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
827 reports, newest first.
Engine, Jan 7, 2026
The coolant control valve has failed, my vin isn’t a part of the special coverage for this bad part ( though the same part and model is covered)
Power train, Engine, Jan 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notice of an unknown recall in approximately July 2025. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced, and the failure was associated with the recall. The contact was also advised that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle remained with the dealer for three months and was repaired when the parts became available. The contact stated that two days after the repair, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle vibrated and hesitated. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnose,d and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and three cases were filed. The failure mileage was 81,000.
Power train, Jan 6, 2026
CEL on. Lifter failure on cylinder 1.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Jan 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that since the purchase of the vehicle, the transmission had failed three times. The transmission had been replaced three times in the past. The second time the transmission failed at approximately 40,000 miles. The contact related the most recent failure of the check engine warning light to the fuel pump driver control module. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,800.
Power train, Engine, Jan 6, 2026
2021 Silverado 19,000 miles no indication of failure at a busy intersection about to go thru intersection and engines started knocking, multiple check engine lights on. Luckily got thru the intersection and to my place of residence which was very close by. Truck was towed to Chevy dealer. Dealer found 3 bent push rods, 3 bad valves. This engine had the lifters fail completely out of the blue. Oil changed at the dealer, meticulously maintained. Dealer only replaced the faulty bank of lifters due to mileage, seriously if it was under 16,000 they would replace all of them. This is unacceptable. This truck left me almost stranded in a busy intersection, lucky I knew well enough to keep going versus getting T-boned. I just think GM needs to do something about this. Now fast forward to 41K and I'm at the dealer same symptoms except this time my warranty is running up soon and being forced into an extended warranty. There are plenty of online claims, chat rooms, posts, etc to warrant this as a safety issue.
Engine, Jan 5, 2026
The engine failed while driving down the road at night in single digit temperatures. After further investigation, there is a connecting rod sticking out of the engine. I looked to see if there was a recall or anything. Sure enough there was. 2021-2024 Silverado 6.2 liter engines for crank shafts and connecting rod malfunction. I'm curious how my 2021 6.2 liter Silverado that has a connecting rod sticking out the side of the block is not part of this recall?
Engine, Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started chugging and the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that a rod had detached and was sticking out of the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Air bags, Jan 1, 2026, crash
I was in an accident that resulted in being hit on the passenger side and then colliding with a traffic light pole. My concern is I hit the pole head on and my airbags never deployed
Structure, Dec 31, 2025
APPARATUS USED TO HOLD HOOD UPRIGHT, (2 STRUTS), FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. STRUTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOUR (4) TIMES IN PAST TWO (2) MONTHS WITH TWO ( 2) OEM PARTS AND ONE (1) AFTER MARKET PART. LAST OCCURANCE, 12/26/2025, CAUSED A MINOR HAND INJURY. IF NOT PREPARED FOR SUDDEN CLOSING OF HOOD, POSSIBLE SERIOUS INJURY COULD RESULT. THE VEHICLE AT PRESENT HAS 19,775 MILES AND HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY THREE (3) SERVICE TECHNICIANS FROM DEALERSHIPS AND CAN NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT IS OCCURING OR HOW TO REPAIR IT.
Electrical system, Air bags, Seat belts, Dec 29, 2025, crash, fire
A week or two before I took my truck into decorah Chevy isr because tailgate was going up and down all by itself while I was driving or parked without me by it. They said it was just the latch button . So they fixed it they said and still my blinker lights would just come on and then I hit a deer and my seatbelt did not latch and my airbags didn't deploy even though my app says they did. I'm wondering if all three are connected with electrical . Either way my air bags did not deploy and my truck has extensive damage and my seatbelt didn't lock ,
Engine, Dec 26, 2025
The truck has 61000 miles on it I got it in August there is engine knock which sounds like a bearing might’ve went and now the rod is loose in there. There is a large recall already regarding the same make and model of my truck for this exact issue.
Air bags, Seat belts, Dec 25, 2025
I was in an accident my seatbelts did not lock and OnStar was called , it says my airbags were deployed I could smell a smell but nothing deployed
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Dec 24, 2025
Throttle Body Failure Anti brake lock failure Throttle position sensor failure Power reduced *Vehicle has been to repair shop 3 times and the issue prevails. It poses a risk to my community because my loses power sporadically*
Engine, Dec 24, 2025
GM 6.2L L87 that was outside of GM original recall engine failure. Engine was running, made loud grinding and squealing sounds then shut off and now engine is locked up.
Power train, Engine, Dec 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or stop sign, while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had gotten worse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to several dealers; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Engine, Dec 18, 2025
I have three check engine codes P0340 Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit (Bank 1 or single sensor) P0341 Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1 or single sensor) P0016 Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation - Bank 1 Sensor A The last one is the same code that’s involved in the L 87 recall that my vehicle is three months shy of I have a 2021 Silverado trail bus 6.2 L that was manufactured in December 2020 I have very rough idol delayed throttle response in multiple camshaft codes that correlate with the crankshaft symptoms of the L 87 recall
Engine, Dec 17, 2025
In January 2024, I experienced an engine failure in my 2021 Silverado with the 6.2 Engine. My VIN was not part of the recall affected VIN units built in 2021-2024, it seems to have been built a few months before the last affected group, In any case, I noticed the engine stumbling, and the check engine light came on. I was able to drive the truck home, and when I went to start it the next day, the check engine light was off, so I drove it, and the engine stumbled the check engine light came back on, so I took it to the dealer. They read the codes, and cylinder 5 was misfiring. When they put a scope in that cylinder, the cylinder walls were scored, and there was oil in the cylinder. At that point the dealer chose to replace the engine with a remanufactured engine with no additional warranty added, or any other remuneration for the inconvenience. They did not share with me any specific reason (Lifters / Camshaft / something else) for the engine failure.
Equipment, Dec 17, 2025, fire
The contact owned a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that after plugging in the block heater around 5:15 P.M. while the vehicle was parked unattended in the tool shed, he was notified around 9:45 P.M. that the tool shed and vehicle had caught fire. There were no issues with the vehicle before the failure. There were no reported injuries, airbag deployment, or police report filed. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and they opened a claim. The insurance company's fire specialist determined that the block heater was faulty and would reach out to the legal team. The vehicle and tool shed were deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was still at the contact's residence. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Electrical system, Dec 16, 2025
The vehicle has been showing a “shift to park” message error upon shutdown even though the vehicle is fully in park and door automatically unlock when parked. This has left the accessories on and drained the battery
Air bags, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 15, 2025, crash
The brake stopped working. I just bought the car two months ago.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 10, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle was idling roughly. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who replaced an undisclosed sensor. The contact stated that the warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the camshaft had failed and there were metal shavings found in the oil filter; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Engine, Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a popping sound, and the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact coasted off to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from inside the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine had an internal failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an ongoing NHTSA investigation. The contact declined the repair while awaiting the results of the current NHTSA investigation. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after activating the 4WD in the driveway and going onto the road, while in 4WD and driving 35 MPH, the transfer case began making a blender-type sound with a pinging sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the tailgate unexpectedly opened while driving on a side road without warning. The contact had to manually operate the tailgate; however, the button was nonfunctional. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact linked the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program N212328090 and GM Bulletin N232426400. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
Engine, Dec 8, 2025
August 30th 2024 the pickup was just turning to roughly 30,000 miles and started a knocking sound. The GM dealership tore it apart and fixed what I believe they said was a bent rod. I cycled through two oil changes and decided to pull an oil sample. I sent oil sample off for analysis. The oil analysis came back urgent with very high levels of copper and lead showing in the testing. I then called the GM dealer and they had me bring it in. They did not send off any oil sample because when they pulled the filter, they could already see metal in the new oil. They had me call GM customer service because it is not part of the current recall. I contacted GM customer service on October 27, 2025. They gave me a case number 80392504. I was to bring it back to the dealership which I did. Again dealership called said metal was found again but GM will not do anything with it because it’s not under recall. They also told me that GM told them it is OK to have metal in the oil. I said well if it is OK to have metal in the oil I want to know what the test results show. Then I said, I want to know where the maximum allowance is. They did not know that. I said so it is an infinite amount according to them because there is no standard to check against. I said I’m not taking this in for a recall. I am bringing it in because I had my own diagnostic testing done. It failed. I drive back-and-forth to North Dakota and I told them this is very unsafe if that motor goes out and it’s -30 or -45 and my little boys in the back the heater is not going to work. That is very unsafe and deadly. When you have extreme temperatures like that, we cannot just be running around. Tell the engine blows up or locks up. I told them this needs addressed you don’t pay $82,000 for a vehicle and not get any support or care. I said if something happens to my boy, they will wish that they put a new motor in there or fixed it. They are playing God. They need their hand, slapped and do the right thing. Thank you
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the vehicle began to shake violently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle; however, the knocking sound persisted. The contact slowly drove the vehicle to the residence and later had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.