2018 GMC Sierra 1500 · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 68owner reports
- 27,000median miles
- $4,000median quote
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Sep 17, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
130 of the 304 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 68 of those describe transmission shudder, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Sierra 1500.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (26 reports)
Tick what matches of 68 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 (9 reports) and the transmission (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
5 of the 68 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $618 to $6,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 10,000 and 50,000 miles, from the 43 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 17 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 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.
13 more on the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 page.
What owners wrote
“I'm experiencing constant transmission shuddering at constant speed between 25 and 40 mph. This is a know issue, General Motors known issue, with the 8 speed transmission installed in this vehicle. TSB 18-NA-355 was issued in August of 2019 for this issue, but general motors refuses to recall all affected vehicles. Something needs to be done about this!”
Filed Jul 5, 2025
“Vehicle jumps when shifting gears. When coming to a stop it jumps Forward. Hard shifting.”
Filed Feb 5, 2025
“Engine AFM has failed. No engine light was present at the time. A loud ticking noise was noted from the engine bay. Was taken to get diagnosed, and the AFM was replaced. The problem was then resolved. Transmission has been jerking and hard shifting through the period of owning the vehicle. No diagnosis has been made”
Filed Oct 2, 2024
“2018 gmc Seirra 1500 8 speed transmission. Making unsafe conditions while driving transmission tends to make hard shifts, jerks, hesitation when moved into gear, gets worse when stopping momentarily at stop lights and then trying to accelerate vehicle will not move. Makes hard shift and jerks then will accelerate in an unsafe manner.”
Filed May 6, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 68 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. 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 44 reports