Complaint volume
767 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
767 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, grouped by component category.
767 Total complaints
18 Crash reports
11 Fire reports
12 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 18 crash reports, 11 fire reports, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 162 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 55,888 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?
18 Crash
11 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
64 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Chevrolet Silverado complaint categories?
ENGINE 226
POWER TRAIN 130
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 43
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 40
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 39
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 24
STRUCTURE 19
STEERING 18
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 14
SERVICE BRAKES 14
767 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,VISIBILITY,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact observed an excessive amount of condensation on the interior of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the lifters resulting in misfires in the engine. The dealer also determined that cracks in the rear windshield glass guides resulted in excessive condensation in the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 18-NA-383. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 9,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 9,000 |
| Apr 2024 | STRUCTURE | Tailgate will open in it’s own while driving or when parked. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | STRUCTURE | My 2021 Silverado (~29500 miles) pickup has a multifunction tailgate. I noticed about two weeks ago that the tailgate would unlatch and come down at random. I might unlock and open the door or I might start the vehicle or I might turn off the vehicle and the tailgate would come down. It is very random and has no pattern to why it is happening. The gate is electrically controlled inside the vehicle as well as the controls on the gate itself. I find this such a serious safety concern because you can not tell when it might come down and if you are pulling a trailer it could be disastrous. My main concern is that I might be backing into a parking spot, which I frequently do, and the tailgate is either down or comes down at the wrong time and at best I might back into something or at worst back into or pinch a person between the tailgate and another object. I have seen this problem reported online but I can not verify independently nor first person that it has happened to others. I am having the vehicle serviced next week under the existing warranty. There never were nor are there now any warning lamps to indicate a problem. Until the repair is completed I have put two bungee cords in place to hold the tailgate up. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while his wife was driving on two occasions at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to exceed 20 MPH. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the #2 lifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred a few weeks later. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled on three occasions while stopping and using the Auto START/STOP feature. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. On the last occasion, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that another lifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 6,000 |
| Apr 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Unknown system Tailgate lowered by itself. It was up when we got in and left and was down when we got to our destination. Luckily the only thing that came out was a golf towel and not the two sets of golf clubs as well. I believe this is a problem on other GM vehicles Has not been inspected and no warning lamps | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | I was driving along about 45 mph and the truck was cruising in overdrive so about 1500 rmp on tachometer. I hit the gas to climb a hill as truck started to lose speed and when it tried to shift out of od to pick up speed the brakes seemed to slam on and I skidded to almost a stop. This has happened several times when climbing a hill or anytime I have to pass a vehicle or accelerate from out of overdrive. The dealer could never seem to get it to reproduce during test drive. They recently said there is a service bulletin for this exact issue and are waiting for a new valve body for transmission. My service records show I had a new valve body installed last year due to transmission pump bearing coming apart internally. The valve body is only a year old. But this is a very dangerous situation. I have to drive my truck for work and I have to be really cognizant of how hard I touch the gas and what gear I am in. If this happens to anyone while on the freeway and a semi or another vehicle is too close their truck will downshift and lock brakes and it could cost a life. It only happens under these circumstances but it has to be a recall. A service bulletin doesn't get it as someone has to have it happen for it to even be looked at. I have to drive my truck as I do not have a choice. But a service bulletin shows that GM I'd aware of the issue but they are unwilling to do a recall. A lotnof silverados are on the road and inwould hate for anything to happen. It could ruin a lot of lives. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the tailgate independently unlatched. The contact stated that the failure occurred several times during the snow season. Additionally, the contact stated that due to the tailgate independently unlatching, damage was caused to the center of the tailgate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 45,000 |
| Mar 2024 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | I purchased a used 2021 Chevrolet Silverado from a dealership 5 months ago. Almost immediately after purchasing the truck, I would hear and feel an intermittent pop that originated from near the floor of the front passenger side. The sound became more frequent and would happen mostly when making sharp turns but also when making softer turns. I took it to the dealership to investigate. They had it for a week and supposedly examined the entire vehicle. They were able to replicate the pop sound when driving it but were unable to diagnose the problem. They claimed that sometimes trucks just make noise and assured me that the vehicle was safe to drive. I asked how they knew it was safe if they didn't know what the problem was and how was I to know that whatever is causing the sound isn't causing internal damage. The service manager again assured me that the certified mechanics looked at every detail of the vehicle and found nothing to be concerned about and sent me on my way. After taking the truck home, I continued normal use of the truck, taking it on 3 long distance trips on the highway. The sound continued as it had before, occurring intermittently when turning. 2 days ago, I was backing out of my driveway. I heard a very loud pop and got out of the vehicle to find that the front passenger wheel had completely broken at the ball joint of the control arm and was lying nearly flat on the ground, held suspended by the brake line and CV boot and other attached components. The truck was towed to the dealership, where it currently is. The service manager told me that the mechanics did everything that they were supposed to have done and that unfortunately this is a mechanical part that can fail and that he has seen this issue in 7-8 other vehicles like mine. If this is a common problem, there should have been a red flag when presented with this issue. If this would have occurred on the highway at a high rate of speed, my family and I could have been killed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | A couple of days ago, noticed some coolant under my truck. Took it to a dealer who informed me that the radiator has a crack in it. The truck has just over 53,000 miles on it and the warranty doesn't cover the radiator after 36,000 miles. We keep it serviced as normal and there hasn't been any extreme weather here in Oklahoma lately to explain the this away. Just irritating to pay the kind of money you pay for something that has this kind of issue already. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | SEATS | Several times mi wife and I have been close to provoking an accident due to the driver seat not been able to go up for my wife to see well over the dash nor will it go down for me to see the gages well. My wife has been stretching to look over creating neck and back pain and I have lowered my head down taking my eyes out of the road close to provoke accident several times. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. In addition, an abnormal grinding sound was coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle surged forward after experiencing hesitation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the valve body was replaced; however, the failure worsened upon retrieving the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact of Technical Service Bulletin: 20-NA-187. The dealer stated that there was no repair for the bulletin. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1. Trucks start/stop delays. When in traffic or crossing over lanes the truck fails to turn back on/start. When the truck does turn back on, the truck jumped forward almost sending me and my family into on coming traffic. 2. When trying to start the truck the starter will turn over constantly not turning on the truck (motor is turning over). The starter will time out after about 20+ seconds. The starter does this when auto start/stop is activated, so we get stuck in traffic almost causing accidents. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | On Sunday, January 4th, the tailgate of the truck began unlatching and opening on its own. It has done this repeatedly since that date. Only unlatches when the vehicle is in park and unlocked. The electronic latch will continue to cycle (click) after the tailgate has initially opened. Exterior taillights and side markers flash as they should with each cycle. This issue is identical to the warranty recall issued recently for the 2020 through 2024 Chevrolet and GMC 2500 & 3500 trucks. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | Lifter failure on bank 4. 23000 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ENGINE | "Cylinder 4 misfire" was the diagnostic code - the vehicle is currently at Millennium Chevrolet in Hempstead, NY. First attempt at a fix was the fuel injector - second fix is replacing the rocker arm. Emissions is still showing as an error. I was traveling to the dealership for repairs when the misfire became so bad that multiple alerts illuminated on the dash. I was in stop and go traffic at the time going 30 mph. Thankfully I was near a place to pull over out of the flow of traffic. I tow with my vehicle and just returned from a cross country trip - if this happened while towing up a grade in the western half of the country, I don't know what I would have done. Yes, the dealership confirmed the problem and it is under the powertrain warranty. I do not know if GM Engineers have inspected the engine, however, it has been in the care of a GM dealership and service center since [XXX]. [XXX] the check engine light illuminated for the first time, yet went off after .2 of a mile when I turned around to return home. I made an appointment with service at the dealership the next morning ([XXX]) and was on my way there when I no longer felt safe driving it and called for a tow truck. [XXX] - check engine came on and went off. [XXX] - check engine came on again. [XXX] - check engine - on the way to the dealership - service parking break, anti-traction control. This is when I pulled over because the vibration from the misfire of the engine became much worse. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | On the evening of Dec 19th, our 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 DuraMax with 19K miles on it caught fire, burned, and was declared a total loss. We were on our way to go pick up our travel trailer as were we leaving for a trip on Xmas with our 2 dogs and my brother-in-law. Smoke started billowing out from under the hood and within minutes the front end was engulfed in flames. I have pics/videos. We’re ok but that was a scary situation that could have had a different outcome. We could have been on the highway towing our trailer with our 2 dogs and bro-in-law and who knows how long it would have taken the fire department to arrive on scene on the highway. There were no warning lights etc. to notify us. The truck gets driven, taken care of and I had just driven it the day before. We’re not aware or have seen any recalls. All info is on our Chevy app. We filed a claim with our insurance, and it has been paid off now, but in reality, "our fault" in insurers eyes. No cause was determined. That being the case, GM has closed claim and say not liable for personal property lost in fire, as insurance didn't contact GM with any mfg defects and insurance has already paid off the truck. We are repeat Chevy customers. This was our 4th leased Silverado and we also have a Traverse. The lease on the burned-up truck was coming due May 2024. We way overpaid on the milage. We're not filing a homeowners claim for lost personal property as insurance has paid off the truck and we don't want to be dropped. My question is wouldn't this be under warranty? Should the truck not be replaced? We didn't cause the fire. Much more damage could have occurred. People and pets could have possibly been injured or worse. If we were towing our travel trailer, that would be another big loss. The truck is no longer "available". Insurance told me today it's being sold for parts, which honestly kind of scares me. I wouldn't want a truck part that was in a fire, damaged or not. Videos not attached. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Radiator is leaking coolant. Truck is 2 years old and this is a known issue being widely reported | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Truck lost power and shut down without warning while driving in traffic. Happened twice on the way home from church with my family. First time truck shut off as we were turning across a busy intersection. Coasted off on to shoulder of highway. After several attempts truck restarted. It shut off again before reaching home. Has to call a tow truck. Has truck towed to local Chev dealer on New Years Eve. Dealer kept truck three days. Could not find problem. I picked up truck, drove home, truck shut off just before I reached my house. Coasted into driveway. Called dealer. Said bring it back. Waited two hours. Truck started so I drove back to dealership, approximately 15 miles. Truck shut off again without warning on highway in front of dealership. I sounded horn and flashed lights as I coasted across oncoming traffic into dealership parking lot. This was on Wednesday Jan 3rd. Friday afternoon dealer called and said that hey have not been able to isolate problem. Said they know they are losing communication between modules but don’t know where. The “fix” they claim is to take the cab off the truck and replace entire wiring harness! Cost is $6300. Truck has 48,000 miles on it. All highway and road miles. Can’t afford $6300 to repair a 2.5 year old truck. I am fortunate that neither me or my family were involved in a crash due to truck shutting off unexpectedly. This is a very dangerous issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH a burning rubber odor and a smoke haze was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. After stopping to investigate under the hood flames were present at the passenger side fire wall of the engine compartment. Moments later the cabin of the vehicle was in flames which quickly spread and the entire vehicle became engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene to extinguish the flames. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. A police report and fire report were taken. The cause of failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The local dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was 90,000. | Crash: No Fire: Yes Towed | 90 |
| Dec 2023 | POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Transmission lags between 1st & 2nd gear some times as long as 3 seconds making transfer case hit hard . I have had this truck at the dealer 2 are 3 times with this and other matters , the maintenance technician reports he can not reduplicate my grievance , this malfunction occurs more prominently in cold weather in morning on first take off . All so turn signal malfunction at random no particular pattern , Tech. all so unable to reduplicate . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | AIR BAGS | Airbag failure to deploy. Vehicle didn't deploy airbags at a head on side collision, metal bumper got pushed in and front tow hook got bent, Impact was detected by iPhone crash detection. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | SUSPENSION | I went to dealer for an oil change last week. They told me the left front shock had a minor leak and they would be ordering me a new one. After arriving home I noticed that the passenger side shock was also leaking. On 11/28/23 the truck went to the dealer to get both front shocks replaced. Upon arriving home after the new ones were installed I looked at the shocks and noticed the passenger side was leaking fluid to the point it was puddling in my driveway. The fluid was pissing out from inside the shock. I began taking photos and videos of such. My wife is 22 weeks pregnant and this was in needed stress for her. Not only did the brand new shock fail but put her and my future baby at risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ENGINE | On October 2, 2023, the check engine light starting flashing and loss of power while driving. I was not far from the dealership where I purchased the truck on September 12, 2023, with 29.000 miles. They did diagnostics on it and found that the engine/powertrain computer/module needed factory reset. Then on October 17, 2023, I started my truck and heard what sounded like a knocking sound in the engine. It quit after about 1 minute during cold start. The next day it sound got worse, so I drove it into the dealership to have them look at it. There were no warning lights or any other warning signs. Was told by the service advisor after showing them the video I took of the noise that the lifters have failed. The repair was done a week later and that did not fix the issue. I was told the truck needed a full engine replacement. I'm very fortunate that I was not driving at the time when this failure happened, or I could have had an accident. It is now almost a month later and I'm still waiting on the engine to arrive for replacement. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, pinging sound was coming from the vehicle before the vehicle started to lose motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that several unknown messages had flashed on the instrument panel during the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the cause of the failure was due to the lifters. The lifters were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,500. The VIN was not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 31,500 |
| Nov 2023 | POWER TRAIN | On 6.22.23 at Lake Powell AZ this truck transmission locked up twice and nearly threw the wife and I through the windshield, very traumatic!! Happened towing a boat entering highway, had to pull to a narrow shoulder. Jarred our bodies, seatbelt into shoulder/chest. The engine light came on, had truck towed to Flagstaff Chevrolet. Had it 3 weeks. Drove home to Huntington Beach, CA without issue. Drove fine until 10.21.23 when engine light came on. Took truck to Delillo Chevrolet on 10.30.23 where purchased, they diagnosed, said Flagstaff Chevy did not program trans. computer correctly, programmed and said it was good to go. Picked up truck on 10.30.23, drove about 50 miles 11.2.23 to work and back, that night went to drive and the engine light was back on. I turned off an hour later. I drove it the next day no engine light, leaving physical therapy for my recent shoulder replacement, going 40 mph when it did the same thing it did in June! It jolted me two times nearly hitting my head on the steering wheel. The transmission shifted to 1st gear, certainly red-lining the engine. I drove the truck slowly to Delillo, just a few miles away. I told the service manager I can never drive this truck again, it is unsafe, traumatizing waiting for this to happen again. I would never put my family in this truck again. It has caused me physical and emotional trauma. The vehicle is unsafe, the jolts caused my new shoulder to hurt. It is devastating to think what would happen if I was at freeway speeds. Others need to know about this issue as well. Thank you so much for your time and what you do to ensure the safety of vehicles on the road. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |