Complaint volume
508 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
508 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, grouped by component category.
Buyer interpretation
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
508 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
The most common categories are power train, engine, service brakes. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Enriched records include 10 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 8 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage is available on 195 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 44,903 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
508 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | While pulling a 14' enclosed trailer when i left off the gas pedal there was a sudden low growl/vibration coming from the bed area of the truck. I was slowing down for a red light and it started at around 20mph. I pulled off slowly when the light turned green and was listening with my head out the window but everything seemed normal, about 2 miles down the road from the initial vibration/growl incident and running about 40mph the rear differential completely locked up causing the drive shaft to snap off the pinion yoke and left me sideways in the middle of both lanes with an enclosed trailer and alot of ticked off people cussing at me like i did it on purpose or something. Because the rear end was completely locked up, there was no way for me to move out of the road way so i had to sit blocking both lanes for 2 hours while waiting for a tow truck. There was no warning lights, the only kind of warning was the quick and subtle vibration/growling noise at the redlight. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Pepboys, and the contact was informed that the engine was a quart and a half low on engine oil. The mechanic determined that a gasket was deteriorating, and the seal had fractured, causing the oil leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the engine and transmission needed to be removed to replace the gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer opened a case for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 84,000 |
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was determined that the transmission was failing to shift into gear properly. The contact was unaware of which part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,690. | Crash: No Fire: No | 114,690 |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon cold starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and suggested that a diagnostic test be performed. The contact called two other local dealers, Herndon Chevrolet Service (5617 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072) and Jim Hudson Chevrolet Service (111 Newland Rd, Columbia, SC 29229), but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics and was diagnosed with engine failure. The manufacturer was contacted and offered a gift card towards the purchase of another vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 77,000 |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | Collapsible lifter and lift rod failure | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My truck has been into the dealership repeatedly from Aug 2024 to where it sits now to this day because of the engine and the electronic fuel management system. This fuel management system has destroyed my engine by allowing excessive oil consumption to which it turns the oil black. The engine goes from v8 to 4 cylinder to save on fuel which makes the engine work harder. It causes the rocker arms and pistons to work harder which makes them fail. These problems have occurred with my truck and now the dealership wants 20,000 to replace the engine when they worked on it continuously even after my warranty period had expired. Keep in mind that they were still fixing these problems when my warranty hadn't expired yet they fail to fix it properly. I make payments on a truck that I hardly ever get to drive. I have service invoices to back up my claims. There are numerous others that are dealing with this problem and it's all over the internet so i am not the only person | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | An electrical component related to the vehicle's rear sliding glass window and rear defroster malfunctioned and overheated, causing smoke to fill the cabin of the truck as it was being driven down a busy highway. Immediately following the smoke, the rear window violently shattered due to overheating from the malfunction. This dangerous defect was known to exist in our model and year of truck, as documented in Customer Satisfaction Program N192265660. This bulletin shows that GM knew about this exact issue, yet allowed the vehicle to be sold and driven. This incident was incredibly dangerous and easily could have caused my wife (who was driving) to crash the vehicle due to limited sight and distraction. My wife called me following this incident and was terrified and confused. There were no warnings, signs, or symptoms suggesting an issue with the electrical component until the incident occurred. We immediately contacted GM, who advised we were not permitted to get the vehicle fixed until they completed their inspection; however, it has been nearly a week and no inspection has occurred at this time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | This complaint is submitted as additional information related to a previously filed safety complaint for the same vehicle and incident. Since the original submission, General Motors Product Assistance Claims verbally denied responsibility, refused to inspect the vehicle, refused to provide written confirmation of their denial, and ceased responding to emails and calls. GM previously instructed me not to repair the vehicle and promised a rental vehicle and tow, neither of which were provided. The vehicle remains unsafe to drive due to smoke intrusion and shattered rear glass and has been left exposed to freezing and rainy conditions. This incident appears consistent with a known rear window defroster thermal defect similar to GM Customer Satisfaction Program N192265660. GM’s refusal to inspect or mitigate increases safety risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated or shuddered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. Due to the failure, the torque converter and the transmission were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls for the failure under the VIN. The failure mileage was 85,377. | Crash: No Fire: No | 85,377 |
| Jan 2026 | SUSPENSION | We bought the truck new 2018 and started having trans issues and leaf springs popping. So, we took back to dealership and all they did was change fluid in trans and pump grease in-between leaf springs. I did get them to finally change passenger side leaf spring out, but that does no good when leaf spring they put on has the same issue. The leaf springs have to much gap in between each leaf. I told them to give me a 1,000.00 and I would go and have some made. That way, if I put a load on leaf spring it less chance they could break going down the road. Also, we have issues with radio that also did not get fixed by gm and still has the issue we can't use today. My truck also has the 6.2l engine that you guys have had complaints on. I will tell you that I'm not happy with what Gm is doing with these defected parts on these trucks. They are doing quick fixes to save them money on their screw ups and could get us killed. We are still having the issues to this day and they just brush us off. We pay a lot of money for these truck and Gm is ripping us off and costing us more money because we have to pay to fix their mistake, they should be fixing for free. All I want from Gm is get these issues fixed right and pumping grease in-between parts does not fix anything. We have to hold them accountable for these issues and make them fix it before it cost more peoples lives. I just want what I paid for and I did not get that when I bought it with these types of issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The back sliding window on the drivers side exploded, sounded like a shot gun going off , I had started my truck with the key grabbed some thing to take with me pulled out of my driveway and it exploded , call The manufacturer went through a number of calls. They had a dealership do an inspection and Gm said not there issue , just had it replaced and it is immediately showed signs of overheating with discoloration and defroster lines breaking in the glass immediately after the vehicle got repaired. Certainly there is an issue that needed correction but can’t get the correct help. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My transmission blew up and I almost wrecked my truck. No engine lights came on, and still no engine lights are coming on it only has 69,000 miles on it and has never missed a service. Its currently at the dealership where I bought it from | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 30,434. It was later discovered upon checking Carfax, Auto Check, and VIN Inspect that the mileage was 134,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 134,000 |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Torque converter failed which led to premature transmission failure at 115,000. Known common issue with 6L80 and TSB advising this. No recall | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | Since purchase in 2018, my pickup truck has had a ticking and banging sound which includes rough idling and a check engine light. During routine maintenance, oil changes, etc. I have continued to ask about the noise but GM technicians have said nothing is wrong. In November 2025, i took the truck to a local shop for an oil change and that’s when I learned it has lifter issues. Upon investigating whether other Chevy Silverado truck owners are experiencing the same thing, I’ve learned about various recall and extended warranty programs offered by General Motors. I’m wondering when or if my 2018 Chevy Silverado might be included in a recall or could i be offered an extended warranty? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | Crotch buckle belt is frayed and no longer safe to use. this should not fall under the umbrella of normal wear and tear since it is a safety strap. Nuna claimed it to be caused by a rodent, but there is no other evidence or signs of any other rodent activity | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, the contact became aware that the title was incorrect, and it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. At the time of registration, the mileage was 43,000. The contact stated that a Carfax report indicated that the mileage was 149,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 149,000 |
| Nov 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact became aware of abnormal oil consumption and sound coming from under the hood. The local dealer was contacted; however, the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | shudder while driving | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 2018 6.2l engine dropped 3 lifters at just a little over 70k miles. Vehicle is my wife’s and almost caused her and my child to have an accident while traveling on highway at posted speed. Vehicle lost power that resulted from premature engine failure resulting in vehicle losing power to the brakes and steering while in heavy traffic. This directly affected my wife and immediately caused her to have a panic attack. Vehicle has always been maintained to the highest levels. This issue affects a substantial amount of these motors around the same mileage. Very bad and unsafe AFM design that is common among vehicles with this engine. Transmission is also experiencing studdering/vibration issues. Right now we have paid out over 5k for engine repairs. Transmission needs repaired and presents a constant safety risk to our family as well as others. GM needs to stand by their products as we consumers put our trust in these vehicles to be safe and to last more than a few miles. My wife and I both have to work and unfortunately we don’t have the extra funds to purchase another vehicle or to keep shelling money out to fix a basically new vehicle that we have babied. Please help us hold companies accountable for their failure to stand behind their products. Thank you for your time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Number one electrical system left side wire harness manufacturer installed in properly, not watertight and ran through a pinch point causing wires to break. Safety was put at risk due to power failure from fuel pump and brake lights failing which could’ve caused a potential accident. Been confirmed by an independent service center. Reached out to the manufacturer. They said there was no recalls. It was very unhelpful. On the failure happened a light did come on. Number two media end navigation system this is a safety risk because at certain times it will switch between screens at will by itself. They will also put calls on hold, causing you to instinctively reach for your phone and taking your attention from driving as well as switch off of navigation moving your attention from driving, this is a clear definition of distraction and not serving the purpose it was created for which is also been confirmed by an independent shop. I reached out to GM. They said there was no recalls. And there is no service light. P.s.I just found out that I could make a complaint here so I do not have any of my old documentation. I just went to the dealership this morning to try and get some help and I had no luck. They would not be helpful at all. They just want to sign me up for a service meeting and charge me another $500 to look at it only to tell me they can’t order me a wearing harness again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the engine was making an abnormal knocking sound while driving and during start-up. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V328000 (Engine). The contact was concerned that the engine might seize. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was linked to the cylinders. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 155,000 |
| Oct 2025 | SEAT BELTS | Safety restraint system light comes on regularly | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My 2018 Silverado z71crew cab LT , 5.3L engine was having issues with hold Freon in AC unit. We took to dealer to be fixed in June 2025. They added Freon and it was running good for a week then once again blew but no cold air. So took back second time 7/3/25 and they started the die test and machine went down in middle of doing it. So could not finish fixing . We took back on 07/20/25 and they completed the test needed condenser . So few days later we took to our local mechanic to have the condenser replaced and all is well with the AC unit now. Everything was fine from mid July 2025 till Oct 14 th 2025 , when it started shaking and was running rough and engine light was on so I had it checked for codes to see what it needed. Came back as bad injector. So we took to local mechanic to have injector replaced and tuneup and coils replaced . After this was completed was running much rougher then before we even had that injector and tuneup done. So mechanic suggested for him to keep it and let him dive deeper into what was wrong and why it was running rougher than before, so we let him do that.. after two days, he came back and told us that there was a crack in the engine and that is why it was running rough and that it probably was going to have an engine failure and might be and must be replaced. So I looked up my VIN number to see if there’s any recalls for my particular truck and engine size which is a 5.3 L and it doesn’t show my particular truck but it does show my year of a Silverado and the 3.6 L engine has had the same issues so I was wondering if this recall should be extended to the 5.3 L 2018 seems to be the same problem with the engine block. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | When attempting to stop, the brakes were rock hard and would barley compress. Almost crashed into the car in front of me. Brake booster was replaced a month ago by dealer, but still is losing vacuum. No codes are being thrown, so any reasonable driver would assume everything is fine with the vehicle. It is going to get someone killed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |