Chevrolet Silverado Problems by Year
NHTSA has 8,387 owner complaints and 46 safety recalls on file for the Chevrolet Silverado, across 23 model years (1995–2017). The 1999 model year has the most complaints (1,660). The most reported problem area overall is service brakes, hydraulic.
Chevrolet Silverado years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Silverado year: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 1999 Silverado: 1,660 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2000 Silverado: 1,305 complaints, 8 recalls
- 2001 Silverado: 877 complaints, 4 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2016 Silverado: 5 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2010 Silverado: 62 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2013 Silverado: 64 complaints, 3 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Chevrolet Silverado problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 2,302 | 19 | 212 |
| Power Train problems | 743 | 23 | 33 |
| Electrical System problems | 711 | 23 | 11 |
| Service Brakes problems | 706 | 21 | 54 |
| Steering problems | 533 | 23 | 28 |
| Structure problems | 490 | 22 | 21 |
| Visibility problems | 486 | 20 | 3 |
| Air Bags problems | 478 | 23 | 275 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 459 | 20 | 7 |
| Suspension problems | 393 | 20 | 21 |
| Tires problems | 377 | 20 | 15 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 363 | 21 | 40 |
| Service Brakes, Air problems | 218 | 9 | 20 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 205 | 16 | 5 |
| Parking Brake problems | 196 | 9 | 11 |
| Seats problems | 183 | 19 | 10 |
| Seat Belts problems | 150 | 20 | 28 |
| Engine problems | 141 | 19 | 7 |
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 120 | 14 | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 116 | 20 | 2 |
| Wheels | 98 | 21 | 7 |
| Equipment | 94 | 16 | 8 |
| Fuel System, Other | 82 | 12 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 63 | 19 | 4 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 36 | 15 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 20 | 7 | 0 |
| Trailer Hitches | 14 | 8 | 1 |
| Visibility/wiper | 13 | 9 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Traction Control System | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Child Seat | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Chevrolet Silverado problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2008: air bags (62)
- 2006: service brakes (83)
- 2005: electrical system (64) · service brakes (61)
- 2004: electrical system (159) · service brakes (122) · service brakes, hydraulic (84)
- 2003: service brakes, hydraulic (130) · service brakes (124) · electrical system (116) · power train (81) · steering (80)
- 2002: service brakes, hydraulic (245) · power train (70) · service brakes (70) · engine and engine cooling (58)
- 2001: service brakes, hydraulic (306) · engine and engine cooling (91) · power train (64) · tires (56) · structure (53) · parking brake (51)
- 2000: service brakes, hydraulic (450) · power train (103) · structure (94) · engine and engine cooling (88) · vehicle speed control (83) · suspension (78) · steering (73) · tires (70) · parking brake (58) · service brakes (58) · air bags (53) · service brakes, air (50)
- 1999: service brakes, hydraulic (815) · service brakes, air (109) · suspension (107) · power train (97) · vehicle speed control (95) · tires (90) · structure (84) · steering (69) · engine and engine cooling (61) · service brakes (52) · electrical system (51)
- 1998: service brakes, hydraulic (84)
- 1997: steering (59) · service brakes, hydraulic (57)
- 1996: visibility (73)
- 1995: visibility (148)
All Chevrolet Silverado model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Silverado | 125 | 0 | — | Power Train | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2016 Silverado | 5 | 2 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2015 Silverado | 76 | 7 | — | Engine | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2014 Silverado | 124 | 13 | — | Power Train | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2013 Silverado | 64 | 3 | — | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2012 Silverado | 68 | 2 | — | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2011 Silverado | 75 | 2 | — | Structure | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2010 Silverado | 62 | 0 | — | Structure | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Silverado | 76 | 0 | — | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Silverado | 162 | 1 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2007 Silverado | 183 | 1 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2006 Silverado | 182 | 4 | — | Service Brakes | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2005 Silverado | 316 | 8 | — | Electrical System | More complaints than other years |
| 2004 Silverado | 622 | 8 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Silverado | 695 | 6 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Silverado | 710 | 4 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2001 Silverado | 877 | 4 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2000 Silverado | 1,305 | 8 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1999 Silverado | 1,660 | 5 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1998 Silverado | 279 | 0 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | More complaints than other years |
| 1997 Silverado | 272 | 0 | — | Steering | More complaints than other years |
| 1996 Silverado | 186 | 0 | — | Visibility | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1995 Silverado | 263 | 0 | — | Visibility | More complaints than other years |
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Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Silverado years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1999 (1,660), 2000 (1,305), 2001 (877), 2002 (710), 2003 (695), 2004 (622) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Silverado year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Chevrolet Silverado?
Service Brakes, Hydraulic, with 2,302 complaints across 19 model years.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Silverado have?
46 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.