There are 44 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2005 GMC Sierrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS ON EACH SIDE OF ENGIN SNAPPED OFF FOR NO APPEARANT REASON / NORMAL USE, BIG CONCERN OF EXAUST FUMES ENTERING THE CAB
RECENTLY PURCHASED A 05 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD WITH 6.0 VORTEC ENGINE. IT HAS A NOTICEABLE TICKING AND AFTER CHECKING MY EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS I FOUND THAT FOUR ARE BROKEN AND ALLOWING RAW EXHAUST FUMES INTO THE AIR. WITH THE BOLTS BREAKING THE MANIFOLD IS WARPED AND BROKEN. THIS IS ALL AT 94,000 MILES.
ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BREAK OFF ON 2 DIFFERENT GM 1 TON TRUCKS. BAD/ FAILED VEHICLE EMISSIONS AND A HUGE REPAIR BILL FOR BOTH TRUCKS. 85,000 MILES ON BOTH VEHICLES.
ENGINE OIL LEAK ON OR AROUND REAR MAIN SEAL. AS OIL DRIPS WHILE DRIVING THE OIL LANDS ON THE EXHAUST PIPE AND BEGINS TO BURN. THIS LEAK LANDING ON THE EXHAUST WHILE HOT CAN CATCH ON FIRE.
ENGINE HAS LOSE OF ENGINE COOLANT OVER TIME WITH NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKS FOUND. WE BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO A GM DEALER WHICH TOLD US THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT ISSUE. THEY PROVIDED US WITH BULLETIN # 06-06-01-019B DOCUMENT ID 1986750 WHICH CLEARLY STATE THIS WAS DEFECT IN THE CASTING OF THE CASTECH HEADS. THE COST WITH PARTS AND LABOR IS $3,100.00 DOLLARS. CLEARLY, GM SHOULD COVER THIS COST SINCE THIS OBVIOUSLY IS A KNOWN DEFECT. SEARCHING THE INTERNET YOU CAN SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE WITH LITTLE OR NO HELP FROM GM. *TR
CRANK VEHICLE TURN CORNER , MESSAGE ENGINE POWER REDUCED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED, TURN AROUND RETURN 200 FEET TO HOME, CHECK ALL FLUIDS CONNECTIONS TURN OFF IGNITION, UNABLE TO START ENGINE, LET SIT, UNABLE TO START ENGINE, DRIVE WIFE TO WORK OTHER VEHICLE, RECHECK ALL FLUIDS CONNECTIONS, REFILL COOLANT, CRANK ENGINE, COOLANT DISCHARGE ON OVERFLOW LINE ON COLD ENGINE, KILL ENGINE WOULD NOT START, GO TO AUTOZONE GET EXTRA COOLANT AND NEW GAS CAP. RETURN COOLANT LEVEL OK. INSTALL NEW GAS CAP, ENGINE HARD TO CRANK LIKE VAPOR LOCK OR NO FUEL TO ENGINE. CRANK ENGINE, LET RUN, KILL ENGINE. UNABLE TO CRANK, RETURN TO WORK, RETURN IN 3 HOURS, REINSTALL OLD GAS CAP, CHECK FLUID LEVELS, OK. CRANK ENGINE LET RUN FOR 5 MINUTES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON, WAIT ONE HOUR, CRANK ENGINE BACK TO NORMAL CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OFF, ENGINE RUN OK, DRIVE SHORT TEST DRIVE. UNABLE TO OPERATE VEHICLE SAFELY FOR 6-8 HOUR PERIOD, UNSURE IF VAPOR LOCK, BAD FUEL, FUEL FILTER, BAD PLUGS, COIL ON PLUGS, LOOSE PLUG WIRE, ETC. NEVER HAD ANY ENGINE PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. ONLY INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILURE, AND STEERING CLICK KNOCK THAT WAS FIXED BY DEALER. RESEARCH PROBLEM ON INTERNET, IT APPEARS THIS IS A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FAILURE THAT GMC HAS IDENTIFIED AS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND MADE A SPECIAL EXTENDED COVERAGE FOR 2008 TO CURRENT YEAR VEHICLES OR TEN YEARS OR 120000 MILES. FROMRESEARCH ON COMPUTER, IT APPEARS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS REGARDING THIS LOSS OF POWER AND ENGINE STOP. I AM OLDER MAN AND REACTED WITH CAUTION AND WAS NEAR MY HOME. HAD I BEEN ON A BUSY STREET OR HIGHWAY A CRASH OR INJURY WOULD MOST CERTAINLY OCCURRED WITH THIS DISABLED VEHICLE THE CAUSE. I HAD NEVER IMAGINED THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO ME NOR HAD I HEARD OF IT FROM ANY MEDIA SOURCE OR DEALER MEMOS. I AM HESITANT TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE OR ON CERTAIN HIGH TRAFFIC ROADS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM RECURRING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY INCREASED IN SPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DISPLAY PANEL READ "REDUCED POWER MODE" AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE THROTTLE BODY WIRE HARNESS, THE THROTTLE ACCELERATOR CONTROL MODULE, AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY WERE REPAIRED. THE REPAIR FAILED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 270,000.
TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR NEW BRAKES AND COOLANT LEAK. NO COMPLAINT ABOUT BRAKES, BUT COMPLAINT ABOUT COOLANT LEAK. COOLANT LEAK ISSUE IS CONNECTED TO GM TSB 06-06-01-019B AND AFFECTS CASTECH 706 CYLINDER HEADS. THE COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE HEADS BECAUSE OF A KNOWN POROSITY ISSUE. MY ENGINE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED BECAUSE OF GLYCOL CONTAMINATION. GM DEALER SAID TO JUST "KEEP AN EYE" ON IT. A SECOND, INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, DID CONFIRM THE COOLANT LEAK IS NOT EXTERNAL AND MY ENGINE WILL FAIL IF THE HEADS ARE NOT REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH GM FOR MANUFACTURE YEARS 2001-2006 ON THE VEHICLES WITH THE 5.3L ENGINE. *TR
TRUCK WAS MAKING A "KNOCKING" NOISE UPON START. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP MECHANIC AND INFORMED, BASED ON THE NOISE AND WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, IT'S MOST LIKELY A CRACKED CYLINDER AND INFORMED THIS IS "COMMON." REALLY?? WILL COST THOUSANDS TO REPAIR ... WHICH I DON'T HAVE. FRUSTRATING TO SAY THE LEAST. IT HAS LOW MILES, SERVICED REGULARLY. IF THIS IS "COMMON" WHY WON'T GMC STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF IT?? *TR
FAULTY CASTECH HEADS ARE LEAKING COOLANT INTO ENGINE OIL. GM IS AWARE THAT THE 5.3L V8 ENGINES HAVE FAULTY HEADS, AND THEY REFUSE TO PLACE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS NOT RIGHT TO NOT STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT. THE REPAIR COSTS ARE IN THE $5000 RANGE. *TR
2005 GMC 2500HD WITH 6.0 LITER GAS MOTOR. LEFT AND RIGHT BANK EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO ENGINE BOLTS BROKEN OFF IN HEAD. LEAKING EXHAUST FUMES AND CAUSING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. GM NEED TO HAVE A RECALL ON THIS DUE TO THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS ALSO AN EMISSION PROBLEM DUE TO IT WILL CAUSE THE CAT CONVERTER TO OVERHEAT.. EPA? THANK YOU *TR
ALL EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS ARE DEFECTIVE CAUSING THEM TO BREAK, WHEN THEY DO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD SEPARATES FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD IN TURN DIRECTING ALL EMISSIONS FROM THE ENGINE INTO THE AIR, AND CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE IF NOT CORRECTED. ONE SPARK WOULD SET THE VEHICLE ON FIRE. *TR
I FOUND 2 BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS ON MY 2005 SIERRA (70, 717 MILES), 1 ON EACH SIDE, 1 WAS ACTUALLY MISSING & THE OTHER WAS JUST HANGING THERE, I THEN WENT TO CHECK MY WIFE'S VEHICLE, A 2003 CHEVY TAHOE ( 90,420 MILES) & THAT ALSO HAS 2 MISSING , 1 FROM EITHER SIDE, YOU CANT IMAGINE HOW SICK I AM AT THIS POINT, BOTH OUR VEHICLES ARE IN NEED OF MAJOR REPAIRS, PLEASE TELL ME THAT GENERAL MOTORS WILL NEED TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES & MAKE THE NEEDED REPAIRS, SICK TO MY STOMACH & CASH STRAPPED, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
EXHAUST IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. SERVICE MAN INFORMED ME OF BROKEN BOLTS AND THAT I MUST REPLACE BOTH MANIFOLDS BEFORE NEXT INSPECTION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLYWHEEL BECAME CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE FLYWHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. *TR
BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS. FRONT AND REAR MANIFOLD BOLTS HAVE BROKEN ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDES. AS A RESULT EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ARE NOW WARPING PUTTING UNDUE STRESS ON REMAINING MANIFOLD BOLTS AND CREATING AN EXHAUST LEAK. BOLTS ARE STEEL, MANIFOLDS ARE CAST, AND HEADS ARE ALUMINUM. DISSIMILAR METALS, HEAT, AND MOISTURE HAVE CAUSED THE BOLTS TO PREMATURELY RUST AND FAIL. EMISSIONS DILUTION WILL NOT ALLOW FOR A PASSING SMOG TEST IN 2013. GMC REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AT HAND, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE ON ALL V8 ENGINES. ESTIMATE TO REPAIR; $2500. *TR
THIS MODEL YEAR HAS AN ENGINE DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE HEAD GASKET IS KNOWN TO BREAK CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THIS CAN CAUSE SEVERAL SAFETY ISSUES DEPENDENT ON THE CIRCUMSTANCE AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE OVERHEATING. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, IT IS OPENLY KNOWN THAT THIS IS A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER FOR THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE YEAR.
2005 GMC SIERRA TRUCK WITH 5.3L MOTOR. EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS FAILURE. *TR
EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKEN OFF (4). 6.0 L ENGINE AND EXHAUST IS ESCAPING AND ENTERING CABIN. *TR
EXHAUST LEAKING UNDER HOOD DUE TO BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS. CARBON MONOXIDE HAZARD. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR OWNERS OF SEVERAL YEARS OF GM ENGINES. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 44 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026