"How reliable is the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?"

"Based on 924 NHTSA complaints, the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has a median complaint mileage of 47000 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 924 total complaints filed."

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 924 complaints

924

Total Complaints

47,000mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

10,750 25th Percentile

47,000 Median Mileage

84,250 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

300

Power Train

192

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering

Service Brakes

Body

Fuel/Propulsion System

Air Bags

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I AM LEFT HANDED, AND AM MOST COMFORTABLE DRIVING WITH MY LEFT HAND AT THE 9 TO 10 O'CLOCK POSITION. THE CHEVY TRUCK I JUST PURCHASED HAS THE CRUISE CONTROL SETTINGS TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HORN ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THEIR IS A PROTRUDING "THUMB JOYSTICK" WHICH IS USED TO SET THE SPEED UP OR DOW..."

"FULL ENJINE FAILURE AT 371 MILES CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.VEHICLE WAS DRIVEING ON CITY STREET ABOUT 30MPH WHEN FAILURE HAPPEN. JUST PRIOR TO THAT VEHICLE STALLED IN TRAFFIC AT A STOP WHEN WAITING FOR A RED LIGHT. SPRING BROKEN IN PISTON CAUSEING FAILURE. ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH INFO. SYSTEM BLANKING ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 300 complaints

25th: 12,000 mi Median: 51,324 mi 75th: 86,503 mi

Power Train 192 complaints

25th: 30,000 mi Median: 64,000 mi 75th: 101,000 mi

Electrical System 88 complaints

25th: 371 mi Median: 500 mi 75th: 5,000 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 40 complaints

25th: 38,500 mi Median: 64,500 mi 75th: 97,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 119 FL: 89 MI: 57 GA: 56 CA: 53 NY: 39 OH: 30 TN: 25 PA: 24 IL: 24

Who Files Complaints?

0.3%

Original Owners

99.7%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	693	90,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	31
1998	452	73,575	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	17
1999	711	109,200	Service Brakes	51
2000	731	102,000	Service Brakes	87
2001	627	87,000	Service Brakes	84
2002	620	90,000	Service Brakes	60
2003	958	82,000	Service Brakes	33
2004	951	70,000	Service Brakes	47
2005	642	64,000	Electrical System	27
2006	462	60,000	Service Brakes	23
2007	1049	70,000	Air Bags	31
2008	1090	70,000	Air Bags	45
2009	553	70,000	Air Bags	10
2010	449	67,000	Air Bags	10
2011	695	72,000	Air Bags	32
2012	273	74,433	Unknown Or Other	8
2013	385	62,186	Unknown Or Other	12
2014	2184	62,826	Steering	105
2015	1390	52,000	Service Brakes	82
2016	1025	45,000	Service Brakes	62
2017	928	41,555	Power Train	50
2018	715	35,090	Power Train	16
2019	1436	11,232	Engine	46
2020	934	12,500	Engine	20
2022	696	32,000	Engine	14
2023	430	25,500	Engine	16
2024	317	7,500	Engine	10
2025	98	2,650	Engine	2
2026	28	-	Engine	0

Active Recalls (8)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Seat Belts

Campaign 20V792000 | 17/12/2020

If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service

Seat Belts

Campaign 20V811000 | 23/12/2020

If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recal

Tires

Campaign 20V684000 | 05/11/2020

Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service a

Frontal

Campaign 21V495000 | 01/07/2021

The missing tabs may prevent the air bag from deploying properly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212336560.

Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire

Campaign 21V985000 | 16/12/2021

An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires a

Software

Campaign 24V797000 | 24/10/2024

Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 202

Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

Campaign 25V274000 | 24/04/2025

Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification le

Software

Campaign 26V083000 | 12/02/2026

Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252516560.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28