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: steering
41 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 21, 2026
When I put the pickup in park, I get a message that states "Shift to Park". The pickup is completely stopped, the gear shift indicator is in "P". When I get out of the vehicle I get two loud two-horn alerts indicating that the pickup in not in Park, when in fact it is. Doing some research, I have seen that this is a common problem for GM vehicles. The console shift vehicles are actually involved in a class action lawsuit, while the steering column shift vehicles are not.
Steering, May 26, 2026
Sudden loss of power steering, usually upon initial start. May return, may not return during drive. Began around 1 week ago. Sudden loss of power steering when turning either right or left has occurred causing a dangerous situation. Upon loss of power steering, 2 warnings appear. One for loss of power steering and the other for the trailer brake. Have never trailered anything with truck. Check engine light has come on at times, others it has not. Steering failure has occurred approximately 6 times. An internet search found some reference to my vehicle being informally added to the recall affecting other GM Vehicles. Vehicle has not been inspected yet.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, May 4, 2026
Two grounding straps failed on my 2021 Silverado Trail boss lt. GM has a recall for this exact problem under N252515590, model years 2019-2024. Apparently my vin number is not associated with this recall, yet my dealer just did the recall repair. They said my truck did not qualify for the GM recall and I was forced to pay for the repair. The failing grounding straps caused my power steering to go out and my brake system and safety traffic sensors to fail as well. This was very dangerous as it would fail randomly while driving the truck. There were no warning signs or lights on the the truck to indicate any problems.
Steering, Apr 10, 2026
All of a sudden my check engine light came on with the sudden loss of power steering. Almost impossible to steer at low speeds. After turning it off I waited about 15 minutes then restarted the engine and there was no problem steering. Concern about it happening again in the middle of traffic.
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 9, 2026
I am filing this safety complaint regarding a documented engine wire harness chafing defect in my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 2.7L L3B Turbo engine. While driving, my truck experienced erratic acceleration, engine throttling to 3,000 RPM without returning to idle after releasing the accelerator, engine misfires, sudden loss of engine power, stalling, and multiple simultaneous warning lights. These conditions created immediate safety and collision risks on public roads. GM issued TSB 21-NA-149 in June 2021 and a second bulletin September 17, 2021, both before my November 2021 purchase, identifying wire harness chafing in the L3B engine caused by a manufacturing error. A wire harness clip was removed during production creating an uncontrolled harness branch that contacts sharp edges on the ECM/TCM bracket, upper control arm, and shock tower during normal engine vibration. This defect was built into the vehicle at the factory and was never disclosed to me at point of sale. The defect manifested after warranty expiration causing cascading failures; wire harness, catalytic converter, and transmission, all within five weeks. Vehicle has been inoperable since January 8, 2026. Defect confirmed by independent mechanic and by Ancira-Winton Chevrolet (authorized GM dealer) in their own repair documentation referencing GM Bulletin 21-NA-149. Dealer documented catalytic converter failure as consequential damage from wire harness repair. GM created Customer Satisfaction Program N192219370 for this exact defect. My VIN was excluded despite experiencing identical symptoms. No safety recall has been issued. Loss of throttle control and stalling at highway speeds represents an imminent collision risk. I request NHTSA investigate a formal safety recall for 2019-2023 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with the L3B engine.
Steering, Apr 9, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Steering, Mar 4, 2026
When I started my truck, a "service power steering" error was displayed in my DIC. My power steering lost all control. After driving for 10 minutes and then shutting the truck off for about 5 minutes, the system reset. This looks very similar to the recall #N212333900, but 2021 Silverados were not included with the recall. This is the 2nd time it happened. The first time was in 2023. It's pretty scary when you can't steer without extreme exertion.
Steering, Power train, Engine, Feb 23, 2026
Belt tensioner/idler pulley began chirping during warm up after starting engine. Noticed serpentine belt was beginning to fray on edges. Dealership confirmed the pulley failed prematurely and caused the serpentine belt to be damaged. Dealership replaced pulley and belt. It was just after warranty expired. The belt is supposed to be replaced at 100,000 miles as routine maintenance, but the failure of the pulley, which the dealer informed me was also premature, but common, was not covered under warranty. Power steering was lost one time in park and a message showed on the dash, but went away after restarting the vehicle.
Steering, Jan 25, 2026
Ignition key fails to release from column lock. It will return to accessory position but not full return for release. Frequent but intermediate problem. Dealer just replaced ignition switch however problem returned same day. (Have not contacted dealer back yet). Restarting the truck and turning the wheel back and forth, shifting to other gears then back to park sometimes works, and sometimes does not. I am often forced to leave the key in the column and lock/unlock truck with remote. No CEL, no other indicators or messages present. 49,515 miles on truck.
Steering, Suspension, Engine, Jun 12, 2025
1st incident cracked frame/suspension support for front suspension, 4 months to fix, 2nd incident oil pump, lifter failure, replaced under warranty. 3rd failure engine sieze while driving at 55-60 mph. Warning light flashed loss of oil pressure shut down immediately, put it in neutral to coat to side of road but moment I shifted to N engine failed, had to tow home cuz dealer was a month out to look at it, had to send to a different dealership 60 miles away to get looked at, confirmed castrophic engine failure, GM dealer wanted me to pay to fix it. I have had 2 major engine issues, 1 major suspension frame issue.
Steering, Air bags, Engine, Jun 7, 2025
I was on my way home from work on [XXX] coming around the lakes with no median or shoulder when the engine in my 2021 Silverado started rattling, temperature gauge started going up, and losing power. Within a matter of minutes my truck shut off leaving me stranded in the middle of a four lane highway with no safe location to stop. The engine wouldn’t even turn over to try and crank back up so I could get the truck out of the road. After help getting my truck to a safe location I noticed oil and antifreeze leaking out of the bottom side of the engine. This truck was at Love Chevrolet for engine failure on 8/14/24 and was told it was fixed and was never told about ongoing issues with this particular 6.2 engine. I found out a few weeks ago while trying to trade my truck in to Jim Browne Chevrolet dealer that my particular truck the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado High Country with the 6.2 engine had known issue with the engine locking up and was afraid to take my truck in on trade due to his service manger going through this same experience. So I paid top dollar for a high end Chevrolet truck to be stuck with not being able to trade it and now not being able to drive it. I called the dealer and was told that my trucks vin number was not part of the recall for this issue but there are trucks that are the same year, model, and engine type that are covered under this recall. I’m now stuck making a 850 a month payment on a 58000 dollar truck that I can’t drive and can’t afford to replace an engine. Any help would be greatly appreciated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, May 14, 2025
I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a persistent and unacceptable failure with my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss. The vehicle intermittently fails to start due to a recurring “Service Steering Column Lock” error. While the key fob still locks, unlocks, and remote starts the truck, the push-to-start system becomes entirely non-functional once inside the vehicle. This defect is not only frustrating — it’s dangerous. My wife has already been stranded twice, once in below-freezing temperatures in January, and again in May, causing her to be late for work and left alone at night in unsafe conditions. A truck purchased for over $60,000, marketed as rugged and dependable, should not be experiencing a critical failure like this at just 48,000 miles. What’s more concerning is that this appears to be a known issue within the GM community, with no official recall despite Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) acknowledging the problem. Customers are being left with unreliable transportation and no consistent fix. This failure is both a mechanical and safety issue, leaving drivers vulnerable without warning. I urge NHTSA to investigate this defect, pressure GM for a formal recall, and ensure corrective action is taken before someone is injured due to being stranded or the failure progressing to more critical steering or ignition malfunctions.
Steering, Feb 24, 2025
51,000 miles and Power steering warning light came on, attempted to turn and the wheel and was a struggle to make a turn. I almost ran off roadway and struck a tree. I struggled to get the truck home, where it sat for a minute and reset itself and worked properly for now. Upon reviewing the electric steering in this year, make and model was very common within 15k miles to 65k miles. Upon internet search, revealed this problem had a recall. Wanted to make sure before a manage to transport the truck for service at dealership and pay for high labor charges.
Steering, Feb 15, 2025
I was driving and my electric steering locked up. I had it towed to a garage and they reset the computer. I'm afraid it's going to happen again. I'm going to the dealership on Tuesday and I don't feel that I should pay for this since it's a safety issue. I only have 50,000 miles on it.can someone please get back to me. Thanks
Steering, Electrical system, Feb 11, 2025
I turned my truck on after grocery shopping and a notice to "Service Power Steering" popped up on my dashboard. I took it to a mechanic shop where they ran diagnostics. They discovered a TSB # 21-NA-149 and error code U0131. They believe there is an intermittent fault within the wiring causing the power steering to go out. My biggest fear is that this happens while I am negotiating a curve and lose power steering causing a crash or someone to get injured. There was also a "Service ESB" notice on the dashboard after the power steering notification.
Steering, Electrical system, Jan 19, 2025
Started The Vehicle and the Steering wheel would not turn. Warning said: Service ESC & Service Power Steering Drive and the Stability Control Light came on. After ready many complaints about the same thing, we turned the car off for 20 minutes and then on again and it worked. But this is dangerous.
Steering, Power train, Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver and the rear wheels were intermittently inoperable with the transmission experiencing hard downshifting. The failure occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact researched and was made aware of an undisclosed NHTSA Campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Steering, Nov 19, 2024
After parking my vehicle overnight, I started it up in the morning and it immediately said "Service Power Steering, Please Drive With Care" and also said "Service ESC". I could not steer the vehicle when these messages were displayed. I was able to get the vehicle to work normally by turning it off, waiting a few minutes and turning it back on. This is extremely dangerous if the vehicle decides to do this during a drive.
Steering, Oct 22, 2024
When I started my car there was an error message that said "Service Power Steering Drive with Care" and "Service ESC" when I went to back out of the driveway I had no power steering at all. I could barely move the wheel and had trouble pulling back into the driveway. I turned off the car and restarted a few times, but received the same error messages and had no power steering. When I started the car about an hour later all error messages went away and power steering was restored, but I am afraid to drive it.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Oct 4, 2024
While leaving work I started the truck like normal and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Saying service ESC, service power steering,and service brake system. The ESC light was on as well as the check engine light. There was no forewarning about this.
Steering, Jul 16, 2024
- Warning came up that said to service power steering system. Steering wheel became extremely hard to turn. -I could barely complete my turn to get the vehicle clear of the road -Vehicle is scheduled to be seen by a dealer -No other parties have inspected the vehicle
Steering, Jun 20, 2024
The power steering locked when driving, this happened last year. I had it serviced at the dealership and it was fixed but it’s reoccurring occasionally. Now when you turn it on you could hear a sound and it’s hard to turn. It’s a safety concern for me and for others to drive it with that condition. I brought it back to the dealership to have it serviced again, a mechanic inspected it and confirmed there’s a problem with the steering but they will have to do a proper diagnostic with the issue. There ‘s no warning message that pops out.
Steering, Jun 12, 2024
After starting the truck and placing in reverse the service power steering warning come on as well as service ESC. The steering wheel would not move. If I were driving at a higher speed a crash would be imminent. On the Chevy forums there are several other owners that experienced the same problem and the loss of steering happens randomly. After parking the truck and returning several hours later the warnings did not reappear. I called the Chevrolet dealership and they informed me that they cannot diagnose the vehicle if no service lights are actively showing. Then I called Chevrolet to report the issue and they informed me that there are no recalls and nothing can be done unless the warnings are active and to contact another service center. If the vehicle does this while i'm driving I most likely will be in a accident. The Chevrolet case # 9-12940772786
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Mar 22, 2024
I purchased a used 2021 Chevrolet Silverado from a dealership 5 months ago. Almost immediately after purchasing the truck, I would hear and feel an intermittent pop that originated from near the floor of the front passenger side. The sound became more frequent and would happen mostly when making sharp turns but also when making softer turns. I took it to the dealership to investigate. They had it for a week and supposedly examined the entire vehicle. They were able to replicate the pop sound when driving it but were unable to diagnose the problem. They claimed that sometimes trucks just make noise and assured me that the vehicle was safe to drive. I asked how they knew it was safe if they didn't know what the problem was and how was I to know that whatever is causing the sound isn't causing internal damage. The service manager again assured me that the certified mechanics looked at every detail of the vehicle and found nothing to be concerned about and sent me on my way. After taking the truck home, I continued normal use of the truck, taking it on 3 long distance trips on the highway. The sound continued as it had before, occurring intermittently when turning. 2 days ago, I was backing out of my driveway. I heard a very loud pop and got out of the vehicle to find that the front passenger wheel had completely broken at the ball joint of the control arm and was lying nearly flat on the ground, held suspended by the brake line and CV boot and other attached components. The truck was towed to the dealership, where it currently is. The service manager told me that the mechanics did everything that they were supposed to have done and that unfortunately this is a mechanical part that can fail and that he has seen this issue in 7-8 other vehicles like mine. If this is a common problem, there should have been a red flag when presented with this issue. If this would have occurred on the highway at a high rate of speed, my family and I could have been killed.
Steering, Oct 31, 2023
On October 31st while driving my vehicle my power steering light came on stating ESC POWER STEERING Failure/Issue. This caused me to have no power steering. I was able to safely stop the vehicle. I restarted it numerous times with the same message showing up. About 5-10 minutes later it started with no issues and without the same power steering message. This is extremely dangerous!