Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 4,756 owner complaints and 34 safety recalls for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. That averages 108.4 complaints per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (index 2.69 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Full-size pickups segment it ranks #3 of 5 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 97.2.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is flat. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models are within 4% of the 2018 and 2019 models (142 early complaints per model year versus 162).
The 2021 model year has the highest rate (145.5 complaints per year) and the 2018 model year the lowest (59.1). The 2018 model year runs at least 40% below this model's average of 108.4 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (41.5% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (21.8%) and Electrical (12.7%). Engine complaints are 1.9 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 145 complaints (3.0%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 82 injuries and 1 death.
In the last 12 months owners filed 1,578 complaints versus 1,439 in the previous 12 months — up 10%. The 2021 model year generated the most recent reports (307). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 43 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 34 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2020 (8), 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning, 2 fixable over the air. 5 NHTSA investigations have covered this model, 2 still open; the latest is “Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy” (engineering analysis, opened 2026-08-20, still open).
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Toyota Tundra and GMC Sierra 1500, but fewer than Ram 1500 and Ford F-150.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Fewest complaints | 519 | 59.1 | 1.46 | 60 | 7 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2019 | 1,091 | 140.1 | 3.47 | 228 | 10 | Engine | View › |
| 2020 | 740 | 109.0 | 2.7 | 208 | 12 | Engine | View › |
| 2021 | 842 | 145.5 | 3.61 | 307 | 8 | Engine | View › |
| 2022 | 644 | 134.5 | 3.33 | 271 | 6 | Engine | View › |
| 2023 | 386 | 101.9 | 2.53 | 168 | 3 | Engine | View › |
| 2024 | 314 | 112.6 | 2.79 | 135 | 2 | Engine | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 106 | 59.3 | 1.47 | 87 | 0 | Engine | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 114 | 114.0 | 2.83 | 114 | 3 ⚠ | Engine | View › |
“Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 1,578 · Previous 12 months: 1,439 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Engine ›
1,972 · 41.5% · 1.86 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Transmission / powertrain ›
1,035 · 21.8% · 1.86 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Electrical ›
604 · 12.7% · 0.81 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Brakes ›
294 · 6.2% · 1.03 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Unspecified or other ›
236 · 5.0% · 0.55 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Body & structure ›
159 · 3.3% · 0.37 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Steering ›
129 · 2.7% · 0.42 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
92 · 1.9% · 0.77 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Fuel system ›
85 · 1.8% · 0.41 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Airbags & seat belts ›
63 · 1.3% · 0.35 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Driver-assist systems ›
43 · 0.9% · 0.16 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Lighting
29 · 0.6% · 0.39 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
15 · 0.3% · 0.17 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 43 months
What owners report
I was at a stop light. Let my foot off brake vehicle revved up and I launched into a vehicle in front of me. Check engine light was on before. Blinking, esc fault , forward collision detection was not working, traction control service light.
On XXX at ~3:00 p.m., I was driving my 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country (VIN [XXX]) in stop-and-go highway traffic with Super Cruise engaged. The vehicle ahead was a truck towing a low, empty flatbed trailer.
GM Corporate Legal has formally denied a repair for a known design flaw (TSB 18-NA-383) that has caused progressive structural corrosion and water intrusion underneath the cab carpets near vehicle electrical routing since 2024.
I have a 2022 Chevrolet Z71 with a 6.2 l L87 engine. The motor blew up for what the recall is for from chevrolet.The crank and all that stuff seized up while my step son was driving it was told to burn Chevalier of rock.
I am reporting an engine failure on my 2022 Chevrolet Silverado equipped with the 6.2L V8 engine, following completion of NHTSA Safety Recall 25V-274 (GM N252494000). The recall was performed when my vehicle already had over 150,000 miles.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Full-size pickups
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Tundra | 1,578 | 54.3 | 1.35 | Worsening | Rising | 34 | Engine |
| 2 | GMC Sierra 1500 | 3,662 | 90.6 | 2.25 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 32 | Engine |
| 3 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 4,756 | 108.4 | 2.69 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 34 | Engine |
| 4 | Ram 1500 | 4,840 | 110.2 | 2.73 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 74 | Engine |
| 5 | Ford F-150 | 6,163 | 117.6 | 2.91 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 84 | Transmission / powertrain |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 34
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 1
- Over-the-air fix: 2
Safety recalls: 2018 (7) · 2019 (10) · 2020 (12) · 2021 (8) · 2022 (6) · 2023 (3) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (0) · 2026 (3)
Investigations
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy Open
On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued R…
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the L87 6.2L engine produced by General Motors (GM). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25V-274. These engines are installed in Model Years (MY) 2019–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon/Y…
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy Closed
On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued R…
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure Closed
On January 16, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25001 after receiving complaints and field reports concerning engine failures in MY2019-2024 GM’s full-size truck and SUV T1XX platform equipped with the L87 6.2L V8 engine. These complainants alleged engine bearing failures resulting in knocking and growling noises from the engine’s bottom end and in so…
- Air Bag Malfunction Closed
On April 9, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The vehicles included model year (MY) 2020 through 2021 CT4 and CT5 passenger cars, Sierra and Silverado trucks (1500/2500/3500 models…