go at low speeds the vehicle almost stops when shifting and then jerks when it shifts. Same occurs when slowing to a stop. Vehicle was taken to the dealer and the power train was reprogrammed. The issue was a little better for a while. A few weeks later the same issue appeared again. Vehicle was taken back to the dealer in january 2020 and there is now a check engine code. Dealer plans to change 2 harnesses and change the fluid. Unfortunately the parts are on back order which kind of tells a story.
There is a shuttering in the transmission as the vehicle attempts to climb slight/steep grades at slow to medium speeds. Around 1500 RPM the vibration is sent throughout the whole vehicle. Having to increase acceleration to allow the truck to shift properly to overcome the lack of power has created a dangerous situation while navigating up snowy/ice hills. The vehicle also performs a lurching or sudden speeding up when downshifting when slowing to come to a stop. Depending on road conditions this creates a dangerous situation when approaching icy/slippery intersections.
My 2017 gmc sierra shutters and jerks when going into and out of 1st gear and going around corners when it changes gears. Especially when cold. Does not happen all the time. At times it has jerked into an intersectionand was scry. My wife will not drive this vehicle. Have had it looked at numerous times and they have changed the fluid. They tell me I have a quirky trans or it is inherent to this transmission. It is extremely frustrating and scary at times. I don't know what to do to get gm to fix it. This has been going on since I purchased the truck on 10/31/2017.
First off would be my dashboard air bag, the dashboard plastic is cracking with the concern on flying debris I brought my gmc 1500 into my local service/sales center and he told me with out a recall there is nothing he could do for me. Second I have been dealing with what seems to either the power train or brakes from day one I purchased my truck. What it does is when I come to a complete stop, release the brake, and then apply the accelerator I get a big cur plunk sound and feeling of the truck jerk. This is coming for the rear end of my truck I would assume the rear axial. I have brought this up to my local service/sales center , multiple times. He has not stopped the problem and tells me there is not much more he can do without the manufacturer posting a bulletin out.
2014 gmc sierra. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle electrical panel froze while driving. *smd also, the power steering locked up, the headlights did not work properly and the alarm sometimes sounded after the was removed from the ignition. Also, the engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice. However, the problem was still not resolved. There was a hesitation/lurch coming from the transmission, and an issue with the tire pressure monitoring system. The instrument panel malfunctioned on the way back from the dealer. The check engine light, illuminated sporadically. Updated 07/10/14 the consumer stated there was a steering issue, as well. The dealer was unable to replicate the problems. Updated 08/06/14
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 gmc sierra 1500. While driving 40 MPH, the contact stated that the vehicle would jerk and shift in between gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired nor was the failure diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 gmc sierra. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000....updated 10/19/12 *bf updated 10/25/12
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 gmc sierra hybrid (na). The contact stated that the brakes grabbed when the vehicle was coming to a stop, which made the vehicle come to an abrupt jerking stop. The contact also stated that when slowing down from higher speeds, he had to depress the brake pedal with extreme force. The dealer gave the contact a memo from the manufacturer to pump the brakes on the hybrids for a smoother stop. The failure mileage was 15 and the current mileage was approximately 2,000...updated 09/15/11 *bf updated 09/26/11
Related recalls
Power train: axle assembly: axle shaft
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles manufactured November 24, 2014, to November 25, 2014. Due to an improper heat-treatment, the rear axle shaft may fracture while the vehicle is being driven.
- Risk
- If the rear axle shaft fractures, the rear wheel may separate from the axle shaft, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axles, and replace any that were improperly heat-treated, free of charge. The recall began on December 17,2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet) or 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14892.
Recall number 14V819000 · Recall details
Power train: transfer case (4-wheel drive)
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles, and model year 2015 GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, an electrical signal short may cause the transfer case to shift to neutral without the driver's input.
- Risk
- If the transfer case switches to neutral while the vehicle is parked and the parking brake is not in use, the vehicle may roll away increasing the risk of injury to bystanders. If the transfer case switches to neutral while the vehicle is being driven, the vehicle would lose drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will re-program the software in the transfer case control module, free of charge. The recall began in early August 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), or 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14192.
Recall number 14V374000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM ) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Light Duty Regular Cab, Double Cab, and Crew Cab 1500 series and model year 2015 Suburban and Tahoe; GMC model year 2014 Sierra Regular Cab, Double Cab, and Crew Cab 1500 Series and model year 2015 Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6-Speed Automatic Transmission (feature code MYC). The subject vehicles may have a transmission oil cooler line that is not securely seated in the fitting.
- Risk
- If the line is not securely seated and transmission oil leaks from the fitting, the oil could contact a hot surface and cause a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission oil cooler line connection and repair the vehicles, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on May 19, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1‑866‑694‑6546 or GMC owners may contact GMC at 1‑866‑996‑9463. GM's number for this recall is 14121.
Recall number 14V152000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
- Risk
- As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1‑800‑630‑2438. Cadillac owners may call 1‑866‑982‑2339. GMC owners may call 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 13V001000 · Recall details
Power train: manual transmission: shift pattern indicator
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.
- Risk
- The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V055000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Some pickup trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles equipped with a hydraulic pump driveshaft that can fracture, resulting in immediate loss of hydraulic power steering assist. On certain vehicles equipped with hydro-boost power brakes, the same condition can result in loss of power assist for braking after the reserve pressure is depleted.
- Risk
- An inoperative pump can cause increased steering effort, and in hydro-boost equipped vehicles also increased braking effort, but does not completely eliminate the ability to steer or slow the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the hydraulic pump. The campaign began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V005000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- The transmission shift-cable lock clip can back out of its installed position resulting in a loss of cable adjustment. When the shift lever is placed in the "park" position, the "park" indicator light may not illuminate.
- Risk
- The vehicle can move unintentionally if the driver does not notice that the indicator light is not on and does not apply the parking brake.
- Remedy
- Dealers will adjust the shift cable and install a lock clip.
Recall number 95V139000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
- What is wrong
- Due to a thin case casting, an external transmission leak can occur.
- Risk
- This condition can cause transmission oil to sprayonto the exhaust system and result in a possible vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the transmission case assembly for the involved case casting. If the assembly is involved, the transmission will be replaced.
Recall number 95V026000 · Recall details
Questions about the GMC Sierra jerking
Which GMC Sierra years have jerking or lurching problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (16 complaints), 1998 (6 complaints) and 1999 (6 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used GMC Sierra?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history