2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 827 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 5th highest complaint count among 19 Silverado 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 20 involved a crash and 12 involved a fire. 17 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
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalApr 24, 2025
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.
Campaign 25V274000 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
Air bags, frontalJul 1, 2021
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vehicles. The front driver's side air bag module may be missing one or more metal tabs that secure the plastic air bag cover to the housing.
The missing tabs may prevent the air bag from deploying properly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212336560.
Campaign 21V495000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsDec 23, 2020
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
Campaign 20V811000 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
Representative owner complaints: engine
429 reports, newest first. Show all
Service brakes, Engine, May 3, 2025
I am reporting a safety concern that I believe should be included in an existing or expanded recall for the Chevrolet Silverado. The issue involves engine replacement due to metal shaving being found in oil & brake failure, which occurred on 05/01/2025 The problem with the brakes occurred while I was in heavy traffic in Dallas, Texas multiple times, resulted in multiple near-accident experiences that day. The truck has been diagnosed by a mechanic, at the Chevy dealership and I believe this defect poses a serious safety risk and may be affecting other Silverado vehicles outside the current recall scope. I have driven the vehicle to Chevy and stayed in constant contact with the dealership, had diagnostics done, but the issue has not been resolved. am requesting that the NHTSA investigate whether this issue warrants inclusion in the current recall or a new safety campaign. I have on had this vehicle less than 2 years and I put less than 70K miles on it. I purchased it from vandergriff Chevrolet in Arlington, TX
Service brakes, Engine, May 3, 2025
Metal shavings were found in my oil after the check engine light came on a day before I took it in. The day that I took it in my brakes limited the speed of my truck to 43 mph due brake malfunction. The dealership called and told me that they recommend engine replacement due to the metal shavings found in the oil. I can give more in depth info as I receive it but I just wanted to alert Chevy that my vehicle is doing the same thing that the others are getting recalled for.
Engine, May 2, 2025
Engine starting shaking while driving and lost power. With only 33000 miles on engine.
Engine and engine cooling, May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and the contact noticed an unusual clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with camshaft failure. The contact was informed that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer twice within a month due to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact had requested a buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. The contact exited the freeway and continued driving 40 MPH; however, the vehicle stalled, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that piston #4 valve had seized, causing damage to the push rod. The dealer took the engine apart and replaced the push rod, the valve, and the head gasket. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving 70MPH. The vehicle was towed to Team Hodges, INC. Chevrolet (2265 M-76, West Branch, MI 48661), where it was diagnosed that piston #8 valve had seized, causing damage to the camshaft. The dealer replaced the valve, the camshaft, and other unknown parts. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related to the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal metal-on-metal grinding sound coming from the engine. The contact also stated that whenever the vehicle was started, the engine was making an abnormal knocking sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
Electrical system, Engine, May 1, 2025
Batter dies for when it's cool out side and the truck has a brand new battery. The battery has since I've had the truck .replaced the battery last year and it stills die..when it's cool outside..false reading on brakes had them checked twice at the dealer ship .the truck loses power when turning the corner and I makes a loud clunk nose when I drive..
Engine, May 1, 2025
My engine is out due to the piston rings failing and is at a dealership waiting for a new engine. The engine for this vehicle is on national back order with no ETA in sight. Out of nowhere the low oil light came on and I had to stop immediatley to check it as to make sure nothing happened while I was driving down the road. The dealership that has it has confirmed that the issue was due to the pistons. This vehilce was purchased brand new and has had perfect maintenance performed on it since day one. The dealership has inspected the vehicle. The low oil light first came on in February. I took it straight to a place to have them check it and change the oil again just until I could get it to the dealership a few days later. I was advised to have an oil consumption test done. On the 3rd time, which would have been around 3000 miles, it had already consumed more than a quart of oil. They did a borescope and confirmed that the pistons are bad and because of this the inside of the engine is scored. Now I need a new engine on a vehicle that I've taken perfect care of. I believe that this vehicle should be included in the GM recall with the other 6.2 engines as this is also a 6.2 engine in the same year range. I have included the paperwork from the dealership and my carfax showing maintenance.
Engine, May 1, 2025
faulty lifters, causing engine light on, and causing multiple missfires. 2021 5.3 v8 engine. GM has inspected engine and has no solutions, problem first appeared with only 343 miles on new truck.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 30, 2025
Around May 20th, 2022, I was driving the pickup when it suddenly the engine turned off on me. I was travelling at approximately 40 mph on city streets and was able to control the vehicle and park the vehicle and restart it. That same week, I took the vehicle to Chevrolet on the city of Orange, where it was inspected. According to the mechanic, no issues were located. Nothing else was done to the vehicle and as a result, I fear the same issue will happen again in the future.
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
On March 16, 2025 driving to church in Siloam Springs Arkansas it lost power while going down the road at 45 mph and we started hearing an oddly loud noise and then the check engine light came on. We limped it into the church parking lot. We came out from church and started the engine, there was no check engine light. We pulled out of the church parking lot and started down the road and we got up to 55mph when the oddly loud noise occurred again and check engine light came on. We pulled over and called for a tow to the dealership Superior Chevrolet of Siloam Springs. They found the engine was missing on cylinder #2 and the #2 connecting rod was bent. They found the lifter on #2 exhaust was broken. They inspected the cam and all the lobes looked good. They replaced the right bank of lifters and guides with all gaskets seals and pipes. Changed the oil and filter. Refilled the coolant. Test drove 10 miles and verified operation. It had 58,055 miles when this failure occurred. Our safety was at risk as a result of an immediate loss of power while traveling speeds over 40mph.
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
Complete engine replacement at 174 miles. Lifters on left bank replaced at approximately 28,000 miles. Lifters right bank replaced at approximately 58,000 miles.
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
The Engine has unexpectedly spun a rod bearing causing the engine to run erratic, low power and knocking. I have taken it to a automotive repair shop and that is their diagnosis. This is the 6.2 liter that has the issue that has recently had a recall issued but my VIN does not show a recall
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 30, 2025
The engine light is blinking while driving on the highway, it comes and goes, I have a video for that. Also it has a ticking noise and I’ve had the noise since I bought the truck and took it multiple times to the dealership, first it was the pump they replaced for free but the ticking never went away, I took it back and they said that all the trucks tick like that, and all that should be documented. Also while sitting still it sounds like the truck is shacking just a little. I have an appointment to which I have to pay $250 for them just to look at it. I think that my truck should be up under the new recall for the 2021 Chevy Silverado because my truck is knocking and also throwing off a blinking engine light.
Power train, Engine, Apr 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, and the rear wheel seized. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, reverse(R) was the only operational gear. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. However, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that weeks before the failure, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. .
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle started shaking excessively, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the lifter in cylinder #7. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred 4 years later. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at his expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the remedy was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 77,455. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was a clunking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The contact stated that several unknown messages were displayed. The contact stated that an independent mechanic had inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the lifters and cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power before the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed and damaged the engine. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the engine and battery were replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power before the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact towed the vehicle to another dealer. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,300. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power, with an abnormal knocking sound coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine lifter failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Engine, Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle there was an abnormally loud screeching sound coming from the vehicle, and the engine seized. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting hard. There was an abnormal banging sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The Carfax and GM global connect portal warranty document noted an abnormal loud banging noise and front-end damage at 1 mile prior to the purchase, and an insurance claim was filed for the rear main seal. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact filed a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 29,606.
Engine, Apr 26, 2025
While driving at 35 mph my check engine light, Service Parking Break light, ABS Maintenance light all came on and my truck lost power to a point I could not go over 10 MPH. It started chugging and running very rough. Fortunately I was close to home and got it in the driveway. I called the dealership to set and appointment, tried to drive it down my driveway and couldnt get it over 10 MPH. I called a tow company to take it to the local dealer I purchased from. After a couple days the dealership called and said there is a lifter problem but wasnt fully into the engine to see if there was more damage and would call me once more testing had been done. I have photos of the tow company tow bill ($169) and a photo of them lowering the bed to put the truck on it to haul to dealer if needed.
Engine, Apr 24, 2025
CEL with code P1098 - which is a coolant control valve issue. Engine is not properly distributing coolant potentially causing an overheating condition. Dealer informed me that it is dangerous to drive and it is recommended that it is left at the dealer until it is repaired. If driven and other issues occur do to this failure the warranty will not cover damages. The failed part - coolant control valve is on national backorder and there is no eta on when the part will be available, no vehicle has been provided and the replacement part appears to be no different than the original except for a different model number.
Engine, Apr 23, 2025
While driving on the highway the engine shimmered and shut down. I lost all steering and braking power. After 20 minutes I was able to restart and drive off the highway at a reduced speed. upon exiting the engine died again. The following day I took it to sunrise Chevy in Glendale Hights IL as this was just down the road from where it sat all night. Service rep called and said I need a new engine with only 81000 miles. It was major lifter failure he said. Job was done at a cost of 9417.89. With less than 1000 miles on the new GM engine I was coming home on [XXX] at night when I lost all power to steering and brakes, dashboard lit up. Made it to the shoulder and towed back to the dealer. Once again major engine failure. At least this one was under warranty. but still very dangerous on the highway. Needs to be a recall please. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle was not making a sound. The contact checked the battery and believed that the engine was inoperable. The contact towed the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,005.