2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems: What Owners Are Reporting — and When It Becomes a Lemon Law Case

If your 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 has spent more time at the dealership than in your driveway — engine knock, a check engine light that keeps coming back, a recall inspection that didn’t fix anything, weeks waiting on a back-ordered engine — you’re not alone, and you’re not stuck. GM recalled nearly 600,000 trucks and SUVs over a defect in the 6.2L V8 L87 engine that can cause sudden engine seizure. Federal regulators have since opened a second investigation into whether GM’s fix actually works, and a consolidated class action is now moving through federal court. If your Sierra has been in the shop two or more times for the same problem, you may have rights under your state’s lemon law — including a possible buyback of the truck.

Here’s what the data shows, what other 2024 Sierra owners are dealing with, and how to find out free — in about two minutes — whether yours may qualify.

What the Data Shows for the 2024 Sierra 1500

The 2024 Sierra’s defining issue isn’t a long list of small defects — it’s one very large one. GM recalled roughly 600,000 U.S. vehicles equipped with the 6.2L V8 L87 engine, spanning the 2021 through 2024 model years and covering the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade. The recall numbers are N252494000 (GM) and 25V-274 (NHTSA), with owner letters going out starting around June 9, 2025.

What went wrong, in GM’s own words: engine teardown analysis identified two root causes, both attributable to supplier manufacturing and quality issues — rod-bearing damage from sediment on connecting rods and crankshaft oil galleries, and crankshaft dimensions and surface finish that were out of specification. The defect can cause sudden loss of propulsion without warning.

Then it got worse:

• The remedy is now under investigation. NHTSA opened Recall Query RQ26001, a direct investigation into whether the fix for Recall 25V-274 is adequate, after complaints that engines failed catastrophically after receiving the dealer inspection and service meant to prevent exactly that.
• The defect may reach beyond the recall. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has logged more than 1,150 reports of engine bearing failures, including 173 involving vehicles built outside the original recall window.
• Failures at very low mileage. Class action filings describe the defect appearing in vehicles with as little as 1,200 miles on the odometer.
• A consolidated class action is underway. In early 2026, a federal judge merged a dozen separate lawsuits into a single 389-page consolidated complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Here’s the part that matters for your rights: recall repairs are free, but they don’t erase your lemon law claim. If your Sierra keeps having the same problem after the recall service — or racks up repeated warranty visits for issues no recall covers — those visits build your repair history. A truck that needs constant fixing is exactly what lemon law exists for, no matter how many recall letters the manufacturer mails.

Warning Signs Your Sierra’s Engine May Be Failing

According to GM’s own dealer service guidance, an L87 engine in the process of failing can produce a specific set of symptoms. If you’re experiencing any of these, document them and get them on a repair order:

• Knocking or banging from the engine — often described by owners as a sudden, violent knock.
• Illuminated check engine light, particularly with diagnostic trouble code P0016.
• Hesitation or stumbling under acceleration.
• Shifting problems or unexpected high RPMs.
• Loss of power or propulsion, sometimes without any warning at all.

That P0016 code matters more than most owners realize. GM instructed dealers to search for it specifically: if the code is present, the engine gets replaced. If it isn’t, the dealer drains the factory 0W-20 oil and refills with GM dexos R 0W-40, replaces the filter, and installs a new oil fill cap. That’s the entire remedy for trucks that “pass.”

If your Sierra is knocking and the dealer sent you home with new oil, you are not imagining the problem — and that visit counts as a repair attempt.

The Most Reported 2024 Sierra 1500 Problems

1. 6.2L V8 Engine Failure — and a Fix That May Not Have Worked

This is the big one. NHTSA’s investigation began after reports of engine failure in L87-equipped GM vehicles, many describing sudden loss of power without warning, involving a bearing failure that can result in engine seizure or a connecting rod breaching the engine block.

What owners are reporting:

• Catastrophic failure at low mileage: engines seizing well inside the warranty period.
• Failure after the recall service: trucks that “passed” inspection and received only the oil change have gone on to fail anyway.
• Repeat engine replacements: some owners are on their second or third engine.
• Long parts delays: replacement engines reported on months-long back order, leaving trucks sitting at the dealership.
• Engine fires in some of the more severe reported cases.

The class action complaint also alleges that the 0W-40 oil remedy creates its own problems — higher oil cost and reduced fuel economy — without addressing the manufacturing debris or out-of-spec hardware at the root of the defect.

2. Electrical and In-Car Electronics Failures

Beyond the engine, Consumer Reports’ owner survey identifies in-car electronics as a common trouble spot for the 2024 Sierra 1500 — infotainment, audio, phone connectivity, and cameras or sensors — and rates the 2024 Sierra 1500 as less reliable than other vehicles from the same model year. Owner comments describe display screens freezing up, along with turn signals, hands-free phone, and radio functions failing.

Electrical defects are notoriously difficult for dealerships to resolve — and “we updated the software” visits that don’t fix the problem still count as repair attempts.

3. Everything Else the Service Department Sees

The 2024 Sierra 1500 also carries 399 technical service bulletins and 3 open defect investigations on record — a signal of how many distinct issues GM’s own technicians have been directed to address. Owners report transmission behavior, drivetrain noise, and fit-and-finish complaints on top of the headline engine defect. Any defect that substantially affects your truck’s use, value, or safety can support a lemon law claim.

Is Your 2024 Sierra Still Covered?

The 2024 Sierra 1500 carries a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Trucks equipped with the TurboMax 2.7L or the Duramax turbo-diesel get extended engine coverage of 5 years/100,000 miles. That means virtually every 2024 Sierra on the road is still fully covered today.

There’s one more layer worth knowing about: as part of the L87 recall remedy, GM added a 10-year/150,000-mile special coverage extension for affected engines. That’s unusually long — and it’s a signal of how serious the underlying defect is. It also means engine problems that surface years from now may still be warranty-covered, which keeps a lemon law claim on the table well past the normal window.

Still, acting now is stronger than acting later: your repair visits are happening under warranty, your records are fresh, and your claim is at its most persuasive. Waiting only helps the manufacturer.

When Does a 2024 Sierra 1500 Qualify as a Lemon?

Every state differs, but for the states Lemon Larry serves, the pattern our attorney network looks for is:

• Purchased or leased in California, Arizona, or Florida — leased trucks count.
• Bought new or certified pre-owned — regular used purchases generally don’t qualify.
• 2 or more repair attempts at the dealership for the same warranty-covered problem — more visits mean a stronger case.
• Or 30+ total days out of service for warranty repairs, which can also support a claim. If your Sierra sat waiting on a back-ordered engine, those days count.

California’s lemon law (the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) is among the strongest in the country, and Arizona and Florida have their own protections. In all three, a successful claim can mean a buyback (refund), a replacement vehicle, or cash compensation — and the manufacturer typically pays your attorney’s fees, which is why the case review costs you nothing.

What Is a Sierra Buyback Actually Worth in California?

This is the question most owners want answered before they call anyone. Under California’s Song-Beverly Act, a buyback isn’t a used-car offer — it’s a statutory refund calculated by formula.

A California buyback generally includes:

• Your down payment and monthly payments made to date
• The remaining loan payoff (paid directly to your lender)
• Sales tax, registration, and official fees
• Finance charges you’ve paid in interest
• Incidental costs — rental cars, towing, and similar out-of-pocket expenses caused by the defect

From that total, the manufacturer subtracts one thing: a mileage offset for the miles you drove before your first repair visit. The statutory formula is fixed:

The 120,000 denominator is set by statute — it isn’t a number the manufacturer gets to choose. This is also why reporting a problem early matters financially: the fewer miles on the truck at your first repair visit, the smaller the deduction from your refund.

In cases where a manufacturer’s violation is found to be willful, California law also allows a civil penalty of up to two times your actual damages — on top of the buyback.

Every case is different, and only an attorney reviewing your specific records can tell you what yours may be worth. But the formula is public, and it’s worth knowing before anyone makes you an offer.

Recall, Class Action, or Lemon Law? Understanding Your Three Options

2024 Sierra owners are hearing about all three at once, and they are not the same thing. Here’s how they differ:

• The recall (25V-274) gets your engine inspected and, if it fails inspection, replaced — at no cost. It does not compensate you for a truck that’s been unreliable, for time without a vehicle, or for lost value. It’s a repair, not a remedy.
• The class action is a nationwide lawsuit over the defect itself. If it succeeds, class members may eventually receive a share of a settlement. These cases take years, and individual payouts are typically modest.
• A lemon law claim is your individual claim about your truck’s repair history. It’s the only one of the three that can produce a buyback, a replacement vehicle, or direct cash compensation for you specifically — and it moves on a timeline of months, not years.

These aren’t mutually exclusive in every situation, but they are different tools. If your Sierra has a documented repeat-repair history, a lemon law claim is usually the fastest and most direct path to a real remedy. An attorney can explain how a pending class action may interact with your individual claim.

What About 2021, 2022, and 2023 Sierras?

The L87 recall covers the 2021 through 2024 model years, so a 2021, 2022, or 2023 Sierra 1500 with the 6.2L V8 is affected by the same defect. NHTSA is separately reviewing failure reports from 2019–2020 trucks that fell outside the recall window entirely.

The main difference for older model years is warranty status. A 2021 or 2022 Sierra may be outside the 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper window — but the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty and the 10-year/150,000-mile special coverage extension for L87 engines may still apply to an engine claim. Warranty coverage at the time of the repairs is what matters, not warranty coverage today.

If you own an earlier Sierra with engine trouble, it’s still worth a free check.

Does This Affect Other GM Trucks and SUVs?

Yes. The same L87 engine and the same recall cover:

• Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• Chevrolet Tahoe
• Chevrolet Suburban
• GMC Sierra 1500
• GMC Yukon and Yukon XL
• Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV

If you own any of these with the 6.2L V8 and you’ve had repeat engine repairs, the same lemon law analysis applies to your vehicle.

One Thing to Do Today: Save Your Repair Orders

Every repair order matters — including recall visits, L87 inspection visits, and “no problem found” visits. If your Sierra went in for the engine inspection and came back with nothing but an oil change, get that paperwork.

What to keep, specifically:

• Every repair order, including the ones where nothing was found or nothing was done.
• The complaint as you described it — make sure the writer records your actual words, not a vague summary.
• Dates in and dates out, which establish your days out of service.
• Loaner and rental paperwork, which supports incidental damages.
• Recall correspondence from GM.

If you’re missing documents, the dealership keeps a full history and an attorney can request it. Owners with a folder of repair orders have the smoothest claims — but a missing record is not a reason to skip a free case review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the GM 6.2L V8 engine recall?
In April 2025, GM issued recall 25V-274 covering roughly 721,000 vehicles globally, including nearly 600,000 U.S. trucks and SUVs from the 2021–2024 model years equipped with the 6.2L L87 engine. The recall addresses manufacturing defects in connecting rods and crankshafts that can lead to sudden engine seizure. The 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 is one of the covered models.

How do I check if my Sierra is included in the recall?
Enter your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup tool or contact any GMC dealer. GM’s recall number is N252494000; NHTSA’s is 25V-274. Owner notification letters began going out around June 9, 2025.

My Sierra passed the recall inspection and just got new oil. Should I be concerned?
NHTSA opened a recall query specifically because engines have failed after receiving the prescribed remedy — including trucks that passed inspection and received only the 0W-40 oil change. If your truck is still showing symptoms, keep documenting every visit and get a free case review.

My engine was replaced under the recall but the new one has problems too. Does that count?
Yes. A repair that doesn’t resolve the problem still counts in your repair history. Repeat visits for the same defect — before or after recall work, and including a replacement engine that also fails — are the core of a lemon law claim.

My truck has been waiting on a back-ordered engine for weeks. Does that help my case?
It can. Days out of service for warranty repairs can support a claim on their own, separate from the number of repair attempts. Extended parts delays are worth documenting carefully.

Can I file a lemon law claim if I’m also part of the class action?
Often, yes — they’re different claims with different remedies. A lemon law claim is about your individual truck and can produce a buyback or replacement; a class action addresses the defect broadly. An attorney can explain how the two interact in your situation.

How much is a 2024 Sierra lemon law buyback worth?
In California, the refund generally includes your down payment, payments made, loan payoff, taxes, fees, and finance charges.

Does it cost anything to find out if I qualify?
No. The Lemon Test takes about two minutes and is free, and the attorney case review is also free. In lemon law cases, attorney fees are typically paid by the vehicle manufacturer — not by you.

I leased my 2024 Sierra. Am I covered?
Yes — leased vehicles are covered by lemon law the same way purchased vehicles are.

How long do I have to file?
Every state has deadlines, and a 2024 model is inside the strongest window right now — repairs are under warranty and records are fresh. California’s rules also changed in 2025, and the applicable deadline can depend on your manufacturer’s status under the new framework. If your Sierra fits the repeat-repair pattern, the safest move is a free case review now. Take the Lemon Test →

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Reviewed by the Lemon Larry team · Last updated: July 24, 2026
Sources: NHTSA recall records (25V-274) and open investigations PE25001 and RQ26001; GM recall report N252494000; consolidated class action complaint, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan; California Civil Code §§1793.2 and 1794; Consumer Reports owner survey data for the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500.