2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 62owner reports
- 61,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Aug 23, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
171 of the 520 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 62 of those describe transmission shudder. Only brake wear is reported more often on this car.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (31 reports)
Tick what matches of 62 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 (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 15,000 and 95,000 miles, from the 42 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 20 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 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.
16 more on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 page.
What owners wrote
“My truck has been shuttering when accelerating and hard shifts periodically. The engine is also tapping. I have right at 74000 miles. regular oil changes and maintenances.”
Filed Aug 23, 2026 · 74,000 miles
“Hard shift when transmission is shifting around 70 mph and also transmission temperature keeps rising above 230 degrees. Shuddering when shifting after city driving.”
Filed May 1, 2025
“Transmission issue!! Jerks on downshift as well rpm ramp up after shift of gear in 2nd to 1st gears”
Filed Sep 10, 2024
“Transmission jerking on downshift between 3/2 and 2/1 gears! I have seen GM has been aware of a recent transmissions issue with 2012-2018 plus 2019-2022 years”
Filed Sep 2, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 62 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 99 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 57 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 42 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 33 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 32 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 32 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 25 reports