Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 90 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 90, in the owner's own words
For no apparent reason the truck goes into “low power mode” and gives off code p2138 often happens around 30-35 mph. Have had it happen to me also around 45 mph also. I have replaced sensors and parts to which a month or so goes by and it happens again.
I remote started my truck, and when I got to it there was smoke and a flame coming from the rear power window. The remote start activates the rear defrosters, which started the electrical issues. I shut off the engine, and a loud pop followed, which was the shattering of the driver side rear window. The flame went out, and could have easily ignited the tarp covering the truck bed. There were no warnings on the console for the issue, and no recalls available. I have seen similar recall, but in a different state and back in 2022. This leaves me with a shattered window in the back, which is unsafe for visibility, and a bill to pay due to manufacturing errors for a feature in the truck. The rear window is all melted, and the glass is chipping away.
The temperature sensor in the transmission is faulty leading to hard/delayed shifting, shuttering, and vibration
the steering assist fails, Power and steering is reduced at driving speeds. Steering wheel locks and vehicle looses voltage and stalls while driving at low speeds and have been close to collision. Vehicle was inspected by Group One Gmc in el Paso Texas. They did not fix recall because it "did not pertain to my vin" . There is a recall for the steering assist on all gmc 2015 1500, but not for my gmc 2015 1500 for some reason. Whether it was manufactured in the us or the moon its still a gmc 2015 1500 with faulty steering assist system from the manufacturer with an open recall. Thanks for your help
At low speeds when applying the brake, whether in a turn or traffic, the vehicle will shut off completely. This has happened multiple times and has almost caused accidents on a few occasions. It has also happened while just driving down the road, the entire truck lost power and then came back, the windshield wipers came on as well.
When parking and turning the wheel the truck stalled, radio turned off and on, ac stopped working, battery reading dropped. Maybe an electrical issue since it happens continuously, while making turns at slow speeds the truck wants to turn off, lights dim then go back to normal.
Infotainment screen not responsive to touch, will not reset and freezes with black screen message warning drivers to not take their eyes off the road. Because of the latent defects known to GM in the screen, it is impossible to reset the controls (the "OK" button will not clear the error message). The freezing and non-responsiveness and elimination of outside temperature display creates a driver distraction hazard trying to clear it while driving, and prevents the driver from being alerted to outside temperatures dropping below freezing. GM customer care refused to provide any assistance for the $1,045 repair charge quoted by the dealer and refused to acknowledge that this is an inherent vehicle defect well established, that already produced a service advisory and redesign of the defective screen. Problem has existed for quite some time, and infotainment issues were initially reported to dealer on 3/9/2015 (2 months after delivery) without adequate resolution.
After recall the problem got worse
I was driving my truck with my family in the car. I turned on the rear window defrost and a few minutes later the rear window blew out and made a loud bang noise. Also a burning smell took over the rear of vehicle. I did some research on line and saw this has happened to several owners of this model year pick up. It’s 100% a safety hazard. Not sure what to do since I don’t see a recall for this common problem. Thank you.
It keep having this issue constantly every minute saying trailer brake system
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the fuse box had caught on fire during the failure. There were no occupants inside the vehicle at the time of the failure. No injuries were sustained. There was no Police or Fire report filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,218.
I purchased my truck (15 GMC Sierra z71 4x4) with around 122,000 miles on it. I would be owner #2. Truck ran great. Around 150,000 miles I noticed my truck's transmission start to jerk while accelerating from gear to gear. No engine light ever appeared. Problem stopped. A few days later while dropping my daughter off at school, my truck wouldn't go passed 35 mph. I had to put the shifter in manual and shift to third gear. Other gears would just rev the rpm's to 4 or 5. Since I didn't want to put my family, me and others on the road at risk. I parked my truck and started driving my other vehicle. A few months went by, and my other vehicle had a flat tire, I had to drive my truck to work. On the way home from work, my truck started acting up again, jerking while accelerating. speedometer would go up however truck didn't move. I had to pull over quickly so I wouldn't be broken down in the traffic lane. I turned the ignition off and waited five minutes and started the truck up. I was able to make it home. At this time the engine soon light came on. I ran my scanner on my truck and code P0700 TCM was the only code showing. I had a Gmc dealer look at my truck and stated I would need a new transmission. I have done many months if not almost close to a year of research with results showing that transmission problems just what I was experiencing are a common problem with 2014-2019 chevy and Gmc / Silverado pickups with transmission 6L80. I dropped my truck off at another transmission shop just yesterday 3/3/24 and the results today were I need a new transmission. Torque converter issues. The shop stated that they repair / rebuild almost three chevy / gmc trucks like my truck a week with the same transmission problem. I still owe on my truck and shouldn't have to pay almost 6K for a transmission that is known to be an issue from the start of factory build. I own many older model gm / chevy vehicles and only had one other issue with one which also had a known recall issue.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was no audible chime or alert heard. After driving and then restarting the vehicle there was still no audible sound from the electrical system. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact replaced the battery, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V301000 (Electrical System, Seat Belts) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Inside of car smelled like burnt electrical and crackled and then back window exploded due to short in the rear defroster [XXX] Rear Window Defroster Thermal Events GMC has indicated that there is no recall associated with this event. GMC has sent no recall or service notices to me regarding this issue and the vehicle had been at a GMC deal Jim Ellis GMC within the year. This incident caused glass to be injected into the passenger compartment causing a hazard INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The truck completely shut off while making a turn in town. I didn't have any control of the truck, steering or braking ability. In a attempted to restart the truck or regain steering and braking, I cycled the key to no avail. I then urgently tried putting it into neutral, and cycling the key again. The truck started and I regained control. In the 5-10 seconds that passed while the vehicle was out of control, the vehicle traveled over the curb and then onto the sidewalk. It is miraculous that I didn't cause an accident or cause injury to pedestrians. I was shaking. This event was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me in a vehicle. A blessing for sure. In not the clearest frame of mind, I drove the vehicle back to my home. It is parked and I won't drive it until it is repaired. Upon getting home and calming down, I googled this event. The Google search indicated that this scenario is very common in gmc trucks between 2014-17. The cause is apparently faulty battery cables and/or corroded grounding points. I do not understand why there isn't a recall or safety bulletin to inform vehicle owners of this issue. I could have easily killed someone. I passionately feel that action needs to be taken on this series of gmc trucks to prevent a deadly accident!
All power shuts off while driving. The transmission dis-engages, the power steering stops working and the infotainment system turns off. The power steering powers off even when sitting in a parking spot while everything else is on. I've owned this truck since 2019 and this has always been an issue, especially when taking a left through an intersection. I keep checking for recalls, but nothing shows up and I find that extremely hard to believe. I'm contacting you now because the issue has gotten worse, everyday worse.
When I turn the steering wheel, the ac turns off, lights turn off, the computer screen turns off, steering wheel gets hard and does a jerking movement. The truck turns off too and then suddenly turns on. This can cause a death. If this happens in a highway or a street where speed is high this can easily cause a death.. fortunately this has happened going at 30 mph and no one close at the time and also at a drive through fast food restaurant. It has not been confirmed by the dealer but I will soon have to take it. The only light that comes up is the StabiliTrak.. but it only lights up when it happens and then it goes away.
Truck loses power engine dies while driving after turning at slow speeds. Engine will restart after a few minutes like it never happened does not show any DTC codes or check engine lights. It is intermittent with no advance notice very dangerous to drive. Seems to be a common problem for all GM trucks and SUVS from 2014 - 2017
The electrical system has intermittent issues with connection to the battery due to the location of the ground connection from the battery. The ground connection is screwed into the under carriage (near wheel well front passenger side) and left exposed to the elements. Grit and grime build-up over time caused an interference with the connection. The safety issue is the vehicle lost power without warning and while driving causing the vehicle inoperable, including no power steering. Other symptoms include stabiltrak and park assist errors displayed while A/C & radio resets during intermittent power connectivity. Cleaning the ground connection wires & screw solved the immediate issue. This video explains it all, including where the issue is located and how I was able to fix the issue to restore power: https://youtu.be/KrSJJUUo9FU
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph with the defroster activated when they began to smell something seeming to be overheating. The contact heard a sudden pop sound and later noticed that the rearview window on the side had fractured. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that due to them already receiving a recall remedy for the failure they were unable to get the repair done again free of charge. The vehicle had been repaired for the glass to be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
My truck lost all audio including radio, turn signals and seat belt warning chimes. I feel this is a major safety concern not having a seat belt warning as well as an open door alert. The dealership notified me there is not a recall on the 2015 model and I would be charged for any and all labor.
Rear defroster (with sliding rear window) thermal events with arcing and hissing, smoke smell present. Matches the same description as provided in document N192265660. GM will not cover my vehicle because it was not delivered to a dealer in any of the states listed in the document. There is evidence in the vehicle of thermal events, however GM wants me to pay $1000-$1500 for a new rear sliding window.
Power steering cut out instantly as I was driving.
Several instances in which power steering assist lapses at low speed. Several times lapses coupled with radio/ac going off. Two times the truck has died while backing into garage. I have narrowly missed hitting other cars while parking in various places. I have not taken the truck to a dealer or service center for this problem. It has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance or others. Several different messages show up in different instances. Today I noticed “parking assist symbols not available.” Then the truck died.
My electrical failed i was hauling a trailer and i crashed into a car also the air didnt deploy we were traveling at 35mph my steering locked i couldnt aviod steering got real tight
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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