No recalls at all, and the last year GM will flush the transmission for free — which makes this the smart end of the eight-speed years.

The tail that makes the flush worth chasing. A 2019 owner in the file describes an intermittent vibration at motorway speed getting steadily worse until "the dealer just called and said the torque converter was shot" — adding, correctly, that this accounts for a great deal of the powertrain complaints on these trucks. Another, at 70,000 miles, was told by several technicians the transmission would have to be replaced and that the parts were not available anywhere. GM's own service literature for these years includes a procedure to replace the torque converter and inspect the front pump and the transmission control module for metal, which tells you what the converter can do to the rest of the unit if it is left alone.

GM documented that on a small number of 2018 and 2019 trucks the electrical connector to the transmission valve body solenoids may not be fully seated, setting code P2718 or P2720, lighting the check-engine lamp and dropping the transmission into limp-home mode with only limited forward gears. Dealers reseat the connectors at no charge. Because it presents as a transmission fault it is easy to misread as the shudder or as a failing unit — so if a truck has any history of limp mode or a stuck gear, check this by VIN first.

The 2016's defining failure has not fully gone away. A 2019 owner writes that the power steering "goes in and out — so stops working and then starts working again — not safe especially on the highway," adding that no lights come on the dash. Another had the steering rack fail outright at 10,000 miles, leaving the wheel unable to turn right, and describes nearly crashing. A third reports steering that binds beyond about 45 degrees of wheel rotation, reproducible with the truck stationary. GM's power-steering recalls for this failure (16V054 and 21V213) cover model year 2015 only; there is no campaign reaching 2019. Drive it long enough to provoke it and treat any steering warning as a stop.

Two engine items. The first is specific and diagnosable: an owner with the 3.6L LGZ engine reports code P0024, a failure of the bank 2 exhaust camshaft position actuator solenoid. GM has a Special Coverage that replaces exactly this part at no charge to the customer — but its stated model year is 2020, not 2019, so a 2019 owner with the same code pays. The second is rarer and worse: one filing reports a blown head gasket with a large amount of coolant in the oil and, in the owner's words, no warning lights or messages of any kind. Have the oil looked at, not just the level checked.

A quiet through-line on these trucks that turns loud on the 2023. Owners report the check-engine light with the cooling fan running for ten to fifteen minutes after shutdown, traced to the thermostat, with one noting the temperature sensor and thermostat had both failed in under five years. It is not expensive on its own, but it is a useful tell about how the truck has been maintained. Switch it off after a long drive and stand next to it for a minute.

GM documented that on certain 2017 to 2019 trucks, some kinds of off-road use can, in rare cases, set off the roof-rail airbags and seat-belt pretensioners. The free remedy is a software reprogramme of the sensing and diagnostic module — the crash-sensing computer. 2019 is the last year in scope. If the truck is a Z71 or has clearly been off pavement, check it by VIN and confirm no airbag has ever deployed.

GM's Customer Satisfaction Program for a front differential housing built with a 12 mm hole in its top surface covers 2015 through 2022, so this year is in scope. If the hole is there, the dealer rebuilds the front axle with the correct housing at no charge. A 2019 owner in the file describes an abnormal rumbling from the front of the truck; another reports a loud hum between 50 and 65 mph that changes with throttle. Neither is proof, but both are reasons to have the VIN checked before you spend anything.