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
731 reports, newest first.
Latches/locks/linkages, Mar 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the tailgate opened independently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the repairs were not covered. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V060000 (Latches, Locks, and Linkages). The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Engine, Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked; however, while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed fuel modular control regulator and the fuel modular control regulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 30,878.
Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 11, 2024
fuel pump control module (13540028) went out no open recalls however they are national back order with no eta so this is an ongoing issue... SO NOW NO TRUCK FOR MONTHS AS THEY TELL ME ITS ON INTERGALATIC BACK ORDER.
Electrical system, Mar 5, 2024
The trucks installed trailer wiring can cause a traffic accident. The wiring harness is known to have electrical issues but is not being corrected under warranty. It is difficult to know of these issues until you hook up a trailer or camper. The trailer's brake light and turn signal are affected by the faulty wiring. The dealer narrowed the problem to being between the plug and fuse. Other people have voiced their concerns with the trailer wiring.
Other or unspecified, Feb 21, 2024
The DEF system tank and heater tube/wiring assembly need to be replaced due to the wiring melting. There should be larger wires or a fuse to prevent this. The system is tied to the Emission Controls system in the vehicle. When this happened I was warned on my dash display I had only 165 miles remaining at 65mph, and presumably slower thereafter. I live in Alaska, we travel long distances, sometimes in extreme cold temperatures and always far from help; even cell service if away from urban centers. I find it unacceptable my truck can decide to strand myself and/or family (3 children under 5) based on emissions, not run-ability. The temperatures in Alaska have been severely cold a couple weeks ago when this issue came up. The issue is confirmed by the dealership and is a known issue in the diesel community. Apparently it is a known issue for diesels in cold weather. Diesel is common in cold weather so the issue is perplexing at best. The vehicle has never been inspected by any one other than myself, a mechanic and the dealer. There were no warning lamps, only the dash warning the emission system needed service.
Engine, Feb 20, 2024
Notice the engine temp was rising, had notice I was slowly losing coolant in my overflow tank. Then while driving it started making noise that the engine overheated need to idle vehicle then as I pulled to a stop light the rims bogged down the whole vehicle shut down The radiator has a small leak in the plastic reservoir on the driver's side of radiator. Could have cause a big problem if I was in traffic when it shut down cause I had no control to turn the wheel or anything else once that happened.The vehicle got extremely hot very fast.
Electrical system, Engine, Feb 20, 2024
When you try and start the truck, the instrument panel lights up fully but when you push to start the instrument panel dims and acts like the battery is dead and won’t crank. The engine light is on. After a few presses, it finally cranks and starts fully. Has happened repeatedly and randomly.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Feb 15, 2024
Brake system failure reported on screen. Extremely hard to stop vehicle.
Other or unspecified, Feb 10, 2024
Rear window leaking like a small stream in regular rain. It’s going down behind seats and carpeting and headliner staining worse and worse and I am worried about black mold being created. Husband has lung issues and that can be verified by our physician. We have told Jenkins chevy in Venice florida 5/4/22, 3/20/23 and now living in TN spoke to Champion Chevy in Johnson City on 9/29/23 and 1/5/24..it’s getting worse and as we are out of warranty no one wants to help. We never received any bulletins on my chevy site and it’s not anything you would normally notice but now we smell the mildew smell back there because it is getting worse. Please help us before we get ill from this awful leak. This is my first Chevy pick up I have purchased in my lifetime. Possibly the last.. [XXX] [XXX] God bless you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Feb 5, 2024
Rear window leaks
Service brakes, Feb 2, 2024
rear brake failure on my 2020 silverado..at 25000 miles.. had my truck in to dealer last may (hamilton chevrolet warren mich) for a oil change and rotate tires, also noticed grooves in rear discs..had them check out rear brakes at that time20000 miles,came back ok.had truck in last friday1-26-24 ,oil change tire rotation now at 25000 rear brakes shot ..rear brakes shouldnt be an maint item till 60-80k ..i looked for answers on line seems to be common problem. im 67 owned a lot of vehicles not one required rear brakes this soon . bought this truck new original owner..
Electrical system, Jan 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the instrument cluster became inoperable and failed to provide correct information. The contact stated that the alternator cable was loose and intermittently failed to operate as designed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed there were no open recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was related to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V888000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Other or unspecified, Dec 30, 2023
Rear window leaking
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Dec 28, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the service brakes were inoperable. The contact depressed the brake pedal to the floorboard and the vehicle did not stop or slow down. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that due to the service brakes being inoperable, he tried to avoid a crash. While the contact was making a left turn, an oncoming vehicle crashed into the vehicle on the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to roll while he continued to depress the brake pedal and the vehicle finally came to a stop. The axle was fractured and the frame underneath of the vehicle had shifted. The vehicle was undrivable. The contact and the other driver contacted the local police and the incident report was taken over the phone. No injuries were reported. The contact stated that the failure had occurred previously, and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that a tow truck would be picking the vehicle up. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 24, 2023
Check engine light came on. Authorized Dealer Advisor stated "vehicle may shut-off or not start." Took to Authorized Dealer. Dealer found Evap System Error Code P0499. Dealer replaced Evap Valve Harness Connector. Approximately 48hrs Check Engine Light came on again. Will schedule service with Authorized Dealer.
Steering, Exterior lighting, Dec 22, 2023
Voltage will drop and effects steering, dash lights, radio, headlights
Power train, Dec 11, 2023
torque converter and transmission. For more than a year truck would lunge or jump forward when stopped at light or sitting in traffic, brought truck back to dealer several times for this problem each time they would tell me nothing wrong with truck. problems continued to happen and Truck started hesitating when accelerating then jumping into gear also while driving on highway truck felt like it was slipping out of gear and RPMs would jump up. Brought truck back to dealer again 3 months ago and they said torque converter was going bad and they would call me when part was in. two months later and they kept saying it was back ordered, now while driving going down steep incline into busy intersection felt like i got rear ended by another car, when looking back no car was close me truck stalled and started rolling into intersection I slammed on brake and got truck started again only to find transmission had failed and it slammed into gear when accelerating put my flashers on and got off road . Brought truck back to dealer to have them tell me transmission was now gone. truck has now been sitting on dealer lot for a month now with them telling me they can't get parts or transmission to fix. Very dangerous situation with this transmission and them knowingly kept sending me away in this truck. I feel that they knew about transmission problem over a year ago when I was bringing it in for the lunging forward after coming to complete stop at traffic light and kept saying nothing wrong. Truck was still under original warranty and only has 62k miles on truck.
Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 9, 2023
While driving the engine jumps/jerks then goes back to normal, it continuously happens every 3-5 minutes while driving. A friend had his exact issue with exact make model year vehicle and it ended up being the gas sensor. Please look into this issue for this vehicle. Our local dealer will not fix it because the sensor doesn’t show the issue but that is the issue. The dealer knows it does it but won’t fix it.
Engine, Dec 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the engine misfired and the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the engine springs and rocker arms were bent. The contact replaced the lifters due to the failure. The manufacturer and the dealer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
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
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light and brake warning light had illuminated, and the message “Engine Powering down Mode” was activated causing the vehicle to shut off. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions and the throttle body, Oxygen sensors were replaced along with an engine programming update was performed but the failure continued to occur. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 77,154.
Other or unspecified, Nov 10, 2023
The rear power sliding window in my 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT leaks whenever it rains. The leaking water enters the cab and runs down the back interior wall of the crew cab and saturates the insulation material and the carpeting on the floor. The moisture has caused the seat brackets that attach the seat to the truck to rust and it has also caused mold inside the cab. I purchased a DIY mold test kit and it was positive for mold. My kids and I have allergies and this is causing issues with our health and if it continues it could cause serious health problems. This known issue of the leaking rear window is very widely discussed on many different gm truck forums and internet sites yet gm will not take ownership of this obvious problem.
Suspension, Nov 7, 2023
Today while driving , the upper ball joint separated from the control arm, causing the truck to pull hard to the right. I was able to keep from wrecking the truck. While doing research it seems that this is a common occurrence with the Silverado Trail Boss and the Sierra AT4. I read a safety recall report on these vehicles, 21V-718, after reading this, it's exactly what happened with my truck. Ball joints is rusting and corroded. Vehicle is able to be inspected upon request. If I had been on the freeway traveling, it would have caused a severe single or multiple car accident as I lost control to steer. No symptoms leading up to the situation.
Other or unspecified, Nov 6, 2023
My backup camera is not functional and it stopped working in April a month after I purchased the vehicle before my lease expired in May. I took it into the dealership for a software update and they refused to do anything without charging me a $160 fee.
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