Most common 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Share of the 658 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra 1500 complaints by model year
Best Sierra 1500 years: 2012, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019. Compare all years →
2019 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls (10)
Tires › Temporary/emergency spare tire
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function…
Remedy: Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's…
Tires › Sidewall
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Remedy: Dealers inspect and replace the tires as necessary, free of charge, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 25, 2021.
Tires
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021.
Seat belts › Critical fasteners
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021.
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
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 driveshaft to separate while the vehicle is moving.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 2020.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. These vehicles received updated software for the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM). This software has an error, and as a result, the vehicle's electronic brake assist may be disabled.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267.
Show 4 more recalls
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The battery positive (B+) cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially causing an intermittent electrical connection between the B+ cable and alternator.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect for the presence of glue or other contamination at the B+ cable attachment to the alternator and clean the connection and reattach the B+ cable connection, as necessary.
Service brakes
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Cadillac CT6, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. Due to an Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) software error, the vehicle's Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Antilock Brake System (ABS) may become disabled.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at…
Seat belts › Pretensioner
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab and GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The passenger-side frontal air bag module may have been damaged during assembly, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly in the event of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2018.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500:
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
On January 16, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25001 after receiving complaints and field reports concerning engine failures in MY2019-2024 GM's full-size truck and SUV T1XX platform equipped with the L87 6.2L V8 engine.
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the L87 6.2L engine produced by General Motors (GM). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25V-274.
What 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 owners say
Engine & cooling all 331 →
The contact owned a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the A/C stopped working. Additionally, the contact smelled an electrical wiring burning odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact then noticed smoke coming from under the glove compartment. The contact stated that he pulled to a carwash and exited the vehicle. An explosion occurred under the hood and the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the vehicle burned significantly. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A police report was filed. A fire department report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was totaled. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,653.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, blue and white smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the smoke ceased. The contact opened the hood and inspected the engine. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the smoke started coming from under the hood again. The messages "Parking Brake Service Required", "Reduced Steering Assist", "Proceed with Caution" were displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop, the engine jerked abnormally. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 140 →
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle occasionally downshifted or unintendedly came to a stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the transmission software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that on another occasion, the vehicle started to turn off unintendedly at traffic lights. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed and it was determined that the valve body software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that on another occasion, the vehicle started to vibrate violently while driving on the highway. …
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH and making a left turn, the vehicle shook violently. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle and turned off, and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, but after shifting into drive(D), and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal "roaring" sound. The contact stopped the vehicle and had the vehicle to be towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the valve body on the transmission needed to be replaced; however, the part to complete the repair was on a national back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. …
Brakes all 114 →
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brakes seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle several times, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. Due to the failures, the contact was almost in two crashes. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a brake module reset. The independent mechanic contacted the dealer and was informed that the brake module needed to be reset. The technician from the dealer installed the software for the brake module reset, and the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was retrieved, but the failure reoccurred a month later. …
The contact's partner owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "Service Brake System" and ABS warning lights illuminated. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, and the message that the vehicle would not exceed 62 MPH was displayed. The vehicle was restarted, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated with a message that the vehicle would not accelerate above 42 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed and the diagnostic test revealed that the brake pipe had seized in the brake master cylinder and that the pipe fitting threads were damaged. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder and the reservoir seal needed to be replaced. Despite the repair, the dealer stated that the master cylinder and brake line fitting were still defective. …
2019 GMC Sierra 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 19 / 22 / 20 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 22 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 10-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 a good car?
Based on 658 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2019 Sierra 1500 rates avoid: 8.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sierra 1500 at the same age. It is one of the Sierra 1500 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500?
The engine & cooling — 331 complaints, 50% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (140) and brakes (114).
How many recalls does the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
There are 10 recalls for the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, the most recent from December 16, 2021 (temporary/emergency spare tire). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Sierra 1500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2019. See the full GMC Sierra 1500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 14,000 miles; 68% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.