NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
An independent service center confirmed that the water pump failed and fell apart. This water pump is a 4-groove pulley (part number 12685259) specific to my vehicle. Most other Silverados have a 6-groove pulley system. This 4-groove pulley water pump is unavailable from the dealer or any of the part stores, as they are on back order with no resolution or availability date. GM has notified some parts stores that this part has been discontinued and is no longer available. This truck is less than 10 years old. There are no other parts, either aftermarket or otherwise, to replace my water pump. The water pump is a vital engine component needed to prevent significant engine damage, and without it, the truck can not run independently without overheating. It is essentially the heart of the automotive cooling system, because the truck water pump function is to continuously circulate the engine coolant from the radiator to the engine and back to the radiator. I have had my truck in an independent service center since January 2025, waiting for this part, which is unavailable. I do have the original part at the shop available for inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem before the failure; it just started making a clanking sound, and I immediately took it to a shop, and have been out of a vehicle for 5 months.
Have had 3 rear door actuator locks fail. Refer to complaint 11538814. Will be able to upload files at request.
Tailgate came open while driving and I lost items in the truck bed. This is the second incident. I had double checked to ensure it was latched before driving.
Purchased this vehicle from a used car dealership 2 months ago. Now the transmission seems to be going out with 132,000 miles on it and funny noise from the transfer case. I have researched and found numerous complaints about the drive train on this vehicle and as a disabled veteran I don't have the funds to have it fixed. How can I get a recall in place for this issue?
There was fuel in the engine oil. Had to replace all of the injectors and the high pressure fuel pump. The shop I had it done at said this is known issue on these trucks - why isnt something being done?
10 miles from home on [XXX] after Thanksgiving with my children sleeping at [XXX] in snowy cold weather, my engine began to fail. Power was limited on hills and the check engine light would come on and go back off when on flat or downhill. The next morning I took my truck to the dealer that I purchased it from where I was told the lifters had failed and I need a new engine. 1000 miles after I replaced my engine my transmission failed completely requiring a transmission replacement. Immediately upon picking up the vehicle and going down a long hill in the area, engine breaking turned on as expected but as the truck tried to slow itself, after 2 or 3 downshifts, the transmission began making a loud grinding sound and while still going close to 50 MPH, the speedometer showed 10-15 MPH and the tach dropped to idle. The transmission was decoupled from the motor. When gas was reapplied it seemed to make the connection again and resume normal driving. I called the dealership whose techs did not believe me and told me that I could 'turn off' the engine breaking feature. The situation continued to worsen each drive and it would do it more often. This was unacceptable and they finally had a tech ride with me to experience it and immediately agreed there was an issue and reordered another transmission. The third transmission did not fix the issue and was experienced immediately. They are now guessing how to fix the issue telling me I have to replace the transfer case out of my pocket with no diagnosis, not sure what is causing it and have not fixed the problem. Videos would not fit in upload due to size. Videos show speedometer failure. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Entire system (everything) shut down without warning, sometimes kick back on, and other times not at all. Extremely dangerous as it will occur no matter traveling on highway or turning a corner in a parking lot. There are discussion boards in which many people have experienced this problem and clearly it is because of "Bad Battery Cables" and common within the 2014-2018 models. My truck is currently in a dealership garage to have the cables replaced and I have to have a rental car while the cables are on backorder for 5 to 10 days (maybe longer). How is this not a "recall" when so common and so dangerous? Dealership could see in a diagnosis that power had been lost and communication lost, over and over and over. There has never been a dash warning light come on at all.
Tailgate came open while driving and I lost items in the truck bed.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine and transmission were recently replaced, and the vehicle was released by the dealer and the failure occurred three days later. Additionally, the contact stated that the dealer installed a rebuilt transmission and engine, with a warranty up to 100,000 miles. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact stated that the repair was declined coverage under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
My truck has had transmission issues since we purchased it. At 79,000 miles the factory transmission finally went out and needed replaced. The truck currently has 81,000 miles on it and is already having transmission problems with the rebuilt parts. Background: the truck began having hard downshifts since purchase. Over the course of our ownership, we noticed it started struggling with shifting from 2nd gear to 3rd and 3rd gear to 4th. Constant "clunking" and shuttering when trying to shift. Approximately November of 2024 the truck suffered from the known GM transmission failures. It was almost "skipping" upon acceleration and had a very hard time with cycling between gears. The transmission began making a sound comparable to a normal operating diesel truck (almost sounded like the turbo engines upon acceleration). The truck was sent to the dealership and the transmission was replaced. However, since this replacement we are now experiencing similar symptoms to the previous transmission. There is a very hard downshift, there is clunking sound when the truck is trying to go from 3rd to 4th, and the truck has a noticeable gear burning smell when driven long distances.
Transmission vibrates when it approaches 35 mph and 65 mph. The vibration feels like rumble strips and last for 3 seconds
Two broken exhaust manifold bolts
The truck started shuttering one day it was like I was driving on the drunk bumps but I wasn't. Also it will drop gears when it shouldn't and at times it will kinda jump like it's losing power and don't want to go. I have taken it to my step dad who has been a transmission mechanic all his life and he said the transmission needs to be rebuilt but even rebuilding it won't solve the problem because it is a flaw in the way it was made so rebuilding it they use the same parts and everything so it will eventually do the same thing again it's all just a matter of when. He also had me go to another really good transmission guy and he said that we could replace the torch converter but still may need a rebuild l. I don't know if any that has to do with my passenger tire wear or my wheel bearing coming loose while driving only one bolt was holding it on when my husband checked it. The wheel bearing coming loose is pretty big safety problem. As for the transmission my step dad works at a transmission shop and he said they get probably 3 to 5 trucks a week having the same problem mine is having and I know they have been recalls on other trucks that have the same problem as mine just my one wasn't in the batch they recalled .
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the transmission failed to operate as designed and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal functionality afterwards. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure; however, the check engine warning light illuminated after the failure and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The failure persisted and the vehicle remained at the residence unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle intermittently shuddered. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
There is a recall for a brake issue on Chevy Silverados of the same year mine is doing exactly the same as the recall calls for but when I try to get the repair for the recall I’m told my vehicle doesn’t have the recall. The problem almost causes crashes due to the brakes not working when the pedal is pressed.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking and jerking. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. In addition, the contact stated while driving uphill, the failure reoccurred. The contact was almost involved in a crash because the vehicle had failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled backward. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle and the contact was able to get to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine and transmission failure. The contact was informed that the engine and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring for over five years. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer several times due to the failure. The contact was informed several times that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
rear back glass) Back glass explosion diving down interstate distraction to say the least.)chevy recalled some but not mine)just happened no inspection)no warnning
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond immediately. The "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed. The contact firmly depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle was able to stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 139,270.
No check engine light come on until continued driving over 15-20 miles. Transmission slams into second gear when taking off or when stopping it may or may not downshift into first causing safety issues when in traffic. Possible electrical error or clutch inside transmission. On this model it is a sealed transmission so no way of identifying if metal shavings come out with a transmission flush. The issue only happens when vehicle is at temperature, if under and still cool drives perfect but as soon as it hits the temperature of 210 it slams very ugly.
Transmission jerking on downshift between 3/2 and 2/1 gears! I have seen GM has been aware of a recent transmissions issue with 2012-2018 plus 2019-2022 years
6l80 transmission out of no where started kicking in and out of gear while in busy traffic. The motor would rev up and then kick itself back into gear multiple times. This wasn’t stop and go traffic also moments later i was at a light turning left as i did the vehicle start this losing power to the transmission except this time i was in the oncoming traffic’s lane trying to turn. Thankfully the other vehicles stopped although it could have ended much worse.
The transmission has been slipping since the truck was brand new (<100 miles) and has always slipped but recently became worse and slips all of the time. This is a known issue with this transmission and should be included in the recall. The transmission slipped going around a curve and almost lost control of the vehicle.
Bad torque converter cause transmission to totally fail. Had chevy do transmission flush,2 yrs ago. Back in Aug 2024, transmission started to slip,while driving,then totally failed,no forward or reverse gears,nothing, had truck towed into chevy dealer, almost $7000.00 later,transmission had to be replaced.
I own a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado (8‑speed, ~81,000 miles). The engine has been audibly ticking, and the dealership confirmed hearing it during diagnosis. This aligns with known AFM lifter collapse issues in the L86 Gen V V8, a design failure rather than simple wear. I’ve consistently used premium Schaeffer 0W‑20 synthetic oil, changed regularly on schedule. Maintenance logs and receipts are available. So far, the engine hasn’t completely failed, but lifter collapse can spiral into catastrophic camshaft or short‑block damage—with no advance warning and high risk of sudden failure. I haven’t had an accident yet, but the ticking is driving home how precarious this is—one mile closer to a full grenade without warning. I’m reporting this in the hope NHTSA will identify a widespread safety risk in these L86 lifter failures and prompt a formal investigation or recall to prevent sudden engine failure in similar vehicles.
Transmission failed and truck shut down mid road while going uphill. Shifting jumps when gears are switched and power jumps and goes down while stepping on gas pedal. At first it showed a check engine light but because i was traveling i had to skip and tried turning on again. It happened at least 5 times while on the road that day and now shifting is messed up and jumps while stepping on gas. I inspected and took to a mechanic for an inspection and said need a new transmission unless there is a recall because it happens to many 2018 chevy silverados 1500.
Vehicle was determined to be unsafe to operate per inspection performed by Mike Maroone Chevrolet on 8/26/24 immediately after I purchased from Rocky Mountain Auto Brokers in Colorado Springs on 8/8/26. It was discovered by customer immediately after sale that bank 2 catalytic converter was restricted internally (after Rocky Mountain failed to correctly diagnose and repair 3 times before and after purchase). Customer discovered emissions warranty extension and took to Maroone Chevrolet. After warranty repair inspection of vehicle determined it was not safe for customer to pick up and drive vehicle and generated a report and video showing front suspension damage so loose that could cause crash and vehicle was towed back to Rocky Mountain for repairs. Rocky Mountain has failed to provide any documentation on these repairs and many subsequent repairs including transmission replacement after many written requests. Customer cannot verify if vehicle repairs brought vehicle back to a safe condition. Almost anll repairs by Rocky Mountain has failed resulting in missing bolts, bolts falling out after transmission replacement As well as failure of many CV Axel replacements documented in their own records. Extended Warranty Company also refuses to provide documentation of transmission replacement after they supplied the part (transmission) to Rocky Mountain for installation. Customer cannot verify if in fact transmission was replaced as it was painted black. Any warranty on replaced transmission cannot be verified and they also have refused to provide documentation or serial number verifying same after many written requests. Customer would like to submit a detailed letter and safety inspection report with further info and details in addition to this online form complaint as this is a complex case and additional info will further prove up these allegations. Some documents provided by Rocky Mountain are inconsistent with customer complaints and do not reflect accurate info.
Hi i toke in my truck twice because of it was jerking was told it was fine noting was wrong my truck is now doing it so hard it feels like I been hit by another car
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the brake pedal briefly became stiff, after which the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to stop but required increased effort. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V603000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 161,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Transmission failed at approximately 120,000 miles. All maintenance had been done and 90% of miles on vehicle were highway miles. Appears as though there's a thermostat mounted on the exterior of the transmission that is prone to failing around the 100,000 mile area, and when this part fails, there is no transmission fluid circulating to be cooled, so the transmission gets so hot it fails. There are tons of youtube videos from many GM owners that have had to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to replace the entire transmission, when General Motors knows of the faulty part.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle shuddered prior to stalling. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the contact was concerned for his personal safety while driving the vehicle after the failure. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #6, lifters, and guides needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
While vehicle is in motion the brake system will automatically start to lock up the brakes and then the stabilitrak light will light up on the dash. As well as if cruise control was set to whatever speed the brakes at some point will begin to slowly lock up causing cruise control to disengage and stabilitrak light will turn on. Relating to: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 20V603000 GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
2 separate lifter failure incidents at 61,000 miles. One failure, happened on a busy interstate, while flowing with the speed of traffic. Truck started to misfire, jerk and blow smoke. I had trouble getting to shoulder of highway to get out of the speed of traffic. The issue was a collapsed AFM lifter # 6. All the lifters were replaced on the passenger side on my dime. 450 miles later, I had to limp again to the repair shop that performed the previous repair to find AFM lifter # 4 failed this time. GM has been knowing about these lifter issues for many of years and this is a safety concern while on busy highways.
The engine/ transmission has been rebuilt 3 times now and still having issues. The RPM goes up out of nowhere. Something is wrong with the truck. I have taken it to my mechanic over 10 times in the past year. It is still having transmission issues even after being repaired 3 times by a transmission shop.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally while driving 45 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The mechanic later determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and determined there were no recalls on the VIN related to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the exhaust manifold bolts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while approaching a stop sign, the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the brake pedal failed to function properly. The contact stated that extra effort was needed while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contacted became aware of a failure with the vacuum pump which had caused the failure with the brake pedal. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and instructed the contact to call NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
I've been in and out of dealers over the transmission shifting points and hard down shifts when almost stopped. And the a/c condenser has cracked on the side for no known reason at 75k miles except for the fact of bad manufacturing
frame has rust all over
02/03/2022 had brake shuttering and hard brake coming to stops and “Brake Assist” warning dealership pulled code C025E and replaced brake vacuum sensor. 04/22/2024 same problem arose hard braking shuttering pedal and “Brake Assist” warning. Took truck into dealer code C025E came up and they replaced my brake booster.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and was slow to respond as needed. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the exhaust. While driving, the rear end locked up. The contact stated that the vehicle was slipping, and the vehicle shut off while driving. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact replaced the spark plugs, coil pack, and spark plug wires with a misfire in cylinder #6. The contact stated that the fluids were replaced at an unknown local dealer prior to the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the water pump had failed, causing the fan belt to be damaged. The mechanic replaced the fan belt and the water pump; however, the mechanic installed an incorrect water pump on the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fan belt and the water pump needed to be replaced; however, the water pump was on a national backorder. The vehicle was not repaired and remained parked at the residence for 3 months. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the part was on a national backorder. The manufacturer declined to repurchase the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that no assistance would be provided and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact attempted to depress the brake pedal; however, the brakes failed to engage as needed. The contact stated that the more consistently the brake pedal was depressed, the more the brakes failed to function as needed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The trailer brake signal will alert an unnecessary amount of times randomly.
Transmission down shift really rough and the went out, Replaced with a new one from dealership and it does the exactly the same thing $7000
I’ve had to have the transmission replaced before hitting 123k miles There is a constant shake, tremble in the car that dealer mechanics cannot figure out and they relate the issue to the transmission Electrical dashboard and ac lightning fixture burnt out
So the recalls were done on my vehicle in September 2023 , I purchased the vehicle in August and after the recalls were performed the truck would seem different but I thought it was just me, we'll I had an alignment done because it was driving crazy , this wasn't done at the chevrolet dealership, so recently we've experience some braking issues and pulling off to the side well I took it to the ryan chevrolet on a thursday and the mechanic kept the truck until Monday so he can diagnose the issue. We'll then he says nothing wrong but recommended I pay for an alignment because ones never been done the original pins were still attached. I declined because I knew better and so he charged me 80. 00 times 2 because I iefused, he was diagnosing the 2 different things I told him we were experiencing. These are the things that can occur if If the recalls arent taken care of, but he didn't care about my concerns, nor did he want to listen , o me I went to big o and I asked about the alignment and they showed me mt truck is perfect in alignment. The brake issues and the going off to the side are getting worse.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several safety related failures which included unintended acceleration. The contact indicated that the transmission needed to be replaced on multiple occasions due to the failure. The braking system had malfunctioned and caused the brake pedal to become difficult to depress. The brake master cylinder was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The steering rack was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that there was a loud clanking sound underneath the vehicle while driving over a bump in the road. The motor mount was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Aug 30, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.