Is your defective Chevrolet Silverado 1500 actually a LEMON?

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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
57 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Comments

problem #18

Jan 232024

Silverado 1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On the evening of Dec 19th, our 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 DuraMax with 19K miles on it caught fire, burned, and was declared a total loss. We were on our way to go pick up our travel trailer as were we leaving for a trip on Xmas with our 2 dogs and my brother-in-law. Smoke started billowing out from under the hood and within minutes the front end was engulfed in flames. I have pics/videos. We-??re ok but that was a scary situation that could have had a different outcome. We could have been on the highway towing our trailer with our 2 dogs and bro-in-law and who knows how long it would have taken the fire department to arrive on scene on the highway. There were no warning lights etc. to notify us. The truck gets driven, taken care of and I had just driven it the day before. We-??re not aware or have seen any recalls. All info is on our Chevy app. We filed a claim with our insurance, and it has been paid off now, but in reality, "our fault" in insurers eyes. No cause was determined. That being the case, GM has closed claim and say not liable for personal property lost in fire, as insurance didn't contact GM with any mfg defects and insurance has already paid off the truck. We are repeat Chevy customers. This was our 4th leased Silverado and we also have a Traverse. The lease on the burned-up truck was coming due May 2024. We way overpaid on the milage. We're not filing a homeowners claim for lost personal property as insurance has paid off the truck and we don't want to be dropped. My question is wouldn't this be under warranty" Should the truck not be replaced" We didn't cause the fire. Much more damage could have occurred. People and pets could have possibly been injured or worse. If we were towing our travel trailer, that would be another big loss. The truck is no longer "available". Insurance told me today it's being sold for parts, which honestly kind of scares me. I wouldn't want a truck part that was in a fire, damaged or not. Videos not attached.

- Carol Stream, IL, USA

problem #17

Dec 312023

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Truck lost power and shut down without warning while driving in traffic. Happened twice on the way home from church with my family. First time truck shut off as we were turning across a busy intersection. Coasted off on to shoulder of highway. After several attempts truck restarted. It shut off again before reaching home. Has to call a tow truck. Has truck towed to local Chev dealer on New Years Eve. Dealer kept truck three days. Could not find problem. I picked up truck, drove home, truck shut off just before I reached my house. Coasted into driveway. Called dealer. Said bring it back. Waited two hours. Truck started so I drove back to dealership, approximately 15 miles. Truck shut off again without warning on highway in front of dealership. I sounded horn and flashed lights as I coasted across oncoming traffic into dealership parking lot. This was on Wednesday Jan 3rd. Friday afternoon dealer called and said that hey have not been able to isolate problem. Said they know they are losing communication between modules but don-??t know where. The -??fix-?? they claim is to take the cab off the truck and replace entire wiring harness! Cost is $6300. Truck has 48,000 miles on it. All highway and road miles. Can-??t afford $6300 to repair a 2.5 year old truck. I am fortunate that neither me or my family were involved in a crash due to truck shutting off unexpectedly. This is a very dangerous issue.

- Umatilla, FL, USA

problem #16

Sep 182023

Silverado 1500

  • miles
rear third brake light is leaking water into the cab and causing water stains on the headliner. I am worried about it eventually causing an electrical short or more water damage. I don't have a rear window that slides open and the rear glass has never been replaced nor has the third brake light all original from factory.

- Chaparral, NM, USA

problem #15

Jun 272023

Silverado 1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While parked I turned on the truck and got service sec warning and power steering failure. Brakes barely worked and wheel was locked. After restarting the car three times it went away and truck became driveable. Took it to a dealership and they said there-??s nothing they could do as a code didn-??t pop. Seems unacceptable as my family is consistently in the car and if it happens while driving could be extremely dangerous

- Holloman Afb, NM, USA

problem #14

Feb 012023

Silverado 1500

  • miles
This is a potential problem for a serious injury to a child, stroller, pet - or damage to front of truck and vehicle in front of truck. The hood of the truck is very high. And sitting in the drivers seat you are "driving blind. " It is impossible to see an object directly in front at bumper level. The only way to judge the distance to an object, or small person, is to get out of the truck and look. I had minor damage to the front of the truck by hitting my garage. But more seriously if there were a child or stroller- you literally cannot see it. This could be easily fixed with a forward looking camera - and the truck comes with a rear one- but Chevynfirs not offer any front camera/ park assist on any of its Silverado 1500's.!The manual says park assist is an option- but Chevy currently does not offer that option. This is dangerous..

- Lutherville Timonim, MD, USA

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problem #13

Oct 092021

Silverado 1500

  • miles
The monitor has disconnected many phone calls and rejected software updates. The monitor has been reported to the dealership and has been in many times for harness replacements, harness for the door locks and the timeframe for the repairs was a couple of weeks. The monitor still disconnects calls and I must pull the car over and restart the truck the monitor stays off sometimes until the monitor wants to engage. The history of the truck with this issue has been documented with the dealership

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #12

Jul 052022

Silverado 1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Truck caught on fire while driving down I75 interstate in Florida. No component or system failure lights where present. Smoke was smelled by the passengers and within seconds the truck was on fire. The safety of the passengers was at FULL risk, and lucky to be alive! The truck was full engaged as soon as the truck pulled over on the side of the interstate. Investigation by GM & Insurance company took place. The truck is available for further investigation. We are unsure how the fire started. It did come up from both sides of the cab, and very quickly. Nothing has been confirmed by any inspections completed by GM & Progressive. GM & the Service Dealer are not engaging as they should be.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #11

Aug 222022

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Dealer said lifters failed. Was stuck in middle of interstate for 2 hrs

- Phenix , AL, USA

problem #10

May 262022

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Vehicle began having issues at 3 months old... Random service messages, defective headlight, wierd engine noises at startup and stalling upon acceleration/deceleration. I took it to the dealer several times about the issues I were having but they always say they aren't able to replicate any issues. 3 months later I was driving on the highway and the engine started knocking. Had it towed to the dealer and it took them 6 months to replace engine, tcm, starter, and other parts. After finally getting the truck back, it was still stalling and there was a check engine light... Dealer did not reassemble the vehicle properly and several parts and bolts were still missing. It went right back in the shop and catalytic converters were replaced. I also mentioned missing parts and bolts. I get the truck back again and it still seems like it wants to stall. I was turning into a parking lot a few days later and it seemed like it wanted to cut off. While I was distracted trying to see if the truck cut off, I hit a small pole... Truck was damaged way more than it should have been because the dealer did not reassemble it properly. Body shop said my bumper was only held on by 2 bolts and several other bolts and pieces were missing. They said if my bumper was attached properly the damage would not have been as bad. The vehicle was already unsafe because of stalling and the dealer made it structurally unsafe as well... I have opened cases with gm and they aren't doing anything about it. Here this truck is 14 months old and it's been in their possession more than mine... I have asked them about replacing the vehicle and they insist on fixing the issues but never do and I end up driving an u safe vehicle around.

- Meridian, MS, USA

problem #9

May 122022

Silverado 1500

  • miles
My 2021 Chevrolet Silverado started on fire and blew up in my driveway. I had just returned from the store, parked it and went inside. No more than 3 minutes later, my neighbor came running over to tell me my truck was on fire. There were no issues at all while I was driving the vehicle. The township fire department said this is the 4th 2021 Chevrolet Silverado that has burst into flames in the last 6 weeks. They said they all had the 2.7L Turbo engine, as well. The truck is a complete loss. I have contacted the dealership and Chevrolet about the issue and have not heard back yet. The fire started in the engine compartment and quickly raged out of control. The hood and engine disintegrated from the heat. The vehicle was towed away and the insurance adjuster has yet to go out and look at it. If I would've been stuck in traffic on the way home, I would have been in the vehicle and may not be here typing this report right now. It went up that fast. This is a major safety issue that needs to be thoroughly investigated before somebody loses their life. It nearly caught my house on fire, but thankfully there was only minor damage to some garage trim and the driveway is ruined. Please investigate this issue immediately. This was a pretty traumatic experience, to say the least.

- Chesterfield, MI, USA

problem #8

Apr 292022

Silverado 1500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On April 29, 2022 between 4:45 - 5:00 pm Eastern, I was dropping off my son at work when I suddenly experienced a variety of Truck Diagnostic Error messages on the front driver display window. In addition my OnStar advanced diagnostic alert system informed me with the following system issues: Engine and Transmission; StabiliTrak stability control; Antilock Brake; and Emissions. At that moment the truck experience a cut in power and slowed down with a knocking sound coming from what seemed under the truck. I slowly proceeded to drop off my son and drove back home and parked the truck. Truck was towed to local Chevy dealer on Friday of that day. A preliminary diagnosis was done Saturday, April 30 suggesting an Engine Lifter issue. On Monday, May 2, 2022, a final diagnosis determined engine lifter failure on one side of engine bank. Vehicle is still under Warranty with 17,400 miles on it.

- Homestead, FL, USA

problem #7

Dec 162021

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Every so ofter I get an audible and visual alert telling me to Service Seat Safety Restraint System as well as the airbag light on the dashboard. This lastest incident is probably the 8th time it has happened since Ive brought the truck new

- South Daytona, FL, USA

problem #6

Oct 172021

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Turned on my 2021 Chevy Silverado in my driveway and esc service notification popped up and check engine light popped up as well and then a loud clicking sound came from under the hood which turns out to be a bad lifter.

- Tucson , AZ, USA

problem #5

Sep 012021

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Driving along a highway at 65mph and a lifter dropped or rocker arm failed catastrophically. Loud audible pops and bangs without warning no "warning lamps" lights or notifications at all. Towed it to dealership under their recommendation as opposed to driving it there. Also there's a clicking metallic jingle jangle in the driver side from unless 4wheel auto is engaged.

- Lyndonville , NY, USA

problem #4

Jun 012021

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Vehicle door locks. The key from my 2016 Chevy will open my 2021 Chevy. It does not seem safe when you assume locking your doors would prevent someone from gaining access to your vehicle. How often do you go shopping, put your purchases in the vehicle and shop some more not knowing that someone can just unlock the doors and steal your valuables or wait in the backseat for you to return and harm you. What are the odds that I have a key from an older vehicle that unlocks my new truck doors and also how many other keys are out there that will do the same thing. At the very least GM should at least warn a buyer that just because you lock your doors that doesn't really mean anything. I am sure alot of people are not aware of this lack of safety. We have safety labels on cigarettes, liquor, guns drugs and so many other things but nothing about locking your car doors doesn't mean they are actually locked. I contacted the dealership where I bought it and they claimed they were not even aware of that until they checked further. Changing the locks will not help so it seems like there should be some option. Insurance companies won't want to pay for any theft.

- Boulder City, NV, USA

problem #3

Jun 302021

Silverado 1500

  • miles
Car Fire - Started at the rear of the cabin between the cabin rear window and the truck bed The fire engulfed directly around and inside the fuel tank. The car is available for inspection as far as im aware at the tow / salvage yard The safety of myself and any passengers were greatly put at risk. The fire engulfed the inside cabin within seconds, and caused a total loss on the car. The problem has not been identified elsewhere. However the almost exact scenario has occurred in the manufacturers other 2021 model vehicles on the Tahoe and Yukon, with recalls on file for both for incorrect seal around the fuel tank, causing fuel tank fires. The car manufacturer does not want to help at all, they are willing to deal with insurance company and that is it, who will just pay out the value of the car. The police and fire crew local to the incident have ran reports on the fire. No warning lamps occurred before or during the fire. The car was operating as normal until the large explosion. There was no accident, nothing was hit, witnesses described small embers / flames flying up from the truck bed right before the big explosion, indicating there was fuel spitting out and catching on fire.

- Westminster, MA, USA

problem #2

Dec 292020

Silverado 1500

  • 1,020 miles
The initial call in for service it was taken in on 12292020/mileage 1020 for a oil change and a clunking noise coming back from the rear end at low speeds, while turning and going over bumps at all speeds. The dealership was able to hear the noise and advised that they cannot find out where the noise is coming from. The dealership advised that they submitted a ticket to GM for the noise. On 03022021/mileage 2797 the truck was taken back into the dealer for the same noise because its getting louder. The dealer again said that they heard the noise but cannot figure it out. They advised that they submitted another ticket with GM waiting to hear back from them they closed out the ticket on 03102021 with no answer from GM. I have also called GM customer service and spoke with on 03102021, and told me to call them back because they had to try and let the dealer resolve the issue and the dealer is waiting to hear from GM. The dealer did advise me that there was a service bulletin for 2020 Chevy 1500 pick ups but nothing for 2021S so they can do nothing yet, the sound sounds like to me that the axels are going to come loose or the suspension is going to drop. I am afraid to drive the vehicle fearful that something is going to come off or the suspension is going to drop if I attempt to tow something. Thus causing pain, injury or death to myself or another innocent party. I am considering taking it to another dealer again to see what they say, but I feel this is safety concern all people who are hearing this noise on their 2021 Chevy pick ups. I also would like to add that this truck has no suspension modifications of any type and is all stock. Thank you for taking the time to look into this. Also attached are the work orders from the Chevy dealership. Thank you again

- New Braunfels, TX, USA

problem #1

Nov 272020

Silverado 1500

  • miles
When the truck is put in reverse the back up camera becomes very 'fussy' an unusable. The only happens at night when it is needed the most. The back up camera provide no help in fact maybe dangerous.

- El Centro, CA, USA

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