2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 85 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 43,078 miles. The words owners use most often: “trailer brake” (25% of reports).
- 85service brakes complaints
- 43,078median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 28%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Trailer brake: mentioned in 21 of 85 complaints (25%)
- Vacuum pump: mentioned in 6 of 85 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 85 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Silverado 1500 | 8 | 7% | 37,857 |
| 2025 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 5% | — |
| 2024 Silverado 1500 | 9 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Silverado 1500 | 17 | 4% | 12,000 |
| 2022 Silverado 1500 | 54 | 8% | 1,750 |
| 2021 Silverado 1500 | 40 | 5% | 62,755 |
| 2020 Silverado 1500 | 102 | 14% | 2,000 |
| 2019 Silverado 1500 | 175 | 16% | 5,212 |
| 2018 Silverado 1500 | 85 | 16% | 43,078 |
| 2017 Silverado 1500 | 175 | 25% | 40,000 |
| 2016 Silverado 1500 | 256 | 32% | 50,000 |
| 2015 Silverado 1500 | 351 | 32% | 56,000 |
| 2014 Silverado 1500 | 269 | 19% | 70,000 |
| 2013 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 2% | 76,500 |
| 2012 Silverado 1500 | 7 | 3% | 87,000 |
| 2011 Silverado 1500 | 13 | 2% | 74,000 |
| 2010 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 1% | 70,600 |
| 2009 Silverado 1500 | 11 | 2% | 67,500 |
| 2008 Silverado 1500 | 13 | 1% | 95,000 |
| 2007 Silverado 1500 | 36 | 4% | 75,000 |
| 2006 Silverado 1500 | 118 | 33% | 89,411 |
| 2005 Silverado 1500 | 82 | 16% | 84,500 |
| 2004 Silverado 1500 | 229 | 29% | 87,678 |
| 2003 Silverado 1500 | 273 | 34% | 101,000 |
| 2002 Silverado 1500 | 184 | 36% | 115,500 |
| 2001 Silverado 1500 | 133 | 28% | 116,500 |
| 2000 Silverado 1500 | 162 | 26% | 125,000 |
| 1999 Silverado 1500 | 126 | 21% | 137,236 |
| 1998 Silverado 1500 | 10 | 3% | 157,000 |
| 1997 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 1% | 120,000 |
| 1996 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 14% | 98,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
Risk: A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
Service brakes; service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:wheel speed sensor/tone ring; electronic stability control (esc)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact was alerted by OnStar of a failure with the stability system. While the contactâs husband was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was jerking; the brakes were sticking while the brake pedal was depressed. The failure persisted while driving 50…
Purchased used 6/12/2026 at 188,882 miles from a franchised Chevrolet dealer. The integrated trailer brake system master fuse and passenger-side turn signal fuse were blown at delivery. When the fuses were replaced, the trailer brake system faulted and the failure disabled the ABS, traction…
I am very certain that I have proof that from the dealership a Cable Dahmer and Kansas City Missouri did break work concerning the brake master cylinder booster was replaced and it still has problem which should have been under a recall and I would like to get that corrected and received my service…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500s have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 85 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (16% of the 521 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 service brakes?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 43,078 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “trailer brake”, in 21 of 85 complaints, followed by “vacuum pump” (6).
Other 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems
- Power Train problems (171)
- Electrical System problems (103)
- Engine problems (103)
See all 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems or service brakes problems across all Silverado 1500 years.