Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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 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. …
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while shifting gear, there was an abnormally loud banging sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle failed to shift into gear properly. The wheels were slipping and pulling while driving at various speeds. While driving on the road, there was an abnormal rumbling sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Joe Ball GMC (1750 William Flinn Hwy., Glenshaw, PA 15116); to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be drained and flushed. The dealer informed the contact to drive for 200 miles. The dealer also recommended replacing the transmission. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. …
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that in the first month that the vehicle was purchased, the vehicle intermittently hesitated before slamming into gear hard. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the manufacturer was aware of the failure and suggested that a triple fluid flush was needed, and the triple fluid flush was performed. The contact stated that the hard shifting persisted, especially while driving uphill. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure persisted, and the vehicle remained at the contact's parents' residence unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the rear wheels locked up. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Walker Bros Chevrolet (700 Erie St, Edinboro, PA 16412); for a second opinion, and the transmission and TCM were replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: N192272400; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle loss motive power with the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that on most occasions, he would be able to restart the vehicle and resume normal driving soon after failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer on 4 separate occasions and each time the contact was given a different diagnosis. Despite the several diagnoses, the failure persisted after each visit. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and each time referred him back to the same dealer. The manufacturer offered no further assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while at a red traffic light, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, and the vehicle shuddered with an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle. The message "Transmission Hot - Idle Engine" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission was slipping, overheating, and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact researched and became aware of a recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,098.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 15000. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH as the vehicle was placed into "drive" the transmission, would hesitate and would not shift into gear. The contact stated that when the "drive" engaged, the shift was very hard and shook the vehicle, which then lunged forward. The contact stated that the "check engine" warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission failure is recurring. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintentionally downshifted into first gear. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while stopped, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to the local dealer; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was later diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Related recalls
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.
Transmission complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 140 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, 21% of the model year's 658 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-650 (driveshaft, Oct 22, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles, and 48% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain 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.