Complaint volume
729 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
2021 Chevrolet Silverado Complaints
729 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, grouped by component category.
729 Total complaints
16 Crash reports
11 Fire reports
11 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, power train, engine and engine cooling. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 16 crash reports, 11 fire reports, 11 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 160 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 55,255 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, power train, engine and engine cooling?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Chevrolet Silverado?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Chevrolet Silverado
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado complaints?
16 Crash
11 Fire
11 Injury
0 Fatality
62 Towed
6 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Chevrolet Silverado complaint categories?
ENGINE 211
POWER TRAIN 126
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 41
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 36
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 36
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21
STRUCTURE 19
STEERING 18
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 14
SERVICE BRAKES 14
729 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | While towing at night with horses, trailer lights started blinking on and off, eventually for longer periods, then stopped working all together. Research shows this is a common problem in GM vehicles related to the wiring and trailer light module. This is especially dangerous when pulling horses at night and all of the sudden lights go out. GM issued a technical service bulletin. This should be a recall... | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | I completed the N252494003 recall inspection on my 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 6.2L at Carl Black Buick/Chevy/GMC in Roswell, GA. They said my crankshaft was not one of the vehicles affected and sent me on my way with my free oil change as a remedy to the issue. I subsequently used that information, thinking the “bottom assembly” of my motor was good and not impaired, and proceeded to have the DOD/DFM deleted from the motor because it was a known fail point and this work cost me $7,000. Maybe 6 months after my inspection for the recall, I begin to hear a noise and I take it to the same dealership for service and they tell me the crankshaft is faulty. Nothing about the DOD/DFM delete and subsequent ECM tune had any impact on the crankshaft and yet, the dealership is denying fault when it was there service department hid the truth of the engine during the inspection. The warranty for the crankshaft is no longer applicable because of the modifications I did, but had they been honest about the faulty crankshaft, I would’ve never done that work to it in the first place. The engine should’ve been flagged during inspection and replaced. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,000 |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 63,000 |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | See attached document for complaint. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Hard shifting in most lower gears, slipping gears, shuddering in higher gears | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | 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 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE | Random catastrophic engine failure Randomly made a clunk noise and oil pressure dropped to 0. Engine needs replaced | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |