Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2018–2025), NHTSA has logged 4,479 owner complaints and 31 safety recalls for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. That averages 105.8 complaints per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (index 2.51 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Full-size pickups segment it ranks #3 of 5 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 98.0.
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
Over eight model years from 2018 to 2025, NHTSA has logged 4,479 owner complaints and 31 safety recalls for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, averaging 105.8 complaints per year which is far more than typical with an index of 2.51 against all tracked vehicles. The most common problem area is Engine accounting for 40.7% of complaints, followed by Transmission / powertrain at 22.1% and Electrical at 12.9%, where engine issues are 1.8 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Owners report 80 injuries and 1 death with 140 complaints describing a crash or fire, while the latest open investigation covers "Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy" opened on 2026-08-20. Recent data shows a steady pace with 1,421 complaints filed in the last 12 months versus 1,381 in the previous year, and recurring terms include "engine", "transmission", "lifters", "trailer" and "esc".
Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.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 2% of the 2018 and 2019 models (142 early complaints per model year versus 162).
The 2021 model year has the highest rate (142.3 complaints per year) and the 2025 model year the lowest (56.2). The 2018 model year sits well below the model's average.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (40.7% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (22.1%) and Electrical (12.9%). Engine complaints are 1.8 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Recurring terms in owner reports: “engine”, “transmission”, “lifters”, “trailer” and “esc”. 140 complaints (3.1%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 80 injuries and 1 death.
In the last 12 months owners filed 1,421 complaints versus 1,381 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace. The 2021 model year generated the most recent reports (299). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 43 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 31 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2020 (8), 2 fixable over the air. 5 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 2 still open; the latest is “Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy” (opened 2026-08-20, still open).
Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Toyota Tundra and GMC Sierra 1500; Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 have more.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Complaints in first 2 years on the road | vs. same-year average | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 514 | 59.3 | 1.41 | 71 | 0.8 | 59 | 7 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2019 | 1,073 | 139.8 | 3.32 | 253 | 3.14 | 233 | 10 | Engine | View › |
| 2020 | 717 | 107.4 | 2.55 | 117 | 2.06 | 194 | 12 | Engine | View › |
| 2021 | 807 | 142.3 | 3.38 | 112 | 1.83 | 299 | 8 | Engine | View › |
| 2022 | 609 | 130.3 | 3.1 | 104 | 1.41 | 260 | 6 | Engine | View › |
| 2023 | 367 | 99.9 | 2.37 | 83 | 1.0 | 164 | 3 | Engine | View › |
| 2024 | 298 | 111.4 | 2.65 | 201 | 2.86 | 134 | 2 | Engine | View › |
| 2025 Fewest complaints | 94 | 56.2 | 1.34 | — | — | 78 | 0 | Engine | View › |
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: 1,421 · Previous 12 months: 1,381 Steady
Problem areas
Transmission / powertrain ›
988 · 22.1% · 1.9 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- transmission653
- valve body119
- shifting182
- gear205
Interior & equipment ›
219 · 4.9% · 0.55 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- sliding window12
- camera35
- backup21
- rear window16
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
86 · 1.9% · 0.77 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- tire35
- ball joint14
- upper17
- control arm12
Airbags & seat belts ›
63 · 1.4% · 0.37 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- deploy25
- airbags20
- restraint14
- seat19
Driver-assist systems
36 · 0.8% · 0.14 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- collision14
- cruise control10
- avoidance6
- adaptive cruise6
Lighting
28 · 0.6% · 0.4 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- night12
- headlight8
- bright7
- turn signal7
Other
15 · 0.3% · 0.19 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- seat5
- cruise control4
- set3
- steering wheel3
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Common terms in reports
- engine1929
- transmission925
- lifters239
- trailer265
- esc210
- towed631
- power866
- valve294
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 43 months
What owners report
I applied brake and pedal went straight to floor without any stopping. I had to steer into a ditch to avoid a collision resulting in more damage to steering system, frame, windshield and body.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to crank.
When I unlocked the door and entered the truck gas started leaking / pouring from the top of the fuel tank. On the ground before I started the motor. If I had driven the truck very posible it could have caught on fire. Its a 2019 with 61598 miles.
My truck lost steering as I was trying to pull into a parking lot. It started as a momentary jerking of the steering wheel then total loss of steering. The ABS error and Trailer Braking failure warning also appeared.
Transmission entered limp mode when decelerating at highway speed. Shutter shift, rapid rpm increase. First shift in the morning is a hard shift with loss of power.
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 | 1,525 | 54.1 | 1.29 | Worsening | Rising | 33 | Engine |
| 2 | GMC Sierra 1500 | 3,415 | 90.3 | 2.14 | Worsening | Steady | 30 | Engine |
| 3 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 4,479 | 105.8 | 2.51 | Stable | Steady | 31 | Engine |
| 4 | Ram 1500 | 4,615 | 110.7 | 2.63 | Improving | Steady | 70 | Engine |
| 5 | Ford F-150 | 5,985 | 129.2 | 3.07 | Improving | Falling | 80 | Transmission / powertrain |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 31
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 2
Safety recalls: 2018 (7) · 2019 (10) · 2020 (12) · 2021 (8) · 2022 (6) · 2023 (3) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (0)
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 …
- 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 …
- 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) 2019â2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon…
- 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 GMâs 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 engineâs bottom end and i…
- 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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model year has the most complaints?
The 2021 model year has the highest rate (142.3 complaints per year) and the 2025 model year the lowest (56.2).
Is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 getting better or worse?
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 2% of the 2018 and 2019 models (142 early complaints per model year versus 162). In the last 12 months owners filed 1,421 complaints versus 1,381 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace.
What are the most common Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems?
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (40.7% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (22.1%) and Electrical (12.9%). Recurring terms in owner reports: “engine”, “transmission”, “lifters”, “trailer” and “esc”.
How does the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 compare with other Full-size pickups?
Within the Full-size pickups segment it ranks #3 of 5 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 98.0. Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Toyota Tundra and GMC Sierra 1500; Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 have more.
Does the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have recalls or open investigations?
Recalls: 31 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2020 (8), 2 fixable over the air. 5 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 2 still open; the latest is “Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy” (opened 2026-08-20, still open).