Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 25 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and the front driver's side wheel detached. The vehicle came to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the upper control arm had disconnected from the steering wheel ball joint, and it was determined that the upper control joint, steering wheel column, and front driver's and passenger's side wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had received an alignment twenty days prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
While making a righthand turn at approximately 10-15 mph, my passenger side front wheel failed at the ball joint and collapsed. Reviewing the carfax, this is the 2nd time this has happened to this vehicle (the first was on the driver side wheel). I noticed Safety Recall Report 21V-718 seems to describe the issue I'm facing with the "front upper control arm experiencing accelerated wear... leading to ball joint separation", but according to GM, since no unsatisfied recalls are shown on my VIN report, there's nothing they're willing to do. I believe the failed part number is 573. This failure left my truck sitting in the middle of the road obviously with no way to move it other than a tow truck dragging it onto his bed.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving approximately 57 MPH, the vehicle violently shuddered, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that the driver's and passenger's side front tires needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
Loss of steering multiple times. Very dangerous to try and drive. GMC says shut off vehicle for 20 minutes and try again. Once it worked otherwise it continued to lose power steering, either driving or turning on. I have went into GMC forums and found out there are thousands more people that this has happened to. Thank you for what you people do.
2019 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT. Truck would not start on several occassions. By playing with brake, shift, and steering wheel truck would start again., Also would show warning notices, last one being {engine oil low-add oil}, even right after I just had the oil changed. This last time it would not start I paid to have my mechanic come to me to check it out. He tested a lot and thought it might be the starter so I then had to pay to have it flat-bedded to their garage. What he finally found was a BUNCH of wires worn through in a major wiring harness. It was caused by the wiring harness being next to the steering knuckle and the steering was wearing through the wires exposing bare wires. The mechanic and I see this as a major safety concern and a possible fire hazard. He has told me others have had similer problems . I believe this should definitly be a safety recall for these vehicles. …
This is a second report of an issue that first happened in February 2025, the dealer replaced the battery and called it fixed. On Friday 5-2-2025 I started the vehicle and as I was driving the dash lit up with these warnings: Service Trailer brake system, Service ESC, Brake System Failure 62 mph top speed, Steering assist reduced drive with care, The vehicle steering got stiff and brake pedal went to the floor board with a little braking available if I stood very hard on the brake pedal. I got off to the side of the road, cycled the truck on and off and was able to drive off. It did this three times before I could get it to the dealer the next day, If my daughter was driving I would have expected that two of the three would have resulted in a wreck as she would not have been strong enough to steer or stop the vehicle. …
On a normal trip to work the dash light lit up then gave me these warnings. Service ESC, Service Trailer brake, Brake system Failure-62 mph top speed, steering assist reduced. Dashboard lights that were on, ABS Check Engine, Brake, Traction Control. When I tried to slow down the power assist was gone on the brakes, I had a little braking when I pushed the pedal all the way to the floor as hard as i could, when I went to turn the wheel was hard to turn. I have had no issues like this before. After I managed to stop and turn off then on the vehicle everything came back expect for a warning to service the trailer brakes and the check engine light was still on. It all cleared after a few more restarts. I got the truck to the dealer 4 days later and they said it was the battery going bad even though I was not having any problem starting the vehicle, I had them replace the battery. …
Truck showed check engine light and popup message to Service ESC, vehicle disable traction control. Before being able to have the vehicle scanned for error codes (after sitting parked turned off for a while, all errors cleared. Several days later when turning vehicle on traction control warning light, parking break warning light, and stability control warning light all turned on, service ESC message popped up again, PRNDL position indicator light turned off and vehicle began to have a clicking noise in the steering column when break was pressed. There is a multiple year long thread on this topic on the silveradosierra forum entitled "service-esc-and-service-power-steering" it appears that dealer and GM help are limited and the issue often goes away and recurs.
My 2019 GMC Sierra Denali shut off suddenly while I was stopped in traffic. The engine died, the steering wheel locked, and the dashboard displayed warning messages including "ESC," "power," and another I didn't catch. The truck would not restart despite attempts. The check engine light is now on. This happened without warning, and I had no prior mechanical issues. The vehicle is well maintained, garage-kept, and recently received a full service including oil change, brake work, and 75K-mile recommended service. I fear this is related to a known issue affecting other GMC engines under investigation for sudden power loss.
2019 GMC SIERRA 1500 AT4 2019 VIN: [redacted] On 10/31/2023 the transmission was replaced at Mileage: 72,875. The transmission at Jim Ellis Buick, GMC, after the truck would not drive over 40 miles in speeded. 12/23/23, 86788215, Engine Oil Cooler Hose had to be changed. Truck had to be towed from a public parking lot to the mechanic. The engine is burning oil, the warning messages say add oil, I have been adding oil once a month 1 quart. The steering wheel was locked and the truck had to be towed from a public parking lot to the mechanic.
Steering complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the steering of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, 6% of the model year's 658 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, though it has 10 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 10,000 miles, and 89% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.