Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 260 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 across 29 model years. The 2014 model year has the most (49). The words owners use most often: “seat belt” (51% of reports).
- 260seat belts complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 42mention a crash
- 39mention an injury
- 7related recalls
- $380typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%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.
- Seat belt: mentioned in 133 of 260 complaints (51%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical seat belts repair on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at $380, and half of them between $300 and $840.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 131 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 260 complaints, 42 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 39 an injury.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 seat belts complaints by model year
| Model year | Seat Belts complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 1% | 2,300 |
| 2024 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2022 Silverado 1500 | 3 | 0% | 25,537 |
| 2021 Silverado 1500 | 7 | 1% | 16,750 |
| 2020 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 1% | 100,000 |
| 2019 Silverado 1500 | 12 | 1% | 22,035 |
| 2018 Silverado 1500 | 11 | 2% | 18,000 |
| 2017 Silverado 1500 | 13 | 2% | 75,000 |
| 2016 Silverado 1500 | 11 | 1% | 51,000 |
| 2015 Silverado 1500 | 22 | 2% | 48,800 |
| 2014 Silverado 1500 | 49 | 3% | 51,000 |
| 2013 Silverado 1500 | 4 | 1% | 77,500 |
| 2012 Silverado 1500 | 2 | 1% | 51,257 |
| 2011 Silverado 1500 | 8 | 1% | 63,903 |
| 2010 Silverado 1500 | 3 | 1% | 3,050 |
| 2009 Silverado 1500 | 10 | 2% | 100,000 |
| 2008 Silverado 1500 | 11 | 1% | 60,000 |
| 2007 Silverado 1500 | 26 | 3% | 83,600 |
| 2006 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 0% | 58,000 |
| 2005 Silverado 1500 | 2 | 0% | 80,000 |
| 2004 Silverado 1500 | 3 | 0% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 1% | 93,455 |
| 2002 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 1% | 118,000 |
| 2001 Silverado 1500 | 10 | 2% | 60,000 |
| 2000 Silverado 1500 | 5 | 1% | 113,000 |
| 1999 Silverado 1500 | 11 | 2% | 84,400 |
| 1998 Silverado 1500 | 10 | 3% | 2,021 |
| 1997 Silverado 1500 | 8 | 1% | 132,000 |
| 1996 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 14% | 75,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (7)
Seat belts:front
Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2014-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement tensioner cable assembly as part of a previous recall remedy or a subsequent repair. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the vehicle causing the cable to fatigue and separate.
Risk: A broken pretensioner cable reduces the effectiveness of the driver's seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat belt lap pretensioner, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212330040.
Seat belts:critical fasteners
Model years: 2021
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 recall is N202322230.
Seat belts:critical fasteners
Model years: 2019, 2020, 2021
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.
Seat belts:pretensioner
Model years: 2019, 2020
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket, possibly igniting the carpet.
Risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192270600.
Seat belts:front
Model years: 2015, 2016
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe Police Pursuit and Special-Service vehicles. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and exits the vehicle causing the cable to fatigue and separate.
Risk: If the pretensioner cable becomes fatigued or breaks, the driver may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pretensioner cable and seat side-shield, free of charge. The recall began June 19, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18156.
Seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
Seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My son was driving down the road going 30 and both curtain liner airbags deployed and the left side hit him in the head . GMC is denied my claim twice after careful consideration. That was the explanation and we have an undriveable truck with a truck note . Incident happened may 31 and they denied…
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while his son was stopped at a gas station, while buckling the seat belt, the floor anchor pretensioner cable snapped off. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. A Chevrolet dealer was contacted and…
The seatbelt on the driver's side broke off from the anchor cabling.
I am having difficulty getting the driver side seat belt buckle to latch.
Turned from [XXX] into my street, about 9 houses down, i could not brake or turn steering wheel. Ended up hitting 2 cars, the problem was that the air bags did not deploy and the seat belt did not lock. truck was totalled. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Silverado 1500s have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 260 owner complaints about seat belts for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 seat belts?
Yes: 7 safety recalls list seat belts. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix seat belts problems on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Owners report a typical cost of $380 (half paid between $300 and $840), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “seat belt”, in 133 of 260 complaints.
Other Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems
- Service Brakes problems (2,959)
- Electrical System problems (2,694)
- Engine problems (2,656)
- Power Train problems (2,508)
- Air Bags problems (2,409)
- Steering problems (1,526)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (1,525)
- Structure problems (933)
See all Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems.