Problems · by component
2021 GMC Sierra electrical system problems
76 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2021 GMC Sierra cite electrical system, 13% of all 599 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
76
13% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The infotainment system inadvertently shuts down and restarts which creates a unsafe situations while using the navigation system, backing up using the backup camera and while trailering. In a 30 mile drive it might do it 10 times and it might do it 30 times and eventually it doesnt restart until the vehicle is shut off. Each time it does it, it starts with the screen locking up which has resulted in me backing into my boat trailer 3 times while backing up to put the trailer on the hitch and numerous near misses with pedestrians and other vehicles in parking lots. Research on the internet indicates it is a known issue across several GMC platforms and has been since 2016. I took my truck to the dealer, they did a software update which was unsuccessful, then they did a global reset, charged me $240.00 and told me it was fixed. It shutdown 2 times before I got out of their parking lot.”
“Received Re-Call for Engine Failure! Dealer replaced Engine Oil and Oil Cap @ 85,544 Miles. I read of the Re-call prior to the notice and I waited for it to come. After I received it and the Dealer made the changes, it made me afraid to leave town using my truck for fear of a breakdown on the Freeway. I use a Walker, so if I broke down and I was in the left lane and lost all power it would be very dangerous for me to get to the right side of the road! The truck started using excessive Oil after they changed the oil. I replaced four (4) quarts of oil @ 2526 miles! Speedometer reading 88070 miles.”
“The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the battery charge indicator to zero. The vehicle lost motive power, and the vehicle was unable to exceed 30 MPH while driving. The vehicle was driven in LIMP Mode. The battery saver mode message was displayed before and during the failure. The vehicle then failed to restart. The vehicle had been repaired a year prior to the failure. The contact's blood pressure became elevated due to the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.”
“Dashboard keeps returning to aljarir type writing. We bought it with American English but won't stay in English. Monday will be 30 day and I believe the dealer is ghosting me. Y'all have any ideas how to reset the dashboard without replacing the radio??? Closest answer I was given.”
“The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH near the residence with the contact's daughter as a passenger, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of motive power when depressing the accelerator pedal. Several unspecified warning lights illuminated. The contact and the passenger pushed the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the electrical system experienced a severe power loss and the electrical modules were damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.”
“I am submitting supplemental evidence regarding my 2021 GMC Sierra (VIN [XXX]) for Recall Query RQ26001, Campaign 25V-274. Despite multiple repair attempts, my vehicle remains unsafe and non-compliant with GM Service Bulletin N252494002. The recall remedy was performed deficiently. [XXX] Northeast Buick GMC installed a remanufactured short block instead of the required complete engine, reused the original seized-engine oil pan (which continues to leak), and failed to address critical electrical damage. Documentation proves they deleted Labor Operation 14BUZ (Engine Electrical) after their technician noted a blown mega fuse. A second dealer, Penske Chevrolet, subsequently deleted Labor Operation 77CVZ01 from my repair order, demonstrating a systemic pattern of ignoring recall-required repairs. Electrical damage has cascaded, resulting in a burnt fuse block and active faults P0615, P0617, P26E4, P26E6, U0623, and U0284. More critically, within 24 miles of my last service, the vehicle developed a new, severe safety failure: the "Service Brake Pad Monitor" system failed, accompanied by a red "Service System" dashboard alert and a noticeably spongy brake pedal.…”
Showing 6 of 76 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.