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2018 GMC Sierra 1500 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2018 record →

Power Train1 injured
Filed Nov 25, 202422,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle began to shudder, and he decreased the speed. The contact drove to his residence. The next day the vehicle was driving as expected until it became hot and began to shudder again. The transmission was not shifting as designed. The contact checked underneath the vehicle but failed to locate an issue with the transmission. The rear differential was hot and burned his fingers, but medical attention was not provided. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System
Filed Nov 22, 202464,000 milesLA

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the exhaust manifold bolts had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 6, 202472,000 milesMS

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that an unknown part was loose. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from underneath the vehicle near the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that no failure was found. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate unintentionally. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the brake pedal. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down however, the brakes locked up unexpectedly. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the braking system had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Power Train
Filed Oct 30, 2024131,000 milesOH

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started shaking violently, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but upon the contact continuing to drive to his destination, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the RPM rapidly increased and the temperature gauge began to indicate that the engine was overheating. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the auxiliary transmission oil cooler line, resulting in damages to the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: N182188930. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 131,000.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Torque Converter
Filed Oct 24, 202466,000 milesTN

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 28 - 35 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued driving cautiously. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated that the torque converter had been replaced twice with the first replacement performed at approximately 27,000. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer had referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.

Electrical System
Filed Oct 23, 2024TX

The brakes sometimes lock up after use, or don’t disengage ( on one side) and the truck swerves ( steering wheel turns to the right ) into the next lane. I have to over correct and you can hear the brakes squeal. I will have to get off the freeway or the road. I am on trying to track off a couple of times for 5 to 10 minutes Until it stops doing it. It does it on average once to Twice a day. Was told could be brake calipers hoses, speed sensors sending the wrong information to the ABS system. It is very dangerous to drive the truck on the freeway doing 75 miles an hour!

Power Train
Filed Oct 7, 202440,000 milesMI

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving on various occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the drive(D) on the instrument panel started blinking. The contact stated that the engine revved, and the vehicle went into Safe Mode and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Oct 3, 2024112,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was inside the parked vehicle, the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact researched the failure and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V055000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ABS control module had experienced a failure; and the ABS control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

Engine
Filed Oct 2, 2024NM

Engine AFM has failed. No engine light was present at the time. A loud ticking noise was noted from the engine bay. Was taken to get diagnosed, and the AFM was replaced. The problem was then resolved. Transmission has been jerking and hard shifting through the period of owning the vehicle. No diagnosis has been made

Power Train
Filed Sep 3, 202442,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was violently shaking. While at a stop, the vehicle slammed the brake pedal, and the steering wheel was shaking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the transmission. The mechanic test drove the vehicle, and the vehicle was shuddering and violently shaking, and the transmission was hard shifting. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Power Train
Filed Jul 30, 202492,288 milesTX

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while shifted into reverse, there was a loud clunking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact attempted to shift to drive(D) and neutral(N) and then back to reverse(R) however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,288.

Power Train
Filed Jul 9, 2024MO

Drive train:The truck suddenly lurches forward as I'm accelerating and after I've stopped. It's very scary to stop behind a vehicle and suddenly lurch forward. Thankfully, I don't stop too close to another vehicle. The truck also shudders and experiences significant delays in acceleration after coming to a stop and going again. Automatic Emergency Braking: the automatic emergency braking system spontaneously brakes as I'm driving when there is nothing in front of me. Thankfully, nobody has been following behind me when this happens yet. I had to turn the automatic braking system off in order to avoid being hit.

Tires
Filed Jul 3, 2024MI

Purchased the tires on 10-25-2021 and with only 16,000 miles on the 4 new tires; we have non-normal cracking on the side of the Thread. These tires are only 3 years old. P275/55r20 We are contacting the tire manufacturer and also the tire service center for help under the 60,000 mile warranty. Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3. The tires should not be cracking for any reason and should not be cracking due to dry rot or stress on the tire. Used on a 2018 GMC 1500 Serria.

Air Bags
Filed Jul 1, 2024PA

All side airbags deployed for no reason on my driveway at a speed of less than 15 miles per hour. the front airbags did not deploy. no accident. no damage.

Power Train
Filed Jun 28, 2024AR

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while stationary at a stop light and attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact stated that several unknown parts were replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

Power Train
Filed Jun 25, 2024NV

We purchased our 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 z71 brand new at Fairway Buick GMC in Las Vegas, NV. Pretty much off the lot we noticed some hard shifting, but over the last year/around 60,000 miles it has become progressively worse. Come to find out GM is aware of a known defect in the transmission used in this make/model and several others by GM which causes hard shifting and jerking while upshifting and down shifting primarily between 1st and 2nd gear. This malfunction has caused the vehicle to activate "limp mode" which doesn't allow the vehicle to move out of 1st gear, while driving on the road, putting the safety of the occupants and others on the road at risk. This first happened in January 2024 while we were moving and towing a 6' U-Haul trailer. Luckily we were within a few miles of our destination and made it there safely. Upon taking it to Autonation Buick GMC, we were told they had seen this issue before and the only solution would be to replace the transmission and would cost roughly $6,000-$8,000, and that's with the generous 20% discount they were willing to offer. We opted to have the transmission flushed instead and it seemed to fix the problem temporarily. Then on [XXX] while decelerating and coming to a stop light it hard shifted from 2nd to 1st then the check engine light came on and limp mode was activated. It was 110 degrees on this day in Las Vegas when my husband was driving home from work, and again by the grace of God, he was only 5 minutes from home and made

SteeringCrash
Filed Jun 4, 2024IN

I have a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 that I bought new in Oct of 2018 and it now has 15,756 miles on it and was still like new at the time of failure. On May 23rd I was driving the truck when the driver suspension suddenly had an structural failure (mostly the ball joint coming out of the control arm) causing the front right side of the suspension to collapse while driving. This caused the truck to go left of center into on coming traffic resulting in a traffic accident.

Service Brakes
Filed May 30, 2024KY

I purchased my Sierra in 2021 and 2 weeks after purchase I got a warning for service stabilitrk and another for trailer brake system. This is very very annoying and also has my abs light on. My next issue is a code u510 for active grille shutter assembly. Please fix these issues as they are very common and unsafe. Not to mention as much ad I paid for this truck.

Unknown or Other
Filed May 15, 2024CT

Vehicle is shaking at highway speeds

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed May 6, 2024FL

2018 gmc Seirra 1500 8 speed transmission. Making unsafe conditions while driving transmission tends to make hard shifts, jerks, hesitation when moved into gear, gets worse when stopping momentarily at stop lights and then trying to accelerate vehicle will not move. Makes hard shift and jerks then will accelerate in an unsafe manner.

Suspension
Filed Apr 30, 202493,555 milesKS

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, the independent mechanic performed a full inspection of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the CV axles were corroded, and the CV axles needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was advised to report the failure to the dealer. The contact informed the dealer of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken back to the dealer several times for repairs, including the transmission replacement, radiator replacement, and a full suspension replacement. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,555.

Visibility
Filed Apr 29, 2024MT

See attached document for complaint

Power Train
Filed Apr 25, 2024MO

My 2018 gmc 1500 transmission making noise grinding. It only has 75799 Miles on it. I just was told by Laura gmc that my transmission needs replacing. I think gm should cover that. Dealer charging 7800.00 to replace it. That's not right the truck doesn't have that many miles on it. Please help

Service Brakes
Filed Apr 18, 2024TX

Transmission started to shutter at 24000 miles. Dealer said couldn’t find anything. ABS and Stabilitrack light came on at about 40,000 miles off and on. Both these problems could result in a crash. On freeway or streets. The display information/ radio has a mind of its own. Connects to any phone number or start the on star call and etc. it takes your attention off the road and can result in a crash.

Unknown or Other
Filed Apr 17, 2024TN

AC condenser went out on my vehicle with 100,000 miles, lots of reviews online stating this is a known problem but yet there is no recall. Torch Converter going out at 80,000 miles.

Engine
Filed Apr 12, 202430,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra LD. The contact stated the vehicle experienced jerking and shaking. The contact also stated when the accelerator pedal was applied, the vehicle made a loud noise and lunged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a transmission flush and an alignment were performed. However, the contact stated the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Power TrainCrash1 injured
Filed Apr 12, 2024NC

Hard changes with transmission like a car has hit you from behind. It has had a hit in the transmission changing gears since 15,000 miles but it has progressively gotten worse and at 67k it’s enough to knock you to change steering direction.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 11, 2024WV

I kept getting a constant alert on my vehicle dash board that said "service trailer brake system" the beeping alert was quite literally constant and it covered up the digital speed odometer, every time I tried to acknowledge the alert it would just pop up and start beeping again. I searched online and quickly realized that this problem with the brake system has plagued GM vehicles for several years and I attempted to fix the issue myself by buying factory parts that other GM owners stated was the issue but it did not correct the issue. I ended up needing to take it to a GM service center and my vehicle was there for 2 business days and it ran me several hundred dollars to have GM fix the issue in the electrical brake system. Again according from online research this problem has plagued a large number of GM vehicles and it would be nice to see GM issue a recall and correct the issue so other people don't end up in the situation I was in.

Service Brakes
Filed Mar 25, 2024TX

The truck is throwing a repeat of service trailer break

Power Train
Filed Mar 3, 2024WA

At 66,963 miles my transmission failed while driving. The check engine light came on and the car would not shift out of first gear. The car was towed into Gilchrist GMC in Tacoma WA. and I was informed I needed a transmission replacement, cost of $7552.24. Come to find out there is a class action lawsuit currently filed for GM owners of this transmission, claiming some 800,000 GM products contain a knowingly faulty transmission. A recall should be in place being that nearly a million vehicles are affected by this.

Service Brakes
Filed Feb 22, 2024LA

Getting message on console "Service - Trailer Brake System". This could result in trailer brakes to fail while pulling loads.

Service Brakes
Filed Feb 20, 2024AL

Have experience increased brake pedal effort, hard brake pedal, and/or potentially increased. stopping distance. The condition is more prevalent at low speed when softly applying the brakes. The Driver’s Information Center, (DIC) “Service brake assist” alert will activate. Extreme safety risk to myself and my children. Bulletin N182202780 & NT192268490 needs to be tied to this specific VIN Number as well.

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 6, 2024AZ

Like many of the 2014 and 2015 models, my vehicle has experienced the exact same failure in the radiator due to the thermostat over cycling. There is already a TSB for those models, yet GM changed nothing in the subsequent models and the problem persists.

Power Train
Filed Jan 28, 2024GA

I have been experiencing ongoing issues with the transmission of the vehicle I purchased in 2018. Despite it being a brand new vehicle with only 10,000 miles, I have had to bring it back to the dealer multiple times for transmission-related problems. We have tried changing the transmission fluid periodically to address the issues with shifting and shuddering, but the problem has persisted throughout my ownership.

Unknown or Other
Filed Dec 21, 2023AR

I have had my truck in the shop several time for the rear springs they finally replaced the springs and I am having trouble again my warranty is out but I took it to see if gm would take care of the problem but they don’t seem to want to do anything and I no my vehicle is not the only one that has had this issue

Power Train
Filed Nov 27, 2023OK

I have a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, it is over 5 years. So we all know our warranties are either expired and meaning out of pocket expenses will come. I mainly drive back and forth to work so my vehicle only 43,924 miles to be exact. So tell me why GM allows us to purchase a vehicle with defect oil in the transmission knowing the Torque converter will start shuttering causing some of us to purchase a new transmission and if we lucky a transmission flush. So yes I took it to the dealership causing me over $850 to have a diagnosis, computer hook up, and a transmission oil flushed and replaced. I was told this is an 45000 miles issue and it's not considered a safety issue. Personally, if I didn't know better I could had gotten rear ended and yes this should be a safety issue. Our family would like this issue addressed and be reimbursed for my expenses. Thank you!

Steering
Filed Nov 18, 2023MO

My 2018 Sierra began experiencing severe shuddering while driving down the road. The dealer said it was caused by moisture getting into the transmission fluid and contaminating it. In my ownership of dozens of vehicle's this has never happened before. This formerly inexpensive minor fluid change requirement morphed into a $618.00 major surgery just to fix a problem that should have never occured. If the fluid was contaminated by moisture as the dealer explained, it's a design defect which caused it and nothing I have ever done. I am still unsure as to if the transmission or torque converter may be damaged. The manufacturer should be liable for the cost to fix this not me!

Suspension
Filed Nov 11, 2023FL

The vehicle steering wheel shudders at speeds from 40-55mph. The steering wheel shudders at 2-second intervals and is constant between those speeds. At first, I thought it might be one of the safety systems. It is not. This is unsafe and GM should be held responsible.

Electrical System
Filed Oct 29, 2023FL

The electric power steering failed while accelerating into a turn from a stop at an intersection. The wheel was jerked from my hands, and the engine stalled, all electrical failed momentarily. Within a couple of seconds everything returned to normal. This has happened several times since I purchased this vehicle. Also the electrical power steering drops out quite often at low speeds, such as in parking lots. No warnings have ever been given. In May of 2021 the dealer replaced the steering rack, the problem has continued intermittently to this date. I have researched for recalls on this problem and found that GMC issued a recall for years 2014-2017, and am amazed that they could just declare the problem fixed, and leave such a dangerous problem unresolved!

Air BagsCrash
Filed Oct 15, 2023FL

Both passenger and driver airbags located behind front seats/where Seatbelt is located blew during a collision, seatbelt locked us in during impact,the cab of the truck filled with white smoke and smelt like an electric fire during impact. problem will be confirmed by a collision center and insurance this week. There’s a lamp warning on the dash board that says there’s a safety warning.

Engine
Filed Oct 12, 2023CA

I am told by a GMC dealer that my engine mount is cracked/worn and needs replacing otherwise the engine can fall out. My mechanic tells me this is a common problem with GMC trucks; specifically the driver’s side engine mount. Perhaps a recall is necessary if this is a common issue. My vehicle is a 2018, so only 5 years old.

Tires › Sidewall
Filed Sep 29, 2023NM

In May 2022, I purchased four Cooper Discoverer A/T All-Season 117T 275/55/R20 tires from Walmart.com for my 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT. In May 2023 my vehicle developed a vibration when driving at certain speeds, so I took it to a GMC dealer for a tire rotation and balance. The mechanic discovered that one of the tires had a large bubble on the inner sidewall. He considered it such a safety risk that he insisted on removing the tire and replacing it with the spare before he would let me drive home. The tire was replaced with another of the same kind and tread depth. Yesterday (September 28 2023) I felt that my truck was wandering and swaying. I made an appointment for it to be inspected on Monday, and planned not to drive it until then. Today I observed that the rear passenger tire appeared low. I was shocked to find a split in the inner sidewall approximately one third of the circumference of the tire. I also found a large bubble on the inner sidewall of the driver's side front tire. I am shaken that I could have had three different tires blow out potentially killing myself and other motorists. I will be retaining the tires for inspection, and photographs have been taken. The manufacturer has been contacted. It seems that other model tires have been recalled by Cooper for the same issue, but I have not found a recall for this specific tire.

Power Train
Filed Sep 13, 2023CT

Transmission shudder at different speeds while driving.

Power Train
Filed Sep 2, 2023MI

On approximately July 23, 2023, I noticed the vehicle transmission shifting hard from 1st to 2nd gear and then during the following week, this began to occur every time I drove the vehicle. There were no warning indicators appearing on the vehicle for this problem during vehicle operation. Then at higher steady speeds, the engine RPMs began to suddenly and intermittently surge slightly higher, and the steering wheel would shudder for a few moments. This began to occur more frequently and I became concerned that the transmission would catastrophically fail, causing a crash and/or personal injury. At that point I called a local dealer to make an appointment for a transmission oil change and inspection. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer on August 21, 2023 and they confirmed that there was a problem with the transmission, though at this time final diagnosis is pending. To my knowledge, the vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others since I took it to the dealership on August 21, 2023.

Engine
Filed Aug 25, 202372,000 milesMO

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while turning left at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Power Train
Filed Jun 29, 202384,267 milesGA

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved but the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission was slipping and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle started vibrating and shuddering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her nearby destination. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer Liberty Chevrolet (105 Cooley Way, Villa Rica, GA 30180) where it was diagnosed that the driver's side lifters had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to a third dealer, Prince Chevrolet Buick GMC of Albany (2701 Ledo Rd, Albany, GA 31707) where it was diagnosed that passenger's side lifters needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The contact was advised that the warranty would cover a portion of the cost of the repair and she was responsible for the balance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,267.

Engine
Filed Jun 10, 2023MO

When I’m towing my small boat, my temperature gauge starts to rise on my engine and there are no warning lights and it has caused me to have to pull over. I have told the dealership about this. Everyone seem to act like it’s no big deal but when I’m having to pull over, because I’m afraid my motors getting too hot, it’s a problem. And not only that even when I’m not towing anything my temperature gauge keeps going up then back down up and then back down never in my life have I experienced a vehicle doing this

Power Train
Filed Jun 2, 202327,477 milesTX

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission was faulty; however, the part needed to fix the vehicle was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,477.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 23, 2023IN

Loss of dash electrical system and service stabillitrac warning came on when power was restored along with service suspension warning light. Headlights flicker and engine starts powering down before power comes back on by itself. If fuse to suspension is pulled or negative is removed and replaced, all warning lights go away.

Service Brakes
Filed Apr 16, 2023CA

Break system is making scratching noises as if it is a caliber breaking problem or a caliber piston problem, it is also setting off the trailer breaking system light on the dash as well as the trail traction control light.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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