GM bulletin 21-NA-281
What it saysThis service bulletin provides diagnostic information for technicians in cases of an ETRS system fault or a no start condition - If the vehicle needs to be moved, it is recommended to use wheel dollies, tire skates… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
GM filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 10, 2024, received Jun 6, 2022, about the power train — 5 documents under this number. It names 38 model years across Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac (2021–2025). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Chevrolet · GMC · Cadillac.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis service bulletin provides diagnostic information for technicians in cases of an ETRS system fault or a no start condition - If the vehicle needs to be moved, it is recommended to use wheel dollies, tire skates or the NEW Manual Park Release tool DT-52910.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21-NA-281 | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2024 | 11008961 | PDF, 191 KB |
| 21-NA-281 | Service bulletin | Mar 25, 2024 | 10252778 | PDF, 70 KB |
| 21-NA-281 | Service bulletin | Apr 21, 2023 | 10235759 | PDF, 82 KB |
| 21-NA-281 | Service bulletin | Jan 23, 2023 | 10231507 | PDF, 103 KB |
| 21-NA-281 | Service bulletin | May 24, 2022 | 10213498 | PDF, 102 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themChevrolet 14 model years
GMC 9 model years
Cadillac 15 model years
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 38 model years this bulletin names have filed 7,156 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,426 of them name Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, the 27 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 59,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I was driving and noticed a very strong smell of an electrical fire. The truck popped up a High Voltage Battery warning and several warning lights came on. We stopped, restarted the truck and the lights came on again, the smell returned as soon as we started driving. We drove the truck to Cable Dahmer GMC in Kansas City, MO.
2024 GMC Sierra · Power Train · filed with NHTSA May 11, 2026 · ODI 11737138
2025 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HIGH COUNTRY. Vehicle is parked in my garage. Went out in the AM and the engine only cranks, will not start. Called On Star for roadside assistance. Sent a tow truck, the vehicle could not be towed due to the electronic transmission. There is no way for an owner to place the transmission in neutral.
2025 Chevrolet Suburban · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Apr 20, 2026 · ODI 11732473
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle and leaving the local dealer, he heard an abnormal sound with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced.
2022 GMC Sierra · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Dec 28, 2022 · ODI 11499235
In depth: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2023 Chevrolet Silverado transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2022 Chevrolet Silverado transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe transmission and drivetrain problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group103 other manufacturer communications filed against these GM models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Chevrolet list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| N252502891-01 | Service campaign | Aug 20, 2026 | Certain vehicles may have a condition in which the internal differential nut was cross threaded or missing during assembly. Dealers will rev… |
| N252517790 | Service campaign | Oct 14, 2025 | Certain vehicles, equipped with 8L80 or 8L90 Transmissions, may have a condition in which the reaction carrier cracks. Dealers are to replac… |
| N242454441 -03 | Service campaign | Oct 9, 2025 | Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure w… |
| 25-NA-080 | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2025 | This service bulletin provides a procedure to overhaul the control valve to replace a plate and worn down check ball to correct the customer… |
| N252494003-01 | Service campaign | Jun 26, 2025 | Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components in these vehicles may have… |
| N242480631-02 | Service campaign | May 27, 2025 | Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure w… |
| N242480631-01 | Service campaign | May 22, 2025 | Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure w… |
| N242483540-01 | Service campaign | May 21, 2025 | Certain vehicles listed above may have a condition in which the transmission may not shift properly. Dealers are to replace the transmission… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is GM 21-NA-281 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 21-NA-281 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every GM warranty extension on file lists the ones GM has filed.
Which vehicles does 21-NA-281 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 38 model years across 3 brands (Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac): 2025 Cadillac CT4, 2024 Cadillac CT4, 2023 Cadillac CT4, 2022 Cadillac CT4, 2021 Cadillac CT4, 2025 Cadillac CT5 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.