Buying a new truck is an exciting day that you work towards for a long time. So when you picked up your new 2020 GMC Sierra from the dealership, you may have been elated, dreaming of all the amazing adventures you’d have in this truck. But it may not have been long before you started noticing some problems.

Saying the new Sierra has issues is like saying the COVID pandemic has been inconvenient. Read on to discover some of the biggest GMC Sierra problems that may be plaguing your truck.

Overview of the 2020 GMC Sierra

Before we dive into all the problems the 2020 GMC Sierra has, let’s get a quick overview of the vehicle. In 2020, GMC updated the powertrain on their full-size pickup truck, as well as making their 10-speed automatic transmission available on more models. You’ll also have an easier time getting their inline-six engine, which the company introduced in late 2019.

GMC deepened the bed of the 2020 Sierra and added a carbon-fiber bed liner to protect it. You can now add adaptive cruise control to most trim levels, as well as getting “see-through” towing effects that use rear cameras to give you a better view of what’s going on behind you. And Sierra’s 8-inch infotainment system works with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Sirius SM.

Electrical System

However, in spite of all these improvements, the 2020 Sierra has some major problems. The truck already has a recall out related to the electrical system, which may have an intermittent electrical connection between the battery positive cable and the alternator. This can cause the truck to stall, as well as producing electrical arcing, which can start a fire.

Aside from the risk that your new Sierra might randomly catch on fire, the new Sierra electrical system is poorly designed to begin with.

When you’re connected through Bluetooth, the infotainment system only allows you to send text messages using voice commands. You can’t receive or be notified of incoming messages unless you plug in your phone and use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Fire Risk

You may be shocked to learn that the electrical system isn’t the only fire risk in the new GMC Sierra. As many as 556,399 trucks with carpet in them may also be at risk of spontaneous combustion. This is due to an issue with the front seatbelt pretensioners, which are designed to restrain you in the event of a crash.

When your front seatbelt pretensioners deploy (which you may have experienced when you yank a little too hard on your seatbelt), hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket. This could catch your carpet on fire, leaving you buckled in inside a flaming cab.

Not only can this pose a risk during normal driving conditions, but it could make any crashes you experience exponentially worse.

Fuel System

Many GMC Sierra drivers have noticed that when they drive their new truck, there’s a strong smell of smoke around the truck. This odor seems to be strongest in the cab and outside the hood of the truck, and some drivers have even seen smoke coming from under the hood. Many drivers report that the smoke smells like it’s coming from burning plastic or electrical components.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a campaign that states the fuel pump on the new GMC Sierra might have been installed without a pressure regulator. This can allow your system to over-pressurize, which will cause your fuel pump to crack and start leaking. This, too, can cause a fire, and so far GMC is three for three on putting you at risk of a vehicle fire.

Vehicle Structure

Aside from the multiple ways your new GMC Sierra might catch fire, you might find that there are some serious problems with the vehicle structure. Some owners have discovered that their brand-new trucks have pickup and bed assemblies that are crooked. When they’ve complained to dealers about this flaw, they’ve been told “They’re all that way.”

Service Brakes

Not only may your truck be a crooked fireball waiting to happen, but it could also spin out of control at any moment. The NHTSA received a complaint that the antilock braking system failed while the new GMC Sierra was driving down the road. The brakes locked up, the truck spun out of control, and it wound up jumping over the center divider of the road and into oncoming traffic.

Another NHTSA campaign has recalled the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 for an issue with the brake calipers.

The campaign says that the bolts used to attach these calipers may not have been heat-treated, making them more fragile. If the truck is put under a load (as it might be when you load up equipment or materials in the bed or hook up a trailer to tow), the brake calipers could snap, leaving you completely without brakes.

Engine

While there are known problems and car recalls with the brakes and other systems in the car, the problems with the GMC Sierra engine are still in the shadows. You need to be able to depend on the engine in your full-size pickup to tackle whatever loads you throw at it. But some customers are finding that their engines are unreliable at best.

One owner told the NHTSA that their truck keeps indicating it needs a new knock sensor, even though they’ve replaced the sensor twice in three months. And a service bulletin claims that, while the engine may make strange noises, this is “completely normal.”

We don’t know about you, but we believe a brand new truck engine shouldn’t be making strange noises of any sort, especially if the company won’t admit there’s a problem.

Tackle Your GMC Sierra Problems

The 2020 GMC Sierra seemed wonderful at first, but owners have discovered it’s nothing but trouble. Aside from the myriad ways the truck may suddenly catch fire, you may suddenly find yourself with malfunctioning brakes. The trucks are as crooked as the manufacturers, who won’t even come clean about the issues happening inside the engine.

If you’d like to start tackling your GMC Sierra problems, check out the rest of our site at 1-800-MY-LEMON. We’re the PA Lemon Law, NJ Lemon Law and NY Lemon Law experts. Get started with us today to get legal help at no cost to you.