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.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds and in also while reversing, the “Trailer brake system Service” and "Stabili-trak Service" messages were displayed. Additionally, the ABS warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle stalled on several occasions; however, on other occasions, the power steering function became inoperable. The vehicle was able to be restarted after each failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
This 2108 vehicle had 56174 miles on it in October 2023 when the starter went bad, then with 56382 miles on it in November 2023 the lifter failed and the engine had to be replaced and then with on 56838 miles on it in Dec 2023 the engine light came on and the dealership replaced the canister and solenoid. All in a 3 month time. Chevy says it happens. Then we start reading it is a problem with their 2019 to 2024 vehicles. Maybe it goes back more.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 - 50 MPH, there was an explosion on the passenger’s side of the vehicle followed by a cloud of white smoke. The driver's side seat belt had loosened and failed to retract. The contact noticed a message on the instrument panel stating "Service Restraint System" at the time of the explosion. The contact stated that the interior lights and the flashers remained illuminated after the explosion. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home and turn off and then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the canister for the air bag had exploded; however, the air bag had not deployed along with the canister. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, and it was confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the Takata Recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 118,000.
In May 2023, my 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 6.2L V8 engine experienced a catastrophic engine failure at 82,986 miles. The failure involved the camshaft, lifters, oil pump, and other internal components. I paid $7,319.63 out of pocket to have the engine disassembled and repaired by a certified mechanic. I recently learned GM issued a recall (NHTSA Recall No. 24V266) for 2021–2024 vehicles with the same engine due to internal engine failures caused by crankshaft and rod bearing defects. Although my 2018 model isn’t included, the failure I experienced closely mirrors the conditions cited in that recall. I believe the same defect may exist in earlier models like mine. I’m submitting this complaint to urge NHTSA to consider whether the recall should be expanded to include additional affected years.
At 25,000 miles, noticed "howling" noise coming from front end. Noise became louder as speeds increased. Lifted truck on jacks and determined the front passenger wheel bearing was failing. Required replacement.
Both front brakes applied themselves going down highway. Brake pedal was hard and stiff. Had to pull over. Brakes did not disengage for several minutes. Could not get brakes to release. After turning the vehicle off, drove to nearest auto repair shop, and brakes seized again going barely 20 mph. Chevrolet dealership did diagnostics and could not find anything obvious. No warning lights or issues occurred before this moment. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Unknown exact cause. Has occurred since diagnostics. No replacements or work has been done directly related to this issue as nobody is certain what the cause is.
unknow getting gas in oil at 62532 miles on it which can cause the motor to grenade. a lot of the 5.3l on 2018 has this trouble from watching utube and using research, should be recalled and transmissions trouble as well.
I have a 2018 chevy Silverado 1500 crew cab, I’ve been having problems where the truck warning light would come on saying “service stability control” and the truck would turn off when reversing and while driving on highway and the light flickers and the steer wheel would lock up as well, please help me out, I have searched over the web and have seen other people posting about it and having the same problems but yet Chevy has not done anything about it, this is a safety hazard
While driving my truck on [XXX] , steering locks up, unable to turn the steering wheel. Crashes into guard rail going approximately 57mph, thankfully no other vehicle involved in this matter. I was not hurt, and had seatbelt buckled and then noticed damaged on the drivers side of the truck. Which included front bumper, left headlamp assembly, left front fender, left upper control arm, damage to front and rear doors, bedside panel, rear bumper and both wheels, and tires. Gerber Collision body shop in Henderson, Ky wrote the estimate and did the repairs for approximately $16,000.00 in damage and paint. On 10/02/2023 we took this truck to Kenny Kent Chevrolet for power steering intermittently going out, and they replaced the battery, codes for low voltage to power steering module. Tested battery and found to test bad, so they replaced the battery. Checked for codes and none were found after replacement of the battery, appeared to be the point of failure at this time. That repair was $404.96, kind of strange on part availability for a electric power steering is on BACKORDER! and module is not serviced separately, and even NO RECALLS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Torque converter failed resulting in failure of transmission. Requiring complete replacement of transmission at the cost of $7100 from dealership.
When I hit the brakes the brake pedal gets hard and I can hear air leak from around the brake pedal. There is a recall for this but my VIN does not fall into the recall, per the dealership and Chevrolet. The description of the recall is the identical thing that is happening when I hit the brakes. The recall info is listed below. Service brakes, hydraulic Recall date 2020-10-01 Recall no. 20V603000 General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist. Hide details Recall consequence A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Recall action GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall is scheduled to begin November 16, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
At random the touch screen/radio will continuously switch through screens and apps while operating and will become extremely warm to the touch. The display screen on the instrument panel will also scroll through randomly. The heat will stay on continuously even though it is off.
The component or system that failed or malfunctioned, FUEL PUMP ( METAL FLAKING IN FUEL SYSTEM ) has caused 1 or more CYLINDERS to FAIL. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety as well as the safety of many other motorists was put at high risk due to the fact that I had a 40ft. trailer hitched to the truck at the time the engine power was reduced. thus causing my vehicle to loose power while driving on a major highway. The 2018 Chevy Silverado was diagnosed by the Chevrolet Dealership doing-business-as ASCHENBACH CHEVROLET located at 925 East Main Street, Wytheville, VA 24382. The vehicle has not been inspected by the Manufacturer. When pressing down on the gas pedal, the truck would not accelerate as normal, then a message appeared on the dash-screen ENGINE LOOSING POWER. MAJOR ENGINE FAILURES & REPRODUCED REPAIRS: **JANUARY 2022 ENGINE REBUILT/REPLACED - Seguin Chevy Dealership **APRIL 2022 FAILED KNOX SENSORS - POWER REDUCED - Rush Elgin Chevy **NOVEMBER 2022 ENGINE REPLACEMENT, FAILED FUEL INJECTORS, GLO PLUGS & COOLANT LEAK - Robbins Chevy Dealership ** SEPTEMBER 2023 FAILED FUEL PUMP, FUEL INJECTORS - Aschenbach Chevy
Transmission is having hard shift and shutter at a speed of 60/65
UNKNOWN I had performed preventative maintenance this evening, fuel filter replacement and noticed after I pulled the fuel filter from the housing and tipped housing back upright, there was what appeared to be brass/gold metal shavings in the bottom of the housing in a little puddle of fuel. If there is metal shavings in the filter, that is a problem. Not sure if it would be fuel pump, or lift pump. Truck runs fine, I do get some hesitation from time to time, but not always. No warning lights/indicators, no water in fuel indicator, or presence of water in fuel. I am worried about safety if metal shavings contaminate entire fuel system, plugging injectors shutting down the truck on the interstate.
turned on rear window defrost and unit started smoking badly with a chemical smell while driving truck. I pushed button to turn rear defrost off so it wouldn't start on fire but the unit had heated up so badly it shattered the window it was touching.
The following Recalls were found on Kelly bluebook, that matched the issues I have been having with my vehicle perfectly. When calling the recall center, they stated my vehicle year 2018 Chevy Silverado and serial number were not listed for this but it's the exact diagnosis of what I'm experiencing. The Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash. As the vacuum level drops, the brake assists decrease, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash. A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The brakes inflate on their own as if someone is pressing them down while driving. The vehicle begins to jerk horribly causing the inability to steer or maintain control of the vehicle or the ability to stop. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This is very dangerous. I have no control over the speed of the vehicle or if the brakes will fail, or if the brakes will burn up due to fighting with the accelerator while driving. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, the manufacturer inspected it and stated they could fix the issues, paid but then the same malfunction kept happening even after payment and supposedly being fixed. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None related to the issues, Stabilitrak warning and then random hill assist to inflate the brake vacuum
I was driving on the interstate and then all of a sudden my vehicle started shaking while driving and by the time I got home in less than 15 miles, the truck was producing huge clouds of smoke out of the exhaust. I took it to a dealership and it was determined the lifters were bad, less than 6 months after I paid off my vehicle and the extended warranty expired. In repairing the lifters it was determined there was a misfire in cylinder 6 which in conjunction with the lifter failure, it damaged rods and pistons to such an extent full engine replace was deemed necessary. I had every maintenance and inspection done on time since the purchase of the vehicle by a local Chevrolet dealership and there apparently was no warning or concern that my lifters were going to imminently fail and/or cause extensive engine damage. My truck was in the repair shop for nearly a 1 year while I waited for a new engine Chevrolet agreed to pay for half of an engine even though I was out of warranty by a few months, but I was under the mileage on the warranty by 30k miles. The truck was not heavily used. Most miles were highway interstate miles from long road trips, but the vehicle largely sat undriven most days of the week for a couple years leading up to the engine failure.
GM has produced millions of vehicles with the 5.3 motor with AFM,DOD,VVT issues. They are well aware of this issue. The factory defect causes the lifters to collapse causing catastrophic engine failure. This posses a hazard to consumers in traffic trying to navigate their stalled vehicles off the roadways. GM customer service is rude and dismissive, furthermore they offer no assistance to fix these problems. The issues with these motors is well documented and any repair shop/ dealership can confirm these issues. There is no indication from warning systems prior to this failure. However there are multiple Dash warning lights after the catastrophic failure occurs. The cost is passed to consumers to address these issues.
The GM 6L80 transmissions have a faulty torque converter. When it goes out it causes a horrible vibration and drive train failure. Which leaves you stranded in traffic or on the side of a busy highway. These transmissions have been installed by GM since 2013 knowing they fail prematurely as early as 60k miles. It’s a running joke that this transmission saved repair shops because of the sheer amount of failures. With the cost passed on to consumers. There are several in detail breakdowns of the defect in this part on various social media platforms and Internet forums. You can call any transmission shop across the nation they can confirm the defect. There where no warning lights prior to, during, or after the failure.
Brake caliper warped
without warning engine stalls
WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TODAY 08/17/23-TRAILER BREAK SYSTEM-WHILE DRIVING. I DON'T PULL NOR HAUL ANYTHING WITH THIS VEHICLE, IT STAYS PARKED.. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE WIRING SYSTEM AND NEED TO BE RECALLED ON THIS ISSUE. I SEE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT, AND WARRANTY OUT. 2018 MODEL AND KEPT BLINKING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. FOR SAFETY REASIN I NEED THIS REPAIR TAKEN CARE OF. NEED A RECALL SO CAN BE REPAIRED AT KNOW COST.
Driving and truck down shifted and dash said Brake assist then said transmission temperature was 250 degrees
The truck excellerate when I stop at stop sign or red light, with my foot on brake pedal acts like it is going to take off without my foot on gas
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after five minutes. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.
My 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 keeps stalling/dying when making turns. There is zero correlation to speed, stop and go, slow, fast, sharp or gradual turn, acceleration or slow rolling start, hard stop then start. It happens mostly when turning right, or left, mostly right. It 's happened 12 times from July '22 to January '23.Dash only shows mileage when it dies. (digital). Rest of console is black (similar to when remote started). It has happened when remote started (twice), other times when manually started with the key. I have tried to recreate stalling turning/starting fast/slow/sharp, etc in empty parking lots while videoing multiple times without success. I took it in to dealer's service center in January '23. They trouble shot it, determining that it was a faulty fuse box and changed that out. It has continued to occur despite this "fix." It has occurred 8 times since January, four of those times in the last 3 weeks, twice on one day. All of these times, except yesterday, I was lucky that no one was behind me. Yesterday, it happened when I turned left. I was able to place it in park restart, and continue. I stopped at stop sign, then turned right. It died again while a truck was behind me. Because it had happened so often, I shifted into neutral, restarted engine, shifted into drive and was able to get enough speed to avoid them hitting me from behind. I was luck the other driver noted that I had stopped and slowed down accordingly. Had I been in heavy traffic, that may not have been the outcome. I know there is a recall for the 2017 year models PIT5405C which describes the exact same thing happening, including engine revving when accelerating from stop after restarting. It then requires stopping, turning off and restarting. I am taking it back to the dealer's service center for further trouble shooting in two days. The service center does all my maintenance and oil changes. I would welcome someone else inspecting/trouble shooting to fix the problem.
Service Trailer brake light would ding and appear randomly while parked and driving with no trailer or load hooked. Radio jumps screens making phone calls disconnecting Bluetooth just spazes out. Truck is currently sitting at the dealer suggesting a TCM repair. Truck will be in Drive and roll backwards. Driving down the road vehicle just goes limp.. no power nothing. Absolutely disgusted with my purchase and what I’m going through with my 2018 Silverado
Failure of the vacuum booster pump. GM has currently recalled 3.4 million pickup trucks and SUVs for this issue under NHTSA Safety Issue ID is 19V645000 but my current pickup is currently not listed as having an recall issued. Chevy dealership would only replace the entire vacuum booster pump as a fix which cost ~$800
June 24th 2023 on a sunny day right after i start my truck ( truck still on my drive way) trailer brake system service notice came on. I don't have any trailer on that truck at that time. This truck trailer brake system service notice on & off and beep too, it keep my eye off the road the most time this is danger this vehicle never been to accident or even small hit...PLEASE GET CHEVY FIX THIS PROBLEM , i don't want have a accident because that notice keep came up and keep my eye off the street.
The transmission caused a vibration and sometimes a surge when it would go into gear. I had to be very careful when initially driving forward, especially in heavy traffic making sure I had a safe distance ahead of me. The entire vehicle would shutter when accelerating almost at any speed.
Control Arm failure with tire separation from vehicle
I have a 2018 Chevy Silverado that has issues with the transmission slipping into different gears as well as hard violent jerking even on the freeway ,and I heard hard rumbling in my transmission burnt out with only 76,000 miles, it's like they're designed to go out.
I have an odd bounce/vibration front suspension both tires intermitting bounce on flat roads. It feels similar to drive on washboards raises on the highway. Suspension bouncing extremely fast. Transmission issues: Some owners have experienced jerky shifts, delayed gear engagement. On and Off Noise Click In dashboard.
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 engine sounded abnormally rough, with a knocking sound coming from the engine. In addition, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and was pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed lifters. The contact was informed that the lifters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Transmission shifts very hard in lower gears and is very sluggish at times.
UNKNOWN The ignition, steering wheel, and electrical. While driving it flickers off and on, turns off the engine, unlocks my doors and turns on again. Yes, our safety as well as others are put at risk this can cause an accident to happen on the road while driving, most likely to get rear ended. Today it gave me a scare because my 2 year old granddaughter was in the truck.
My trailer brake system service light is on. This is due to a faulty wire harness. This issue is also causing the Stabilitrak service light to appear.
Took to the dealership and they did a diagnostics and are requiring me to purchase a new transmission valve. The truck only has 84,000 miles and they have to Remove and replace transmission, Transmission has burn smell, color of fluid is dark, excessive metal shavings present the problem I presented to the dealership was that after you exceed the speed of 50 miles an hour the truck starts to jerk and pulls on you and there’s a very screeching sound every time you accelerate and it always jerks hard on the highway and it feels like if I’m being hit by something from the back
The wheel/wheels locked up while in motion and caused vehicle to veer off road and cause the vehicle to crash. ABS light and Stability Control System warning came on prior to crash.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was stuck in first gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while stopped at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. The check engine warning light and the service stabili-trak warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to notify the manufacturer of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
While driving on the highway the vehicle began to shake and the stability track light came on. It felt like it affected the transmission. We had to get it towed 30 miles to our home area. Shop Calibrated the brakes and says that took care of it. This vehicle only has 30,000 miles on it.
Back in December of 2018 when I got my truck it only had a1000 miles on it and it has been down shifting hard it jerks hard I have reported it to the mechanic at the dealership at Mitch smith in Cullman Alabama and that said oh it’s supposed to do that well now it’s out of warranty and they said it needs this that and the other
Vehicle started to fill with smoke. I exited vehicle to look in the back seat when all of a sudden the rear window exploded causing glass to come flying at me. There was a recall for this exact same issue, however gm says this vehicle is not included in it. Obviously there are more vehicles that need to be recalled!
My back up camera is blue. It works intermittently. There is a recall on the exact same problem for 2019 but not for mine. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10160418-9999.pdf I don't understand that but it is what it is. I am not paying for it to be fixed since it is an issue in the following year. I don;t think I should have to pay for a software issue. I just thought I would report it. Maybe there will eventually be a recall.
My engine cooling lines are leaking and that can potentially cause a very bad problem to my engine itself imagine I'm driving and they pop off causing me to lose all my oil and then my engine can drown and sudden stop while I'm on the highway I was first aware of the problem when my veichle had to be taken in because the transmission was failing at around 55000 miles the dealership told me about this problem which said did not need to be addressed since it's a small leak on the lines but once I got down under my truck and took of the undercover it's more than a small leak now I'm facing having to spend money on a veichle that should not be giving me problems yet at the miles it's at I'm trying to get a hold of my extended warranty to see if it's covered because chevrolet said it's not there problem anymore yet I'm not the only one with this exact problem upon investigating the 2019 had a recall for this exact problem the engine cooling lines and I had notice I had to do more oil changes way faster but never thought it was that
RECEIVING A PERSISTENT 'SERVICE - TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle independently made a sudden stop without warning. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle started operating normally. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home, but once the vehicle was home, the brakes locked up, not allowing the vehicle to move forward. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the ABS had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 111,000.
While on the Interstate with cruise control on, my truck started to vibrate while on highway, then shakes so badly it becomes difficult to grip steering wheel firmly. Slowly came to a stop and checked all four wheels. Waited on side of road until engine cooled down somewhat and then got off highway at next exit and made my way back home on side streets NOT DRIVING OVER 40-45 MPH. Vehicle is currently at dealer Service Department. Said it is normal, but transmission would be checked.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026