2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Transmission Problems

99 owners have reported transmission & drivetrain problems with the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 to NHTSA — 21% of all 481 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 75,000 miles. That ranks #6 of 30 Sierra 1500 model years for transmission complaints (a typical year has 11). 3 related recalls have been issued.

99complaints
75ktypical miles
3related recalls
1crashes
0fires
0injuries

Which parts fail

  • Automatic transmission › Torque converter
    1

Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    526%
  • 25k–50k
    211%
  • 50k–75k
    211%
  • 75k–100k
    737%
  • 100k–150k
    316%
  • 150k+
    00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked violently. The driver stated that the vehicle failed to respond as intended while depressing the accelerator or brake pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle stopped jerking while driving but failed to exceed 30 MPH. The driver pulled into a parking lot and parked the vehicle. The contact was made aware of the failure and went to the parking lot. The vehicle was restarted and jerked abnormally. Additionally, while shifted into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to function as intended. …

146,000 miles · Jan 2026

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle lunged forward. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds depressing the accelerator pedal, and while decelerating to come to a complete stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while coming to a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle lunged forward violently, as if the vehicle had been rear-ended. The vehicle was taken to Quality Plus Automotive, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer, Leith GMC [phone]), and other dealers were contacted and informed the contact that an estimate for the repair could not be provided because the transmission part was not available. The vehicle was repaired by Quality Plus Automotive. …

75,000 miles · May 2023

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. …

Feb 2026 · crash

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that there was a loud clanking sound underneath the vehicle while starting the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact stated that the transmission had been repaired twice however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again and the transmission was replaced. The dealer was contacted about the recall and confirmed that the VIN was included in the recall however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. …

50,000 miles · Aug 2024

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for a transmission fluid flush and refill, the contact was informed that the transmission was inoperable, and the vehicle could not be driven to the residence. The dealer determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the torque converter and advised the contact to drive over 1,000 miles for the issue to self-correct. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to shudder and drive bumpy while driving after 1,000 miles. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the torque converter was replaced a second time; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the diagnostic test results were sent to the warranty company for the transmission replacement approval. The vehicle was not yet repaired. …

85,000 miles · Dec 2025

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly sputtered. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The dealer determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly went into LIMP Mode. There was no warning light illuminated. On several occasions, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and lunged forward while stopped at a traffic light. There was no warning light illuminated during the failure. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …

Automatic transmission › Torque converter · 97,000 miles · Feb 2026

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light and making a left turn at approximately 20 MPH, the transmission failed. The vehicle was unable to exceed 10 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated, and a dinging sound was heard following the incident. The vehicle shifted erratically, jumped gears, and made unusual noises. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train). The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer confirmed an internal transmission failure and clutch lockup, with DTC P2732. Additionally, the transmission fluid was burnt and contained metal shavings. The dealer contacted General Motors after informing the contact of the repair costs. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

107,000 miles · Oct 2026

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the technician informed the contact that the failure might be related to the engine or transmission; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 41,248.

41,000 miles · Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle started shaking and slipped in and out of gear, with the message "Idle Transmission" displayed. The vehicle was pulled over and shifted into park(P) and then to drive(D). There was a loud banging sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

80,000 miles · Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-60 MPH, the transmission hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission control module (TCM) failure. The contact was informed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 75,200.

75,000 miles · Sep 2025

Related recalls

Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module › Software

NHTSA recall 26V-083 · Feb 12, 2026 · 1,055 vehicles

General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026.

Power train › Automatic transmission › Fluid/lubricant › Valves/valve body

NHTSA recall 24V-797 · Oct 24, 2024 · 463,295 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.

Remedy: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a…

Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft

NHTSA recall 20V-650 · Oct 22, 2020 · 42 vehicles

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

’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26872935681113669424636998841181311409914311291722734
Transmission complaints per model year, GMC Sierra 1500.

Frequently asked questions

How common are transmission problems on the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?

NHTSA has 99 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, 21% of the model year's 481 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission › torque converter (1 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 26V-083 (software, Feb 12, 2026); NHTSA recall 24V-797 (valves/valve body, Oct 24, 2024); NHTSA recall 20V-650 (driveshaft, Oct 22, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.