2020 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
The 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 has 717 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (37%) concerns engine. Next are drivetrain & axles (14%) and electrical system (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 717 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 37% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 18 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 15 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 28,000 miles 193 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 92 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 14 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 18 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 20 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 22 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 8 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 11 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 5 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 193 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 28,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 65,000 miles (62 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 18 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 15 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 86% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the GMC Sierra 1500 with enough data (581 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 12 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I investigated and Unintended Acceleration crash that occurred on 8-9-2021. The vehicle had just left a body shop where it had repairs to the left front of the vehicle near the ECM. The driver reported the vehicle would not slow down. He face timed a witness and showed her his foot was on the brake and not the accelerator pedal collaborating his statement. The 2020 GMC accelerated to 93 miles per hour crashing into the back of a Cadillac Escalade.
This vehicle was involved in a fatal crash when it rear ended an SUV stopped at a red traffic light. The driver alleges mechanical failure of the brakes. Police performed a vehicle download which captured 5 seconds of pre-accident data. The download shows the accelerator pedal was fixed at exactly 57% the entire 5 seconds pre-crash while the driver simultaneously applies the brakes the entire 5 seconds. A city bus captured the crash on a dash camera.
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 GMC sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH the driver lost control of the vehicle and drove off the road and down an embankment before crashing to the ground. During the crash the vehicle sustained severe damage to the front end but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained head and shoulder injuries which required medical treatment. The vehicle was towed away. No police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined.
Smell of smoke strong in the cab and outside hood of truck. Also have seen smoke coming from hood of truck. Smells like burning electrical or plastic
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35-40 MPH and hauling a trailer in stop-and-go traffic, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle started losing power. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, where the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The parking brake was engaging and disengaging independently.