2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 · symptom sheet
Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear
- 41owner reports
- 75,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Dec 9, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
41 of the 89 reports of transmission shudder on the 2016 Silverado 1500 describe jerking or hard shifts.
Part of Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard (89 reports)
Tick what matches of 41 reports
Jerking or hard shifts on other Silverado 1500 years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2015, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the narrower sheet inside transmission shudder for shifts that jerk, lurch or bang. Where the wider sheet also takes in slipping and vibration, these reports are about a shift that arrives too hard: the car lunges forward, or a clunk comes through the floor as it drops into gear.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the torque converter (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 28,386 and 95,000 miles, from the 25 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 7 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise.
This service bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operation.
This informational bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operations.
This informational bulletin provides information on Some vehicles may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise.
3 more on the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 page.
What owners wrote
“While driving on the freeway accelerating the truck made a huge clunking noise and dropped speed instantly and I was unable to accelerate. The tow truck driver said it was a transmission problem.truck had to be towed and is at the mechanic awaiting an official diagnosis”
Filed Nov 8, 2025
“Transmission problem. Harsh and clunk noise when shifting. Hesitation when accelerating and when shifting to reverse. It only has 70,000 miles the dealer wants 7 to 8 thousand to fix it.”
Filed Apr 22, 2025 · 70,000 miles
“Jerking of 1-2 gears. Also in 5-6. Has not been inspected thoroughly by dealer. Was told âitâs just the way these vehicles are.â Merging onto oncoming traffic, I fear for my safety. No warning lights and the jerking/rumble strip feeling is becoming more common than when purchased.”
Filed Mar 11, 2025
“Vehicle takes 6 seconds before it does a hard shift into reverse. It also has hard jerks when switching gears. In April it was taken to Don Hall in which I was told that is how this model does and nothing could be done even though it was under a paid for extended warranty. The radio display also glitches out and is extremely faulty”
Filed May 10, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 41 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 266 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 65 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 47 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 41 reports
- A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 33 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 31 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 30 reports
- Wheel bearing, tires or wheels 26 reports