Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 520 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 across 30 model years. The 2014 model year has the most (47). The words owners use most often: “ball joint” (6% of reports).
- 520suspension complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 24mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 45%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.
- Ball joint: mentioned in 30 of 520 complaints (6%)
- Control arm: mentioned in 30 of 520 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 265 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 520 complaints, 24 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 7 an injury.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 1% | 3,999 |
| 2025 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2024 Silverado 1500 | 3 | 1% | 59,000 |
| 2023 Silverado 1500 | 2 | 1% | 23,000 |
| 2022 Silverado 1500 | 6 | 1% | 25,000 |
| 2021 Silverado 1500 | 17 | 2% | 7,500 |
| 2020 Silverado 1500 | 20 | 3% | 17,900 |
| 2019 Silverado 1500 | 22 | 2% | 12,500 |
| 2018 Silverado 1500 | 32 | 6% | 15,000 |
| 2017 Silverado 1500 | 15 | 2% | 14,000 |
| 2016 Silverado 1500 | 30 | 4% | 10,000 |
| 2015 Silverado 1500 | 22 | 2% | 11,000 |
| 2014 Silverado 1500 | 47 | 3% | 17,500 |
| 2013 Silverado 1500 | 21 | 7% | 99,200 |
| 2012 Silverado 1500 | 9 | 4% | 112,800 |
| 2011 Silverado 1500 | 18 | 3% | 6,976 |
| 2010 Silverado 1500 | 9 | 2% | 39,500 |
| 2009 Silverado 1500 | 8 | 2% | 46,500 |
| 2008 Silverado 1500 | 18 | 2% | 99,746 |
| 2007 Silverado 1500 | 16 | 2% | 70,000 |
| 2006 Silverado 1500 | 29 | 8% | 45,500 |
| 2005 Silverado 1500 | 21 | 4% | 53,500 |
| 2004 Silverado 1500 | 13 | 2% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Silverado 1500 | 14 | 2% | 68,500 |
| 2002 Silverado 1500 | 13 | 3% | 90,000 |
| 2001 Silverado 1500 | 10 | 2% | 93,000 |
| 2000 Silverado 1500 | 23 | 4% | 129,000 |
| 1999 Silverado 1500 | 29 | 5% | 132,411 |
| 1998 Silverado 1500 | 17 | 5% | 27,909 |
| 1997 Silverado 1500 | 34 | 6% | 96,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Suspension:front:control armDo not drive
Model years: 2016, 2017
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.
Suspension:rear:axle:spindle
Model years: 2011
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, colorado, express, silverado, suburban, tahoe; and gmc canyon, sierra, savana, yukon and yukon xl vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.
Risk: The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Suspension:rear:axle:spindle
Model years: 2011
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade ext, chevrolet avalanche, silverado ld and gmc sierra ld vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.
Risk: The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Ball joint Failure of front passenger wheel assembly Wheel literally folded under truck . Both ball joints broke . 64k miles luckily I was only doing about 20 mph .
While operating the vehicle, the front electric drive motor suffered a failure, triggering reduced propulsion warnings and rendering the primary electric powertrain inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an authorized GM dealership service center, where the defect was confirmed. To replace the failed…
A leaf spring broke on rear suspension. Bought a gm leaf spring from a dealer and gm wonât cover only because an independent shop did work. Truck is a personal vehicle not used in hauling. In my opinion and because even dealer where I purchased vehicle said they had never seen this happen it is a…
Purchased these aftermarket nylon rear axle lift blocks (level kit) online . They failed while the vehicle was in motion in the live lane on the highway. I was barely able to pull off the road . These blocks are not safe for regular road or highway use. They failed under normal driving on a…
The front upper control arm failed and the driver side wheel collapsed. There was no warning. Luckily I wasnât pulling my RV camper down a mountain, it could have been catastrophic . I towed it to Carson Chevrolet. They gave me an estimate of $6,000 + for repairs. They had no reasonable…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Silverado 1500s have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 520 owner complaints about suspension 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 suspension?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “ball joint”, in 30 of 520 complaints, followed by “control arm” (30).
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.