2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Reliability Report

The upper grille trim between the hood and grille breaks loose at highway speed. It strikes and cracks windshields, scratches paint, and flies into traffic behind the truck. Owners find broken plastic clips. Many say a recall covers the same part on 2022 trucks, but dealers tell them 2023 trucks are excluded. Some notice the panel getting loose before it falls off. A smaller group reports the tailgate dropping while driving and damaging itself. The tailgate recall covers only trucks from one plant.

OnStar modules stop working, taking Wi-Fi, maps, and crash calling with them. Some dealers say the repair is not covered by warranty. The tailgate drops open while driving or when the driver door opens. Owners note that the recall covers Canadian-built trucks but not U.S.-built ones. Other reports cover the engine recall: dealers have no approved fix yet, and trucks shut off and shift to neutral on the interstate. Cameras that stay blank at startup and radiator bolts that work loose also appear.

Most filings concern recall 25V274000 rather than an actual breakdown. Owners receive the notice and then wait, because the recall parts are not yet available. Many say the remedy, an inspection and a switch to thicker oil, is only a temporary fix. Some reports do describe real failures: sudden power loss going uphill, a failed engine block, and metal found in the oil. One fuel module failure at 9,000 miles stalled the truck twice, and the part was back-ordered.

Power steering assist cuts out while driving, leaving the wheel very hard to turn. A Service Power Steering message usually appears, along with stability control and restraint warnings. Some wheels lock mid-turn, and some will not move after a cold night. Others fail to return to center coming out of curves. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, and one truck logged lost communication with the power steering module repeatedly. One crash report says the engine died during Super Cruise and the truck left the interstate. One fire-related report describes smoke and widespread electrical failures.

Power brake assist fails on the highway. A Brake System Failure message appears with a top-speed limit, the pedal sinks, and the truck becomes very hard to stop. ABS, traction control, and check engine lights come on together. Dealers find communication codes across many systems, and software updates do not always fix it. One case was blamed on a faulty battery. Some owners report the rear brakes locking at 65 to 75 mph. The crash-related report involves the electric parking brake engaging while the truck was towed behind an RV.

The reverse lights are too dim to light the backup camera view at night. The sealed LED housings cannot be fitted with brighter bulbs, so the whole fixture would need replacing. One owner nearly backed over a child. Other reports describe headlights and fog lights caking over with snow and a narrow headlight beam that leaves dips in the road dark. High beams and wipers cutting out together for about 30 seconds and flickering daytime running lights also appear.

The engine loses power and stalls without warning, often with no check engine light. It then cranks but will not restart, even with plenty of fuel in the tank. Dealers trace this to the fuel pump control module, and owners describe parts backlogs of about three months. Stalling in traffic leaves trucks stranded partly in the lane. A separate complaint describes fuel sloshing that thumps when the truck stops. A service bulletin calls the noise normal.