2010 Sierra Problems to Date

Giovanni Aliperti · March 28, 2016

So this has been my experience with my 2010 Sierra. I bought it in April 2015 with 27,500mi on it. It was sold to me by my friend who works at the local dealership, so I got a deal and got to meet the original owner, who showed me all the reciepts for the truck and showed that the truck never got anything except oil changes. He was an older single guy, so I was excited when he told me that this exceptionally clean truck had not been ever over 3000rpm. Two weeks into owning the truck it started burning oil like crazy and fouling plugs... and being a mechanic I knew it was getting by the rings when I did a leak down test. I then learned and understood how the AFM works and why it fouled the rings... So back it went to GM under its last few months of origianl warranty for new pistons and rods and rings. Pretty crazy for that low mileage, but with the previous owner always babying the truck, that probably sped up the ring fowling process on the AFM cylinders

After getting it back I drove it around with the sensor on the brake booster unplugged until I tuned out the AFM. I could now sleep good at night knowing my V8 is running as... well... a V8 like it was intended to.

At 35,000mi it blew the heater core... and since I have extended warranty until 2019, I just sent it to the dealer to get done. Now I am starting this truck was built on a Friday at 4pm...

Here we are and the truck just broke the 43,000mi mark.. I merge onto the hwy and gun it to get into truck, the trans slips out of second gear and sits pinging off of redline.... Odd, I do it again, same thing, just slips under WOT in 2nd. This continues. Look at the trans gauge and the temp jumps from 130 like it always is to 180.... which isn't overheating but that's a lot of heat in short order. I dropped the trans pan and found nothing unusual.. fluid smelt good, no clutch material.. Changed the filter and new ATF in. My first guess was a cracked drum as my theory was as line pressure increased fluid was escaping. I relayed this to GM and they thought I was crazy. I took a service manager for a drive and he agreed there was something wrong, but after a phone call to HQ GM, it was somehow considered NORMAL OPERATION... ummm.... ok no.

Finally got a chance to go to my friends dealership where I bought it and took him and his service guy for a drive and they instantly knew it wasn't normal. They ripped the trans out free of charge and tore it down to find a cracked 1-4 drum in the trans and burnt 1-4 clutches.. I DONT DRIVE IT HARD AT ALL!! Thankfully extended warranty is covering it.

But now I don't know what to do when it comes out of the shop, because knowing this thing something else is going to go that shouldn't. Do I stick it out with this thing now that a lot of the drivetrain has been rebuilt or get a 2015? there is some clearance new 2015's in my area for 12,000$ off... but it doesn't look like those new trucks have been very reliable either, if not worse it seems!? What would you guys do?

2010LTZ4x4 · March 28, 2016

Wow! That really sucks. I would say you defiantly got a lemon. Put it up for sale and go get another truck. I'm sure the chances of getting another lemon are slim to none.

O_J_Simpson · March 28, 2016

Trade it in with the same line of bull you were feed. "Exceptionally clean truck had not been ever over 3000rpm."

'01LS1 · March 28, 2016

Have not had to touch my 2013 aside from oil changes. It does not have afm, but no other issues either.

Would not be afraid of the 2015's if you find one you like. Remember, people will get on a forum to post problems/complaints, but not so much to say my truck is running great.

efritz · March 28, 2016

"clean truck had not been ever over 3000rpm" "I DONT DRIVE IT HARD AT ALL!!"

^^^^ Well that's your problem!! You gotta run these trucks like you stole them and you're running from the law! Lol, not really my professional advice at all, but from what I see come in the door for repair work, the ones that are babied always seem to suffer more premature engine failures... The trans on the other hand, well that sounds like a manufacturing flaw... Depending on what they give you on trade for your truck, trade out of that one, now that it has all been "professionally" rebuilt you can not feel too bad about trading up to a 16. They are way better trucks anyway.

Giovanni Aliperti · March 29, 2016

Well I went and visited my truck in the shop today. Basically every part in the trans up to the 4/5/6 hub is being replaced since we are there anyways. All warrantied atleast.

I took some 2015's out for a drive and only had 1 that didnt either shake like a leaf, shudder at times, or make a bunch of suspension noise. 1 shook on the highway so bad i had to go back with my hazards on while on the highway... i did find a good 2LT with tow package and Z71 but its kind of scary when every other truck drove like garbage.. still undecided

I did walk out with a 2015 Cruze for the Mrs. although by the end of the day haha