Complaint volume
436 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 GMC Sierra Complaints
436 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 GMC Sierra, grouped by component category.
436 Total complaints
11 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
6 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, power train, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 11 crash reports, 5 fire reports, 6 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 121 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 45,188 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, power train, electrical system?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 GMC Sierra?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 GMC Sierra
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 GMC Sierra complaints?
11 Crash
5 Fire
6 Injury
0 Fatality
29 Towed
4 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 GMC Sierra complaint categories?
ENGINE 156
POWER TRAIN 53
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 39
SERVICE BRAKES 25
STEERING 19
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 11
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 10
SUSPENSION 9
VISIBILITY/WIPER 7
436 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | SUSPENSION | My 2020 GMC Sierra Denali diesel with approximately 90,000 miles experienced two separate front suspension failures within a short period of time. The driver side tie rod and wheel hub failed first and required repair. Shortly after, the passenger side front suspension failed in a similar way and the vehicle had to be towed. These failures caused the front wheels to become unstable and created a serious safety concern while driving. Suspension components such as tie rods and hubs should not fail at this mileage under normal driving conditions. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 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. My cell is [XXX] if you need to reach us...Thx.... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the oil pump solenoid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but after the repair was performed, the engine seized. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 45,000 |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE | At 96,000 miles (3,000 miles after the extended warranty expired), I noticed the "GM tick" more prominent and had more of a metallic sound than it ever did. Upon further investigation, it was found that a collapsed lifter may be the culprit. The truck was brought to the dealer and it was confirmed that the #1 hydraulic lifter had collapsed and needed replacement. This work was approved and tonight, I received a call from Rivard Buick GMC saying that the collapsed lifter also caused significant wear on the camshaft which also now requires replacement. Loss of power on the road poses a significant risk as I carry my children in the vehicle. No warning lamps, messages, or other indicators appeared before or when the issue occurred. The issue was reproduced by the manufacturer/dealer. The dealer Service Manager confirmed that this is extremely common with these trucks with the 6.2L engine and said it was a design flaw due to Dynamic Fuel Management, as well as the oil viscosity recommendation from GM being too low. The year group before and after the 2020 has been recalled along with TSB's issued, however, this group is not part of it. I contacted GM Customer Service (Case [XXX]) and was offered a 10% discount on the repair, being told that this is a "great deal considering the vehicle is out of warranty". GM Customer Service has now resorted to not answering any further questions after several attempts to reach someone. This is also after replacing the 10-speed transmission that was also not part of any recall but that was such an issue that the dealer was only able to source used transmissions rather than new parts. Clearly GM won't make the right decisions to back their products or customers, so NHTSA intervention is necessary. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE | The motor went to knocking and lost power. Cost us about 3500. To fix. Lifters went down cam went down which caused major motor knock and loss of payer | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Vehicle is shifting hard when switching gears. Typical with the recall and the valve body being the issue. Dealership is saying it is not covered by recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | STEERING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to steer to the left or the right. The power steering and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a corroded body ground strap. The error codes were cleared, and a test drive was performed. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the GMC Customer Satisfaction Program: N252515590; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,061. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 37,061 |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | Misfiring due to DFM which is a common issue. Running a scan confirmed. I have installed a AFM/DFM disabler which seems to fix the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | Have not had my truck in over a month while it’s getting repaired had engine failure sure to faulty hydraulic lifters and camshaft failure due to the Dynamic fuel management system purchased warranty for my vehicle but this needs to be looked into it is unfair as a consumer that they are not doing anything about 2020 models and earlier they are just focusing on 2021 and up. They almost had me crash my truck due to power loss | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The brakes suddenly activate and cause the vehicle to rapidly stop with no warning of any kind and without any braking action being taken by the driver. Then, the brakes do not release and the vehicle cannot be moved as the brakes remain on. Turning the engine off and then restarting it or shifting to other gears does not release the brakes. The vehicle remains immobile and cannot be driven. After a few hours have passed, like overnight, the brakes release and the vehicle can started and driven just as if nothing had happened. A message briefly appears on the vehicle information screen each time this inadvertent braking occurs. It reads, “Brake Failure System”. These brake lockdowns occurred when driving on streets and in the driveway. No accident resulted but could have easily occurred. This is dangerous for a driver and occupants of a vehicle with this safety flaw as well as for other people and vehicles in the vicinity. This has happened five times. The last two instances resulted in the vehicle being loaded onto a tow truck and taken to a dealer of the vehicle’s manufacture. Thus far the dealership has not found what may be causing this intermittent braking problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | On Friday, January 30, 2026 while driving our 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, we experienced sudden loss of power and the motor making a faint rattling noise. The motor soon after began making a horrible sound - - it was obvious something was very wrong. This vehicle only had 31,995 miles on it at the of the issue. We had the truck towed to the dealer the following day for evaluation. Upon inspection, it was determined that the #5 lifter had collapsed and the left bank of lifters needed to be replaced at an estimated cost of $4500. There were no warning lamps or alerts on our app for over 24 hours. Once at the dealer, we explained to the service advisor that our research concluded that GM is fully aware of these issues and that they are under investigation for possible recall. Our service advisor then made a call to GM who agreed to cover this repair under warranty (which we appreciate and feel was the right thing to do). However, after additional research, we are concerned that the right bank of lifters will fail next, or even worse, catastrophic engine failure that GM will refuse to cover. It is our understanding that NTSB is aware of these issues and is in the process of conducting an investigation. I would like to have our issue added to the investigation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | 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. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 97,000 |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with crankshaft failure. The contact was informed that the crankshaft could be replaced; however, the dealer suggested that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,000 |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | I had a complete engine failure that I had to pay out-of-pocket for I really think that this vehicle should’ve been included in the 2021 and beyond engine recall for 6.2 GMC Sierra‘s. I drove to work one morning Fein after work I turned my vehicle on, and the engine started shaking violently and smoke coming out of my exhaust like I’ve never seen it before dealer said engine was completely blown and had to be repaired again I paid for this out of my own pocket. It is now coming to my attention that this vehicle is being looked at as an engineering analysis in line with the recall for the 2021 in above GMC Sierra‘s what do I need to do? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My engine is projecting a ticking sound. Oil consumption is extreme. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | Engine failure as related to RQ26-001. engine misfires after following recommended maintenance schedule for 6.2L engine. Vehicle is at dealership and available for inspection and dealer is recommending engine replacement. Engine light came on and was brought to GMC dealership same day. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | Catastrophic engine failure at 62,445 miles. Dealer state excessive oil in cylinder 7, ring failure. Recommendations; remove and replace engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | SUSPENSION | I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction regarding a significant safety and reliability issue with my 2020 GMC Denali. Specifically, the vehicle is experiencing premature wear and imminent failure of the front ball joints. I expect the suspension components of a premium Denali-trim vehicle to last significantly longer than the 37,061 miles currently on my odometer. Industry standards typically place the lifespan of these components between 70,000 and 150,000 miles. Technical Details of the Failure: The vehicle is currently exhibiting the following symptoms of accelerated ball joint degradation: •Excessive Vertical and Lateral Play: Inspection reveals play in the right lower ball joint that exceeds the manufacturer’s maximum allowable wear specifications. The left lower Ball Joint is starting to have a small amount of play, according to the technician | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 experienced a premature transmission failure consistent with GM’s known 8-speed transmission defect. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk if/when the transmission occurs a temporary lockup which can/will cause the vehicle to stall on the highway, and potentially create a minor/major automobile incident if vehicle stalls. The vehicle was taken to dealership Capital Chevrolet Montgomery, AL where dealership technician diagnosed/confirmed the issue along with pictures of internal transmission failed components as well as recommended resolution for fix. The vehicle has been inspected by my out-of-pocket expense extended warranty company Endurance Warranty Services sub-contracted repair claims adjuster. No warning lamps, vehicle messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure were noticeable; the vehicle had multiple diagnostic scans prior to original sale and after sale to present no issues or trouble scans. the first issue appeared or was noticeable 12/08/2025. GM has refused action by asserting warranty expiration despite widespread knowledge of this defect. The vehicle has been out of service since December 8, 2025. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | I purchased my 2020 gmc sierra 1500 6.2L in September 2024 with 80,000 miles. 9 months later the lifters gave out. Had them replaced and 6 months later, the lifters again were bad and was knocking. They are now replacing the lifters and cam. I am so disappointed that this is happening. I hear that the 2019 and 2020 was not included in this recall! Why not!! If it’s still doing the same thing and it is the same engine, why isn’t my truck in this recall? I would like to know why? If it is doing the same thing as the recall, shouldn’t it be covered by this recall? Best, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal popping and crackling sound. The traction control, check engine, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Service Emergency Brake" was displayed. The engine later made knocking sounds, and the vehicle vibrated while driving. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the year and VIN were not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 138,000 |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and hauling a boat, the vehicle shook violently and made a loud banging sound. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #6, and that the engine required further inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA25007 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 87,000 |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Back window leaks down onto electrical compents and causes mold behind rear seat, plus staining mold on headliner | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | The bearings in my engine failed while on the road! The dealer says I need a full engine replacement for $16,000. There were no warnings or indication there was a problem. The vehicle has been maintained perfectly since it’s purchase. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | Truck started to vibrate and loud tick sound, CEL for misfire and traction control. Hard shifting until I could pull to a safe area to call for a tow. Around 76k miles on the truck when it happened. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |