Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving approximately 25-30 mph coming over an overpass moving into the right hand lane when my truck right front end failed. The steering and brakes locked up for approximately 50' until I hit the curb for the sidewalk and stopped. I safely exited the vehicle checked the left side of my truck for damage and didn't find anything. I walked around the back of my truck and came to the passenger side where I found my right front wheel and tire completely broken away from both upper and lower control arms, the ball joint broke and failed as well as the brake line. If I was driving on the highway at 65-75 this catastrophic failure could have resulted in a fatal collision. The night before my [redacted] daughter and I returned from her outdoor Ed trip in Sausalito and we drove an hour home to Napa on [redacted] and [redacted] . …
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle lost proper steering ability, and the steering wheel became loose and spun around in a circle. The air bag message was later displayed on the instrument panel. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the bolt connecting the steering shaft was missing. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the cause of the failure was confirmed. The contact was then informed that there were no recalls or warranties on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified several times about the failure and agreed that the part should never fail. However, the manufacturer then stated that the owner of the vehicle was responsible for the repair. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds and accelerating out of the neighborhood, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power, with the check engine and EPS warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was standstill, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact was instructed by the dealer, to remove the ground cable from the battery and reinstall. The contact stated he was able to reboot and the steering wheel was able to move properly. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
While traveling on the interstate the vehicle lost all propulsion and started to rapidly decelerate. Shortly after propulsion was lost the engine turned off completely affecting the steering and braking of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the GMC dealership that we purchased it from. repairs have not begun so I assume it would be available for inspection. We were traveling on a three lane interstate up a grade at 80 MPH. Had I not been able to safely get the vehicle stopped and out of traffic or had we lost control going down a grade we would not have been able to stop the vehicle and there would've potentially been a catastrophic accident most likely resulting in injury or death. No the dealership has not diagnosed the failure physically. The service writer did suggest that it sounds like the failure reported from the recall not being addressed. …
Vehicle Safety Hazard Summary: This complaint concerns an incomplete, non-compliant post-collision structural repair on a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 (VIN: [redacted]). It has resulted in immediate vehicle tracking failure, dangerous steering drift, and a compromised cabin safety cage following a passenger-side side-impact collision. 1. Severe Suspension and Tracking Misalignment Electronic Alignment Failure: The post-repair electronic wheel alignment documents a Rear Thrust Angle of 0.17 . General Motors OEM specifications require a maximum allowable thrust angle of 0.10 or less for this 4WD Crew Cab chassis. The system printed a critical warning: "One or more values are not within specification. Tire wear, handling and safety problems may result." Physical Wheelbase Displacement: Physical cross-measurements confirm a 1.25-inch tracking variance between the rear wheel wells. …
[redacted] 2021 GMC Seria 108,339 miles driving home from [redacted] in town and out of nowhere the lights on the dash light up I saw it say adaptive steering and something breaking. There was a lot going on as the steering was rapidly shaking limited breaking while trying to avoid a collision. The engine started a loud knocking sound and sudden smoking out tail pipes. I was able to get the truck stopped turned it off and sat there for a while trying to collect myself. Restarted the truck and slowly drove it to my home 2 miles away. It was flatbed to local GM dealer that quickly diagnosed it saying heavy smoke knocking needs New Engine! They won't confirm exactly what the internal engine failure is. Other than its Failed. …
The power steering on the truck would quit working at times. I made an appointment with a local dealership to have it checked out. I was told the steering rack was binding and would need to be replaced. I was also told there was a two to four week backorder on the parts. As I am trying to back out of my garage to take it to the dealer the steering totally locked up. I called a wrecker to take the truck to the dealer the next day. When the wrecker operator started to load the truck, at first the steering wheel wouldn't turn . Then it broke lose and worked fine. Imagine if I were driving when this on again off again power steering would quit working!! I should also say this truck only has fifty-seven thousand miles on it. Since there is a backorder on these parts it tells me that I'm not the only one that is having this problem. …
I parked my car for about an hour after driving for months with absolutely no issues or warnings. When I started my car and went to pull off the steering wheel locked up and I couldn't turn it. A message appeared on the screen saying: Service power steering drive with care, and an esc message. A light also appeared. I turned the car off and let it sit for an hour. When I started it again everything worked fine. My dealership won't do anything because the warning codes went away, and the vehicle is not included in any current recalls. When looking up this problem it appears there are multiple recalls for the exact same issue on other 2021 Yukon and Tahoe models but not the Sierra. Though I see many forums and threads complaining about the same problem on the Sierra's. Since it is the same vehicle and systems as the Yukon, shouldn't the same recall apply?
As I was driving out of the parking lot my power steering suddenly was lost. A message appeared on the screen saying: Service Power Steering Drive with care and an esc message. A light also appeared. I was not able to steer at all and had to turn the truck off. I tried multiple times. After 5 minutes the message cleared as did the light. A day later (today- 4/19)the same thing happened in the parking lot. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I have an appointment with the dealer. When looking up this problem it appears there are multiple recalls on other 2021 models but not the Sierra though I see many complaints about the same problem on the Sierra's. This is not safe and needs to be looked into further.
Steering complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the steering of the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500, 6% of the model year's 594 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500, though it has 7 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 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 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.