Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 across 25 model years. The 2020 model year has the most (16). The words owners use most often: “valve body” (14% of reports).
- 127power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 38%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.
- Valve body: mentioned in 18 of 127 complaints (14%)
- Rear wheels: mentioned in 10 of 127 complaints (8%)
- Limp mode: mentioned in 9 of 127 complaints (7%)
- Transmission control: mentioned in 7 of 127 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 50 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 127 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Silverado 3500 | 3 | 25% | — |
| 2024 Silverado 3500 | 15 | 29% | — |
| 2023 Silverado 3500 | 10 | 63% | 9,000 |
| 2022 Silverado 3500 | 3 | 11% | 121,000 |
| 2021 Silverado 3500 | 7 | 17% | 97,500 |
| 2020 Silverado 3500 | 16 | 38% | 40,000 |
| 2019 Silverado 3500 | 5 | 23% | 350 |
| 2018 Silverado 3500 | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2017 Silverado 3500 | 2 | 15% | 33,600 |
| 2016 Silverado 3500 | 3 | 6% | 13,000 |
| 2015 Silverado 3500 | 5 | 10% | 59,000 |
| 2013 Silverado 3500 | 5 | 19% | 137,199 |
| 2012 Silverado 3500 | 1 | 4% | 29,000 |
| 2011 Silverado 3500 | 5 | 17% | 112,000 |
| 2007 Silverado 3500 | 3 | 8% | 41,000 |
| 2006 Silverado 3500 | 9 | 17% | 51,000 |
| 2005 Silverado 3500 | 4 | 9% | 39,250 |
| 2004 Silverado 3500 | 1 | 2% | 58,583 |
| 2003 Silverado 3500 | 4 | 10% | 73,202 |
| 2002 Silverado 3500 | 3 | 6% | 45,107 |
| 2001 Silverado 3500 | 2 | 3% | 112,000 |
| 2000 Silverado 3500 | 5 | 6% | 117,000 |
| 1999 Silverado 3500 | 3 | 6% | 52,000 |
| 1998 Silverado 3500 | 5 | 7% | — |
| 1997 Silverado 3500 | 6 | 10% | 30,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Power train:automatic transmission:control module:software; power train:automatic transmission:fluid/lubricant:valves/valve body
Model years: 2020
Problem: General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.
Risk: Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 12, 2026.
Power train:automatic transmission:fluid/lubricant:valves/valve body; power train:automatic transmission:control module:software
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Risk: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Transmission. Currently at bill roberts chevrolet located in bolivar, mo. 65613. Hauling a fifth wheel camper, when the truck nearly came to a stop on it's own while going down a highway. We called the dealership whom suggested we take the truck to an o'reillys auto parts so they could run a…
The Engine Cooler has a know defect that GM has put out service bulletins for. The engine cooler is cracking, mixing oil and antifreeze that is creating a sludge that runs thru the entire system. GM wants techs to attempt to clean/flush the engine before they approve a new engine to be ordered…
VIN: [XXX] Make/Model/Year: 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD, Duramax L5P, Allison 10L1000 Recall: N242454440 / N242454441 (NHTSA 24V797) Description: Vehicle had N242454440 completed May 2026 (TCM software update for harsh shift / wheel lockup). On XXX at 103k miles, vehicle exhibited same defect…
moved the truck on to the lawn and put it in park turned truck off. got out of the truck and went into the garage and 5 min later came out and saw the truck started to roll and went 50 ft and hit a tree.
Since buying the vehicle Iâve had issues with the truck going into limp mode with codes p0700 as well as p0747. I have taken it to the dealership twice now, when it has arrived the codes were no longer there. Every time the truck went into limp mode the transmission would get stuck into 5th gear…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Silverado 3500s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 127 owner complaints about power train for the Chevrolet Silverado 3500. 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 3500 power train?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
The most frequent phrase is “valve body”, in 18 of 127 complaints, followed by “rear wheels” (10).
Other Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems
See all Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems.