NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH and attempting to decelerate, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard while depressed, and the vehicle failed to immediately decelerate. During the failure, the message "Brake Failure" was displayed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the rear wheels locked up, causing the vehicle to slide across the road. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and came to a stop in the middle of the road. The check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The contact turned off and then restarted the vehicle and became aware that the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the contact's place of employment. The contact who is a certified mechanic performed a diagnostic test and retrieved DTC: P0747, indicating a failure with the pressure control cylinder in the transmission. The contact also found information on NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included int the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,830.
At 62000 miles, I was having a transmission problem but had no check engine lights associated with the issue. The day I took it to the dealership for the transmission, the check engine light came on for the first time ever when I started the vehicle. The dealership first said it was a faulty solenoid on the purge valve, replaced that part, but it didn’t fix the problem. The dealership then said it needed a new fuel pump control module, which was heavily back ordered due to demand. I needed the vehicle because it had already been at the dealership for a transmission replacement for many weeks and is my only transportation. The dealership told me other vehicles were there for the same problem, parts were on a national back order and being rationed to dealerships around the country. They could not provide an estimate for when my vehicle would be ready and pushed me to trade in my vehicle as a solution. The sales manager offered a very low trade in value, told me I couldn’t get the part faster by purchasing it myself, and was very pushy. She said my vehicle was devalued because it didn’t have the fuel pump control module needed for the check engine light to turn off, and had a history of transmission problems (even though it just got a new transmission). I got frustrated and ordered the new GM part from summit racing and had it on my doorstep in two days. I took it to the dealership and all of a sudden they had received a shipment of this part, and replaced the faulty one in my vehicle. Their repair resolved the problem, but I still had reliability concerns. Despite all repairs being completed, the sales manager said the vehicle trade in value remained unchanged. It was a complete nightmare and I felt my vehicle was being held back from repair resolution to convince me to trade it in for a new truck. I kept my vehicle and extra part I ordered in case this happens again.
Transmission shifts rough, shudders, has hesitation at times, makes the vehicle feel like it is missing from jerking. Have not contacted dealer. No warning lamps, messages. Occurred a week after purchasing vehicle.
2021 Silverado 1500 Trail Boss LT with 6.2ltr V8 L87 had sudden catastrophic engine failure at 90,000 miles with excellent and routine maintenance up to. Findings were a broken timing chain, cracked piston and debris in number 8 intake port. Vehicle lost propulsion on the highway posing a safety risk to the driver, passengers and other vehicles on the roadway. Dealership confirmed the findings. There were no warning signs, signals, lamps, beeps, noises or any other indicators that there was an issue with the motor. It unexpectedly and suddenly failed without warning.
I bought a 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 Badlander edition in February of 2025. I love the truck and drive it everywhere. I have brought it in for every oil change when needed. I got my first oil change April of 2025 and had no issues. Then I got my second oil change June of 2025 and both of these were done at the dealership that I purchased the truck from. At the June oil change I asked Jeff Belzers to do an oil consumption test and they said they would not because my vin did not show up in the recall. On July 31 of 2025 I got an engine oil low light on my dash, which I took a picture of. At that time I had to add two quarts of oil. Then in August of 2025 I went in for my oil change at Jeff Belzers again and I told them about adding the two quarts of oil and asked again at that time if they could do an oil consumption test and they told me no again because my vin was not on the recall list. I then got another low engine oil light on September 29, 2025 and at that time I added 2 quarts of oil. In October of 2025 I brought my truck to Maur Chevrolet for an oil change and asked them to check my vin for a recall and they said there were no recalls. Then I brought my truck to Maur Chevrolet in November of 2025 for an oil change and I asked if the vin recall had changed and they said no. At this time I was just checking my oil and adding as needed. I took my truck in for an oil change in January of 2026 and asked about the recall again and no changes. Then after that oil change, I was adding a quart of oil every 600 miles. So when I went in for an oil change in April, I asked for an oil consumption test to be done and the service advisor said yes. This was the first positive step I had in this entire ordeal. At the end of the consumption test, which was on June 12, 2026 it was verified that the engine was burning 3 1/2 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles. At that time I had another oil change done and they told me that they would discuss what would happen on Monday June 15, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
I was driving in a straight line at 45mph when my truck jerked to one side. It felt like the back of the truck was sliding out from behind me and also felt like my truck was being pulled to a stop. A check engine light came on. I drove it back to my house (approximately 3 miles). The light went away but came back, and the transmission started overheating even though I was only going 10-20 mph. The truck randomly did the same jerking action while going home. I had to drive slow to get home. There was no warning when this happened. No lights, sounds, or other warnings. The jerking motion almost made me hit other cars, and almost made me lose control of the vehicle. It is available for inspection if needed. It has not been looked at yet because I found this website when researching the problem online. If you want to inspect it, then you need to inspect within 2-3 weeks because I’m military and I am getting stationed overseas.
Vehicle experienced engine failure while driving. Loss of power in traffic. Inspected by dealer and determined to have lost compression in cylinder #5. Initial inspection determined that lifters and camshaft would need to be replaced. This issue is the same common problem with this year model (2021) Chevy Silverado Trucks as noted in TSB #N212353840. At time of purchase dealer did not notify me that these trucks were experiencing these issues nor did they complete the suggest repairs prior to the sell as described in the TSB.
No updates have been made to fix recall. Status has been pending for a long and it’s preventing me from selling the car due to fear of breaking down.
The contact's son owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while her son was driving at a moderate speed, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was also notified that the parts for the recall repair were unavailable. The vehicle remained with the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact's husband notified the manufacturer of the failure and was provided a case number. The failure mileage was 47,000
Belt tensioner/idler pulley began chirping during warm up after starting engine. Noticed serpentine belt was beginning to fray on edges. Dealership confirmed the pulley failed prematurely and caused the serpentine belt to be damaged. Dealership replaced pulley and belt. It was just after warranty expired. The belt is supposed to be replaced at 100,000 miles as routine maintenance, but the failure of the pulley, which the dealer informed me was also premature, but common, was not covered under warranty. Power steering was lost one time in park and a message showed on the dash, but went away after restarting the vehicle.
Around July 1st, 2025 I was hearing a ticking sound when taking off from a stop. On July 11th I had an oil change completed on the truck at the Local Chevy dealership, after the oil change, I mentioned the noise and was told maybe we could schedule some sort of deep cleaning of the internal components of the engine. After leaving the dealership after the oil change, I was still hearing the ticking sound. I then scheduled an appointment on July 22nd for the dealership to look into the ticking sound. I drove the truck to the dealership and it was working fine; other than the ticking sound when the RPM’s were at 2200. At no time was there any warning lights that came on to alert me to a problem. After approximately 30 minutes of waiting in the customer waiting area, the service advisor came and got me and said “we have big problems” and they were going to need the truck longer to look into it. I walked out to the service bay to get some personal items out of the truck. At that time, the mechanic pointed out some white looking fluffy cotton material and said that just came out the end of your exhaust. I had never seen that material prior to this appointment on July 22. The dealership called me July 24th and told me that the engine and exhaust system need to be replaced. They told me that the bottom end connecting rod came apart, and went through the engine and the exhaust system while it was at their facility on July 22. This truck has the 6.2L V8 (RPO L87) gas engine…. This truck is a 2021 and there is 76,957 miles currently on it (7/24/2025). With a blown engine, and an exhaust system that needs to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact immediately pulled over and attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
Lifters 1-3-5-7 all failed. They were pitted as was the camshaft. Diagnosis from Hendrick Chevrolet in Hoover AL. 70k miles on one owner truck. Regular servicing and never towed anything.
I have this pick up I was on a hill heading down to stop sighn pressed on brake and went to the floor no resistance nothing luckily it was a rural rd went thru stop sigh coasted to a stop was 1/4 from home lifted hood the brake reservoir was full all brakes were in top shape it was like something shut off the brakes electrically I have driven many large trucks and buses and vehicles never felt this no spongey at all it is at the dealership they are looking at but my concern this could be a far worst circumstance if in heavy traffic or at cross walk can’t even think of it. Scary I would think gm would have some type of secondary for electric malfunction the vehicle is at Cerrone gmc south Attleborough mass. My vehicle is 2021 Chevy Silverado 75000 miles well maintained. In short I believe the mechanics will diagnose and fix it but my concern. That these vehicles need safety checks
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally, and the transmission shifted hard. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, 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 notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after arriving to her destination, the contact became aware that the tailgate was unintendedly lowered. While attempting to close the tailgate, the tailgate failed to latch securely. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,000.
Tailgate experienced issues with not unlatching when button is pushed and also unlatching when button is not pushed.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The vehicle was initially taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train). The contact stated the vehicle was not repaired. While driving 30-35 MPH, the rear-end locked up and caused the vehicle to enter the wrong lane. The contact stated that other vehicles were able to drive around the vehicle during the failure. The engine revved, and the RPMs revved too high. The driver was able to pull over safely. The check engine, traction control, parking brake, and maintenance warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the rear-end had locked up, and the #5 cylinder and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The mechanic was unable to unlock the rear-end. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on six other occasions for unknown issues. The manufacturer was contacted regarding a buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 34,958.
July, 10 2025 My 2021 chevy Silverado has stalled today in the middle of the road. When trying to start, it sounds like if it wants to turn over but it won’t. I bought a brand new battery and problem is not resolved. I did some digging and sounds like fuel pump will not come on. This truck is only 4 years old and I should be having these issues. Please help thanks
My vehicle has almost 53,000 miles, I went for an oil change, hasn't even been 5,000 miles since last one, and I had no oil on the dipstick. I wanted to get it changed before a short trip. Glad I did. This could have caused the engine to blow up. I didn't know new vehicles could lose oil like that . The problem was confirmed by an independent oil change station where I always go. No inspections have been done by anyone. No warning lights came on telling me that the oil was low. No other issues prior to this.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, an abnormal boom sound was heard coming from the engine. The vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the engine seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was diagnosed with crank shaft sensor failure. The contact was later informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Tailgate operation failure. The tailgate switch appears to be operating when no button is pressed. When vehicle is unlocked or key fob near vehicle tailgate automatically goes down on own. Component is available upon request. Appears to be tailgate release switch 85734717. Safety at risk as although it does not open in driving it does when stopped and in park. Tailgate went down and driver failed to realize this as component had failed and it had been put up and driver drove forward so unable to witness it down as truck was not in reverse. Upon driving forward materials in bed of truck were dispersed in roadway until driver realized tailgate had come down just prior to pulling away. Causes a safety hazard to drivers and others on road. Problem has happened in park and has not been taken into dealer yet as it is out of dealer warranty. Vehicle not inspected by anyone else. No lamps displayed prior to or following failure. No lift gate down warning. Safety failure
Driving Ashland pass in OR, the transmission over heated with the truck dinging for us to pull over an idle, there is no where to pull over on Ashland pass for 8 miles. After sitting in an unsafe location with the truck idling wasting fuel we where able to get back on road after 30min. Upon arrival to location we where able to see that the exhaust system sits right on the transmission pan heating it up when truck is running. This model does not have a dip stick to check transmission fluid resulting in a $2500.00 drop an drain to which I am told by the mechanic that this needs to be done every 40k. That is alot of cost 2x a year.
Vehicle is shifting harshly. Looked up recalls. "Certain" 2021 Silverado 1500's have recall for transmission problem that can cause rear wheels to lock up and cause a crash. GM says my truck is not included in the recall. I have filed an official complaint with GM.
P0016 camshaft position not plausible Service manager at Loftons Chevrolet in Henderson Tn states that truck needs a new motor but not covered under recall
Unknown transmission failure
Coolant control valve manufacturer defect, 3.0 duramax LM2
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, or while attempting to reverse, the infotainment system displayed a blank screen; however, approximately a minute later the infotainment screen displayed as intended. The contact stated that the radio became silent and then thirty seconds later the infotainment system operated as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the infotainment system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 44,540.
Went to accelerate through an intersection and the engine seized up in the middle of the intersection. Complete loss and of engine propulsion. Had to be towed. Could have caused an accident. No warning signs. Truck was running great until it wasn’t running at all.
2021 Silverado 1500 TrailBoss LT Brake Sensor Monitor failure causes you not to be able to see brake pad wear/life remaining on dash information. Brake Pads (front and rear) replaced with sensor on 12/14/2023 and was unable to reset the brake pad monitor on dash (would not reset passed 51%) at approx 32K miles 01/2024, Front Left Sensor Monitor replaced again by dealership for $293 06/2025 Truck prompting if brake pads were replaced recently on dashboard 06/13/25 Brake Pad Life showing at 71% Front and 77% Rear at approx 50K miles 06/14/25, Brake Pad Sensor Monitor Error Message
Check engine light is on, code reads emissions fail due to the Evaporative Emissions leak detection pump.( EVAP PURGE PUMP UNDERSPEED) P1467. I see this was a recall on several Chevrolet vehicles but not yet on mine.
The Vehicle that I own is a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with a 6.2 liter engine. on 6/2/2025 i went to have the oil changed and the service technician informed me there was no oil in the engine. He also informed me that this particular model with the 6.2 liter engine had a recall relating to components in the engine. After researching I found that there was in fact a recall, but my truck was not listed on the NHTSA web site. I made a visit to the local dealership and the service manager informed me that there was in fact a recall but there was nothing they could do at this time. He suggested that I check the oil level every 500 miles and wait on a recall notice. Now the engine is starting to make internal noises that concern me greatly. There is a opportunity that the engine could simply lock up and there is no certainty on what might happen. Please advise
Vehicle started with vibration at speed 45mph and sometimes it gets worse already balance the wheels twice and same issue so I took it to another shop and they found that my vehicle has hesitation and shuddering also really hard down shift
On, or about, 10 June 2025 I attempted to start my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado (with the L87 engine) and noticed an extremely rough idle. I shut the engine off and attempted to restart the engine, the idle was rougher than previous and then white smoke started billowing out of my exhaust. At that point I called a wrecker to take my truck to the service center at my dealership. After the dealership diagnosed my engine they stated that it had failed due the defect in the L87 engine that is currently the subject of an active recall. The service center informed me I would need a replacement engine under the warranty but could not give me a timeline, I have been in constant contact with my service advisor and they indicate that GM has no updates as to where I am in the queue, or how long it may be before my replacement engine will be sent. As of writing this complaint it has been two months with no updates from the manufacturer.
The tailgate randomly opens and closes during driving causing contents to fall out of the tailgate and creating a hazard for other motorists and damaging personal property. The tailgate now will not open and there is no manual override to open the tailgate. Certainly a design flaw and now not allowing access to the tailgate. I've contacted 5 local gm/chevrolet dealer service departments and they cannot offer any guidance on how to manually or power open the tailgate. I have a tonneau cover on the tailgate which makes it pretty much unable to access. I'm a firefighter and put my gear in the tailgate and need access asap. Please advise on how I can get GM/Chevy to assist with this issue. A police officer was behind me when the contents fell out of the tailgate on 6/9/25. This has happened several times since and most recently on 1/17/26. This needs addressed asap. Thanks!
I am facing my second coolant control valve replace in the last 10k miles. The truck errors with a code of P1098 due to the valve failure and the fan continues to run. My truck was then put into limp mode. This valve is a know problem with this motor and not cover under warranty.
Transmission shuddering and vibration
Motor failed. 140k miles shouldn’t happen on a 2021. Meticulously maintained.
I was on my way home from work on [XXX] coming around the lakes with no median or shoulder when the engine in my 2021 Silverado started rattling, temperature gauge started going up, and losing power. Within a matter of minutes my truck shut off leaving me stranded in the middle of a four lane highway with no safe location to stop. The engine wouldn’t even turn over to try and crank back up so I could get the truck out of the road. After help getting my truck to a safe location I noticed oil and antifreeze leaking out of the bottom side of the engine. This truck was at Love Chevrolet for engine failure on 8/14/24 and was told it was fixed and was never told about ongoing issues with this particular 6.2 engine. I found out a few weeks ago while trying to trade my truck in to Jim Browne Chevrolet dealer that my particular truck the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado High Country with the 6.2 engine had known issue with the engine locking up and was afraid to take my truck in on trade due to his service manger going through this same experience. So I paid top dollar for a high end Chevrolet truck to be stuck with not being able to trade it and now not being able to drive it. I called the dealer and was told that my trucks vin number was not part of the recall for this issue but there are trucks that are the same year, model, and engine type that are covered under this recall. I’m now stuck making a 850 a month payment on a 58000 dollar truck that I can’t drive and can’t afford to replace an engine. Any help would be greatly appreciated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While traveling at highway speed an engine lifter collapsed and I was left stranded with a flashing check engine light, severe engine knocking and lack of power.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the transmission shifted hard while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the TCM was reprogrammed; however, the failure worsened, and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train) and linked the failure to the recall. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon arriving at the destination and turning off the vehicle, several attempts were needed to release the key from the ignition. The contact also had to leave the key in the ignition on several occasions because the key could not be released or removed. The vehicle originally returned to normal functionality, but the key had since become permanently stuck in the ignition. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the ignition switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000.
At approximately 67,000 miles I noticed upon starting and putting it in gear the motor would rev/clunk while going into gear. Shifting from one gear to another the truck would shutter. Did not feel safe driving any distance because the truck would lock up when trying to put it in gear. I had the truck looked at after reading numerous complaints about this 8 speed transmission and wanted to make sure it was safe to drive. After test driving it a couple of times during the course of a day it was determined the transmission needed to be replaced/rebuilt. At no time did any warnings appear on the display indicating there was an issue. I had the transmission rebuilt but feel like there are many complaints and no recalls regarding this same issue.
Rear power sliding window. Leaking when it rains or going through the car wash. On 6/4/25 I had a leak from my rear window checked out by the dealership were I bought the truck. Morrie's Onalaska Chevrolet. They found a water leak from cracks in the rear glass molding. I have water lines on the roof lining from the leak.
The contact owned a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the contact heard a loud sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the connecting rod and the crankshaft engine components had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
As I am driving, the truck shutters off and on and its shifts hard when shifting gears. I drive long distances daily and if the transmission fails, this could cause an accident that could put the safety of my children’s lives, or mine, at risk. It has not yet been inspected, but I spoke with several transmission specialists and have been told this is a very common issue among 2021, and other year models close to that, Chevrolet Silverados. The cost for confirmation would be upwards of $1000, which is not something I am able to afford. There have not been any warning lights or lamps. Only shuttering and harsh shifting.
P146B (EVAP Purge Pump System Performance) engine code started occurring around 50,000 miles. This is similar to the recall for 2019-2020 Chevy Silverado, Cadillac XT4, and GMC Sierra 1500 covered by N202324990.
Engine started making clicking noise when accelerating. Followed by a large screeching noise. Dash read "shift to neutral and start again" pulled to stop and tried to start. Does not crank at all.
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.