2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Reliability Report

The power tailgate opens by itself, whether driving or parked, sometimes hitting garage doors or other cars and often after car washes. The radio volume jumps to maximum and will not turn down. Power running boards extend or retract on their own, and one owner was injured in a fall. The trailer brake controller disables the trailer brakes while towing. Two fire reports describe cabin smoke and sparks from the radio console, or a stall followed by a fire. OnStar modules and engine computers also fail.

Most reports repeat problems filed elsewhere. The tailgate opens unexpectedly, and two crash reports involve backing a dropped tailgate into objects or a trailer. OnStar modules fail and cut off SOS and hands-free driving, sometimes more than once. The radio volume spikes to maximum, and the grille deflector comes off at speed. Two fire reports start in the engine area, one after the engine stalled and ground on restart, another while parked indoors. A persistent highway vibration that dealers cannot fix also appears.

Nearly every report involves engine recall 25V274000, and many describe waiting with no parts available and no repair date. Symptoms include excessive oil consumption, stalling with a hot oil message, knocking, and complete engine failure at highway speed. Some owners report problems after the recall work, including knocking within 3,000 miles of a replacement engine. One diesel owner reports a failed glow plug that was not covered by the special coverage for earlier 3.0-liter diesels.

The factory trailer brake controller shows Check Trailer Wiring, then disables the trailer brakes while towing. Dealers point to a GM bulletin with no fix, so owners of Max Trailer Package trucks lose trailer braking on the road. Separately, the master cylinder fails and the pedal sinks to the floor, in some cases below 16,000 miles. Some trucks need new rear pads or rotors by 16,000 to 22,000 miles. Several drivers report near-collisions when the truck did not slow.

Power steering cuts out with Service Power Steering and Service ESC messages, which leaves the wheel very heavy and stability control off. The fault can come and go for days before it stays, and it sometimes clears after the truck sits overnight. One repair needed a reworked part from GM and a full steering rack. Other reports describe a loud noise followed by a pull to one side, and random shutdowns with loss of brakes and steering. This category has few complaints.

A front upper ball joint and control arm fracture at highway speed, around 40,000 miles in one report. The wheel can wedge under the subframe, and the truck skids or loses braking. One of only 3 complaints involves a crash. Owners say warranty coverage paid for the control arm but not related damage. The number of reports is small, but each failure happened at highway speed.

Airbags fail to deploy in front-end animal strikes at highway speeds, one above 45 mph and one at 65 mph. One driver was injured when their chest hit the steering wheel. After one crash, the airbag warning light stays on with a service restraint system message. Only 2 complaints are on file, but both describe crashes.