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, Jun 17, 2025
Engine siezed while on a roadway that speed limit was 75 miles per hour. Was also actively pulling a trailer. Luckily avoided traffic in pulling off to the side of the road and was stuck there for about 8 hours on the side of the road. It broke down 5 hours from home.
Electrical system, Jun 16, 2025
My 2021 Silverado has the same issue as the current recall, whereas the tailgate open by itself when the vehicle is operations. This happens when it rains. The first time I noticed it I lost a cooler out of the back of my truck on the interstate highway. The second time it came down when hauling a trailer and cause minor damage to the tailgate. I have since removed the fuse that controls the tailgate. I notified Chevrolet of the issue, but the stated that my truck is not under the current recall.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil pressure level fluctuated between 60 and 0. The contact stated that the low-pressure oil warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the oil level was continually being topped off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. In addition, the contact was advised to have an oil change every 1,000 miles while waiting for the recall repair to be performed. 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jun 13, 2025
Transmission is changing hard and jerking
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.
Engine, Jun 12, 2025
The Vehicle that I own is a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with a 6.2 liter engine. on 6/2/2025 i went to have the oil changed and the service technician informed me there was no oil in the engine. He also informed me that this particular model with the 6.2 liter engine had a recall relating to components in the engine. After researching I found that there was in fact a recall, but my truck was not listed on the NHTSA web site. I made a visit to the local dealership and the service manager informed me that there was in fact a recall but there was nothing they could do at this time. He suggested that I check the oil level every 500 miles and wait on a recall notice. Now the engine is starting to make internal noises that concern me greatly. There is a opportunity that the engine could simply lock up and there is no certainty on what might happen. Please advise
Power train, Jun 10, 2025
Vehicle started with vibration at speed 45mph and sometimes it gets worse already balance the wheels twice and same issue so I took it to another shop and they found that my vehicle has hesitation and shuddering also really hard down shift
Engine, Jun 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while leaving a parking spot and driving approximately 5-10 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine before the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced catastrophic engine failure two years prior to the recent failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Engine, Jun 8, 2025
I am facing my second coolant control valve replace in the last 10k miles. The truck errors with a code of P1098 due to the valve failure and the fan continues to run. My truck was then put into limp mode. This valve is a know problem with this motor and not cover under warranty.
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)
Engine, Jun 6, 2025
Motor failed. 140k miles shouldn’t happen on a 2021. Meticulously maintained.
Engine, Jun 6, 2025
While driving my truck at approximately 50mph it suddenly lost power while in traffic. I was fortunate enough to pull over safely to avoid an accident. The motor was violently shaking and sounded like it was coming apart internally. Almost every warning light on the dashboard came on as I was pulling over. The truck had little power and did not sound normal. I immediately called for a tow truck and had it towed to the nearest Chevrolet dealership. After inspection they confirmed the lifters were bad. The truck had 38,000 original miles on it at the time of this incident. The dealership repaired the defective lifters. With the current GM recall on the 6.2 liter engine my truck does not qualify as it was built 1 month prior to the recall date. This truck needs to be included in the current 6.2 liter engine that GM is recalling. The motor is defective and is a major safety issue. If I was driving with my family on the highway while this abrupt incident happened it could have been catastrophic. There were no signs or warnings whatsoever prior to this incident.
Engine, Jun 6, 2025
Took my vehicle in on 3/24/2025 for an oil change and to check a perceived issue with transmission hesitation and a noise. Tech confirmed and repaired an issue in the transmission and also confirmed an issue within the engine. A replacement engine was ordered. Vehicle is still at the dealer awaiting the engine with no estimate as to when the engine will be shipped or received. It has now been well over 2 months. A loaner vehicle was provided on 4/30/2025 but is not comparable to my vehicle.
Engine, Jun 6, 2025
blown engine 6.2 L87 motor
Engine, Jun 6, 2025
Engine failure with no warning. Driving home from dinner, made a right at a stop light and then warning lights and knocking sound in engine compartment, truck noticeably shaking
Service brakes, Engine, Jun 5, 2025
First my engine light came on and as I was in my way to the dealership I lost my brakes. It stayed at the shop for a week before I was contacted only for them to tell me that there was metal shaving in my engine oil and they recommend full replacement, meanwhile haven’t even made it to my brakes. GM offered me 3K toward replacing the 13K+ engine. That’s so unacceptable!
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 4, 2025
The contact owned a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the contact heard a loud sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the connecting rod and the crankshaft engine components had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Jun 3, 2025
May 3, 2025 while driving home truck starting making noise and all the dash lights started blinking including the 'check engine' light. Felt not safe to drive, afraid I would lose control of truck. Immediately pulled over and called dealership who advised to have truck towed in. Truck is still in shop and apparently needs a new engine, problem seems to be the same as the recalls for engines made in 2021-2024. The engine on my truck was manufactured in 2020 and not part of the current recall. This is the 2ND time engine has failed. June 7, 2021 at 4,600 miles again driving and engine started making noise, all dash lights flashing. Again didn't feel truck was safe to drive. Towed to dealership. Cause was a 'failure of lifters on cylinder 5 and a bent push rod.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 3, 2025
Engine started making clicking noise when accelerating. Followed by a large screeching noise. Dash read "shift to neutral and start again" pulled to stop and tried to start. Does not crank at all.
Engine, Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message “Reduced Power” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the lifters and push rods needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle started to smoke while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
Engine, Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, several unknown messages were displayed before the vehicle shifted to SAFE Mode. Additionally, the contact disconnected and reconnected the battery and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a particulate filter failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Prince Chevrolet Service (4550 N Valdosta Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602); where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the exhaust pressure sensor pipe and exhaust gas recirculation cooler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to another local dealer, Nash Chevrolet (630 Scenic Hwy S, Lawrenceville, GA 30046) for a third opinion and was diagnosed with a clogged catalytic converter. The contact was informed that the NOS sensor, EGR Cooler, and DEF fluid injector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the check engine warning light was illuminated. In addition, the message "LIMP Mode" was displayed on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 395.
Power train, Engine, Jun 1, 2025
At 2000 miles my truck developed a new “fluttering”, “ticking sound” once all cylinders reactivated as apart of the dynamic fuel management system. After bringing the truck to dealership, they proceeded to replace the lifters, the exhaust system twice, and performed a computer reflash. The truck was at the dealership for over 45 days within the first 6 months of ownership. After all the repairs, the sound is still audible and getting worse. In addition to this sound, at around 30,000 miles the transmission has now developed an audible clunking sound that can be felt once on release the gas peddle under slower operating speeds. After trying to engage with GM on simply understanding what the problem is and why there is the need for so much repair on a brand new vehicle, I am candidly fed up and let down as long term GM customer.
Power train, May 29, 2025
Pulling out to an intersection my 2021 chevy Trailboss stopped going forward. All I had was reverse. Fortunately cars stopped and no one was injured. The truck was towed to a chevy dealership and was inspected and said that the transmission went out on it. The service manager told me that the "transmissions that were put in these trucks were not good" No warning lights ever came on prior to this incident. There was a recall for transmission problems for other chevy models however I have been told that my truck does not qualify for the recall.
Engine, May 23, 2025
At 38,000 miles: While driving, the engine began knocking, vibrating and shut off. The check engine light came on and the vehicle could not be restarted. It was towed to the dealer who diagnosed it with lifter failure. It was still under the powertrain warranty at this time. Several lifters were replaced as well as other engine parts and I was given the truck back after a few weeks. A week later, truck would not start. After looking under the hood I noticed most of the hoses and wires were not clipped off, causing them to just rattle and move around. Upon further investigation, I found that the wire to the starter was loose and had to be wiggled to get the truck to start. This wire should have been secured to the vehicle with the provided clips, but it was not and came loose because of it. I also found a random loose bolt lying in a void space under the hood near the windshield. I took the truck back to the dealership that replaced the lifters and explained my frustration with the condition my truck was put back together after tearing into the engine. I also showed them the random bolt I found. Their manager assured me that they would go through the engine compartment and make sure that the wires and cables were properly secured to the side like it should have been after the initial engine work. I never received an explanation of where the random bolt came from. After this engine work, my truck never seemed to drive the same. It began use more oil and the fuel MPG decreased. I reported to the dealer on the oil consumption and they had me start an oil consumption test. 600 miles after the oil change my engine light came on, truck began to run rough and make a loud engine rattle noise. I took it back to the dealer for a diagnosis. They called back and said that there was a lot of metal in my oil when they drained it. They contacted GM and are scheduled to open the engine up to find out if it can be fixed or needs a new engine. Currently at 52000 miles
Power train, Engine, May 22, 2025
The truck, while driving at highway speeds on the interstate, experienced catastrophic engine failure, seizing the motor while in driving. Luckily, I was able to pull the truck to the side of the road safely, without a crash occurring. Losing engine/braking power could have been a major concern but thankfully, traffic was light enough I had space to pull to the side of the road. The truck had to be towed to the nearest dealer, where it was discovered the motor had seized. 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss 6.2L motor with 47k miles on the factory warranty/no modifications. Since taking the truck to the dealer, they warranty-swapped a remanufactured crate motor in the truck. Hearing of the major increase in issues with this truck, I traded it in on a different manufacturer and now have a different vehicle. Aside from this huge inconvenience and safety issue, GM's customer support line failed to cover the full cost for a rental truck while my vehicle was down for a new motor (late November 2024 until mid January 2025) and I still have yet to receive a refund for my tow bill. This experience that has now lasted almost 6 months (still with no resolution) has been horrible. I hope General Motors is held liable for this major issue.