2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 731 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 19 Silverado 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 13 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 12 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, automatic transmission, control module, softwareFeb 12, 2026
General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.
Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252516560. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 12, 2026.
Campaign 26V083000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module, softwareOct 24, 2024
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
Campaign 24V797000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, temporary/emergency spare tireDec 16, 2021
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.
An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212346510.
Campaign 21V985000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresFeb 25, 2021
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
Campaign 21V115000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsDec 17, 2020
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.
Campaign 20V792000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresNov 5, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202319030.
Campaign 20V684000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, driveshaftOct 22, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 trucks. One of the driveshaft joints may not have been properly welded, causing the driveshaft to separate while the vehicle is moving.
If the driveshaft separates, there may be a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N202314870.
Campaign 20V650000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/window, curtain, inflatorJul 30, 2020
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N202305380.
Campaign 20V446000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperFeb 27, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The bolts used to attach the front and/or rear brake calipers may have not been heat treated and may break under load.
Broken caliper bolts can reduce brake performance or interfere with wheel rotation and increase the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake caliper bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N202294420.
Campaign 20V116000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, 12v/24v/48v battery, cablesDec 12, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The battery positive (B+) cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially causing an intermittent electrical connection between the B+ cable and alternator.
An intermittent electrical connection between the B+ battery cable and the alternator could cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The intermittent connection could also lead to electrical arcing, which could generate sufficient heat to damage surrounding material, increasing the risk of a fire.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect for the presence of glue or other contamination at the B+ cable attachment to the alternator and clean the connection and reattach the B+ cable connection, as necessary. If arcing has damaged the cable, nut, or alternator, the dealer will replace the damaged components. All services will be performed free of charge. GM issued owners an interim notification on February 4, 2020. GM issued second notice and the recall began March 9, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192273510.
Campaign 19V888000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpNov 21, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.
Campaign 19V837000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, pretensionerNov 14, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket, possibly igniting the carpet.
A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192270600.
Campaign 19V814000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
227 reports, newest first. Show all
Suspension, Power train, Nov 28, 2023
Driving 20 mph on paved downtown street when cross arm failed causing wheel to twist 90 degrees causing damage to brakes, drivetrain, abs, and steering. No warning just pop and trying to maintain my lane before able to turn into parking lot. Towed to dealer and diagnosed with control arm failure. They are aware of this issue and now replace control arms stronger rough country control arms and level the truck differently. DeAler is claiming GMC will not cover and they are calling it a suspension issue and out of warranty two months. Truck has 26000 miles on it. Lucky event happened at 20 mph and I was able to maintain control of vehicle
Power train, Service brakes, Oct 27, 2023
Truck shudders, with varying degrees of vibration, emtek applying brakes. It is especially rough when applying brakes on the highway as it feels like it could lose steering control. Shaking is also very noticeable at slow speeds. Have had rear brakes serviced and problem persists. As of this month, the "service ESC (electronic stability control)" light has come on, along with other faults on the dash. VIN does not indicate unrepaired recalls, but this issue makes the drive feel dangerous
Power train, Oct 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle briefly vibrated and shuddered before losing motive power. After tapping the brake pedal and rapidly accelerating, the vehicle continued to vibrate and shudder but eventually returned to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Power train, Oct 5, 2023
the transmission on my truck shudders and shakes very badly, contacted GM ,also the dealer told it would take 3-4 weeks to repair , i am left without away to work.
Power train, Sep 2, 2023
My car turned left with the risk of jumping to the opposite lane. It happened twice. First at 40 mph and the second time at 70 mph. I didn’t feel any issue with the steering drive but more with the traction. I’m not sure.
Power train, Aug 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that after cold starting the vehicle, the vehicle shifted hard from first to second gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the transmission fluid was flushed; however, the failure persisted and became more frequent. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and agreed to cover half the cost of a new transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000. The VIN was not available.
Power train, Jun 26, 2023
at around 30mph the transmission struggles and jerks.
Power train, Jun 16, 2023
Everytime I trun the car off, all the lights, Nav, radio stays on as the car display a message "Shift to Park". This message stays on for sometimes 2 minutes, sometimes 10 minutes. Untill the message gone the car still thinks is on. In 2 occasions I had to jump the car as the battery depelted. This is a major safety issue if my son who drive the car to Detroit and had to stay wait for the car to turn off. GM need to fix this issue ASAP. I called the dealership & they said there is no recall or any fix. I see many many ppl complaining about the same thing with different Chevy models.
Power train, Engine, Apr 26, 2023
I purchased this truck new and it's now been back 8 times for a engine hesitation, misfire, and check-engine light. On this 8th visit, they replaced the "right bank" of lifters on this 5.3L V8. Previous visits have replaced fuel injectors, spark plugs, spark plug wires, and flashed the ECM. I'm not sure why GM didn't replace the left bank of lifters if it's a known bad part (or replaced the engine entirely). Now I'm just waiting for the problem to come back for a 9th time for yet another part to replaced on an obviously poor engine design.
Power train, Engine, Apr 20, 2023
Component? Multiple: lifters from bank 2 which caused multiple other components to be replaced consistent with GM protocols such as bent rods. Safety: The vehicle jerked causing it difficulty to safely operate the vehicle which ultimately left stranded. This was also unsafe for other motorist as it was difficult to operate while trying to safely get to the side of the road. The dealer repaired the vehicle after confirming failures. No one other than the dealer inspected the vehicle to date. Warning lamps only appeared after vehicle violently shook.
Power train, Electrical system, Apr 18, 2023
VEHICLE WILL SEND MESSAGE TO MESSAGE CENTER TO SHIFT VEHICLE IN TO PARK WHEN IT IS ALREADY IN PARK. HAVE TO TRICK VEHICLE SYSTEM TO MAKE IT BELEIVE IT IS IN PARK TO TOTALLY SHUT DOWN VEHICLE
Power train, Apr 4, 2023
My transmission went out
Power train, Electrical system, Service brakes, Apr 3, 2023
Vehicle is at 67,xxx miles. Vehicle is losing power, check engine light, service 4wd, service esc, service power steering, service parking brake..... the gas pedal has locked on me already with my 3 small children in the truck at highway speeds. GM says it's fine. I have all the work orders where 2 different dealerships have "corrected" these issues under warranty. Go retrieve the vehicle and within a week Vehicle is back acting up. This truck is unsafe to drive on the roadway. I have not been offered a courtesy vehicle to drive while "warranty" work is being done. I am appalled and in fear for my children and my own life with this truck.
Power train, Electrical system, Service brakes, Mar 31, 2023
Power Train Transmission Torque Converter “Chevy Shake” Multiple symptoms. - Shuttering , “ buffeting” , slipping sensation. Continuous almost like “strong wind gust” or “head wind” - Humming, if you have ever heard a “high pressure” hydraulic equipment. - RPM bounces 300 to 500, but transmission does not “down shift” (while driving) - Vibration, of the truck can be noticed, felt at various speeds, 40mph to 60mph(shutter) almost like it struggling to get up to speed (unless heavy on the gas pedal) 70mph and above to say 80mph, then shaking, vibrations worse when coasting back to 70 mph Vibration will “not stop” until truck speed is drastically slowed or come to a stop. - Steering wheel “shakes” , “vibrates” also can happen at 60mph to 70mph and above to say 80mph, then worse when coasting back to 70 mph - “Clunk” when stopped and shifting into “reverse” (new development symptom) Vehicle is in for inspection. It keeps reading service break system. Service ESC
Power train, Feb 28, 2023
Power Train Transmission Torque Converter “Chevy Shake” Multiple symptoms. - Shuttering , “ buffeting” , slipping sensation. Continuous almost like “strong wind gust” or “head wind” - Humming, if you have ever heard a “high pressure” hydraulic equipment. - RPM bounces 300 to 500, but transmission does not “down shift” (while driving) - Vibration, of the truck can be noticed, felt at various speeds, 40mph to 60mph(shutter) almost like it struggling to get up to speed (unless heavy on the gas pedal) 70mph and above to say 80mph, then shaking, vibrations worse when coasting back to 70 mph Vibration will “not stop” until truck speed is drastically slowed or come to a stop. - Steering wheel “shakes” , “vibrates” also can happen at 60mph to 70mph and above to say 80mph, then worse when coasting back to 70 mph - “Clunk” when stopped and shifting into “reverse” (new development symptom) Vehicle is in for inspection .
Power train, Feb 22, 2023
Transmission will hard shift from 2-3. It jerks the truck and causes power loss when in traffic. The RPM's will go up to 3500-4000 and then the truck barley keeps a speed of 45 mph. The engines sounds like it is going to explode! This has happen several times with 32000 miles on the truck.
Power train, Jan 16, 2023
Truck was purchased new in 2020. The transmission has worked fine until recently. Since this summer there is a distinctive whine coming from the engine department. Very hard to isolate. The transmission this winter has been terrible. The cold functionality of the transmission now is even worse than when new. It hesitates to shift to second and to third gear when cold. The transmission now also exhibits a failure to up shift when the vehicle is moving. It will hang with elevated rpms 2300 to 3000 for a second or two before upshifting and lowering the rpms. The truck now also has random clunking when shifting into reverse from dead stop. The transmission does not shutter but there is definite loss of power and that can be contributed to a bad torque convertor. If it is not locking up correctly when in gear power will suffer to the convertor failing to engage the transmission correctly. The shifting issue have persisted and gotten worse. Dealer said he put a computer on it and said there were no codes. The dealer mechanic did not even try to road test the truck That is just ridiculous. I will be taking the truck in again
Steering, Power train, Service brakes, Jan 9, 2023
I drove approximately 8 miles to lunch and parked the truck. It sat about an hour and when I started the truck to leave I had a message to service esc and power steering reduced. The tuck had no power steering. Returns to work and the truck sat about ten minutes. Then everything started normal and is fine.
Power train, Dec 26, 2022
Shaking an jerking in transmission in all gears.could be a serious issue if it locks up or stops pulling at speed or in heavy traffic
Power train, Dec 21, 2022
The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado has a known issue with the torque converters and they are currently on back order and our service manager told us we are able to drive with it messed up and that it would not cause anymore damage but it causes transmission lockup and engine lockup which results in loss of control.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Oct 24, 2022
Vehicle exhibited sudden loss of power at highway speed while in West Texas. Without warning, the vehicle displayed an "engine power reduced" message and the vehicle immediately slowed from highway speed to a maximum speed of 25mph. This sudden reduction in power required the drive to take emergency action to leave lanes of travel for the shoulder. On a road with insufficient shoulder-area, this could have resulted in a collision. Prior to the loss of power, a check engine light illuminated followed by a "Service Emissions System Soon" warning on the driver information display. The elapsed time between the messages and the loss of power was less than 5 minutes. The vehicle did not exhibit any erratic behavior at the time of the warning lights or prior to the loss of power. The vehicle is currently at Bill Estes Ford in Indianapolis, IN. Diagnosis is underway. Indications are that this is related to issues with the emissions control system. The vehicle was up to date on all service at the time of the incident.
Power train, Oct 19, 2022
Sunset jerking of vehicle, hesitation of vehicle when accelerator is hit at random times, when taking off from a traffic light or while cruising. If simmering need to get out of the way this could lead to vehicle hesitation and safety issues that could cause a crash. No errors were given in computer when dealership looked at it.
Power train, Oct 15, 2022
Torque converter faulty and told vehicle unsafe to drive. Only about 12,000 miles on vehicle. It was skipping gears while driving. It appeared initially very small and almost unnoticeable, but got worse over time going back a few weeks at least. The dealer has had the vehicle for over 30 days and cannot get the part shipped to them. They told me it MAY be shipped on October 22, while I dropped the car the first week of September.. Being told it is unsafe to drive, it definitely put us in danger driving it. Service Bulletin so they know about the problem: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10184489-9999.pdf
Power train, Electrical system, Oct 11, 2022
Truck mileage approx 26000 miles. 2 wiring harness locations rubbed wires enough to cause wire to wire contact resulting in 1 location, burnt wires, according to service tech and the other resulted in truck malfunction. Threw numerous codes, transmission repeatedly went P, D, P, D....unable to put in park for sometime and then finally was able to. Additionally, when serviced out of state, was recommended to have service done for leaky oil pan. Upon returning to home state, truck went in for oil leak, was returned due to parts ordered because it's leaking at the rear main seal and not the oil pan. Waiting on this service to occur.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Sep 29, 2022
Locks will go up and down by themselves tranmission will downshift randomly broke down on highway service light service esc service parking brake and traction control vehicle only has 32,500 miles been complaining nothing getting done just want something else.