Chevrolet
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years to avoid
No year to avoid stands out. Best years: 2018.
No Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model year stands out. None from 2014 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 104 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
- 8,965complaints
- 47recall campaigns
- 13model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
- No year stands out.
Best years
2018
Most reported: brake wear (99 reports, median 52,000 miles) and transmission shudder (62 reports, median 61,000 miles).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- No single year holds most of the file. The busiest, the 2014, has 16% of the 8,965 complaints across 13 model years.
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Brake wear leads in 7 of the 13 model years and has the most reports overall, 1,707. Pooled across the years, half of the 1,071 owners who gave a mileage for brake wear were under about 50,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Chevrolet Silverado 1500 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2017, 66 of its 837 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 8 of the 13 model years where owners report brake wear have a recall on the same system: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings jumped in 2025, with 1,808 complaints, 2.1 times the next busiest year. So far in 2026, 1,413 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Third generation (GMT K2XX)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1,454 | 112 | 6 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (285) | 65,000 |
| 2015 | 1,179 | 98 | 11 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (382) | 55,000 |
| 2016 | 799 | 73 | 12 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (266) | 50,000 |
| 2017 | 837 | 84 | 7 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (222) | 46,000 |
| 2018 best | 520 | 58 | 7 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (99) | 44,338 |
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Fourth generation (GMT T1XX)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,085 | 136 | 10 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (192) | 39,000 |
| 2020 | 732 | 105 | 12 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (113) | 45,000 |
| 2021 | 828 | 138 | 8 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (176) | 48,650 |
| 2022 | 632 | 126 | 6 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (139) | 36,500 |
| 2023 | 383 | 96 | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (82) | 24,000 |
| 2024 | 311 | 104 | 2 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (77) | 12,000 |
| 2025 | 102 | new | 0 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (32) | 8,906 |
| 2026 | 103 | new | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (29) | 4,100 |
Year by year
2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
103 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: stalling (29 reports, median 3,100 miles), engine failure (29 reports, median 4,400 miles) and misfire (18 reports, median 3,500 miles). 3 recalls, including 26V-289 on the transmission and drivetrain (do not drive) and 26V-114 on the equipment.
2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
102 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: engine failure (32 reports, median 9,000 miles), stalling (20 reports, median 9,000 miles) and infotainment (19 reports). 2 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. No recalls.
2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
311 owner complaints, 104 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (77 reports, median 13,222 miles), engine failure (62 reports, median 17,600 miles) and misfire (34 reports, median 9,100 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 24V-626 on the trailer hitches.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
383 owner complaints, 96 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (82 reports, median 24,000 miles), stalling (77 reports, median 22,000 miles) and misfire (45 reports, median 34,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 24V-674 on the brakes.
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
632 owner complaints, 126 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (139 reports, median 37,000 miles), engine failure (138 reports, median 42,000 miles) and brake wear (56 reports, median 10,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 26V-083 on the transmission and drivetrain and 25V-274 on the engine.
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
828 owner complaints, 138 for each year on the road (1.3 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (176 reports, median 45,000 miles), misfire (168 reports, median 50,000 miles) and stalling (121 reports, median 45,000 miles). 20 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 26V-083 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
732 owner complaints, 105 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (113 reports, median 15,000 miles), misfire (107 reports, median 75,000 miles) and engine failure (92 reports, median 76,000 miles). 13 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 20V-116 on the brakes and 26V-083 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
1,085 owner complaints, 136 for each year on the road (1.3 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (192 reports, median 9,000 miles), stalling (155 reports, median 55,000 miles) and transmission shudder (153 reports, median 30,000 miles). 27 reports involved a crash and 15 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 20V-055 on the brakes and 19V-889 on the brakes.
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 best
520 owner complaints, 58 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (99 reports, median 52,000 miles), transmission shudder (62 reports, median 61,000 miles) and stalling (57 reports, median 60,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 20V-603 on the brakes and 19V-761 on the brakes.
2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
837 owner complaints, 84 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (222 reports, median 45,000 miles), transmission shudder (108 reports, median 59,000 miles) and stalling (71 reports, median 65,000 miles). 49 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 16V-256 on the suspension system (do not drive) and 19V-761 on the brakes.
2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
799 owner complaints, 73 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (266 reports, median 50,000 miles), transmission shudder (89 reports, median 85,000 miles) and stalling (65 reports, median 50,000 miles). 43 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 16V-256 on the suspension system (do not drive) and 19V-761 on the brakes.
2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
1,179 owner complaints, 98 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (382 reports, median 59,010 miles), power steering loss (100 reports, median 54,792 miles) and stalling (84 reports, median 54,000 miles). 61 reports involved a crash and 35 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 19V-761 on the brakes and 19V-645 on the brakes.
2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
1,454 owner complaints, 112 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (285 reports, median 71,586 miles), power steering loss (247 reports, median 72,000 miles) and stalling (212 reports, median 65,000 miles). 66 reports involved a crash and 35 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 19V-761 on the brakes and 19V-645 on the brakes.
Recalls that cover several model years
The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
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.
The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
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.
In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test.
The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.
Compare the Silverado 1500 with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Silverado 1500 vs Ford F-1502014 to 2026
- Silverado 1500 vs Ram 15002014 to 2026
- Silverado 1500 vs Toyota Tundra2016 to 2026
- Silverado 1500 vs GMC Sierra 15002014 to 2026
Questions
What Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years should you avoid?
No Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model year stands out. None from 2014 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 104 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
The 2018 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 520, or 58 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Brake wear, with 1,707 reports across the 13 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?
47 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 19V-645 on the brakes, covers 5 model years.
How many Chevrolet Silverado 1500 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
On 8 of the 13 model years where owners report it: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023.