Model record
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 3, 20269,859 complaints16 model years
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years with the most owner complaints are 2014, 2015 and 2019. Owners named the steering most for 2014, the braking system for 2015, and the engine for 2019.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Most of the complaints fall in the 2014 to 2018 generation, the Silverado Chevrolet called all-new for 2014, and they peak at 1,433 for 2014.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 complaints by model year
Every Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Airbag system55%360
- 2011Airbag system54%563
- 2012Airbag system27%215
- 2013Airbag system28%301
- 2014Steering28%1,433
- 2015Braking system32%1,098
- 2016Braking system32%791
- 2017Powertrain26%711
- 2018Powertrain32%514
- 2019Engine34%1,058
- 2020Engine33%702
- 2021Engine45%788
- 2022Engine38%596
- 2023Engine38%361
- 2024Engine46%284
- 2025Engine48%84
Best Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2012Airbag system · 2 recalls215
- 2013Airbag system · 2 recalls301
- 2010Airbag system · 3 recalls360
Most common Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- EngineNamed most in 7 of 16 years2,210
- PowertrainNamed most in 2 of 16 years1,824
- Electrical systemNever the top system in a year1,512
- Braking systemNamed most in 2 of 16 years1,457
- SteeringNamed most in 1 of 16 years950
Our guides for these problems
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years to avoid by generation
Chevrolet called the 2014 and the 2019 Silverado 1500 all-new, so the years in the file fall into three groups. NHTSA's file starts at 2010.
2010–2013
Last years before the all-new 2014
2011 most complaints · airbag system
- 2010360
- 2011563
- 2012215
- 2013301
1,439 complaints · 4 model years
2014–2018
All-new for 2014
2014 most complaints · steering
- 20141,433
- 20151,098
- 2016791
- 2017711
- 2018514
4,547 complaints · 5 model years
2019–2025
All-new for 2019
2019 most complaints · engine
- 20191,058
- 2020702
- 2021788
- 2022596
- 2023361
- 2024284
- 202584
3,873 complaints · 7 model years
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 3, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. NHTSA's recall service returned no answer for 2025, so that year is not counted. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010Most often: airbag system3
- 2011Most often: airbag system4
- 2012Most often: airbag system2
- 2013Most often: airbag system2
- 2014Most often: hydraulic braking6
- 2015Most often: hydraulic braking11
- 2016Most often: airbag system12
- 2017Most often: airbag system7
- 2018Most often: airbag system7
- 2019Most often: tires10
- 2020Most often: tires12
- 2021Most often: seat belts8
- 2022Most often: exterior lighting6
- 2023Most often: exterior lighting3
- 2024Most often: trailer hitches2
- 2025No answer from NHTSA—
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2012Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2014Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2015Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2016Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2017Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2018Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2019Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2020Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2021Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2022Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2023Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2024Frontal 4–5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2025Frontal 4–5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 8 investigations into 6 problems that cover Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model years from 2010 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2014, 2015 and 2019. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2012 drew the fewest complaints: 215. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Across every year in the file, owners named the engine most, in 2,210 complaints, then the powertrain, in 1,824.
Which Chevrolet Silverado 1500 years have the most recalls?
2016, 2020 and 2015, with 12, 12 and 11 recall campaigns.
Silverado 1500 year pages
20141,433What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 4 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.