2017 GMC Sierra 1500 · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 61owner reports
- 53,000median miles
- $6,000median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 18, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
118 of the 354 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 61 of those describe transmission shudder. Only brake wear is reported more often on this car.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (33 reports)
Tick what matches of 61 reports
Transmission shudder on other Sierra 1500 years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the torque converter (12 reports) and the transmission (8 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2017 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
5 of the 61 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,200 to $7,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 23,000 and 69,000 miles, from the 37 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 21 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This service bulletin provides information on Transmission Adaptive Functions and Correcting Low Mileage Harsh Shifts, Slips, or Flares.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have a delayed engagement into drive, shudder at a launch, or the transmission is slipping when shifting into 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th gears.
This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise.
This service bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operation.
17 more on the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 page.
What owners wrote
“Truck has always shifted rough, now with only has 102,000 miles has been serviced regularly exclusively at the dealership. It started slipping gears and I was just informed by the dealer that the torque converter detonated and the entire transmission must be replaced.”
Filed Mar 6, 2024 · 102,000 miles
“Transmission has stalled many times from shifting through 1st and 2nd gear going across divided highways and nearly causing accidents, also it has a very bad shudder and hard shifting.”
Filed Jan 21, 2024
“Transmission issues! Very hard shifting! Feels like someone ran into me from behind. Shutters while crushing at 45-48 mph. Vehicle shakes from transmission issues!! GMC will not do anything about it!”
Filed Aug 20, 2023
“Transmission slipping in and out of gear. Transmission was serviced 5,000 miles previous to this for the 100,000 mile service at 95,000 miles. No issues were found at the time of service, now truck will slip out of gear on highways without warning. Transmission fluid is not dirty or burnt. Common reported issue according to online discussions and GMC needs to recall this model transmission”
Filed Aug 13, 2023 · 5,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 61 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 107 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 36 reports