Home › Guides › GMC › Latches/locks/linkages
GMC hood latch and tailgate recalls: parts opening while you drive
All three GMC latch recalls involve heavy-duty Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks, and two of the three are the same tailgate defect visited twice. On power-unlatching tailgates, water gets into the electronic gate-release switch behind the exterior touchpad, shorts it, and the tailgate can open on its own — first on 2020-2024 Sierra 2500 and 3500, then again on 2024 models in a second recall. The third is the 2020 Sierra 2500 and 3500 hood: the hood-latch striker wires were not heat treated properly and can fracture, letting the hood open while you drive. Light-duty Sierra, Canyon, Yukon and Acadia are not part of this group.
Warning signs to watch for
- A tailgate that unlatches or opens on its own, with water intrusion behind the switch as the cause.
- Cargo shifting rearward in the bed or falling onto the road behind you.
- The exterior tailgate touchpad release behaving erratically or triggering without you using it.
- The hood recall describes no advance warning — the striker wire can fracture and the hood can open at speed, suddenly blocking your view.
Is it safe to keep driving?
Neither defect comes with a stop-driving or park-outside order. For both tailgate recalls, GM's instruction is specific: check that the tailgate is closed and latched before every drive until the touchpad switch is replaced, because cargo falling onto the road endangers you and the traffic behind you. The 2020 hood latch recall does not restrict driving either, but it deserves the faster appointment — a hood that fractures loose at speed blocks your view without warning, and there is nothing you can do from the driver's seat once it happens.
What the free repair involves
Both repairs are free and both are parts, not software. For the two tailgate recalls, dealers replace the exterior touchpad switch assemblies that let water reach the gate-release circuit. For the 2020 hood latch recall, GM does not simply replace the striker wire — dealers install a complete new hood assembly. Until your appointment, GM's own advice is to confirm the tailgate is latched before driving.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 1 |
| medium | 2 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-26 | Chevy and GMC HD tailgate may unlatch by itself | medium |
| 2024-02-01 | Chevy and GMC heavy-duty tailgate can unlatch by itself | medium |
| 2020-03-12 | Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra hoods can fly open | high |
Common questions
My 2024 Sierra HD was already recalled for the tailgate — why again?
GM issued two separate recalls for the same water intrusion problem: one covering 2020-2024 Sierra 2500 and 3500 with power-unlatching tailgates, and a later one covering 2024 Sierra HD 2500 and 3500. Check your VIN to see which applies.
Can I just stop using the power tailgate release instead of getting it repaired?
The notices do not offer that option. GM's stated interim step is to check that the tailgate is closed and latched before you drive, and the free remedy is replacement of the exterior touchpad switch assembly at a dealer.
Will the dealer repair the latch or replace the whole hood on my 2020 Sierra 2500?
The whole hood. GM's remedy for the improperly heat-treated hood-latch striker wires is replacement of the hood assembly, free of charge, rather than repairing the latch hardware on the hood already on your truck.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.