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.
Other or unspecified, Dec 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the tailgate inadvertently opened on its own. As a result, the contacts tool box fell from the vehicle potentially becoming a dangerous road hazard. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign 24V060000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 17,000.
Service brakes, Dec 2, 2024
Mechanics said that they see this on all new chevy trucks that the bracket causes the rubber brake line to rub on the bracket holding it in place also causing it to stretch and tear. Resulting in a over 500 dollar fix. The brakes failed on the interstate causing them to lock up. Almost killing me and my daughter but was able to gain control of the vehicle and save it.
Engine, Dec 1, 2024
I bought my 2021 chevy silverado 1500 Lt crewcab in march 2021 it had 5000 miles on it I had it for 2 weeks when it started shaking and the engine light was flashing. Took it in to auto nation cheverolet and they had it for a month. when I got it back and started the vehicle the engine light was still flashing. They had to change the lifters on Bank 1 because number 8 cylinder lifter was bad. why didn't they change all the lifters. 3 years later I am having the same issues getting a misfire on number 4 cylinder truck shaking and white smoke coming out of the exhaust. Also the dash lights up with service parking break and service esc when the engine light flashed. ofcourse my warranty is exceeded and GM knows about this problem with the 5.3 and 6.2 engines and won't issue a recall. it is a big saftey issue as your vehile looses power or shuts off. this shou;dn't be happening especially when your vehicle is fairly new. this is twice now this is happened in 3 years and now I have to pay out of pocket to get this fixed because gm won't issue a recall on this known problem that is happening to thousands of customers.
Vehicle speed control, Wheels, Other or unspecified, Nov 28, 2024
We were driving 40 mph when all the sudden the rear tires locked up without warning. We almost got in an accident and thankfully were able to get off the road. Then, the check engine light came on and the truck went into limp mode and would not shift gears automatically and it was difficult to make it home. We had a mechanic come to our house to run a diagnostic and they informed us of the recall and confirmed it is what the truck was experiencing. We took it to the dealership and they confirmed the recall and that there was no available fix and nothing they could do for us. Meanwhile, ours is not safe to drive.
Power train, Electrical system, Nov 25, 2024
UNKNOWN - The truck began jerking/braking on its own while driving last week. I took it to a local transmission shop where it has sat for the past week as they said the transmission control module/tcm needs to be replaced but the part needed is on back order. This issue sounds similar to the recent transmission recall (N242454440) though our vin does not show there to be a recall on our exact vehicle. Our truck meets the specifications of the recall and having it inoperable has placed a hardship on my family. How can I get it fixed under this recall at a local GM dealer?
Power train, Nov 19, 2024
Transmission failed. Safety was put at risk for me and others, truck started jerking. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer and has been at a dealership since June 2024, it is now almost December 2024. They were waiting on a new transmission to come in due to these transmissions were put on back order. There were no warning lamps or messages on dash. The truck just started jerking while driving and it was very unsafe to drive. We had to have truck towed to dealership.
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.
Power train, Nov 15, 2024
Transmission issues such as vibration/grinding, delayed shifting, rough shifting, clunking noises when changing gears, jerking sensations, vehicle is available for inspection. The transmission control valve may fail, causing the rear wheels to lock up. Transmission was inspected, Dealer claimed Torque converter issue and replaced that part, however, ISSUE still exists and Dealer claims that at the 2nd inspection, it was the tires giving me the rough shifting and vibration/griding I feel when driving. No warning messages, just continued vibration that turned into grinding at it continues to get worse. Issue started at 55K miles, truck currently has 60K miles, torque converter was replaced at 58K miles. The issues seems to be the same as the current GMC Diesel transmission recall. This recall SHOULD pertain the Gas Transmissions for the same year vehicles.
Engine, Nov 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked with the oil pressure gauge fluctuating. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and upon inspection, the contact discovered that the engine oil was extremely low. The contact added six quarts of oil to the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil, and that six quarts of oil was added every 5,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,400.
Power train, Nov 13, 2024
The transmission jerks from time and time. There is a lag between shifting and first and second gear
Power train, Nov 13, 2024
My truck has less than 50,000 miles on it and the transmission feels has if it's shifting hard and shuttering during the cycles of first to third. I do not see that my truck has a recall, but if there is a problem with my trucks transmission, then I need to have it looked at before the 60, 000 or 5 year warranty expires. Can I just take it to a Chevy dealership and have this inspected at NO CHARGE to me?
Structure, Nov 11, 2024
Unwanted inadvertent tail gate opening. The tailgate is opening without human interaction causing a safety issue and potential loss of cargo. Damage to tailgate from striking objects due to inadvertent opening
Structure, Nov 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact became aware of a stain on the rear driver’s side interior of the roof of her vehicle and became aware that the source of the leak was the edge of the window. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be inspected, and the contact was informed that there would be no assistance with repairing the vehicle since the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,900.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 7, 2024
Vehicle attempted to do an 'over the air' update to the infotainment system. This prompted an error message, stating the update failed and return to the dealership. Took vehicle to GM dealer, diagnostics were run, and dealer stated that an update was not available, and the module for the infotainment system was bad. Quoted me $1600 for replacement and install. Have read multiple reports with owners' having the same issue. Infotainment system attempts to do an update, and it fails. The owners are left paying out of pocket for something that was not their fault. This needs to be a recall. Not only are you paying a hefty amount for a repair that is not your fault, but the entire Infotainment system doesn't not work (stereo, cooling/heating info, back up camera etc)
Engine, Nov 6, 2024
While driving down the highway on 11/03/2024, the engine warning light started to flash, I heard a clicking & Clanging noise so I pulled over as soon as I could find a safe place. Turned the ignition off & on again & engine warning light did not come back on, but still heard noises coming from engine. When driving home, the engine warning light came on again. I stopped again & turned the ignition off. When I turned it on again, the warning light quit flashing. I drove to the local GM dealer the next day, and they said it was a lifter problem. I did some research and found there were many lifter problems for a 2021 Silverado that I owned. I was hoping the dealer would replace both sides of lifters as they told me there was an issue & they were reengineered. Service department employee said they could only replace one side as that was all GM would approve. I told the employee that I did some research & there was a bulletin that said if mileage was less than 16,000 miles, both sides should be replaced. The employee said you surely have more miles than that & I showed her my odometer reading of 14,528. Again the employee told me that was all that GM would approve. I believe this is a safety issue if there is not a safe place to pull over. Also there should be a recall to replace these lifters with the reengineered lifters or extended warranty so us consumers are not stuck with a huge bill in the future as GM is aware this is a chronic problem.
Power train, Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and passing another vehicle, the rear wheels inadvertently locked-up momentarily, causing the vehicle to momentarily shudder and to downshift to second gear while the RMPS revved significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer replaced the knock sensor; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the failure recurred while the vehicle was being test-driven; however, the dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact later became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V097000(Power Train), which the contact related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Nov 1, 2024
The tailgate activates on its own, whether the truck is on or off, in motion or parked, the tailgate will activate and open at random times. There is no button that is pressed down, and no user error making this happen. When driving the vehicle, the tailgate will slam open and if you are pulling a trailer, the tailgate will slam into the trailer hitch and cause damage. Also, contents falling out of a truck bed is also a serious concern for other drivers. The truck was read for codes, and the code U0140 came up for the body control module that is malfunctioning. The truck has not been inspected by the manufacturer as of yet, but if need be, it can be arranged. The first time this error was noticed was in August 2024, and has been happening on & off since then. There were no dashboard lights on showing an issue was present when it first started and even now there are still no warning lights. Please consider issuing a recall, this is a major safety issue for other drivers.
Power train, Oct 25, 2024
Vehicle began to lose power on the highway almost causing a collision due to the low speeds I had to travel. My vehicle was taken to a local Chevrolet Dealership and was told I had bad lifters and a bent rod. I was told this is a common issue with newer mold Chevrolet Silverado’s .
Power train, Engine, Oct 22, 2024
When I started my truck in the morning a group of warning lights came on. This included check engine, ECS control, Parking Brake service I took truck to dealer that said I had bad or broken lifter in cylinder # 6.
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.
Latches/locks/linkages, Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that when the driver's door was opened the tailgate opened inadvertently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V060000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,364.
Electrical system, Oct 13, 2024
The inner tailgate on my 21 Silverado is not functioning properly. The upper electronic button on the tailgate operates the inner tailgate and will release when opening the vehicle. It will continue to release by itself and can cause damage to the vehicle or to other vehicles while carrying a load.
Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 7, 2024
Fuel pump module failure while driving causing vehicle to stop abruptly while driving at highway speeds.
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.
Structure, Sep 26, 2024
The way I can best describe it is my vehicle falling apart, either due to cheap parts. Or poorly being put together. I was driving down the highway at about 65 miles an hour, when suddenly I hear something smack what seemed to be my headlight, then again snack into my drivers side mirror. I had not seen anything on the road previous to this or anything in the air so it seemed strange to have “hit” something. I was about an hour from my destination still so when I arrived I checked out my headlight. I then discovered I hadn’t hit anything, a piece of the fascia of my truck had blown off in the wind, which was the first sound I heard, then proceeded to impact my drivers side mirror. I’m not sure how long it was in the air or if it had impacted any vehicles on the highway behind me.