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, Apr 23, 2026
For the second time in my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado with a 5.3-liter engine, I've had GM lifter failure. It's directly related to the Active Fuel Management System (AFM), and was confirmed by my Chevrolet dealer's mechanic and service writer, Burdick Chevrolet in Cicero, New York, on both occasions. They've had to perform a multi-thousand-dollar lifter replacement service job. They've told me that GM is aware of the safety issues, but won't do anything about them. It also happened to me with my 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, but I was lucky that time. It was fixed with new spark plugs and wires. It's cost me thousands of dollars for repairs each time. But that's not why I'm reporting this to NHTSA. The issue is safety. When the lifters fail, you get no warning. The truck rattles and rumbles. It becomes unstable on the road, and sometimes wobbles as if it's about to go out of control. The problem causes the loss of electronic stability control (ESC) and renders the electronic parking brake useless. Lifter failure can also cause the engine to stall while driving, especially at a stoplight. This happened to me. I had to press the gas pedal gently to keep the engine running at a stop light just to get off the road. On the highway, when the lifters fail, the truck slows to a point where it cannot keep up with traffic. That presents a dangerous situation. It's not safe. GM knows about it, but as far as I understand, the company has done nothing to fix the safety problem. Internet forums are full of comments about the problem, the safety issues, and the enormous cost of repairs. Surely your agency can compel GM to fix the lifter failure problem before someone suffers a major accident due to an uncontrollable vehicle. I'll never buy another vehicle with AFM. Many people are unaware of the dangers involved with this system. GM should get rid of it. [XXX] Skaneateles, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 22, 2026
Truck is equipped with a 6.2 engine. It is a 2021 with less than 100k miles on it. Dealership is stating engine failed for no reason. Dealership confirmed engine failure this past week of April 2026. This is a known issue and my vehicle is not under the recall. Truck stalled out of no where. There was no warning before it did it.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 21, 2026
right bank collapsed lifter. this is the 3rd time in 5 years this has happened same side same lifter. loss of power engine shakes the whole truck. Also electronic emergency brake won't release automatically and engages when driving. This has happened when I first bought the truck in Mar 2021, again in nov 2024 and currently at antelope valley Chevrolet on Mar 20 2026 for the same thing.
Engine, Apr 18, 2026
When taking off it will sometime have hard shifts, shuddering, and acceleration hesitation. While driving, it will do static jolts. Dealer couldn’t pin point problem and advised for a new transmission or we could drive it until it dies. Dealer didn’t recommend to change transmission oil in fear of creating more damage.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that additional engine oil was needed a month or two after an oil change. The contact stated that one quart of oil was added every 1,500 miles driven. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, and it was informed that it was normal operation for vehicles with the 6.2L engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case for the contact and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
Electrical system, Apr 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several electrical failures, including the door locks erroneously unlocking and locking while driving, and occasionally, the ignition key could not immediately be removed from the ignition switch after turning off the vehicle, causing the battery to drain. Recently, the vehicle failed to immediately start after inserting and turning the key inside the ignition switch. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Engine, Apr 16, 2026
I am writing because I have a truck with the 6.2L L87 engine and it has been burning oil at every start up and acceleration from stop signs or stop lights, it blows out a blue cloud of smoke. I have asked Jeff Belzers in Lakeville , Mn to look and they did not as my vin did not show up in the recall. I took it to Maur Chevrolet in Inver grove heights, Mn and they told me that my miles were too high and they did not do an oil consumption test. I am burning 2 1/2-3 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles. I called the GM customer service line and they said there is nothing they can do except note it, so if I do get it repaired and pay for it, I could possibly get reimbursed in the future. If there is a known issue with this engine and there being 3 different engine builders, than why is it that my engine doesn't fall under that recall. It has all the symptoms of the engine failure that is specified in the recall? And it started about 6 months ago. Thank you Sincerely, [XXX] P.S. I have 136,000 miles and the special coverage warranty runs out at 10 years or 150,000 miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 15, 2026
The coolant control valve failed and the repair resulted in an engine oil leak which persisted for 8 weeks and still has not been repaired. The service manager at the dealership and General Motors Company are trying to figure out how to fix it but are not able to yet. They may have to replace the engine is one thing the service manager said to us this week.
Engine, Apr 14, 2026
Engine Temperature fluctuates. Check engine light comes on, prompt on dash will say engine is overheating. Engine fan stays on high. Code on scanner states Coolant Control Valve. GM has issued special coverage on this exact issue. However, they tell me my truck is not covered. I am very upset with GM as they are failing to address a known concern with my vehicle.
Power train, Apr 14, 2026
On my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Custom, I began noticing an issue around 79,000 miles where the vehicle did not come to a complete stop as smoothly as expected. Initially, I suspected the brakes, as I purchased the truck new and had not performed any brake maintenance up to that point. I scheduled an appointment with the dealership to have all four brakes replaced; however, upon inspection, I was advised that the brakes were still in good condition, with approximately 90% life remaining. I then completed a test drive with the shop foreman, who was able to replicate the concern to some extent and suggested that the issue may be related to the transmission. At this time, the dealership is in the process of disassembling the transmission to determine whether the issue can be resolved with a repair or if a full replacement is necessary. It is concerning that such a significant issue would arise at approximately 80,000 miles. Based on similar reports I have reviewed, this appears to be a relatively common concern within the 80,000–90,000 mile range. Additionally, this poses a serious safety concern, as the vehicle’s hesitation in coming to a complete stop nearly resulted in a rear-end collision while en route to the dealership. There have been no dash lights on.
Power train, Apr 13, 2026
I was accelerating to 45MPH on a main road. My truck was running just fine. At about 45 MPH it felt like I hit a wall, and my truck started to rapidly decelerate and seemed to be downshifting very hard. A reduced engine power warning appeared in the message display, and the check engine light illuminated and began to flash. I luckly the car behind me was able to change lanes quickly and missed me and I was able to pull off the main road and turn off the truck. I let it sit for five minutes and restarted the truck. When I did, the truck seemed to drive at 25 MPH, and I kept it at that speed and was able to get it to my work down the road. When I got to work, my company's mechanic ran the code. A P2732:00 Transmission control solenoid valve 6 stuck off and P0700:00 transmission control module requested MIL illumination codes came up. We also noticed my truck no longer went into reverse and the engine would just rev and nothing else happened. I had the truck towed to the Chevy dealer who also got a P2732 error code. The truck as been at the dealer for the last two weeks and I have not told them to fix it yet.
Engine, Apr 12, 2026
On January 2, 2026, I brought my vehicle in for service to replace the upper and lower ball joints, as well as the control arms. I retrieved the vehicle from the repair shop on [XXX] and departed the same day for travel to Mississippi. Later that evening, while traveling southbound on [XXX] near Columbia, Tennessee, I stopped at [XXX]. Upon re-entering the highway and accelerating to merge into traffic, the vehicle began shifting through gears abnormally. While in approximately 6th gear at around 2,900 RPM, a loud banging noise occurred, followed immediately by a significant loss of engine power. At the same time, the check engine light illuminated. Due to the sudden and unexpected loss of power while actively merging into highway traffic, I was nearly rear-ended by another vehicle. I was forced to take immediate evasive action and pull onto the shoulder to avoid a collision. This incident created a highly dangerous situation not only for myself but for surrounding motorists. This lifter failure occurred without warning and directly impacted my ability to safely operate the vehicle in a high-speed traffic environment. I believe this presents a significant safety concern that warrants investigation. There have been over 600,000 recalls for this and Chevrolet's solution was an entire engine replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Apr 11, 2026
Rough shifting in low gears, can be dangerous in intersections due to low acceleration ability. The check engine light is on for replacement of Transmission Valve Body Assembly.
Steering, Apr 10, 2026
All of a sudden my check engine light came on with the sudden loss of power steering. Almost impossible to steer at low speeds. After turning it off I waited about 15 minutes then restarted the engine and there was no problem steering. Concern about it happening again in the middle of traffic.
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 9, 2026
I am filing this safety complaint regarding a documented engine wire harness chafing defect in my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 2.7L L3B Turbo engine. While driving, my truck experienced erratic acceleration, engine throttling to 3,000 RPM without returning to idle after releasing the accelerator, engine misfires, sudden loss of engine power, stalling, and multiple simultaneous warning lights. These conditions created immediate safety and collision risks on public roads. GM issued TSB 21-NA-149 in June 2021 and a second bulletin September 17, 2021, both before my November 2021 purchase, identifying wire harness chafing in the L3B engine caused by a manufacturing error. A wire harness clip was removed during production creating an uncontrolled harness branch that contacts sharp edges on the ECM/TCM bracket, upper control arm, and shock tower during normal engine vibration. This defect was built into the vehicle at the factory and was never disclosed to me at point of sale. The defect manifested after warranty expiration causing cascading failures; wire harness, catalytic converter, and transmission, all within five weeks. Vehicle has been inoperable since January 8, 2026. Defect confirmed by independent mechanic and by Ancira-Winton Chevrolet (authorized GM dealer) in their own repair documentation referencing GM Bulletin 21-NA-149. Dealer documented catalytic converter failure as consequential damage from wire harness repair. GM created Customer Satisfaction Program N192219370 for this exact defect. My VIN was excluded despite experiencing identical symptoms. No safety recall has been issued. Loss of throttle control and stalling at highway speeds represents an imminent collision risk. I request NHTSA investigate a formal safety recall for 2019-2023 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with the L3B engine.
Steering, Apr 9, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Engine, Apr 9, 2026
The contact's father owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle started losing automotive power. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and while the vehicle was shifted to drive(D), the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the lifters and cam shaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
Power train, Apr 8, 2026
The transmission has been having issues for the past couple days. It is the 10 speed model and I have noticed everyday for the last couple days that there is an unusual shifting pattern between 25-60mph. This is sometimes accompanied with a shudder that feels like going over rumble strips without the sound. The feeling is not constant, but I will come to a complete stop and under light acceleration it will return. Under hard acceleration it is not noticeable. However, I am concerned with the unusual shifting. It can happen at a constant speed where it will do a random shift up or down or under light acceleration it will feel like it’s slipping for just a second. The vehicle has 99,900 miles on it and there are no warning signs or lights active. The vehicle is about to be serviced to do an inspection to find the underlying issue. This is a safety concern because the vehicle could potentially cause more damage to the transmission and with the random shifting, could potentially cause an accident.
Power train, Apr 6, 2026
Hard shifting in most lower gears, slipping gears, shuddering in higher gears
Engine, Apr 2, 2026
COMPLETE ENGINE POWER LOSS. I WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK TO WORK. I PULLED OUT TO THE DOUBLE LANE HWY TO MAKE MY WAY TO WORK. AS I WAS EXCELERATING UP THE HILL THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED, FULL POWER LOSS. PRIOR TO THE POWER LOSS THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ALARMS. ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON. LUCKILY IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING AND THE ROAD WAS NOT BUSY. I WAS ABLE TO COAST MY TRUCK TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LATER HAD IT PULLED TO THE SHOP. I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE FAILED. THERE WAS AN ENGINE ERROR CODE P0016. I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WAS SHOT AND WOULD BE BETTER OFF REPLACING. i WS ALSO TOLD THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE CURRENT RECALL. THE ESTIMATE TO REPLACE IS $9500. MY TRUCK HAS 93,XXX MILES ON IT. iT IS CURRENTLY AT VOGELS CHEVROLET IN KIEL, WI 53042
Power train, Engine, Mar 31, 2026
On August 10th 2025 I was driving down the 5 freeway to the airports All of a sudden I notice my check engine light is on. It was Sunday Chevrolet is closed so I got off the exit to go to auto zone in XXX. I stop at a red light my engine shuts off. I tried to turn it back on twice and it starts to smoke where the battery is. I have it towed to Chevrolet Fairfield. Where they figure out my ground wire came loose and shorted out. I paid for that to get fixed upon returning to get my vehicle on August 31, 2025 I drive not even 10 miles down the road and I hear a boom and then really loud clanking. I blew my engine. It was diagnosed with the same problems as other 6.2 gm motors. I have it towed back to Fairfield Chevrolet. It sat in Fairfield for a couple months due to me working out of town for work and the manager from Fairfield Chevrolet started giving me problems harassing me saying that if I didn’t get it off of his lot he was going to start charging me. So I had it towed from Chevrolet Fairfield to my house in [XXX] where it has sat since. I have been going back and forth with Chevy because I know of the recall however my vin is not in that recall yet it is the same problems as all the ones with the recall. I am really wanting to fix my vehicle as it has been almost 9 months. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Mar 31, 2026
The rear wheels suddenly locked up while driving. It did it twice then the check engine light came on and then the transmission would not shift into gear until I turned off the truck and turned it back on. This happened 3 days in a row all while driving. Exactly the same. No prior symptoms or warnings before the incidents happened. The vehicle is currently at the dealership being inspected. There is a recall (N242454440) that addresses this issue but I'm being told that my truck is not covered under that recall because my VIN is not part of it.
Engine, Mar 29, 2026
Random catastrophic engine failure Randomly made a clunk noise and oil pressure dropped to 0. Engine needs replaced
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the recall inspection, and no repair was needed. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, five months later, the engine seized in the middle of the roadway. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was shifted to neutral(N) and pushed over to the side of the road with assistance. The vehicle was impounded by the local Police Department. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the recall remedy had failed to correct the issue. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ26001 (Engine). The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 125,700.
Power train, Mar 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward while the accelerator pedal was depressed after the brake pedal was depressed. While the contact’s husband was driving approximately 78 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the transmission light drive(D) started flashing, and the transmission unexpectedly shifted to neutral(N). The driver was able to coast to the side of the road, depress the brake pedal, and wait for a while before continuing to drive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, there was no cause for the transmission failure found. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 63,000.