2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Power Train

After 38,000 miles and 8 years of normal service (mix of city, highway, and 10% towing), my 8L90 transmission began to shudder occasionally. The problem first became apparent when driving slightly uphill, on cruise control at about 50 mph, or while slightly accelerating on a flat road, with no load in the box, and no trailer. It felt like I was driving across a rough patch of asphalt or rumble strips. Every half mile or so, it would shudder. Slowing down or speeding up stopped the rumble. The problem proved not to be caused by tires, U-joints, or AFM. The problem in fact was caused by defective GM transmission fluid, which was sold as "sealed for life", and rated for 200,000 miles, as factory-installed. That proved to be BS. If not repaired, this problem would lead to transmission lockup and/or lack of propulsion, which could contribute to a vehicle crash. The problem was solved by installing AMSOIL Signature Series Fuel-Efficient 100% Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid, Product Code: ATLTP-CA. If GM properly cared for their customers, to make up for false advertising at the time of purchase, GM should publish and pay for GM Service Bulletin #20-NA-142, for all 8L90 owners, instructing owners to replace their transmission fluid every 5 years or 40,000 miles, whichever comes first.

My vehicle has lurched forward upon the first engine start of the day, under no throttle, on several occasions, throughout the life of my vehicle. Shortly after starting my 6.2 engine in my garage, if I shift my 8L90 transmission into Drive as soon as the engine RPMs settle to idle, the vehicle will lurch forward, screeching the tires. Luckily, I had my foot on the brake hard enough such that no one was injured. The harsh transmission shift into drive is dangerous, possible injuring passengers or my garage door. I've learned that if I wait 5 to 10 seconds, allowing the engine to idle (while the transmission oil becomes pressurized ??), then the shift into drive is normal, without any lurch.

Driving on highway at 70mph loss of power. Transmision slipping and vehicle rapidly lost speed creating a very hazardous situation. Was able to barley get of highway safely going down to 40mph. Vehicle went into limp mode.

I see you are investigating GM on their 2019 to newer vehicles with the v-8 motors over the active fuel management stuff causing motors to blow, I’ve got a 2017 gmc with 5.3 with 30,000 miles and have issues with it over that mess. Just wondering why vehicles back to 2015 aren’t included in it that have that active fuel management stuff that are having problems? Thanks

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the RPM increased quickly. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a busy highway. The contact drove the vehicle across a four-lane highway to get the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that the transmission had seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 128,177.

Original issue started at about 60K miles regarding hard shifts and clunking with acceleration with my 2017 Sierra 6 speed transmission. I had it inspected by the dealer when I purchased it, told it was normal for this model. Had it inspected by independent shops, told that this is a known issue, but not fixable without a new transmission. At 90K miles, began experiencing a whining sound while idling. Told it is in the torque converter/transmission housing but I could not afford the thousands of dollars for replacement/inspection. I had the transmission fluid serviced and changed as recommended with the dextran ATF that GM recommends in the manual both at 60K miles, and again at 100K miles as recommended. I also drive the vehicle reasonably, yet still at 130K miles had the transmission and converter fail. With no warning, no check engine lights or vehicle codes. Even after I lost 5th and 6th gear, there were no warnings or alert in my truck and despite the transmission giving out while on the highway. I feel this is a huge safety concern with both GM torque converter and transmission issues being known, as well as my vehicle not giving any warnings before, during, or after my transmission failing. I have had the warning lights checked as well, I’m told they are fully functioning when tested, so for some reason there seems to be an inherent issue with the truck’s warning system.

I had to replace my transmission at 71902 miles. I complained to Flow GMC dealership over seven times about the Vibration , jerking, shaking and shuddering. Most of the time when I carried they said they can not duplicate the problem. On Feb. 05, 2025 I was driving and stopped at a stop light when I pulled off the vehicle started vibrating, shaking and had a hard jerk. I thought someone had ran in the back of me but that was not the case . I had it pulled in to Flow GMC they checked it out and said the transmission need to be replaced. I had it replaced at the dealership. I had to pay $7782 to get a new transmission. I read were they being are all on some GMC models. I want to know why the 2017 GMC has not been recalled.

When shifting down to a low gear at an abrupt stop the transmission will hit hard causing vehicle to brake harder and has almost gotten in accidents because it seems to push itself a bit.

The lifters failed on one side and the dealer replaced only that side under warranty. I paid over 64k for this veh and I am scared the other side will fail while driving.

Transmission Hard shifts 1-2 or 2-3 Delayed engagement into Drive/Reverse Shudder at 30–60 mph Slipping under light throttle Clunk when stopping The risk I've described to the dealer is that the hard shifts at stop and go in heavy traffic situations could cause and accident. Yes the issue has been confirmed at the dealer and they replaced the transmission. That did not resolve the issue. It has not been inspected. No warnings.

Transmission went out as I was pulling into traffic, no warning lights on dash and no issues until this incident and had it towed to the dealership where I was told it would be $6600 to replace the transmission and that it was completely in operable. My truck is a 2017 with 53816 actual miles. Called gm company and they will not help with repairs at all.

I have been experiencing trasmission problems. The vehicle jerks, shutters and makes numerous thumping sounds during acceleration as well as at certain constant speeds. It frequently make a lound clunking sound when first put in drive and beginning to move. On January 16, 2025, I took the truck to Rubideaux GMC, 351 W Dalton Ave, Hayden ID 83835, for inspection. I was told that the torque converter "was shot" and that the transmission fluid was scorched and there metal shavings in the transmission filter. The service manager informed me that I needed a new transmission at a cost of $7,000. the dealer told me that they will have to find a remanufactured replacement which by their description are in short supply. I went to an independent shop in the area and was quoted a similar price. The employee also advised me of a class action law suite that was in process for 2016-2020 GM trucks and SUV's and passenger cars equipped with the model 8L transmission with the same problem. Several suits are under way including, [XXX] et al v GM, I find this situation especially concerning given the very gentle treatment Ive given this vehicle since I purchased it new. The truck only has 63,000 miles on it and I have never towed anything with this vehicle nor carried any load of more than a couple oh hundred pounds in the bed of the truck. What component failed? Transmission. The transmission is still in the truck pending available replacement. How was your safety put at risk? The transmission could fail while driving causing a lack of vehicle control. Has the problem been reproduced by a dealer? Yes it was confirmed by the dealership listed above. Has vehicle been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance? It has been inspected by a licensed GMC dealer. Where there any warning lamps, messages or other symptons.....? No INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the RPM increased, and the drive signal flashed on and off. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission control module (TCM) failure. The contact was informed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact requested a second opinion from another independent mechanic, and it was confirmed as a transmission control module (TCM) failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

Shifting 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 1st is very hard and jolting. It hesitates and doesn't go immediately which could cause an accident.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle sputtered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was a persistent failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the spark plugs, but the failure persisted. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 110,000.

My complaint number 11461471 , I made this complaint on 04/20/2022 about my 2017 GMC Sierra 1500.my truck is have the same problems that the GMC trucks recalled. As I stated when I filed my complaint with NHTSA and GMC. I carried my truck back to the dealership 7 times and complained about the problem. Once my warranty expired no one want to talk about the problem with the transmission. I started having problems in September 2017 my truck had 6,949 miles. I have paperwork every time I carried it to gmc dealership. NHTSA need to look at the problem with the 2017 Sierra too.

Truck would slip out of gear while in DRIVE in very dangerous situations. Tuck would suddenly jerk forward when in Drive and Stopped at a Stop Sign or light. No warning light or codes. Transmission Specialist evaluated and determined that Transmission was about to have a critical failure. The 6L80 transmission was replaced with 109,933 original miles on it.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered upon depression of the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where the dealer found no defects with the vehicle. The contact was then informed that the shuddering was normal operation. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic discovered a defect with the bell housing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.

8L90 transmission shudders and jolts forward at low speeds. Delayed acceleration when accelerating from a stop.

Transmission making a shuttering feeling while driving. Felt in the steering wheel. Dealer said it’s not covered unless still under powertrain warranty. No check engine light while happening. There was a pending code about transmissions control module.

The transmission isn't working properly and there is a major delay (over one year) in parts because so many are needed.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking, and hesitating, and the transmission unexpectedly shifted out of gear while driving. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the torque converter, transmission pump assembly, and reverse clutch were faulty, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.

I purchased the vehicle in November or December 2022. Since then I’ve had problems with my transmission. The torque converter was replaced 2 times, it’s been in the shop 5-6 times and nothing fixed under the warranty when I purchased it. Finally the dealer I purchased from said they won’t take the vehicle back and won’t spend any more money on fixing the truck. Now it has become on my dime to figure it out since I gave up trying to have a shop diagnose and fix it. The last shop said I would have to pay to have the transmission removed and possibly have the valve body replaced since the dealer I purchased it from gave the second shop one chance to get it right. The transmission downshifts hard and clunks since the first day of purchase. Makes a weird wining noise still til this day. I have spoken with the owners of the dealership and they did not seem to care about my problem.

8 speed transmission shudder reported by GMC for my model. My truck has 35,500 miles and has the shudder posted in a technical service bulletin by GM. The supposed fix is x 20 quart fluid flush, new filter, and flash the computer. GM will not cover under any warranty as they say this is a “fluid change” even though the manual says this fluid should not be changed until 72,000 miles. The dealerships act like they are just hearing about this which is a total lie. They were told over a year ago if they had any new on lot to change the transmission fluid to mobile one synthetic before selling them. This should be a recall as GM knew this was an issue during manufacture. This is a $1200 repair that should be covered by GM.