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.
Faulty injector connectors get a loose connection and make truck shutter and check engine light come on . This has happened 3 times already and had to replace one faulty plug . This is all over the internet from other l5p owners. Yet gmc want do anything
Radio changing channels by itself, menus changing by itself, instrument screen changing from info to audio by itself, calls being made to last number by itself, navigation image jumping to different areas by itself not showing the vehicles location, causing confusion when trying to get directions. All this is very distracting for driver and could possibly cause distraction enough to cause an accident.
2018 Chevy Silverado Lt. Lost power steering on two separate occasions for 10 seconds to approximately 15 seconds then the a third incident where power steering was lost 100% and did not come. It was a good thing that I was leaving my house. No power steering at all. Turning around to home had to really muscle the steering steering. Did not clear with repeated attempts at engine restarts. Had towed to dealer. Dealer had no idea what was going on or had never experienced this before. Google searches indicated that this power steering issue has been going on since at least 2014. Battery and cables replaced. Incident happened again back to dealer and I suggested reprogramming the ECM and they did. All seemed good until 4 Oct 22 when driving I lost power steering again for about 5 seconds and then returned to normal. This is a real safety issue. I cannot drive with my granddaughter until this is rectified. Dash reported each time Power Steering drive with caution. Like I illuted to that this power steering problem is concerning and going on for years.
I'm getting a persistent message about servicing the trailer brake system. There is no trailer hooked up to the vehicle. The message covers the speedometer and chimes over anything else.
While driving down the road, I received several non stop alert messages stating "Service Trailer Brake System". The messages were non stop and while I did attempt to acknowledge them and dismiss the alert, I was distracted from driving and had to pull over to attempt to acknowledge or dismiss the alert. After several minutes, I was able to dismiss the alert and continue on my way. This happened on Tuesday evening around 5:00 pm on August 30, 2022. I called Mike Anderson Chevrolet on Wednesday August 31, 2022 around 12:30 pm to advise them about the situation and was told it was water in the wiring.
On Saturday Aug 6th, 2022 my girlfriend and I were driving in my 2018 Chevy Silverado and the car just came to a complete stop really hard. Once the truck froze up, the car would go FOWARD but very slow, jerkish, and sluggish. We were almost hit by three cars behind us when the truck froze up. The truck was towed to the dealership where they diagnosed the truck with METAL SHAVINGS in the TRANSMISSION. And the engine light came on four weeks after I bought the vehicle last October. This time…. There was NO engine light on. Nothing displayed on dashboard.
The transmission failed at 81k miles. Upon doing some research, it sounds like this is caused by the wrong transmission fluid that was installed by GM, not myself, the owner. If known about early enough, flushing the transmission 3 times and replacing with the newest transmission fluid is to correct the problem. I was not notified of this 'fix' and the transmission is already damaged to the point where it must be replaced.
Radio will not let you use part of the screen that controls the phone system. Can not use hands free calling. Cannot us any buttons on the bottom of the radio or the left side. Complaint #11479518 was also filed
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard, extending the stopping distance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the vacuum pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V603000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 30,000.
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Cross Contact LX20, Tire Size: 275/55/R20, DOT Number: A32AWD401518. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side front tire was vibrating. Upon inspection, the contact's husband noticed there was a bump on the passenger's side front tire. The vehicle was taken to a tire store where it was diagnosed that there was a tread bump on the passenger's side front tire due to a fractured tire tread belt. The passenger's side front tire was not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact's husband to take the vehicle to an authorized tire dealer for inspection. The failure mileage was 37,619.
I purchased this vehicle from Galles Chevrolet in Albuquerque New Mexico as a certified pre owned vehicle. Couple of days after I noticed a vibration coming from the front steering and drivetrain I immediately took it back to Galles and they told me nothing was wrong with it and that the aggressive tires was what I was feeling. So I took it back and drove it for a couple of weeks and the vibration started getting worse so took it back again they rotated and balanced the tires and said it was fine. A few weeks passed and it started again took it back and told me tires were out of round and that was what I was feeling 21/2 months it sat in the back lot until they figured out who was gonna replace the tires. Finally got the truck back and it was ok until the new tires started cupping again and the vibration was back in total I took it in about 8 times in past 18 months for the same issue and to this day has not been resolved. According to GALLES CHEVROLET the technician stated that that was normal for a 2500 4 wheel drive truck with aggressive tires drives and assured me that there’s nothing wrong with the vehicle. Now look at the video and tell me if that’s normal for this truck For some reason it’s not letting me load a video of me moving the wheel up and down side to side where it moves about 3” with the steering wheel locked wheel is very very loose
Starter had to be replaced with 22,775 miles and truck was toed.
Service Trailer brake system audible message appearing due to faulty wire harness between body control modules.
Under light to medium load on the throttle, the transmission will shift very hard from 1st to 2nd gear and sometimes 2nd to 1st while decelerating. Another issue is that the transmission or torque converter will shutter, but that is not as often. It does not happen every time, but happens way more often than it should for it being a 2018 with 26k miles. The GM Authority website has this as a known problem, but my VIN is not associated to it for some reason. Apparently flushing the transmission with Mobil 1 Synchromesh fluid can solve the issue. The truck seems to hesitate while taking off something and I think it is related to this transmission issue which can be a huge safety risk.
Our 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was purchased new and only serviced at Chevrolet dealerships. While on vacation we were driving on a 3-lane paved road and then engine started knocking for a few seconds and then a chime could be heard and the check engine light came on. The vehicle lost power and the vehicle was difficult to control. We were fortunate that other vehicles were able to avoid us since our truck slowed quickly (without the brakes being applied). The vehicle had to be towed to a local Chevrolet dealer for diagnostics. The dealer found that the hydraulic lifters on the right bank of the engine collapsed (resulting in a misfire) and there was extensive engine damage. The vehicle was equipped with a 5.3l engine with AFM/DFM (cylinder deactivation). Mileage was 64,562. Vehicle was repaired with "upgraded" valve train parts from General Motors as this failure mode seems to be somewhat common in AFM/DFM engines (can find class action information during web search).
I have had intermittent warnings on the dash that would pop up and disappear after a few seconds. It said “Safety Restraint System”. Now the warning is on continuously and the horn no longer works. I had the codes scanned at a local shop and I was told a code pops up saying “B0013-04 Steering wheel airbag deployment loop stage 2- High resistance” I am worried the bag will not deploy in the case of a wreck. The vehicle has under 25,000 miles on the odometer. It is over 3 years of age so I worry it will not be under warranty.
leaf springs malfunctioned & yes its available for inspection. safety issues of cracking noise sounds like cracking in the suspension or axle. on 7/7/22 Lorenzo at Richland Chevrolet in Shafter, California confirmed & had it all day for inspection. no warning lamps or messages were provided. First appeared on 6/30/22. continental crosscontact LX20 P275/55 R20 111 t eco plus+ Tires are chopping & shredding safety & hazard issues are the tires can shred apart & cause an accident or death. on 7/7/22 Lorenzo at Richland Chevrolet in Shafter, California confirmed tires were having that problem & if there was a recall on them then General Motors would reach out to us. Then prior, on 4/28/22 during oil change & tire rotation service Lorenzo confirmed tires were chopping also. no warning lamps or messages.
While towing a trailer the service trailer brake system light/alarm came on, trailer brakes stopped working and the alarm persisted for hours. It was extremely distracting and dangerous, and interrupted hands free phone calls.
I purchased a certified pre-owned 2017 Chevy Silverado on June 6 of this year. On June 13th, on my way back from a 10-hour trip, where I was towing a trailer with a car on it, my trailer brakes suddenly stopped functioning (about 4 hours from home). Not only did the trailer brakes stop functioning, but a warning message popped up on the dashboard "service trailer brake system". But this warning message didn't pop up just one time, it kept coming again and again and again and again and again, relentlessly chiming and distracting me from driving, it covered my speedometer readout, it prevented me from receiving or making voice commands, prevented me from hearing phone calls, and prevented me from listening to music. The service warning chime also prevented the turn signal chime from functioning. So for a full 4 hours, I was constantly reminded with a service trailer brake system chime, was unable to hear my turn signal chime, was unable to listen to music or make a phone call, and was unable to see the digital readout of my speed. The vehicle had been rendered completely undrivable, and I absolutely will not hesitate to say that the vehicle was not safe to drive in that condition. Especially if you consider that I was towing 5,000 lbs with no working trailer brakes. Your vehicle's defect endangered my life.
The trailer service message keeps popping up distracting me and there is no way yo turn it off!
Stress cracks in radiator
A faulty internal computer constantly beeps a warning about "trailer brake system" when there is no trailer attached to the vehicle. The beeping is extremely hyperactive and non stop and distracts you from safe driving and interrupts all other audible functions (such as turn signal blinking & navigation voice commands) to render the vehicle unfit to drive.
GOT IN DRIVERS SEAT TO FASTEN SEATBELT, CLIP WOULDNT STAY IN BELT-HAVE TO PUSH RED CLIP TO KEEP BELT ENGAGED
April 2022 & 5 2022 Complete transmission failure in traffic ALMOST causing death in traffic, emissions failure, leather seat defect REPEATED left fog light failure
P275/55R20 sidewall has developed slices in 4 different areas blowout possible at slow to moderate speeds confirmed by tire center tire sent back to manufacturer by tire service center negative warnings
The transmission failed. The truck had heavy shifting and the transmission needs replacement. The truck was no longer safe to drive. The problem was diagnosed by a licensed mechanic shop. The check engine light came on as well as the service stabilitrak light that came on the same day as failure.
Sudden loss of vehicle electrical power as well as steering and break control due to faulty negative battery terminal. Engine will stall and steering wheel will kick back and issue a stabilitrak service message. Vehicle will become inoperable while still moving with no way to control.
At a low speeds while taking a turn, the electrical system clicks off and then clicks back on after about a second. Im able to see the voltage drop while taking the turn. When this happens, the power steering goes out while taking the turn. This exact incident is consistent with the recall of the year 2014 Silverado as stated in this article https://www.zehllaw.com/another-gm-recall-800000-chevrolet-silverado-gmc-sierra-trucks-faulty-power-steering/
The electrical power steering failed on my way home as I turned in to my street my steering became very hard to control nearly causing me to crash into a neighbors vehicle. This is the second time my electrical power steering has failed. About a year ago the original electrical power steering went out and a new one was purchased from a dealer ship and installed by a automotive company. Here we are a year later and it has gone out again but this time almost causing me to crash during a turn into my street. NO WARNING to me at all that my power steering was about to go out. Yes. My 2018 Silverado truck is available if an inspection request is asked of me.
Radio is malfunctioning. Radio would randomly change channels. Than the radio would have a line in the bottom of the screen. Than the half the radio just quit. Now the radio or phone calls does not work at all. I do not have access to hands free calls. I believe there is a recall on the same stereo for the 2019 models. It has not been inspected but is available for inspection. No warnings lights prior to the radio not working. I have a video but I do not know how to attach.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the restraint service warning message was displayed and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with an air bag defect that showed the air bag was deployed. The dealer replaced the air grille shutter and informed the contact that the air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,556.
Motor vehicle accident 4/21/22. Vehicle stalled hit by 18 wheeler. Several times on several occasions after that on several days vehicle stalled in interstates with multiple 18 wheelers, trucks cars almost hitting me/my vehicle each time it stalled. Now and since May 2022, the transmission completely failed and is inoperable at this time. The stalling in the middle of interstate traffic where the speed limit on 4/21/22 is 55mph & on the interstate 65mph(The vehicle coasted slowly to the side of the road & stopped changing gears to go in either direction)
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH off the highway towards his home, the electronic gauge started fluctuating, indicating a low voltage failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he parked the vehicle in the driveway and turned off the vehicle. The contact then attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and recommended that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for service. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not repaired. The failure mileage was 43,364.
I have a 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 that I bought in June of 2018, brand new from integrity Chevy in Chattanooga tn.. One ago ago I was driving home and the check engine light came in and starting running poorly and you could hear a knocking noise coming from the engine. I took it back to integrity Chevrolet in Chattanooga, the employee at the auto service counter got inside and started the truck and he new at once what the issue was, he didn’t even take it back to the shop so the mechanic could look at it. He told me it was the lifters knocking. I left the truck with them. The next day he called me and told that the lifters where bad and had bent push rods. They had to replace everything on both sides, told me how much it would cost. It was out of warranty as I had 74,000 miles on it. The total cost that I had to pay was $5,468 dollars. The truck is less then 4 years old. The employee at the desk when I paid for it said that I just paid for a new engine! Again the truck was less then 4 years old.
Tires have 24,300 miles on them were factory installed upon purchase of vehicle in 2018. In April of 2022 while driving on freeway at 65 mph noticed a vibration in steering. Inspected tires when I reached destination and discovered the passenger side front tire had a bulge in the tread and was starting to separate. Replaced at a local tire shop and was told that they had seen numerous tire tread separations of this make and model tire. Goodyear Wrangler SR-A 265/60-20. Tire still had significant amount of tread remaining (Half Worn). In late May of 2022 had another tire tread separate from driver side rear of same vehicle.
For months this truck as stuttered while driving. Eventually one day the RPMs would shoot to 3500 when trying to shift gears and would struggle to shift. After having the spark plugs replaced and a tune up ($660 later) it started randomly just losing power to the engine while driving. All electrical still on but no power to the engine. I would pull over and turn the engine off and restart and it would be fine again. This continues to happen with no explanation. Always acts fine after I stop the care and turn it back on again. Nothing comes up on a scan for issues. Mechanic can't figure it out and now it isn't "acting up" when the transmission guy drives it and he doesn't know what's going on either. It's not safe to drive on the HW if its going to just randomly lose power. We checked with another transmission shop and he said they have two chevy Silverados in line for something similar. That made me look to see if there was a recall and led me to make this report. Chevy should look into this and do a recall.
Door Actuator Failure Left Rear Door, Symptoms are the door doesnt lock and unlock from the switch or keyless, when this problem presents it self the door fails to open from the inside. like child safety is on/when it is not engaged, this could be a safety risk to someone trying to exit the vehicle quickly and not know that they have a problem. After inspection I found there was a broken pin in the OEM connector, Yes I have it available for inspection. No problem wasn't reproduced or confirmed at a dealer. No inspection from Manufacture, Police, Ins etc... There weren't any warnings, door lock just worked intermittently.
AC condenser has cracked at factory weld. Dealer said this is Dailey issue and only performed recall on the higher end Cadillac and GMC Denali when the lower models have same condenser per # and problems was a $1000 repair
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle immediately. The contact stated the service brake assist warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Services Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
The trailer brake system warning suddenly came on, disengaging my cruise control. My cruise control has not worked since. Also, the stabilitrac warning came on and has not left. Ever since then I have been hearing a squeaking noise driving at low speeds.
Rear Back up camera not working. Blue Screen on dash. This is a very common issue with GM
The rear driver side lamp started flickering and eventually was completely dead. On inspecting, it was found that the earthing brown wire pin in the connector was completely burnt and it also burnt the area right on the spot where it connects to the lamp panel.
Transmission shifts out of gear spontaneously while driving and warning light comes on for “transmission hot idle engine” forcing the vehicle to become inoperable unexpectedly without allowing the vehicle to drive forward or reverse to get to a safe location. Transmission temperature gauge rises quickly to 280 degrees in less than an hour of normal driving before overheating. Multiple General Motors dealers and General Motors headquarters have been unable to diagnose the problem and provide a solution despite multiple attempts and several thousand dollars in repairs including a completely new replacement transmission. General Motors first recommended the dealer to hook battery cables up to the transmission which did not fix the problem and in fact caused the vehicle to not start several times. General Motors then recommended the dealer replace the transmission entirely. Despite replacing the transmission, the same problem exists and the vehicle shifts out of gear while driving reporting an overheating transmission. Problem still occurs today 3/25/22 and vehicle becomes inoperable unexpectedly and suddenly while driving due to overheating transmission. General Motors is unable to diagnose the problem or provide a solution.
I have a 2018 Chevy Silverado 4WD, Crew Cab truck purchased brand new in 2018. Over the last year, I have had intermittent, and relentless chiming of the "Service Trailer Brake System". This occurs any time, completely randomly during normal, everyday driving and while NOT towing. it is horrendously distracting, and won't stop once it starts, even after clearing the message, it will continue to chime again every 1-2 minutes until I park the truck and turn off the engine. I have taken it to my local Chevy dealer, they can't find anything wrong with my truck. I have checked fuses, switches and relays, to no avail. I see this is not a "once-off" problem, it would appear 10s of thousands of consumers have had the same issue posted about blogs, YouTube and more around the internet since at least model year 2017. This is a complete safety hazard and unacceptable! The chime is a distraction and prevents other vehicle safety features from being usable when it is going off. In addition, I imagine if I WERE towing, that means my braking system would be rendered unusable. That doesn't seem acceptable and there should have been a recall on this already based on my vast research. I am angered that this keeps happening even under normal driving conditions, and it is a defect of the trailer wire harness system, not something any vehicle owner has done, not due to abuse, or even normal wear and tear. I am angered that even my dealer can't find and fix the problem. However, it should not be my responsibility since this is a clear and obvious defect amongst nearly 100,000 similar model vehicles. I do not feel this is safe in any way and there needs to be a remedy "recall" performed so that other owners and myself can get this taken care of once and for all. Thank you.
Truck was brought in for routine maintenance they noticed At the dealership a radiator leak. I was told this is not covered under warranty And I have no lights on
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 2 – 15 MPH, the vehicle shut off while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the “Check Brake Monitoring Alert System” was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V603000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the failure listed in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000. Vin is invalid.
The power steering will randomly go out when turning at slow speeds, or when parking. The entire truck has lost power steering and then lost all power to the vehicle for a split second then return to normal power.
Transmission noise -something loose only 60k miles
2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 .1/20/22 slow driving in a parking lot, applied brake to slow down for a stopped vehicle and pedal was soft and went almost to the floor could have killed someone, this happened 3 times within 4 minutes Power Brake Assist warning came on, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash. called local CHEVROLET dealer Jenkins Chevrolet of Homosassa service department told the manager that my truck was working right they said it was not involved in a recall my truck showed all the symptoms in this recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000
A loud thumping noise comes from the rear axle area. The Chevy dealer claimed that the u-bolts that hold the axle to the leaf spring becomes loose and need retightening. I had the dealer re-torque the u-bolts but the noise still is there. The dealer claimed it was “normal” and offered no solution other than claiming a Tech Bulletin was issued instructing dealers to check u-bolts at service appointments. I brought my truck to a private repair shop and the mechanic noted that both rear leaf springs moved under the ubolts When the truck was rocked side to side. This is not safe as the axle can become out of alignment causing steering issues and excessive tire wear. The private shop quoted $1,100(est) to replace both leaf springs with aftermarket springs and u-bolts. The mechanic claimed that they have seen many Chevy pickups with this issue. I am asking you to please investigate this issue and instruct GM to repair this manufacturer defect.
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.