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.
Electrical system, Mar 2, 2025
The tailgate is opening automatically without anyone near the vehicle or keys. It has only started recently and I see similar vehicle models are being recalled for the same issue. My concern is that this could happen while driving down the road, posing a risk to other drivers if there are items in the bed of the vehicle. Prior to the tailgate opening unexpectedly, the button to push on the tailgate that opens it quit working. It will only open with the keys or button in the cab, or now at random times.
Suspension, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Mar 1, 2025
The car while I’m driving, when I start driving it has a kick could be transmission
Power train, Feb 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that during cold starts, the transmission was slipping, jerking, and banging. The failure eventually worsened and began to occur after the vehicle was driven and was warmed up. Additionally, while decelerating, the vehicle erroneously lurched forward. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission valve body was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,000.
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.
Engine, Feb 24, 2025
Truck died on busy road. Towed to certified Chevy dealer. They heard knocking noise did oil change drove it truck died again. Stated engine seized. Warranty dept denying claim saying truck driven 30 seconds to 1 minute after oil pressure light came on. But no lights came on for us and verified from diagnostic done at the Chevy dealer.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the ECM wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 13,000.
Power train, Feb 22, 2025
Transmission Overheating and Jerking
Other or unspecified, Feb 22, 2025
Since the purchase of this truck I have been having the same issues consistent with the current recall. It has gotten worse and has almost caused an accident during acceleration due to skipping or locking up of the engine/wheels. Worse when traction control is on. This Happens almost every time the gears shift during acceleration.
Engine, Feb 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the engine started to misfire. There was an unknown service warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that left side valve lifters needed to be replaced. The codes displayed were 0329 (Engine/Fuel Exhaust) and 6581 (Modular Component) registering incorrectly. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 15,253.
Power train, Feb 20, 2025
While coming to a stop at the end of the exit ramp my vehicle bucked when trying to go from a stop into 1st gear. Eventually the truck continued in a forward motion. Then came to a stop light and once again from a stopped position by truck bucked and eventually went into gear and continued forward motion. Parked the car where it sat for 1.5 hours then went to drive the vehicle and it bucked again into 1st gear. Drove to a parking lot were we parked to get lunch. Came out started the vehicle backed out of the parking spot and drove forward to the exit of the parking lot. When trying to exit the vehicle failed to move forward. The car acted as if it was in neutral and only revving to high RPM's. Removing the fuse for the Transmission Control Ignition allowed the vehicle to move forward but only in gears 1,2,3. I brought the vehicle to GMC dealership and they recommended a fluid service to determine if metal chips are in the fluid. That service was performed and issue remained. The Dealer has recommended a complete transmission replacement. My vehicle never displayed a warning lamp or shown symptoms prior to this failure. My vehicle has a 8 speed transmission which is known to be a failing part with Chevrolet and GMC. A new transmission is costing me $7900 plus tax on a 2021 with low wear and highway use.
Engine, Feb 20, 2025
The first time it happened my Truck started shaking a lot on the highway and it left me stranded on the side of the road. It had around 20,000 miles on it. When it got repaired I was told it had to do with the lifters on the left side of the engine. Took them 2 weeks to fix the issue. The second time it happened was on the ramp getting on to the highway, this time at 58,000 miles and now the right side lifters. Except this time they couldn’t fix it and they are going to replace the whole engine and give me a new one. Only thing is that it's been in Chevrolet shop for over 2 months and they have an ETA of a new Engine arriving in about a month if even that. So currently don't have my truck.
Engine, Feb 19, 2025
Engine misfire, likely engine will need to be replaced
Power train, Electrical system, Feb 18, 2025
No check engine light, and my transmission didn't engage gear. I left vehicle off for the night, started it and it worked perfectly fine. Still, no check engine light was on.
Engine, Feb 17, 2025
Around [XXX] on [XXX] the vehicle shut down with no codes showing or any warning. The weather was approximately 13* f. After many failed attempts to restart, and the electrical systems would not power down as if the vehicle thought it was still running. The only way to get the system to shut down was to disconnect the battery. i had to physically push the vehicle to a safe location. The next morning I attempted to diagnose the issue with no success. I had the vehicle hauled to the dealership from which it was purchased in Idaho to have it inspected. Tuesday morning I received word from the dealership that the engine suffered major failure. This will be the 3rd engine in the vehicle. I am uneasy about the dependability of the vehicle as I have recently discovered that this particular engine is having massive failures all over the country. So much so that the NHTSA has opened an investigation for the purposes of safety. I purchased the vehicle for the main purpose of pulling a snowmobile trailer with snowmobile to the mountains and also to tow my boat and trailer. Both of these activities require a vehicle in which I can depend on. While I am waiting for a back order engine the dealership and manufacturer refuse to lend a like vehicle, leaving destitute. I am hoping that this agency can offer some assistance, and I believe it's important that you are made aware of the hazard that this particular engine possesses. As I previously mentioned this the 3rd engine and As far as I can see this will occur again putting myself and others potentially in harms way because of a known issue. This does not make me feel confident of the safety of the vehicle. Be aware where i live there grades in every direction and extreme weather conditions from season to season. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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
Power train, Feb 15, 2025
Drove my truck home for lunch. Truck drove normal all morning with no warning lights or audible warnings. Went to leave and head back to work. Put my truck in reverse and it would not move. Still no warning lights or audible warnings. After looking online it said that this was common in the Chevrolet speed transmission. It also says the valve body was bad. They also stated that it could lock up the transmission and cause an accident. Luckily I was not driving down the road to find out. When talking with a Chevrolet dealership they told me that the parts to fix the transmission is on backorder. They also stated that the parts may not be available for months. Because the Chevrolet dealership had other Chevrolet vehicles in with the 10 speed transmission with the same issues and could not get parts because of the valve body being on backorder. They also said that the whole transmission being on backorder. This sounds like it's a common problem with Chevrolet 10 speed transmissions.
Power train, Feb 14, 2025
2021 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss with transmission valve body problem. Truck nearly stalled while driving and towing my boat then a huge clunk in the transmission. The truck then rapidly accelerated, down shifted, brief wheel lock up and I was nearly sent in to the ditch with my trailer now swaying behind me. The entire situation felt extremely unsafe and dangerous to both me and oncoming traffic. The check engine light was then on and the truck went in to limp mode. The truck would also no longer go into reverse. I first brought the truck in in October. They finally diagnosied the problem on November 4th, 2024. It is now February 14, 2025 and GM can still not provide me and ETA for the part or for repair. I've opened a service ticket with GM and asked for a buyback as I do not feel safe driving this vehicle any longer. I still do not have resolution with GM or my local dealership.
Electrical system, Feb 14, 2025
Tailgate, inadvertently opens. Causing, causing items in my truck bed to be exposed, although I haven’t lost anything while traveling. I have witnessed this occurrence while truck is locked sitting in my driveway, last incident was last night, 13 Feb 25. Also, noticed it when pulling out of a repair shop after getting brake pads put on vehicle. Wife had witnessed it a few months ago while driving back from town. I noticed a recall had been made about Chevrolet trucks and inadvertently opening tailgates. However my truck was not listed as a recall, when I checked VIN. Called Chevrolet garage to see if they could find my VIN on the recall list. Most of the recalls were on the 2500 and 3500 series but it also listed trucks with switch in cab for tailgate to open. I do have an appointment for the problem at Chevrolet garage in the 18th. To fix problem and prevent causing a hazard on the roads.
Air bags, Feb 13, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle. During the crash, the front passenger side of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bag did not deploy. The driver sustained an injured nose, mild concussion, bottom tooth damage, and back and neck pains. No medical treatment was needed. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was later towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer's air bag department declined assistance due to the air bag failure not being reported promptly. The failure mileage was 23,000.
Structure, Feb 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while washing the vehicle, he noticed that water was entering the vehicle through a crack in the rear window seal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
Power train, Feb 12, 2025
My 2021 Chevy jerks and jumps into gear when putting it into drive from park. This has resulted in the truck jetting off uncontrollably. This has happend several times going back to 2021 but Chevy will not do anything about it.
Power train, Feb 12, 2025
While driving vehicle pulling out into an intersection lost power do to Transmission failure (valve control body). Truck was towed to a Chevy Dealer and was confirmed transmission failure. There was no warning or symptoms prior to this incident.
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.
Power train, Feb 10, 2025
I have a 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 Custom crew cab truck with an 8-speed transmission. I have had transmission issues for a few months. I am experiencing hard shifting from 2nd gear down to 1st gear, slipping while at cruising speed, shuddering between 20mph-50mph, transmission getting too hot. I was told by an automotive shop that they experienced the hard shifting and that they also heard a whining sound while driving. They told me that they a found a Service Bulletin that came out in December of 2024, that there could be a pinched line on top of the transmission that could be causing the overheating. I have read that the transmission control module needs to be reprogrammed, a fluid flush and refill, the Thermal Bypass Valve could be at fault. Basically everything that has been released about the transmissions on 2020- 2024 GM vehicles as being safety problems, I am experiencing. I have checked my VIN on the NHTSA website and also with a dealership, and both show that there is not a recall for my VIN. I do not tow anything, just normal ever day driving. I now have 90,000 miles on the truck and the issue first happened at around 87,000 miles. The issues with this truck are clearly manufacturer defaults and something should be done on their dime, not mine. The first time that I experienced the problems was at the end of November in traffic, which a hard shift into 1st gear, felt like I was hit from behind, but was not. Dash lights came on (traction control light, parking brake light, check engine light) and the truck went into "Limp Mode". I was able to exit the highway and get into a parking lot. I looked in the owners manual and found a quick solution and was able to regain power and all lights went off except for the check engine light. Got the code checked and it came up Transmission Control Module was potentially the issue. Code was cleared and didn't have the problem for a long time.
Power train, Feb 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P), the vehicle failed to recognize that the vehicle was in park(P). The contact stated that the "Shift to Park" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was forced to move the gear shifter back and forth between gears before the correct gear was recognized. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer; however, the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and it was discovered that the transmission control module had short circuited and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000.