Some GM Trucks And SUV Are About To Get Recalled For A Transmission Problem That Can Lock Up The Rear Wheels While Driving

General Motors confirms there will soon be a recall affecting GM truck and SUV owners, and you’re hearing about it here first. The issue stems from a transmission control valve that could wear out prematurely. In cases where it does, it literally puts the skids on whatever is happening with the affected truck or SUV at that moment.

We first heard rumblings of this from our friends north of the border. A blog there revealed a Canadian recall of 52,220 trucks and SUVs. Among that population are several late-model vehicles including the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Sierra, and Chevrolet Tahoe. According to the actual recall itself on the Canadian government’s website, the problem with the control valve directly leads to a skidding condition.

“Over time, the transmission control valve could wear and lose pressure. If this happens, the transmission could shift harshly and could cause the rear wheels to lock up,” says GM. That sounds terrifying, and would likely result in skids in the driver’s underpants to match the fresh stripes on the road. Notably, the Canadian recall included only diesel-equipped vehicles per GM.

After a little research through NHTSA.gov and GM’s pressroom it was clear that there isn’t a current US market recall that matches the one in Canada. To see if there was any evidence that US customers were having a similar issue, we went hunting and sure enough, we hit skid dirt.

One complaint on NHTSA.gov is particularly damning.

“The transmission has a defect. While towing 8,000lb trailer going up a small grade, the truck shuddered then immediately downshifted violently, causing the truck to skid and almost jack-knifing the truck and trailer. . The dealership has confirmed the issue as a valve body failure in the transmission. The dealership has the vehicle for diagnosis and repair. No codes or warnings were displayed at the time of the incident. The dealership updated the software which produced a powertrain failure code, the valve body failed.”

It’s not the only one of its kind either. Here’s another.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle downshifted from 8th to 7th gear or from 8th to 6th gear, and the wheels locked up, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact stated that the safety risk was more severe while towing a trailer because the failure caused the trailer to fishtail while driving. The contact stated that he had pulled to the side of the road on one occasion. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 21-NA-275. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

And for good measure let’s peek at one more.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed with a trailer hitched to the vehicle, the vehicle downshifted inadvertently, which caused the trailer to fishtail. The contact stated that he lost control of the vehicle, and he was able to slowly regain control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Clearly, all of those experiences are less than great and far from what most road-goers would consider safe. Interestingly, owners report similar experiences on forums too. In a thread on GM-Trucks.com titled “2021 Silverado 1500 rear tires randomly lock up and skid tires at highway speed,” the poster reports a very similar experience to the ones posted above. “I’d be driving at highway speed doin’ 100kmh and out of nowhere I hear a big clunk and the rear tires lock up, smoking both tires down the highway then instantly it rolls freely again.”

Another thread on the same forum actually garnered GM’s attention. The owner and original poster explained his situation and how his rear tires locked up while hauling a fifth-wheel trailer. “We travel full-time and I baby this truck because I need it to last. Any thoughts?” he said. GM Customer Service popped into the comments on that thread to offer assistance so it’s clear that the brand knew about the concern as of April, 2023.

With all of this information in hand we were surprised no U.S. market recall had happened so we reached out to General Motors directly. Here is exactly what the automaker told The Autopian.

“General Motors is voluntarily recalling certain model year 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500/2500/3500s, and 2021 Cadillac Escalades, GMC Yukons, Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans for a transmission control valve that may be susceptible to excess wear over time. Dealers will install a software remedy that monitors valve performance and detects excess wear. The safety and satisfaction of our customers are our highest priorities, and we’re working to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”

That obviously falls in line with the recall from Canada so if you have one of these diesel trucks or SUVs be on the lookout. As of this writing, we still don’t know exactly how many cars are included and what the mix is among the different models.

What’s clear is that the fix (at least in Canada) comes down to valve-condition detection software and valve replacement if necessary. Should the new software detect a problem, it’ll actually limit the truck to fifth gear until a dealer can actually fix the gearbox. If you’re a GM diesel owner with a truck or SUV from 2020-2022 maybe go get that thing checked out sooner rather than later. Until NHTSA posts the recall there’s no way to know which trucks have the issue and which ones don’t – unless the truck lays down thick skid marks on the highway, that is.