Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Hi, was driving Vehicle GMC 1500 Denali, vehicle Lost power, all Lites lite up on Dashboard, Vehicle Just lost power and i swerved off Road and sideswiped a Plant Holder on side of Road, damaging side passenger Rear door. I bought the truck to GMC Rvc and they said vehicle Blew Cam shaft and Lifters. I explained to them I'm very concerned for others safety in these Vehicles with the 6.2 Engine. Someone is going to get Killed or even a family. I did look up this vehicle its not listed in Recall, but this vehicle has same engine as ones in Recall. Rvc Gmc issued me a bill for repairs for the amount of $8185.20 and they stated they took 3k off invoice. I did Pay total Invoice....I'm just asking you to please look into this as this is defiantly an issue and this year should be listed on Recall as well.. Thanku for at least looking at this. …
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to steer to the left or the right. The power steering and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a corroded body ground strap. The error codes were cleared, and a test drive was performed. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the GMC Customer Satisfaction Program: N252515590; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,061.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started pulling to the left, and the vehicle ended up in the next lane. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer six times because of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 17,000.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The messages "Service Power Steering", "Power Steering Disabled" were displayed, and ESC warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that further diagnostic tests were needed to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving in the snow, the tire pressure and power steering warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed that there were no recall or warranties that would cover the repairs for the warning lights. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The truck stated to have the check engine light on, by the time that happened the brakes were hard to step on it and the steering wheel hard to turn, I had been asking to GMC superior of Siloam springs to check the truck because, got scared while I couldn't make stop the truck while on traffic, but they don't had open appointments for that day or the other following days, so a week after they got one and I missed because my work, I set another one at GMC on Springdale but they want me to charge me whenever the truck has an extended warranty, so I told them to leave it like that so finally got another appointment at Siloam springs location but while driving down there the same thing happened all the light on warning messages on the dash board start showing up and the brakes were hard to step on it and the steering wheel hard to turn, I got told them what was happening, about and how …
On 01/07/2025 I got in my truck to take it to GMC for an oil change and 75,000 mile service. When I began to drive I noticed I could barely turn the truck at all. The power steering was not working. Then a warning popped up to have the power steering serviced. The GMC dealership is an hour from my house. The entire drive the power steering didn't work. I explained what was going on to the GMC dealership and when they went to look at the truck the power steering was working again. When I left the dealership the power steering was working. I stopped at a friends house for about an hour and when I went to leave the power steering was not working again. I ended up having to drive an hour again with no power steering and made an appointment with GMC to get the power steering looked at. …
I own a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 4-Cyl, Turbo, 2.7 Liter with 20K miles and I owned the truck for almost 2 years. All of a sudden my vehicle started receiving multiple warning messages. While driving I stopped, and when traffic stopped in front of me the engine died all the lights were on warning messages on the dashboard started showing up. Electronic Stability Control, Antilock Braking System, ECM, reduced Engine Power, etc., and the brakes were hard to step on it and the steering wheel hard to turn,I took my foot off the brakes and pressed it again to start. It started but the check engine light was still on, this happened FOUR times already and THREE times while parked when I tried to start, after a few tries giving few minutes intervals, it will start with all the lights on and warning messages on the dashboard start showing up. …
On [redacted], I was driving my truck on [redacted] through Phoenix, AZ. It was 5 days after I had purchased the vehicle and only had 250 miles on the odometer. I was in the left lane was traveling at approximately 75mph. Within the span of about 20 seconds, several lights on the dash annunciated and several messages including a message about a brake failure and steering assist failure and then the engine suddenly turned off. The steering seemed heavy and the brakes seemed less responsive. I was able to coast to a stop on the side of the road thanks to the help of a couple truckers who blocked traffic across multiple lanes. The truck was towed to the dealer and they told me the entire engine needed to be replaced.
Electronic power steering stops working randomly which makes it nearly impossible to safely drive the vehicle. The strength needed to turn the vehicle is so great that the steering wheel elevation lock fails and the wheel slams to the lowest limit of travel. Problem started around 50,000 miles and was only a warning that went away as soon as I got in the truck again. However reappeared today and the steering went out this time. The GM dealer in Mexia Texas didn't know what was wrong, I am taking it to a dealer in Corsicana tomorrow. This is a known problem that GM has had in the past however my vehicle has no active recall to make my truck safe free of charge. This puts myself and other drivers at risk because there would be no way to rapidly maneuver the vehicle to avoid a colision.
Steering complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the steering of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, 8% of the model year's 481 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist › power steering fluid (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, though it has 12 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 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 10,000 miles, and 79% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.