2017 Gmc Sierra 1500 — Known Issues & Recalls

Your truck jerked and stalled while driving on the highway, and wouldn't shift into third gear even though the check engine light came on. The dealer diagnosed a wiring harness failure in the transmission, but after repair the problem persisted and your truck became undrivable. This happened at about 103,000 miles.

Your truck's transmission suddenly failed while driving on a busy highway — when you pressed the accelerator, the engine revved up but the vehicle wouldn't move forward. You had to steer across four lanes to safely reach the shoulder. A mechanic confirmed the transmission had seized and needed complete replacement.

Your transmission may shudder or vibrate at steady speeds (around 50 mph) or during light acceleration, feeling like you're driving over rumble strips every half mile or so. This issue can be resolved by replacing the factory transmission fluid with a synthetic alternative, as the original "sealed for life" fluid may degrade prematurely. The fix involves draining and refilling your transmission with high-quality synthetic transmission fluid.

Your truck lurches forward suddenly when you shift into Drive immediately after starting the engine, causing the tires to screech even though you're not pressing the gas pedal. Waiting 5-10 seconds before shifting allows the transmission to pressurize and eliminates the problem. This harsh shift could potentially injure passengers or cause damage to your garage. The issue likely involves the transmission's pressure buildup during cold starts.

Your transmission is shifting hard between gears (especially 1-2 and 2-3), sometimes delays when you shift into Drive or Reverse, and shudders between 30–60 mph. You may also feel it slip under light acceleration and hear a clunk when stopping. The dealer replaced the transmission, but the problem persists—even a new transmission didn't fix it.

Your engine's lifters failed, which destroyed the camshaft and required a complete rebuild of the top end of the engine at a cost of $8,500. This appears to be the same issue that was previously recalled on this model.

Your engine failed at 250,000 miles, so you rebuilt it with a new GM crank. However, the engine only lasted 10,000 miles before the crank bearings failed because there wasn't enough clearance between the new GM bearings and crank. You discovered that GM is now only manufacturing the L87 crank (which has the same issue as the L87 engine recall) to replace your original L86 crank, forcing a second engine rebuild. The fix involved replacing GM-supplied bearings with aftermarket crank bearings that provided proper clearance.

While driving your 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, you heard a tapping sound from the engine and your check engine light came on. The engine then lost power and had to be towed to the dealer. The problem was diagnosed as a failed lifter rod, which was replaced to restore normal operation.

While your truck was warming up via remote start, you noticed smoke coming from the passenger side and heard a loud bang, which caused the rear passenger window to shatter. Your dealership inspected the vehicle under a GM recall in May 2020 and deemed it safe, but GM later said the recall expired in 2022. The smoke smell is concerning because it suggests a potential electrical fire risk, especially with a child's seating position near the window.

Your car caught fire in the rear power slide window area after you started it remotely. You noticed smoke coming from inside the cab and found the rear defroster wires smoldering, which caused the tempered glass window to crack. This is particularly concerning because your infant's car seat was positioned directly below the affected area. There's a known recall for this vehicle involving fire hazards in the rear slide window wiring, and no warning lights appeared before the fire started.

While stopped at a stop sign, you heard a loud bang and your truck suddenly lurched forward as if you'd been rear-ended. After driving about 20 miles, your transmission failed completely, and the truck continued moving forward even with your foot on the brake. You had to replace the transmission at significant cost, and you've found online reports of the same issue happening to other owners.

Your rear window defroster became excessively hot and caused the rear glass window to shatter. You noticed some smoke coming from the defroster area. The issue may require inspection and replacement of the defroster heating element or rear window assembly.

Your truck jerked violently when shifting gears, and the check engine light came on. You noticed rough driving, abnormal engine rumbling, and poor acceleration when pressing the gas pedal. Mechanics found metal shavings in the transmission fluid and confirmed both engine and transmission failure at 80,000 miles. The repair likely involves transmission fluid replacement, filter service, and potentially engine or transmission rebuild or replacement.

Your check engine light and traction control light are both on, and the vehicle won't drive properly. The dealer identified a misfire code (P0304) that indicates your engine lifters need to be replaced. The repair will involve removing the engine valve cover and replacing the faulty lifters.

When you turned on the defroster, you heard a loud pop and saw brown and yellow smoke coming from the rear of your vehicle. You discovered that the rear driver's side sliding glass window was fractured. The defroster didn't work as intended after this incident. The fix will likely involve replacing the damaged rear sliding glass window and inspecting the defroster system for damage.

After remote starting your 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, you noticed a burning smell inside the cabin, smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle, and the rear window was cracked. The dealer diagnosed a failed defrost resistor as the cause. This is concerning because the same defrost resistor had already been replaced under a recall five years earlier. Replacing the defrost resistor should resolve the burning smell and smoke issue.

When your daughter used the rear defrost, she noticed a burning smell, and shortly after, the rear sliding window suddenly exploded and shattered on the passenger side, with glass striking her. This suggests a potential electrical or heating issue with the rear defrost system that caused the window to fail catastrophically.

Your truck's rear window shattered unexpectedly while parked after you used remote start in cold weather, even though the rear defog feature was turned off. There was no impact or external damage to explain the breakage. This may be related to a known issue where the rear window defroster system can overheat the glass and cause it to crack or shatter. You may need to have the rear defroster system inspected or replaced by a GMC dealer.

Your check engine light came on while driving at 40 mph, and you noticed the engine shuddering, vibrating, and making an abnormal ticking sound. A mechanic replaced your fuel injectors and a dealer reprogrammed them, but your engine still runs rough. The dealer suspects a connecting rod failure but hasn't opened the engine to confirm. The fix will likely require a full engine inspection and possibly internal engine repairs or replacement.

Your brake pedal feels soft or sinks when you apply brakes at low speeds. General Motors has issued a recall for a vacuum pump issue that causes this problem, but your vehicle's VIN does not appear to be included in that recall.