2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Common Problems & Defect Telemetry
Authoritative defect intelligence synthesized from 623 verified NHTSA owner complaints, 10 federal safety recalls, and interquartile failure mileage telemetry.
The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 receives a 5.3/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 623 verified NHTSA federal complaints and 10 safety recalls. The primary reported failure mode is Engine Stalling, Oil Consumption & Cooling Defect Reports with a median failure point at 63,250 miles (IQR: 41,724 – 89,500 mi). Out-of-warranty repairs benchmark at $950 – $3,200 .
24 complaints / 10k sold
Verified US federal records
Crash, fire & stall audit
10 Active / Free Remedies
Top Reported Problem Clusters (7)
Engine Stalling, Oil Consumption & Cooling Defect Reports
- Engine sudden stall / hesitation while driving
- Abnormal oil burning / consumption
- Check Engine Light (MIL) flashing
- Engine overheating / coolant loss
“On XXX at approximately 3:00 p.m., I was driving on the highway in ..., at approximately 65 mph when my truck suddenly displayed a warning stating that all oil pressure had been lost and that the engine needed to be shut off immediately. Within roughly seven seconds of seeing ...”
“Engine seized on June29th while driving on I 64 . (6.2 L87) due to oil line failure. Engine replaced on July 18th, 2026. New engine started leaking oil from camshaft and gasket on August 10th 2026, back in GMC Shop on August12th 2026 for repairs, still waiting parts today. Sud...”
“My 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 equipped with the 6.2L engine experienced an internal engine/lifter failure. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized GMC dealership. The dealership documented damaged lifters, including rough edges and visible signs of friction, and advised that ...”
Transmission Hesitation, Hard Shifting & Slipping Reports
- Hard gear shifts / delayed engagement into Drive/Reverse
- Transmission shudder / jerking under acceleration
- Transmission slipping between gears
“At approximately 85,000 miles, the engine in my 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 seized. The vehicle was parked when it occurred. This created a safety risk because an engine seizure can cause sudden loss of propulsion in traffic. Before the failure, I didn't notice anything that would ra...”
“At approximately 85,000 miles, the engine in my 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 seized. The vehicle was parked when it occurred. Inability to start. This created a safety risk because an engine seizure can cause sudden loss of propulsion in traffic. Before the failure, I did not notice a...”
“The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while at a red traffic light, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, and the vehicle shuddered with an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle. The message "Transmission Hot - Idle Engine" was displayed on ...”
Service Brakes, ABS Actuator & Master Cylinder Reports
- Spongy or hard brake pedal travel
- ABS / Brake warning light illuminated
- Extended stopping distance / pedal vibration
“Complete failure on Cylinder 3 after AFM system caused lifter collapse in 5.3L V8. Lifter fell into cam shaft and scored the shaft at 55mph. Truck started surging and shaking violently. Truck shaking had me swerve to the side of the road as I was coming up on a crosswalk with ...”
“I am getting warning signs on the dashboard saying that my brake booster performance has failed and I need to service the brake booster , the brakes are very hard to press, I need longer stopping distances,and traction control and stability control towing harness my speed has ...”
“driving and truck started to misfire (due to collapsed lifter after shop diagnosis) that then made my truck do reduced steering assist and my wheel got super hard to turn that almost sent me in the ditch at 60MPH and also turned off my Electronic Stability Control and also tur...”
Electrical Parasitic Drain, Infotainment & Harness Reports
- Unexplained battery drain after sitting overnight
- Infotainment display / instrument cluster blackouts
- Accessory malfunction / alternator fault warnings
“I am retired and have always bought GM vehicles which are taken care of with required oil changes etc. This one I have only owned 25,000 mi each year (I have owned two years). So, when purchased it has high 50,000 miles not sure of exact, and it has only been driven 2 years. W...”
“The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the trailer lights flashed intermittently while the vehicle is turned off. Additionally, the contact stated while driving with a trailer hitched to the vehicle, the messages "Trailer Disconnected" and "Trailer Co...”
“I was driving my 2019 GMC and all of a sudden I pulled into a subdivision the vehicle shut off and would not start again. I wasn't given an y warning or heard any sounds it shut off and would not start up again. I checked the battery and it was fine. I had it towed to a mechan...”
Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports
- Sudden loss of electric power steering assist
- Steering wheel pull or highway wander
- Clunking / knocking noise over bumps
“On XXX at approximately 3:00 p.m., I was driving on the highway in ..., at approximately 65 mph when my truck suddenly displayed a warning stating that all oil pressure had been lost and that the engine needed to be shut off immediately. Within roughly seven seconds of seeing ...”
“There was a catastrophic internal engine failure, due to cam/lifter/bearing issues. This caused the timing chain and tensioner to jump and the engine to be out of alignment. This caused the valves to all be bent as a result. I believe that this has been an issue for longer tha...”
“While driving, the vehicle suddenly began running rough, losing power, and displaying engine warning lights. Due to the severity of the issue, the vehicle was towed to a GMC dealership for diagnosis. The dealership diagnosed lifter failure and a cracked cylinder head. The deal...”
Airbag Occupant Detection & Inflator Defect Reports
- SRS Airbag warning lamp illuminated
- Passenger occupant classification sensor failure
- Seat belt retractor lockup
“The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly hard downshifted. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitating while driving the rest of the drive. T...”
“Issue 1: Driver side front seat airbag connector separated disabling the airbag. (repaired at my cost) Issue 2: Transmission (10 speed auto) developed stutter and skip consistent with complaints resulting in recall of 2020 (next model year truck) due to risk of rear wheel lock...”
“On ... at approximately 2 pm the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 (with 6.2 gas motor) motor died while I was driving in traffic. Incident #1 - The vehicle started sputtering and died - no alerts on dash until after the truck died - an empty fuel tank symbol briefly lit up on dash tha...”
Fuel Pump Pressure Loss & Fuel Delivery Defect Reports
- Sudden loss of propulsion power at highway speeds
- Extended engine cranking / failure to restart
- Fuel odor near fuel tank / engine bay
“On May 27, 2026, I was on my way home from work when I went to accelerate the vehicle and all the sudden it started shaking and the check engine light came on with the EBS. I was able to get the vehicle to a repair shop local the next day, who took the car apart. What was thou...”
“6.2L engine lifters were replaced in 05/24. Complete engine failure in 09/25. Engine replaced with remanufactured engine. Fuel pump fail while driving on highway. Engine shutoff completely while driving 70mph. Prior to shut off engine struggled going over a bridge on I95 at 70...”
“The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 62 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump module sensor had failed ...”
Official NHTSA Safety Recalls (10)
TIRES
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Cadillac CT6, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. Due to an Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) software error, the vehicle's Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Antilock Brake System (ABS) may become disabled. Furthermore, if this specific error occurs, the vehicle's diagnostics will not illuminate the instrument cluster ESC and ABS malfunction warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The battery positive (B+) cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially causing an intermittent electrical connection between the B+ cable and alternator.
SEAT BELTS
Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. These vehicles received updated software for the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM). This software has an error, and as a result, the vehicle's electronic brake assist may be disabled. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket, possibly igniting the carpet.
TIRES
Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
Summary: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Summary: 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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab and GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The passenger-side frontal air bag module may have been damaged during assembly, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly in the event of a crash.
Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist for 2019 GMC Sierra 1500
Before purchasing a used 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, perform the following targeted inspections based on reported federal defect patterns:
Scan the OBD-II port under the dash for pending freeze-frame codes (e.g. P0300 misfires, P0087 fuel rail pressure, P0420 catalytic efficiency).
Test vehicle at low-speed stop-and-go and highway merges. Check for delayed reverse engagement or gear shift shudder between 2nd and 3rd gears.
Verify that all 10 NHTSA safety recall campaigns have been performed by an authorized dealership using the VIN.
Ensure the instrument cluster, center screen, and auxiliary charging ports operate with stable 12.0V–14.4V alternator voltage.
Defect & Reliability Q&A: 2019 GMC Sierra 1500
Is the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 a reliable used car?
The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 earns a 5.3/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 623 federal owner reports. Vehicles maintained under factory service schedules exhibit strong longevity past 150,000 miles.
What is the most frequent defect reported on the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500?
The leading complaint category is Engine Stalling, Oil Consumption & Cooling Defect Reports, with a median failure point around 63,250 miles (IQR: 41,724 – 89,500 mi).
Are there free recall repairs available for the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500?
Yes, the NHTSA records 10 safety recall campaign(s) for this model year. All safety recalls are performed 100% free of charge by authorized franchise dealerships regardless of vehicle warranty status.

