GMC Sierra engine failure problems: what 668 owners reported

Owners filed 668 NHTSA complaints about complete engine failure or a replaced engine on the GMC Sierra. That is 9.2% of the 7,284 complaints on file for the model. The reports are concentrated in model years 2019 to 2024, and they come from every year in that range, with 2019 (118 reports) and 2022 (110 reports) at the top.

A recall exists for part of this problem: NHTSA campaign 25V274000 covers certain 2021-2024 GMC Sierra 1500 trucks with the 6.2L V8 gas engine, because connecting rod and/or crankshaft components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure. If this is not your case, read the full GMC Sierra problem report.

TL;DR

• 668 engine failure reports out of 7,284 Sierra complaints (9.2%), from NHTSA owner complaints.
• Model years 2019 to 2024 account for 585 of the 668 reports (118, 76, 93, 110, 96 and 92 respectively).
• Older years have far fewer: 2012 to 2018 together have 35 reports.
• Recall 25V274000 (April 2025) covers 2021-2024 Sierra 1500 trucks with the 6.2L V8 and says engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
• The recall fix is a dealer inspection, then repair or replacement of the engine as necessary. It is free of charge.
• 4 reports mention a crash, 1 mentions a fire, and the reports list 1 injury in total.
• The most named component is the engine (610 reports), followed by the power train (111).

Which GMC Sierra years have the most engine failure complaints?

The pattern is a clear step. Up to 2018 engine failure is a small slice of each year's complaints (never above 3.5%). From 2019 it is 12% to 24% of each year's complaints, so in these model years about one complaint in eight to one in six is about the engine failing or being replaced (2026 is higher, but on a small base). The 2025 and 2026 trucks have only 24 reports each, but that is 15.0% and 23.8% of their complaints, and these trucks have had less time on the road, so their counts are likely to grow. Share is a ratio of complaints, not of trucks sold, so it says where owners are complaining about engines, not how likely any one truck is to fail.

What do Sierra owners describe?

Failure at speed, often without warning. Several owners say the engine failed while driving. One 2021 owner wrote: "Engine locked up while driving down the road at highway speeds. Lost all power and had to pull to shoulder of road." The same owner adds: "Was looked at a few months back and passed the recall test on engine. No lights or signs of engine failure before failure." (NHTSA complaint 11772830). A 2016 owner reported "Catastrophic engine failure while traveling 40 mph" with "No warning signs existed - just had a loud thud before the check engine light started flashing and grinding sound started coming from engine." (11748967). A 2015 owner said "The engine seized up traveling about 40MPH in the middle lane on a busy road with my child in the passenger seat." (11712775).

Failure at low mileage. A 2026 owner wrote: "Engine had catastrophic failure at only 1,433 miles driven. Incident happened on the interstate and truck was required to be towed to the dealer. Dealer said engine replacement is necessary." (11769298). In the other direction, a 2023 owner described a 6.2 engine that "operated as expected for 75,000 miles" before "a loud knocking in the engine" at an intersection, after which "the engine light illuminated on the dash, reduced engine power" (11771587).

Noises and a rough-running truck. A 2018 complaint, written up from a repair order, records "loud rattling/knocking noise from engine" and says the "engine has internal failure-engine replacement is required." (11765804). A 2019 owner described the truck as running "very rough" with steering, parking brake and stability control messages, and said a mechanic "determined it as an issue with the lifters" (11771653). A 2014 owner reported that the "6.2L Engine has well documneted problem with the valvetrane" and that the truck "coasted to a stop just past the end of the on-ramp" (11727180).

Trouble after a replacement. A 2025 owner wrote: "The engine locked up and stalled out while driving. GM replaced engine but still experiencing issues." (11772806). A 2022 owner describes "the drop in power, bucking, surging, and lurching that my truck has been doing since May 2026, after the L87 Engine replacement." (11771959). I cannot tell from the reports whether the replacement engines are involved; I am only repeating what owners described.

Cost. The 2019 owner above wrote "WE ARE HAVING TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE INSTALLED AT OUR EXPENSE." (11771653). A 2017 owner said the dealer replaced the transmission but was "refusing to remediate the engine line contamination without out-of pocket payment." (11763735). These are single accounts, not a measure of what repairs typically cost.

Components named. Across the 668 reports, owners and NHTSA coded the engine in 610, the power train in 111, the fuel/propulsion system in 40, the electrical system in 29, engine and engine cooling in 23 and forward collision avoidance in 9. A report can name more than one component, so these do not add up to 668. Four reports mention a crash and one mentions a fire. The reports list 1 injury in total.

Is there a recall for engine failure on the Sierra?

Yes, for some trucks. NHTSA campaign 25V274000, dated 24 April 2025, covers certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The recall says the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure. The stated risk is that engine failure increases the risk of a crash.

The remedy: dealers inspect the engine and, as necessary, repair or replace it. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers add higher viscosity oil, install a 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter and update the owner's manual. Repairs are free of charge. Owner letters were mailed on 18 June 2025. The recall does not carry a "do not drive" or "park outside" instruction.

Two limits are worth knowing. The recall lists model years 2021 to 2024, so it does not on its face cover the 2019 and 2020 trucks (which together have 194 reports) or the 2025 and 2026 trucks. And it applies to the 6.2L V8, so it says nothing about other engines. One 2025 owner writes that "Dealer has admitted that they will likely recall my model year" (11772806), but that is an owner's account of a dealer's remark, not a recall. Check your own VIN rather than assuming either way.

What should you do if your Sierra's engine fails or runs rough?

This is how I would approach it. I am not a mechanic, so none of this is a diagnosis.

1. Check open recalls by VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. Do this even if the truck is outside the model years above, because recalls change.
2. If the truck loses power or you hear knocking, stop driving as soon as it is safe and call for a tow. Several owners above had to pull off busy roads, so I would not try to limp a truck with a knocking engine any further than the nearest safe place.
3. Write down the date, mileage, warning messages, noises and conditions (speed, temperature, cold start, highway). Keep every repair order.
4. Ask the dealer to check for open recalls and for manufacturer service bulletins that apply to your VIN, and ask for the findings in writing.
5. Report the problem on NHTSA's report a safety problem page. These reports are where the numbers in this guide come from.

If you are comparing trucks, the report page for each model year shows the other problem areas next to engine failure, and you can look up other cars from the car problem lookup.

How this guide was made

The data comes from NHTSA's public owner complaints and recall records for the GMC Sierra, as of 27 October 2026. A complaint counts as an engine failure report when the owner's own text describes a complete engine failure or a replaced engine. Counts, shares and quotes are taken as filed, and NHTSA text has only been converted from capital letters to normal case. The method, including the limits of complaint data, is described in the methodology note.