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.
Power train, Engine, Aug 9, 2023
Vehicle began to shudder on the highway, managed to pull off at next exit and drive to nearest gas station approximately 3 miles away from the highway. Vehicle was towed to neared GM dealership. Dealership has determined that the fault is caused by a failed or multiple failed Camshaft Lifters inside the engine. This has been reported to be a common issue with the GM 5.3L Engine with no active recalls. The vehicle shudder began on a highway during construction where the highway was restricted to one lane. There was an accident with bumper to bumper traffic where an ambulance required way. The vehicle was not in stable condition and could have caused safety risks to other drivers on the high way as well as my passengers and myself. There were no symptoms prior to the vehicle shudder, the Check Engine Light did not come on until about 3 miles of driving closer to the gas station. The Service is being warranted by GM. There are active GM tickets open. Vehicle is being serviced by Stickland Cadillac Buick GMC Chevy in Brantford Ontario Canada
Engine, Aug 5, 2023
July 18th 2022 16,059 miles engine issues again. This time was 21 hours from home. Cause reported was oil pump failed. New engine to be installed. Asked if previous engine issues was resolved aka lifters but couldn’t get a 100 precent yes or no. Truck now has little over 30k and from time to time makes noises like lifters chattering. I pray it’s been addressed but fell it may still fail again. Just will it be under warranty or out of warranty next time.
Engine, Aug 5, 2023
Lifters failed 7,588 miles November 2021. Dealer replace both lifter banks since trucks mileage was less than 8k miles.
Power train, Aug 2, 2023
The truck lunges sometimes, and will jerk shifting, also at variable speeds the truck will feel like it is "riding over rumble strips at a low speed" at variable speeds 30 MPH to 70 MPH. It makes for an unsafe feeling having the vehicle lunge unexpectedly, and the shuddering on the highway causes alarming panic, and reaction, and a feeling of delayed response from the accelerator. Yes, everyone says it is a known GM issue, but nothing will be done, unless I contact a lawyer. No No warnings, or lamps of any kind.
Power train, Jul 31, 2023
It’s been going on for some time and have taken it to the dealership for request but with no help. The transmission keeps shuttering bucking between gears this is sometimes violent but seems to be becoming more frequent. This is mostly between speeds of 50-60mph
Steering, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jul 28, 2023
While parked I turned on the truck and got service sec warning and power steering failure. Brakes barely worked and wheel was locked. After restarting the car three times it went away and truck became driveable. Took it to a dealership and they said there’s nothing they could do as a code didn’t pop. Seems unacceptable as my family is consistently in the car and if it happens while driving could be extremely dangerous
Power train, Other or unspecified, Jul 25, 2023
Smell gasoline inside the cabin. Vehicle jerk when moving gear from reverse to drive or drive to reverse.
Power train, Jul 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-45 MPH, the rear differential detached from the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the rear differential to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,315.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Jul 3, 2023
While pulling out into traffic the vehicle will momentarily lose all electrical power and the engine shuts off causing loss of brakes and steering.
Electrical system, Jun 26, 2023
I bought this vehicle brand new off the lot in 2021. Truck hasn’t had any problems until this year. Every few weeks it will randomly just not want to start, I’ll usually check the battery and the battery will be completely drained. I can’t figure out what is causing the battery to drain like this, but something needs to be done as I have literally been stranded places due to my truck just deciding not to start randomly. Today i’m having this exact problem, my trucked was parked overnight in my garage and I went to go to work this morning and once again the truck won’t start and battery is drained. All my doors are shut and no interior lights are left on.
Steering, Jun 22, 2023
Electric power steering loss. Message stated to service power steering and ecs. Could not control vehicle.. After powered off for 20 minutes it went away and then was towed to dealer who found nothing wrong. Extremely unsafe!
Engine, Jun 8, 2023
I was driving one day and my truck started to misfire. I figured since it had 95,000 miles it was time for a tune-up. So I took my truck to the Chevrolet dealership and they originally quoted me $2,200. The rep and mechanic said they have seen many trucks just like mine having the same issue. They said it starts with something called a “rocker arm” breaking and then that leads to more severe issues. After a month of my truck sitting they came to me and said it will cost $8,100 to fix it. Basically they replaced the engine. My complaint is I’ve had many vehicles and none of them needed an engine replaced after only 95,000 miles. I later found out that the engine that’s in my truck is a 4 cylinder which is a very low power/small engine which is expected to handle the weight of the truck along with towing. I just believe it was a poor design and that engine is ill equipped for a truck and the dealership/manufacturer should bear responsibility for that.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jun 2, 2023, crash
This is a potential problem for a serious injury to a child , stroller, pet - or damage to front of truck and vehicle in front of truck. The hood of the truck is very high. And sitting in the drivers seat you are "driving blind. " It is impossible to see an object directly in front at bumper level. The only way to judge the distance to an object, or small person, is to get out of the truck and look. I had minor damage to the front of the truck by hitting my garage. But more seriously if there were a child or stroller- you literally cannot see it. This could be easily fixed with a forward looking camera - and the truck comes with a rear one- but Chevynfirs not offer any front camera/ park assist on any of its Silverado 1500's.!The manual says park assist is an option- but Chevy currently does not offer that option. This is dangerous..
Engine, Jun 1, 2023
I was cruising down the freeway at around 60 miles an hour when the vehicle started stuttering and shaking and I could not accelerate. The truck couldn’t get out of its own way and was a danger to my family. I took the truck to the dealer where they told me I had a lifter failure. They replaced the bank of lifters on the one side of the engine where the failure occurred and sent me on the way. I’m hearing the lifters is a common issue from multiple dealers. I’m not sure I feel confident in my vehicle any longer. I would prefer the dealer or manufacture to buy it back at this point.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 25, 2023
The monitor has disconnected many phone calls and rejected software updates. The monitor has been reported to the dealership and has been in many times for harness replacements, harness for the door locks and the timeframe for the repairs was a couple of weeks. The monitor still disconnects calls and I must pull the car over and restart the truck the monitor stays off sometimes until the monitor wants to engage. The history of the truck with this issue has been documented with the dealership
Engine, May 25, 2023
The first incident that happened to the vehicle was two weeks after the purchase the engine light came on and the pressure dropped and the truck was riding rough and driving slow on a main street 35 miles from my house. The 2nd incident had around three weeks after being in the dealership for a few days with the same code and symptoms as the first incident. The third incident happened three weeks ago while on the highway the engine light came on engine pressure dropped and it drove rough and slow during consistent traffic and I had to pull over. I contacted the dealership and made an appointment. My vehicle wasn`t driven for two days until it was taken to the dealership. The engine light has come on many times through my ownership of the vehicle. I don`t feel safe driving this vehicle
Engine and engine cooling, May 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the radiator needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 22-NA-047 (Coolant Loss and/or Coolant Odor). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 40,200.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the tailgate was heard opening. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not yet been taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.
Power train, May 5, 2023
Transmission making a whining noise and delays between shifting.
Engine, May 3, 2023
Lifter failure at 24,500 miles
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Apr 29, 2023, crash
The transfer case has locked up several times causing me to wreck once. The engine misfires and does not give the MPG advertised. The life of my family has been put at risk with little to no care from the dealer after several attempts for service.
Engine, Apr 21, 2023
While driving at approximately 60 Miles per hour, two engine valve lifters on Cylinder 8 suddenly failed reducing the speed of the vehicle suddenly and stalling the vehicle out on a freeway. This mileage of this vehicle at failure was 16,996 miles.
Wheels, Apr 19, 2023
There is a current recall on this type of vehicle because the spare tire is not the correct size for the vehicle. This is recall #N212346510. Unfortunately, my specific vehicle is not included in that recall for some unknown reason. I experienced a flat tire, road service came and replaced with the spare which is too small for the vehicle, and I was only able to travel to a tire dealership in order to have the original tire repaired and placed back on the vehicle. I still have the wrong size spare even though there is an open recall for this problem. The dealership will not replace the spare without manufacturer recall one my specific vehicle VIN and/or direction to complete the exchange from the manufacturer. Evidently, only a certain percentage of the effected vehicles were recalled. That hardly seems safe. This problem can lead to issues with the brake system if a car uses the wrong size spare. How do I get my specific vehicle added to this recall in order to have the needed service? Please advise. Thank you.
Structure, Apr 12, 2023
The tailgate electronic release will randomly open allowing the tailgate to open while driving or parked. This causes your secured load in the bed of truck to now become unsecured. This also forces the driver to make an emergency stop to secure the tailgate. The switch can release the tailgate multiple times causing the operator to spend an excessive amount of time getting the tailgate closed and secured.
Engine, Apr 8, 2023
The transition shifting make some sounds and feels ansafety wile you drive all dealerships say is normal Blacksburg va and salem Va said is normal I call GENERAL MOTORS THEY SAID IF THE DEALERSHIP SAYS NO IS NOTHING WE CAN DO NOW I HAVE A 45 K DEBT ON A TRUCK THAT NO WORKS RIGHT FEELS ANSAFETY TO DRIVE AND NO BODY CAN HELP