2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 89owner reports
- 85,000median miles
- $4,000median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report May 21, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
193 of the 799 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 89 of those describe transmission shudder. Only brake wear is reported more often on this car.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (41 reports)
Tick what matches of 89 reports
Transmission shudder 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: 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the torque converter (13 reports) and the transmission (10 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
7 of the 89 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $300 to $5,600.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 57,500 and 100,000 miles, from the 49 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 27 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 Transmission Adaptive Functions and Correcting Low Mileage Harsh Shifts, Slips, or Flares.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have a delayed engagement into drive, shudder at a launch, or the transmission is slipping when shifting into 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th gears.
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.
23 more on the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 page.
What owners wrote
“At 89,000 miles my transmission started to make a clunking noise took it in to a shop and transmission needed to be replace”
Filed Feb 11, 2024 · 89,000 miles
“Transmission (6L80/E) started slipping at around 100,000 miles and needed completely replaced/rebuilt. This is replicated on multiple trucks with this transmission from 2016-2018. Evidence was slipping while shifting between 2-3rd gears. Dealership advised transmission needed completely replaced. Cost associated was ~$4000”
Filed Aug 22, 2023 · 100,000 miles
“Transmission would shudder when driving. Sometimes loud bang when shifting from first to second gear. Torque converter ultimately failed while crossing traffic. Truck would not move. No gears. Only 58,000 miles on transmission. Never used for hauling. Torque converter had broken metal parts that caused the fluid to become blocked so it could not drive. A rebuilt transmission needed to be installed at my cost.”
Filed Jun 15, 2023 · 58,000 miles
“The vehicle only has 118,000 miles on it and the transmission cooler lines are leaking and now I have a hard shift from 1st to 2nd gear and the same when the vehicle is downshifting as well.”
Filed Mar 24, 2023 · 118,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 89 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