Just Hit 10K on My GMC Sierra EV, And While Fit and Finish Issues Have Also Plagued This Truck, This Thing Is a Road Trip Powerhouse

There are trucks that are workhorses, and there are trucks that surprise you with their personality. The GMC Sierra EV might be both. But after 10,000 miles, it’s clear this truck is also something else entirely. It is one of the most unexpectedly useful road trip companions on four wheels. Still, not everything is sunshine and smooth charging. Scroll through the Sierra EV Facebook group for five minutes, and you’ll see the full spectrum of ownership: joy, frustration, technical excellence, unchecked design quirks, and people still sorting out if GM is building a better truck or just packaging the idea of one.

One such post, written by Sierra EV owner Cyle Hendricks, grabbed my attention because it hits on everything buyers want to know but automakers never put in the press kit. Here’s what Cyle shared with the group after hitting the 10,000-mile mark:

“Just hit 10k miles on my Sierra EV.
PROs - this thing is a road trip powerhouse. The charging and range performance has been awesome. There is this 200+ mile stretch where there is only a 60kw chargepoint, and in 0 degree weather I was safely able to pull off 85% to 5-10%. And that is Sierra EV’s biggest strength. I also love rear wheel steering, and I almost do not want to go to another large vehicle such as this without it.
Coming from the Ford F-150 Lightning, one thing I appreciate, is when I watch video and the audio is streamed through Bluetooth there is no delay.
CONs - the app on the Sierra EV needs work. A LOT of work. I hate that, say if I am camping I can only keep the truck on at 1 hour intervals. And any more than one time trying to start climate with the app and it does not work (this occurred in my Ford F-150 Lightning as well).
This Sierra EV is a rattle machine. More rattles than any Tesla and the Rivian R1T that I owned.
The midgate is a gimmick. GMC and any non-Tesla/Rivian manufacturer needs to stop with the gimmicks, and the crab walk. The rear floor of the Sierra EV is not totally flat, and because of the midgate feature, when you pull up the seats you have all that stuff in place because of the midgate function.
Some annoying software bugs such as crackling when listening to music.
Fit and finish issues have also plagued this thing such as trim alignment issues and drivers side wind noise.
Overall, I'm happy with my Sierra EV, but most likely will be going back to a R1T for a truck. When it comes to Tesla and Rivian, it is just a smoother cohesive experience (app, software, accessory support). And I doubt we will see any accessory support like we see on Tesla and Rivian. The F-150 Lightning is on its 4th year and barely has anything.”

That’s the kind of review you cannot buy from a marketing team. This is where the Sierra EV story gets real. Some owners, like Cyle, find themselves caught between enjoying the unexpected charging reliability and smooth road dynamics of GM’s latest electric truck, while also dealing with software roughness, questionable feature decisions like the midgate, and disappointing quality control.

Now if you have not seen what GM did with the 2025 Sierra EV Denali you might want to see this walkaround, because it reveals a stunningly state-of-the-art truck that looks like it should lead the category. But there’s a growing group of owners asking if the execution lives up to the promise.

Others chimed in on Cyle’s post. Joe Baliski asked the obvious follow-up: “So you like it more than the Ford F-150 Lightning?” Cyle’s answer was clear, but not one-sided. He wrote, “Overall yes. I still prefer the ride quality, the more open space when seats are up in the back and opening back windows in the Ford.”

Then came Scott Harper, who added a perspective that many shoppers will appreciate, especially those cross-shopping Lightning vs Sierra EV: “I’ll jump in here too because I also had a F-150 Lightning and yes, the GM models are much better (of course they’re a lot more expensive too). The F150 Lightning may have better pickup (no roaming in the lane) and it’s quieter, but everything else about GM is better in my opinion.”

These honest comparisons are what people need. The Lightning might be simpler in some areas, but GM’s platform, while pricier, is winning over owners with a better charging curve, road stability, and long-range usefulness. And in real-world towing tests, some owners are finding it outperforms their expectations.

But we also need to talk about the midgate, because it is either the best utility tool ever built into an EV truck or a surprisingly unlikeable compromise depending on how you use the vehicle. Alexander Patchin commented that he would only consider a version without it due to noise complaints. Bruce Guckert called it a gimmick and added, “Give me a sunroof, CarPlay, and a flip-up rear seat and I'd be in this thing for the long run.”

On the flip side, James Seeliger made a compelling argument for those who use their truck bed like an extension of their garage: “The midgate in the Sierra EV is not a "gimmick" for people that actually use the truck as a truck. The extra length is one of the reasons I bought this as I've needed this extra length many times... much better than hooking up a trailer.”

And this is where a product solution enters the story, but not in the way you think. What trucks like the Sierra EV really reveal is a gap between capability and practicality, a space where well-designed modular accessories, bed organizers, or quieting kits can address problems manufacturers overlook. This is less about upselling a product and more about recognizing that sometimes owners solve problems better than automakers. Just as phone mount designers fixed what automakers ignored for years, the same applies here. A custom-fit rattle insulation kit, designed by owners who know where the noises come from, could add more value than another software update.

And speaking of updates, one issue that keeps coming up is GM's software experience and app ecosystem. Cyle’s post, like many others, describes a disappointing, buggy app interface. He says the climate remote start feature is practically unusable when camping. This is echoed across forums. In contrast, Rivian and Tesla continue to impress owners with their seamless integrations. You can see how this all plays out when an owner compared the Sierra EV towing experience directly against a Tesla Model Y.

But then, we hit a more practical note. Range. Charging. Efficiency. Dan West posted, “I just finished a 1,500-mile road trip on my Sierra EV. I would not trade it for anything... the range is incredible, and getting up to 720 miles per hour is incredible... 4 wheel steering kicks butt... For long road trips, this is fantastic.” That’s not marketing, that’s someone putting miles down and not looking back.

And for those who worry about the non-Tesla charging experience, more owners are finding that the landscape is improving faster than expected. With Walmart parking lots now home to 350kW chargers, what used to be a concern is now becoming a selling point.

Still, for many shoppers, especially new to EVs, the moral of this story is this: buying a truck is not about one-size-fits-all features, but how a vehicle fits into your lifestyle. The Sierra EV, like all tools, works best when matched with the right use case. Haul lumber? The midgate might be your favorite thing. Family hauler with car seats? You may hate it. Love quiet interiors? Be prepared to investigate trim alignment. But crave range, road comfort, and charging flexibility? You might fall in love.

You can also peek into GM’s aggressive strategy to cut prices and boost Sierra EV sales, a move that shows even GM knows this truck needs to appeal to more than early adopters.

In the end, the better person is not the one who makes the flashiest purchase, but the one who listens, asks questions, and learns from others before signing the dotted line. And posts like Cyle’s are the gold mine of EV truck ownership knowledge, more than any review site or glossy showroom brochure.

Now I want to hear from you.
Have you driven or owned the GMC Sierra EV? What’s your experience been like with charging, build quality, and that midgate feature?
And for those coming from a Ford Lightning or Rivian R1T, do you think GM is catching up or just taking a different road entirely?

Leave your honest thoughts and personal stories in the comments below.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube. He has more than a decade of expertise in the automotive industry with a special interest in Tesla and electric vehicles.