Half-a-Million GMC Sierra Trucks Face Safety Investigation
Truck owners usually worry about potholes or tailgaters, not their own bodywork flying off mid-drive. But that’s exactly what’s landed the GMC Sierra 1500 in the federal hot seat.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a recall inquiry after 118 owners complained that their trucks’ upper grille deflectors came loose while driving. The probe covers 2022 to 2024 GMC Sierra 1500s – about 535,639 trucks in all.
Needless to say, a rogue grille piece isn’t just a bad look; it could ding up your ride or become a flying hazard for everyone else on the road.
What the Complaints Say
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation says some owners watched their upper grille deflector take flight while driving. In a few cases, it even cracked a windshield, and other drivers had to swerve to avoid the airborne debris.
Out of those 118 complaints, 21 came from owners whose trucks supposedly lost their grille deflector even after getting the so-called fix from Recall 25V-060.
General Motors submitted that earlier recall in February of this year, addressing upper grille deflector detachment on certain 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 trucks equipped with a chrome grille deflector. But that recall skipped over 2022 models without the chrome bit and all 2023–2024 Sierras. Now, investigators are double-checking if the original fix was enough – or if it left too many trucks out in the cold.
So far, there are no reports of crashes, fires, injuries, or worse. The complaints are still under the microscope, and NHTSA hasn’t pulled the trigger on a new recall yet.
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What Happens Next?
NHTSA’s latest recall query is all about figuring out if GM’s first fix actually did the job, or if more trucks should have been on the list. Right now, not every Sierra in the bunch is confirmed to have the issue, and a fresh recall isn’t a sure thing – at least, not yet.
Still, those 21 complaints from trucks supposedly fixed last time around give investigators a solid reason to question if the remedy actually worked.
If the agency decides the original recall was too narrow or the fix didn’t stick, GM might have to go back to the drawing board. For now, the investigation is just sizing up the complaints and the recall’s reach.
We’ve reached out to GM for a statement about this issue. We’ll update this story once we receive a response.
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