Which GMC Sierra 1500 years have the most transmission complaints?

The 2018 and 2019 model years lead, with 111 and 106 complaints in this area and the highest rates per vehicles sold. 2021 is next with 95. Years from 2024 on have fewer filings, but they have had less time to collect them, so low counts there do not prove they are trouble-free.

Is it safe to drive a Sierra with transmission problems?

It depends on the symptom. Owners report lunges into objects, sudden power loss, and rear wheel lockup at highway speed. Those can cause crashes. A mild shudder is less urgent, but have it inspected soon. Park the truck if it will not shift or shows metal in the fluid.

Is there a recall for Sierra 1500 transmission problems?

Federal records list two in this area. One covers 2019 and 2020 trucks with a driveshaft joint that may separate. The other covers 2020 to 2022 diesel-equipped trucks with a transmission control valve problem, fixed with new software. Many hard-shift complaints fall outside both, so check your VIN.

How much does a Sierra 1500 transmission repair cost?

Owner complaints give a wide range. A fluid flush ran $500 plus a $165 diagnostic fee. Replacement transmissions were quoted at $6,000 and $7,552.24, and one 2022 report put a replacement at over $7,000. Repairs under warranty or a recall can be free.

Does a fluid flush fix Sierra shifting problems?

Sometimes, but often not for long. One 2018 owner got about nine months of relief. Others had a flush, a software relearn, or a new torque converter and saw the same symptoms return, and some later needed a rebuild or full replacement.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

GMC Sierra 1500 Transmission Problems

GMC Sierra 1500 transmissions most often shift hard or shudder, and some fail outright, in both the 8-speed and 10-speed automatics.

Owner complaints: 565
Share of all complaints: 21%
Crash / fire / injury reports: 7 / 2 / 6
Related recalls: 2

Sierra 1500 transmission complaints by model year

Complaint counts in this area are highest for 2018 and 2019, with 111 and 106 filings, and those years also have the highest rates per vehicles sold. 2021 follows with 95, then 2022 and 2020 in the low 70s. Counts fall from 2023 onward, but that mostly reflects less time on the road. 2025 has only 12 complaints and 2026 has none, and both are too new to judge. Owner reports for 2024 and 2025 already describe valve body faults and sudden power loss, so a short list of filings is no clean bill of health.

2018
111 · 6.3/10k sold
2019
106 · 5.7/10k sold
2020
70 · 3.5/10k sold
2021
95 · 4.8/10k sold
2022
73 · 3.8/10k sold
2023
58 · 2.5/10k sold
2024
40 · 1.7/10k sold
2025
12 · 0.4/10k sold

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA under power train. Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints.

What goes wrong

Hard shifting is the complaint owners file most. They describe a jolt like being hit from behind, a shudder under light throttle, clunking downshifts, or a lunge when the truck is put in drive. Early trucks with the 8-speed automatic are known for this. Later trucks with the 10-speed add limp mode, lost reverse, and trucks that refuse to shift. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem, and many owners say it comes back after a fluid flush or a new torque converter.

The risk goes beyond annoyance. Crash reports include low-speed lunges into carts, a handicap sign, and a garage wall, plus a 2023 report of the rear wheels locking at highway speed and the truck veering across lanes. Other owners lose power at speed and must cross traffic to reach the shoulder. Two reports describe a truck rolling or shifting on its own while in Park. Fire reports in this area are few, and the fire complaints in the sample describe engine trouble. Failed units often leave trucks parked for weeks or months waiting on parts.

Symptoms owners report

Harsh, jarring shifts

The truck slams into gear, clunks on downshifts from 2nd to 1st, or jolts hard enough that one owner said it knocked the steering off line. It is most common on the 2018 and 2019 8-speed and often worsens over time.

Shudder under acceleration

Owners feel vibration, knocking, or a grabbing sensation when accelerating, sometimes with the truck leaping from a stop. Shops frequently cannot duplicate it, and owners pay repeated diagnostic fees while it gets more frequent.

Limp mode and lost gears

The transmission drops into a reduced power mode, sticks in first, loses reverse, or refuses to shift. Reports include code P0747 on a 2023 and a failed valve body on 2024 trucks, and some trucks lose power at highway speed.

Rear wheels locking at speed

Several 2020 to 2023 owners describe the rear wheels grabbing suddenly on the highway, sometimes with a loud bang and a flashing D. One 2023 owner reported the truck veering across several lanes.

Unexpected movement

Owners report a lunge forward when shifted into drive, a truck rolling backward after being put in Park on a hill, and a 2025 truck idling in Park that moved into Reverse by itself.

Metal in the fluid

Some failed transmissions show metal shavings in the fluid and rattling from the pan. A 2020 owner reported a bearing failure and was told another truck came in with the same problem in the same two weeks.

When the problems start

Some 8-speed trucks start early. One 2018 owner felt hard shifts from 15,000 miles that worsened by 67,000. Shudder shows up from about 22,000 miles on 2019 trucks. Valve body failures appear much earlier on newer trucks, between about 4,775 and 10,672 miles on 2024 models and at 22,000 and 28,000 on 2023 models. Complete failures cluster from 40,000 to 75,000 miles, and one owner reported failure past 120,000 while towing.

Repairs and recalls

Owners report a ladder of fixes: fluid flush, software relearn or reprogram, new torque converter, valve body, then full replacement. Relief is often temporary. One 2018 owner got about nine months from a flush. Costs in complaints include a flush at $500 plus a $165 diagnostic fee, $6,000 and $7,552.24 for replacement transmissions, and one 2019 owner waited five months for a unit. Two recalls are listed. One covers 2019 and 2020 trucks for a driveshaft joint that may separate, with a free driveshaft replacement. The other covers 2020 to 2022 diesel-equipped trucks for a transmission control valve, fixed with new software at no charge.

Model years	Campaign	Problem
2020, 2021, 2022	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…
2019, 2020	20V650000	General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 trucks. One of the driveshaft joints may not have been properly welded, causing the…

Checking a used Sierra 1500 for transmission problems

Test drive from a cold start and feel for shudder, clunks, or a lunge between 1st and 2nd gear and when shifting into drive.
Shift between Park, Reverse, and Drive several times and watch for delays, slams, or any movement while in Park.
Ask for service records showing fluid changes, torque converter work, valve body repairs, or software updates, and the mileage for each.
Look up the VIN with the manufacturer for open recalls, especially on 2019 to 2022 trucks and any diesel.
Check the fluid for metal shavings or burnt smell, and have a shop scan for stored transmission codes before you buy.
Walk away from a truck that has been waiting on transmission parts, or ask for written proof the repair was completed.

2 transmission recalls cover the GMC Sierra 1500. A VIN check shows whether the car you're looking at had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.

Look Up a VIN →