2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 519 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 19 Silverado 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 10 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 11 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bagsMay 21, 2026
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262557310. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V166.
Campaign 26V325000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsMar 19, 2026
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262549710. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
Campaign 26V166000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsJun 26, 2025
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increases the risk of injury or crash.
Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252513060.
Campaign 25V432000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/window, curtain, inflatorOct 10, 2024
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 Crew Cab trucks. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC Customer Service at 888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N242474500.
Campaign 24V756000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, power assist, vacuumOct 1, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
Campaign 20V603000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, wheel speed sensor/tone ringOct 24, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. 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.
Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Campaign 19V761000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, power assist, vacuumSep 6, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Campaign 19V645000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
519 reports, newest first.
Power train, Exterior lighting, Seats, Oct 5, 2022
April 2022 & 5 2022 Complete transmission failure in traffic ALMOST causing death in traffic, emissions failure, leather seat defect REPEATED left fog light failure
Engine, Oct 2, 2022
During the mornings when first starting my truck, I get a stutter or hesitation to the engine when accelerating out of my driveway. This happens just about every morning. I have determined that the truck has to be off for about 10+ hours. The stutter/hesitation goes away after the car warms up in about 1 mile. Have had the truck into the shop but they can find NO problems.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 26, 2022
Faulty injector connectors get a loose connection and make truck shutter and check engine light come on . This has happened 3 times already and had to replace one faulty plug . This is all over the internet from other l5p owners. Yet gmc want do anything
Electrical system, Sep 12, 2022
Radio changing channels by itself, menus changing by itself, instrument screen changing from info to audio by itself, calls being made to last number by itself, navigation image jumping to different areas by itself not showing the vehicles location, causing confusion when trying to get directions. All this is very distracting for driver and could possibly cause distraction enough to cause an accident.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Sep 5, 2022
On Saturday Aug 6th, 2022 my girlfriend and I were driving in my 2018 Chevy Silverado and the car just came to a complete stop really hard. Once the truck froze up, the car would go FOWARD but very slow, jerkish, and sluggish. We were almost hit by three cars behind us when the truck froze up. The truck was towed to the dealership where they diagnosed the truck with METAL SHAVINGS in the TRANSMISSION. And the engine light came on four weeks after I bought the vehicle last October. This time…. There was NO engine light on. Nothing displayed on dashboard.
Service brakes, Sep 1, 2022
I'm getting a persistent message about servicing the trailer brake system. There is no trailer hooked up to the vehicle. The message covers the speedometer and chimes over anything else.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Aug 31, 2022
While driving down the road, I received several non stop alert messages stating "Service Trailer Brake System". The messages were non stop and while I did attempt to acknowledge them and dismiss the alert, I was distracted from driving and had to pull over to attempt to acknowledge or dismiss the alert. After several minutes, I was able to dismiss the alert and continue on my way. This happened on Tuesday evening around 5:00 pm on August 30, 2022. I called Mike Anderson Chevrolet on Wednesday August 31, 2022 around 12:30 pm to advise them about the situation and was told it was water in the wiring.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 16, 2022
Radio is malfunctioning. Radio would randomly change channels. Than the radio would have a line in the bottom of the screen. Than the half the radio just quit. Now the radio or phone calls does not work at all. I do not have access to hands free calls. I believe there is a recall on the same stereo for the 2019 models. It has not been inspected but is available for inspection. No warnings lights prior to the radio not working. I have a video but I do not know how to attach.
Power train, Aug 12, 2022
The transmission failed at 81k miles. Upon doing some research, it sounds like this is caused by the wrong transmission fluid that was installed by GM, not myself, the owner. If known about early enough, flushing the transmission 3 times and replacing with the newest transmission fluid is to correct the problem. I was not notified of this 'fix' and the transmission is already damaged to the point where it must be replaced.
Electrical system, Jul 30, 2022
I have a 2018 Chevy Silverado 4WD, Crew Cab truck purchased brand new in 2018. Over the last year, I have had intermittent, and relentless chiming of the "Service Trailer Brake System". This occurs any time, completely randomly during normal, everyday driving and while NOT towing. it is horrendously distracting, and won't stop once it starts, even after clearing the message, it will continue to chime again every 1-2 minutes until I park the truck and turn off the engine. I have taken it to my local Chevy dealer, they can't find anything wrong with my truck. I have checked fuses, switches and relays, to no avail. I see this is not a "once-off" problem, it would appear 10s of thousands of consumers have had the same issue posted about blogs, YouTube and more around the internet since at least model year 2017. This is a complete safety hazard and unacceptable! The chime is a distraction and prevents other vehicle safety features from being usable when it is going off. In addition, I imagine if I WERE towing, that means my braking system would be rendered unusable. That doesn't seem acceptable and there should have been a recall on this already based on my vast research. I am angered that this keeps happening even under normal driving conditions, and it is a defect of the trailer wire harness system, not something any vehicle owner has done, not due to abuse, or even normal wear and tear. I am angered that even my dealer can't find and fix the problem. However, it should not be my responsibility since this is a clear and obvious defect amongst nearly 100,000 similar model vehicles. I do not feel this is safe in any way and there needs to be a remedy "recall" performed so that other owners and myself can get this taken care of once and for all. Thank you.
Engine, Jul 29, 2022
Our 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was purchased new and only serviced at Chevrolet dealerships. While on vacation we were driving on a 3-lane paved road and then engine started knocking for a few seconds and then a chime could be heard and the check engine light came on. The vehicle lost power and the vehicle was difficult to control. We were fortunate that other vehicles were able to avoid us since our truck slowed quickly (without the brakes being applied). The vehicle had to be towed to a local Chevrolet dealer for diagnostics. The dealer found that the hydraulic lifters on the right bank of the engine collapsed (resulting in a misfire) and there was extensive engine damage. The vehicle was equipped with a 5.3l engine with AFM/DFM (cylinder deactivation). Mileage was 64,562. Vehicle was repaired with "upgraded" valve train parts from General Motors as this failure mode seems to be somewhat common in AFM/DFM engines (can find class action information during web search).
Suspension, Power train, Wheels, Jul 20, 2022
leaf springs malfunctioned & yes its available for inspection. safety issues of cracking noise sounds like cracking in the suspension or axle. on 7/7/22 Lorenzo at Richland Chevrolet in Shafter, California confirmed & had it all day for inspection. no warning lamps or messages were provided. First appeared on 6/30/22. continental crosscontact LX20 P275/55 R20 111 t eco plus+ Tires are chopping & shredding safety & hazard issues are the tires can shred apart & cause an accident or death. on 7/7/22 Lorenzo at Richland Chevrolet in Shafter, California confirmed tires were having that problem & if there was a recall on them then General Motors would reach out to us. Then prior, on 4/28/22 during oil change & tire rotation service Lorenzo confirmed tires were chopping also. no warning lamps or messages.
Tires, Jul 19, 2022
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Cross Contact LX20, Tire Size: 275/55/R20, DOT Number: A32AWD401518. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side front tire was vibrating. Upon inspection, the contact's husband noticed there was a bump on the passenger's side front tire. The vehicle was taken to a tire store where it was diagnosed that there was a tread bump on the passenger's side front tire due to a fractured tire tread belt. The passenger's side front tire was not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact's husband to take the vehicle to an authorized tire dealer for inspection. The failure mileage was 37,619.
Air bags, Jul 18, 2022
I have had intermittent warnings on the dash that would pop up and disappear after a few seconds. It said “Safety Restraint System”. Now the warning is on continuously and the horn no longer works. I had the codes scanned at a local shop and I was told a code pops up saying “B0013-04 Steering wheel airbag deployment loop stage 2- High resistance” I am worried the bag will not deploy in the case of a wreck. The vehicle has under 25,000 miles on the odometer. It is over 3 years of age so I worry it will not be under warranty.
Other or unspecified, Jul 15, 2022
Starter had to be replaced with 22,775 miles and truck was toed.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Jul 9, 2022
Service Trailer brake system audible message appearing due to faulty wire harness between body control modules.
Service brakes, Jun 30, 2022
While towing a trailer the service trailer brake system light/alarm came on, trailer brakes stopped working and the alarm persisted for hours. It was extremely distracting and dangerous, and interrupted hands free phone calls.
Other or unspecified, Jun 27, 2022
Stress cracks in radiator
Tires, Jun 19, 2022
P275/55R20 sidewall has developed slices in 4 different areas blowout possible at slow to moderate speeds confirmed by tire center tire sent back to manufacturer by tire service center negative warnings
Service brakes, Jun 17, 2022
I purchased a certified pre-owned 2017 Chevy Silverado on June 6 of this year. On June 13th, on my way back from a 10-hour trip, where I was towing a trailer with a car on it, my trailer brakes suddenly stopped functioning (about 4 hours from home). Not only did the trailer brakes stop functioning, but a warning message popped up on the dashboard "service trailer brake system". But this warning message didn't pop up just one time, it kept coming again and again and again and again and again, relentlessly chiming and distracting me from driving, it covered my speedometer readout, it prevented me from receiving or making voice commands, prevented me from hearing phone calls, and prevented me from listening to music. The service warning chime also prevented the turn signal chime from functioning. So for a full 4 hours, I was constantly reminded with a service trailer brake system chime, was unable to hear my turn signal chime, was unable to listen to music or make a phone call, and was unable to see the digital readout of my speed. The vehicle had been rendered completely undrivable, and I absolutely will not hesitate to say that the vehicle was not safe to drive in that condition. Especially if you consider that I was towing 5,000 lbs with no working trailer brakes. Your vehicle's defect endangered my life.
Service brakes, Jun 12, 2022
Trailer brake issues. Blows fuses non stop chiming in the dash. Once fuse blows it doesn't chime anymore. Replace fuse and it's non stop all day every day. Been dealing with it for a couple years. Tons of people have the same problem.
Seat belts, Jun 11, 2022
GOT IN DRIVERS SEAT TO FASTEN SEATBELT, CLIP WOULDNT STAY IN BELT-HAVE TO PUSH RED CLIP TO KEEP BELT ENGAGED
Tires, Jun 8, 2022
Tires have 24,300 miles on them were factory installed upon purchase of vehicle in 2018. In April of 2022 while driving on freeway at 65 mph noticed a vibration in steering. Inspected tires when I reached destination and discovered the passenger side front tire had a bulge in the tread and was starting to separate. Replaced at a local tire shop and was told that they had seen numerous tire tread separations of this make and model tire. Goodyear Wrangler SR-A 265/60-20. Tire still had significant amount of tread remaining (Half Worn). In late May of 2022 had another tire tread separate from driver side rear of same vehicle.
Other or unspecified, Jun 8, 2022
The trailer service message keeps popping up distracting me and there is no way yo turn it off!
Steering, Electrical system, Jun 8, 2022
The electrical power steering failed on my way home as I turned in to my street my steering became very hard to control nearly causing me to crash into a neighbors vehicle. This is the second time my electrical power steering has failed. About a year ago the original electrical power steering went out and a new one was purchased from a dealer ship and installed by a automotive company. Here we are a year later and it has gone out again but this time almost causing me to crash during a turn into my street. NO WARNING to me at all that my power steering was about to go out. Yes. My 2018 Silverado truck is available if an inspection request is asked of me.