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.
Service brakes, Oct 20, 2021
Service Brake Assist warning on message center. Brakes go from power to manual
Tires, Oct 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Cross Contact LX20, Tire Size: 275/55/R20, DOT Number: A32AWD402917. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact inspected the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires and noticed the threads were coming off in chunks. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was a recall, but the tires were outside the date of manufacturing for the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the tires were beyond the three-year warranty and did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 6, 2021
On 10/03/21 at approximately 1251 hours, I was driving my 2018 Chevrolet Silverado which is the vehicle with the above mentioned VIN. As I was traveling towards a heavily traveled intersection in my current city, I approached a steady red signal on the traffic light. It should be noted that this particular part of the roadway is a slight decline towards the intersection and traffic control signal. It should also be noted that on this particular day, there were no inclement weather or roadway conditions that would affect the vehicle to deviate from normal maneuvering. As I applied the brakes at a reasonable distance from the stop light, almost all pressure and power towards braking was lost. As a result, I was forced to apply extensive pressure to the brake pedal as the vehicle failed to slow and stop in a timely fashion. After gaining some braking power, the vehicle and brakes began to shake and produce a clunking sound. This was troublesome because had I failed to stop in a timely manner, I or other motorists could have suffered serious injury or death as a result of a crash at a heavily traveled intersection. Prior to this incident, there were no warnings or alerts provided by the vehicle, dealer, or manufacturer about this issue. As the event occurred, an alert flashed on my dashboard that read “Service Brake Assist.” Following the incident, my vehicle was inspected by a certified mechanic. Said mechanic deemed that the problem with the braking was a result of a failure of the brake booster vacuum system. After doing some research, it is apparent that other years, makes, and models of GMC products suffered the same issue with the braking system. Said issues were remediated with a recall by the manufacturer. This defect also caused numerous vehicle crashes with reported injuries.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, a bystander informed her that the vehicle was leaking fluid. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she parked on the side of the road and called her husband for assistance. The contact stated her husband added antifreeze to the vehicle however, the leaking continued. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,700.
Service brakes, Sep 22, 2021
When driving the brake pedal goes soft. In parking lots, areas of low speeds, making u-turns the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and doesn’t stop. The brakes completely stop working until you release and pump the brakes again quickly before hitting something or someone.
Service brakes, Air, Electronic stability control (ESC), Sep 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and towing a trailer, the stabilitrak warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The ABS and traction control warning lights were intermittently flashing. Soon after the warning lights appeared, the brakes started to lock up and the contact lost control of the vehicle and veered off to the right side of the roadway. The brake pedal released soon after the failure and the warning lights disappeared. The contact was able to resume normal driving at a low rate of speed with the hazard lights activated. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000. The VIN was not available.
Other or unspecified, Sep 9, 2021
2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 21V-496. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A RESONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIR.
Tires, Sep 9, 2021
3 of the 4 tires on this particular vehicle (ALL 3 HAD SAME DOT#) had APEX SEPARATION @ the bead. 4th tire was removed for having the same DOT as the 3 failing tires. The tire size is LT265/60R20 FALKEN WILDPEAK H/T02 HD. Tires were installed on 12/17/2020 and the incident occured in June 2021 @ 11,500 tire miles.
Tires, Aug 31, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 used to haul a 2007 Tracker Marine NX18 boat trailer equipped with Trailer King Tires, Tire line: Value ST Radial, Tire Size: 215/75/R14, DOT Number: ADB6HFST1917. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the boat trailer's front passenger’s side tire had a blowout. There were lumps and bulges on various parts of the tire. The contact's son was able to pull over and replace the tire with a spare. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by email. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Aug 22, 2021
Truck loses power driving down the road. The service trailer brake system warning comes on the dash. The battery dies because of this also.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Aug 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated he replaced the battery and was able to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated he was able to jumpstart and restart the vehicle however, as he was exiting the parking lot and making a right turn, the vehicle inadvertently stalled almost causing him to crash into a wall. Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact jumpstarted the vehicle however, the failure reoccurred while driving and he veered to the side of the road. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The radio, the headlights were engaging and disengaging independently. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of repair as the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 56,500.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Aug 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service brake assist message was displayed, and the brakes were slow to engage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the brake booster pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Power train, Aug 3, 2021
I was on highway 65 coming out of Rocklin Ca going back to Yuba City Ca. The Chvey Silverado with out any warning it just lost power and I had to pull over. I am glad I was on the slow lane. If I was on fast lane with a big rig behind me. It would have been bad. After pulling over the Eng Light when on for the first time since I have owned the truck. Not any time before. I thought if a family with children was in the fast lane and this happened it would not be a good out come. I had it towed to my home the chevy dealer was close. On July 18 I had it towed to the dealer I had the truck towed to Wheeler Chevrolet In Yuba City They replace the engine computer and the tranny computer . And to day Aug 1 , 2021 they said they would fix the tranny. I am wondering if they know what they are doing ? This is very disturbing I am very apprehensive about the safety of the truck if this were to happen again !!
Power train, Aug 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the traction control and the transmission overheating warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road for 30 minutes for the transmission to cool down. The contact stated while driving to his residence, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,158.
Electrical system, Aug 1, 2021
Hood latch sensor throws an engine fault code. The code says it cant determine if the hood is open or closed. After about 2 weeks the hood latch sensor keeps faulting every 1 second to 4 seconds for an extended period of time.
Engine, Jul 29, 2021
The "check engine" light keeps coming on.
Engine, Jul 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Jul 28, 2021
The DIC and infotainment both change settings on their own. It will change radio stations or call people on the infotainment and the DIC will change information displayed. The safety issue is it will also flash that the trailer has been disconnected/connected and when it thinks the trailer has been disconnected the trailer brakes will fail to function. It is a known problem with the display issue but I am unaware of any reports on trailer brake function. I have had a few serious conditions on two trailers when the truck does not recognize the trailer being connected and fails to apply the brakes.
Service brakes, Jul 24, 2021
The trailer brake control module stopped working on the interstate while pulling a 37' fifth wheel camper. This defective part caused the truck to not have any electric brakes on the camper. A warning message appeared on the dash. A new trailer brake control module fixed the problem. Since the vehicle was out of warranty (37,878 miles) the part was not covered by the dealer. The dealership where the part was purchased informed me that it was a common problem. This problem occurred while traveling at 65 miles per hour. There was only the truck brakes to stop the camper without the trailer brakes working. This is a serious problem and should be addressed.
Tires, Jul 22, 2021
Severe cracking in the sidewalls of all the tires on my 2018 Chevy Silverado Pickup truck, 44,338 miles, all driven in Michigan. No significant tread wear, just deep cracks on the sidewalls.P285/45R22 110 H M=S
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 19, 2021
Radiator started leaking at 40,000 miles. Leaking at a weld where tube connect to side tanks.
Seats, Jul 4, 2021
The drivers seat moves while turning. It feels like the seat is sliding when turning then there is a "catch" and a sudden stop in movement. While driving and making a turn the feeling the seat will come unbolted from the floor is a unnerving feeling to say the least
Structure, Jul 1, 2021
UNDERCAR BODY EXCESSIVELY RUSTING AND CORRODING
Power train, Jun 29, 2021
The transmission clunks and slips a lot.
Power train, Jun 21, 2021
Radiator developed a leak as described in General Motor's Service Bulletin PI1513F dated January, 2019. Safety was put at risk due to having a vehicle which could have a sudden radiator failure and permanently damage the vehicle. The Dealership I had my radiator replaced at would not state if they have had this issue occur often. No warning lamps or messages prior to the radiator losing 1.5 gallons of coolant. My first symptom was the engine overheating.