2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Engine

The engine failed and started burning oil at a rate of 3 quarts every two weeks. The vehicle is currently at the GMC dealership having the engine rebuilt at a cost of over 15,000. The vehicle has approx. 116,000 miles at time of failure, so it is outside of the manufacturers warranty. The GMC dealership (Fred Anderson Greer) has photos. The engine is a 6.2L but not currently under recall as it is a 2020, the recall includes 2021 - 2024 models.

My 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali with the 6.2L L87 V8 just began experiencing a new rough idle with intermittent RPM dips. There are no engine codes or warning lights. Idle drops are noticeable, suddenly began this week. I am concerned due to ongoing NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA25-007 involving this engine. Some owners reported engine failure with little warning. The truck has right over 68,000 miles on it and has had every oil changed performed at a GM dealer. I have had to top off the oil between cycles and always used the recommended oil, being the Dexos Gen 3 due to the truck burning a small amount of oil. More detail on a possible cause. I believe it would be worth investigating the DFM technology. I will be performing a fuel cleaner and possibly a lifter cleaner and/or additive. I would like to tune the truck and turn off the DFM since this is what I have read causes the truck to burn oil and damage the lifters. However, I will wait until this Analysis is completed before deciding to change the truck's stock tunes.

My engine is currently being torn down at the dealership.I heard a ticking noise coming from my engine so I took to the dealership I bought it from and when they did their diagnostics and inspection they said it was a connecting rod bearing failure.

This is the 3rd catastrophic engine failure since purchasing this new vehicle from the dealership, the vehicle is currently at the dealership and is available for inspection. The latest diagnostic report has been attached from the dealership for reference. My safety and the safety of others was at risk with each occurrence. The 1st occurred on the interstate when a lifter rod bent causing loss of power with no warning, engine was rebuilt by the dealership. The 2nd occurred on the interstate when a different lifter rod bent causing loss of power with no warning, engine was rebuilt again by the dealership. The 3rd occurred just recently while on a highway. The engine suddenly turned off with no warning. The dash told me to put it into neutral and start again. I had to coast the truck for a long distance after the sudden loss of power in order to attempt to restart the engine. The engine would not start. The diagnostic report from the dealership states "engine is seized tight, maxi fuse is blown, needs engine replacement."

My engine slowed down on the interstate. My steering wheel was visibly shaking and I lost the steering access control. The truck threw an Cylinder 6 error code. At the mechanic, they identified that at least one of my camshaft lifters had failed. If I had continued to drive my vehicle, the engine block would have eventually locked up.

I took my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 to the dealership after Cylinder #5 seized while driving, and I was forced to replace the entire engine. At the time, I contacted the dealer and was told there was no recall related to this issue. However, I have since learned that GMC has issued a recall for similar engine problems affecting 2021–present Sierra 1500 models, but not for my 2020 model year. I believe this issue may be related and would like further investigation and consideration.

At 125,000 miles, the CEL came on and the code is P0016, which is for the timing chain has stretched and jumped a tooth. The engine was new in 2019 and in 2021, they redesigned the timing chains due to early failure. The oil pump belt is listed for inspection/replacement at 150,000 miles, but the timing chain does not give any interval for replacement and should easily outlast the oil pump belt to at least 250,000 miles. GM knows that there is a timing chain issue with the 3.0 Duramax LM2 engine and it is costing owners between, $7,800 and $10,000 to repair.

Rod bearings spun and engine locked up while driving 70mph on the freeway. I was in traffic, and had to work my way over and off to the shoulder of the road. The engine was diagnosed and replaced by Hiley GMC at a cost of nearly $5,000 out of my pocket. This was at approximately 63,000 miles. Just out of warranty. No loaner vehicle provided. I was without my truck for 2 months. There were no warnings at all. No lights or noises of any kind. Rod bearings spun again on the replacement engine approximately 35,000 mile later. It happened same as before. Driving on the freeway at 70mph, and the engine seized. No power steering, no warning noises or lights. I had to coast across lanes through traffic and onto the shoulder. Diagnosed and replaced by Jerry's GMC. They replaced the motor at no charge except I had to provide the new radiator because it was on backorder. They had the truck for over 3 months and I had no loaner vehicle. With approximately 65,000 miles on the latest engine, a lifter went out. I put it in the shop to have all the lifters replaced, and motor mounts replaced at a cost of $6500. Upon taking the truck for a test drive, the engine seized in traffic under an overpass and blocked one lane of traffic. The shop dropped the oil pan to check it out, and, lo and behold, this engine has spun rod bearings again. There is definitely a serious and dangerous problem with the L87 6.2L. Being a 2020, it is not currently included in the recall, but it needs to be included. I spun bearings the first time in August of 2021. I was hoping it was just bad luck. I hadn't heard of all the instances at the time. I've never had a major engine failure prior to this model, and this one has failed 3 times in the same truck with meticulous maintenance.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. Multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The engine was repaired. Most recently, while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, with an abnormal sound coming from the engine. Multiple warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the camshaft, bearings, and lifters in cylinder #4 had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. However, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

The check engine light went off and started blinking. The engine started making ticking noise. I pulled over. The check engine light kept blinking. I had the truck towed to the Chevy Dealership. They found damage to the lifter and camshaft. They had the truck for over 2 weeks. Luckily I purchased the extended warranty. But the repair still cost me 1,200.00 dollars out of pocket. And cost the warranty company over 9,000.00 dollars

Tick sound coming from underneath. Also fumes smell. Dealership found it to be the exhaust system. Said the muffler valve is bad. Quoted me $2000 for repair. Never heard of a exhaust system failure in only 5 years. Very unsatisfied with this.

I noticed a ticking sound in my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT 5.3 Liter on 10/15/2025 after it was serviced at an Authorize Buick GMC Dealership on 10/13/2025. I made an appointment and returned the vehicle to the dealership for further inspection on 10/17/2025. I was informed later that day that my truck has lifters and camshaft failure. If my truck had stalled or stopped on the express way, myself and others safety could have been at risk. My truck has only been looked at by the dealership at this time, and it is available for inspection upon request. There were no warning lights, check engine lights, messages or symptoms prior to the failure. I did get a low oil level message in April 2024 when the dealership stated they must not have put the correct amount of oil in my truck during an oil change on 1/29/2024. They inspected my truck and assured me there was no damage done to my Engine from this issue. I have recently learned there is a recall for GM Vehicles manufactured between 2021 and 2024 with the 6.2L engine installed. I am not sure why this recall does not include 2020 trucks with the 5.3L engines installed. Apparently, the same problems exist with these engines also. I received an estimate for repair approximately $13,000 which can increase once the engine is town down and inspected further. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

The engine failed completely while driving. On the day of the incident, I started my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, and immediately upon cranking, the engine began knocking loudly. I shut the vehicle off right away to prevent further damage and called a wrecker service to have it towed to Marianna Chevrolet, GMC. No warning lights or messages prior to the incident. The weather was clear and dry, and the truck was parked on level ground at the time. There were no prior warning lights, leaks, or unusual noises before this event. The vehicle has been well-maintained, with oil changes performed regularly every 4,000 miles at a local auto shop (though receipts are not available). The brakes were replaced earlier in 2025. Marianna Chevrolet, GMC inspected the vehicle and estimated the repair cost at $12,700 due to what appears to be a major internal engine failure.

43000 miles 2020 gmc sierra with lifter engine issues. Oil change made every 3k miles

6.2L V8 engine in 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 suffered two lifter failures, which damaged crankshaft and sent metal shards throughout engine and oil. Total engine replacement required. This issue is subject to a recall for 2021 - 2024 model years and the recall should extend to 2020 model years. Vehicle was traded without functioning engine at a significant loss in value for new vehicle, and is not available for inspection. Vehicle was inspected by service department at GMC dealership and traded to a different GMC dealer. No prior indications of problems or warning lights until engine failure occurred while driving.

Engine ticking especially when cold, dealership claims they fixed it while it was under warranty but it has continued to do it.

Engine misfiring and rough idle with occasional flashing engine light. Dealer said no codes to know what to look for despite replicating issue. Eventually it threw a Cylinder 5 misfire and thus GM dealer was able to look further. They found metal in oil pan and concluded a bearing issue and would need to replace engine.

Engine timing chains failed at 71,000 miles requiring a $9,700 repair. Warranty covers 5 yr/ 100k miles and was not fully covered by GM since the vehicle was 9 months beyond 5 years, yet still well within the 100k miles. Issue was diagnosed via P0016-00 being set indicating misalignment between crankshaft position sensor and the intake camshaft position sensor. This issue is a known problem with the early LM2 engines, and the timing chain was upgraded in later LM2 engines. Early adopters of the LM2 are left to pay the price for a defective part.

The engine coolant control valve on my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 with the LM2 Duramax diesel failed. The failed part is still in my truck, which remains at the dealership awaiting replacement. The repair is delayed due to the part being on nationwide backorder, further highlighting that this is a widespread issue. When the valve failed, the truck entered reduced engine power mode while I was traveling on the interstate. This limited my speed to about 40 mph while climbing a hill. The sudden loss of power in high-speed traffic created a serious safety hazard, as it significantly increased my risk of being rear-ended or involved in a collision with faster-moving vehicles. I drove the truck directly to the dealership after the incident, where the problem was immediately confirmed. The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by the dealership, which identified the coolant control valve as the failed component. To my knowledge, GM has not yet inspected this specific failure. Prior to the loss of power, the truck displayed a “Reduced Engine Power” warning message and the check engine light on the dashboard. These warnings appeared at the time of the failure. Importantly, GM has already acknowledged this issue by issuing Special Coverage N252508341 for 2021 and 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 trucks with the same LM2 engine and the same coolant control valve part numbers. However, the 2020 models (like mine) were excluded from that program despite using the identical part and engine configuration.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle then failed to exceed 30 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Vehicle currently has 104K and needs a 3rd engine. The same issue happened to the second engine as the first. While Driving the engine just stop working. They say it is a problem with the camshaft. Metal gets into the transmission and that also has to be replaced. A vehicle engine should not just stop working! Especially on an interstate. GMC refuses to add this engine to the recall list. However, I don't understand how the safety of families can continue to be placed in jeopardy.

Motor failed with no warning, motor was replaced at a GM dealer for $12,000. Mechanic stated he believed it was a main bearing failure. Not under warranty.

In December of 2023 my 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 was driving down the freeway, experienced a jerking and low oil pressure. Pulled over and shut vehicle off and wouldn't turn back on, engine locked up. The vehicle received a brand new 6.2l replacement motor in April of 2024- $15k in parts and labor. This vehicle was not included in the recent recall, but obviously experienced a similar issue. This was at 75k miles. The car was owned by a different owner at the time of the engine failure. I bought the vehicle as a repo and proceeded to get the engine fixed on it.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and several messages were displayed. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road to safety and turned off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure milage was approximately 76,000.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that several nearby drivers assisted with pushing the vehicle off the roadway. The contact stated that the first failure occurred the day after the vehicle was purchased. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had also occurred three times within one week. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.