2018 Chevrolet SILVERADO 1500

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2018 Chevrolet SILVERADO 1500 has 735 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 9.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (23% of all complaints), specifically: truck stationary. started engine. immediately message showed up on dashboard indicating steering assist low, drive carefully. no power steering. traction control warning lit. shifted into reverse; truck would not move as if in neutral. truck move move forward in drive. shut off engine and restarted . ⚠️ 6 fire reports filed.

6 fire reports 10 crash reports 6 injuries

735

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

9.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

166 complaints

23%

• TRUCK STATIONARY. STARTED ENGINE. IMMEDIATELY MESSAGE SHOWED UP ON DASHBOARD INDICATING STEERING ASSIST LOW, DRIVE CAREFULLY. NO POWER STEERING. TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIT. SHIFTED INTO REVERSE; TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE AS IF IN NEUTRAL. TRUCK MOVE MOVE FORWARD IN DRIVE. SHUT OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTED
• PARKED AND SHUT OFF, DISCONNECTED TRAILER. TRUCK ROLLED BACK WHILE IN PARK. I JUMPED OUT OF WAY AND TRIED TO OPEN DOOR TO STOP. DOOR KNOCKED ME DOWN AND CONTINUED BACKWARDS DRAGGING ME. FINAL STOP OVER EDGE OF POND AGAINST TREE STUMP. HAD TOWED TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION BY CHEVY ENGINEER. 2 WEEKS NO
• IN MAY 2018 I PURCHASED A NEW CHEVY SILVERADO LT Z71 PU. I LIVE IN COLORADO AND WHEN I DRIVE THE TRUCK DOWN THE I-70 MOUNTAIN PASS THE TRANSMISSION IS DOWNSHIFTED BEYOND WHAT IO WOULD CALL A SAFE DOWN SHIFT. IM TRAVELING DOWN THE PASS, JUST COASTING, DOWN HILL ASSIST MODE IS OFF @ ROUGHLY 55 MPH THE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“TRUCK STATIONARY. STARTED ENGINE. IMMEDIATELY MESSAGE SHOWED UP ON DASHBOARD INDICATING STEERING ASSIST LOW, DRIVE CAREFULLY. NO POWER STEERING. TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIT. SHIFTED INTO REVERSE; TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE AS IF IN NEUTRAL. TRUCK MOVE MOVE FORWARD IN DRIVE. SHUT OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTED ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

105 complaints

14%

• VEHICLES ENGINE AND IGNITION SHUT OFF WHILE TURNING RIGHT. ENGINE CAN BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN 3 WEEKS (1090 MILES) UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED. ONE TIME WHILE ENTERING A ROADWAY FROM A PARKING LOT, ONE TIME WHILE PULLING OVER TO PARK AND ONE TIME WHILE TU
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD THUD NOISE OUTSIDE HER RESIDENCE. A NEIGHBOR CALLED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HER VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT'S INSUR
• WHEN VEHILCE GOES FROM 6 CYLINDERS TO 4 CYLINDERS IT SHAKES REALLY BAD AND CAUSES HEADACHES AT ALL SPEEDS ! WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports

“VEHICLES ENGINE AND IGNITION SHUT OFF WHILE TURNING RIGHT. ENGINE CAN BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN 3 WEEKS (1090 MILES) UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED. ONE TIME WHILE ENTERING A ROADWAY FROM A PARKING LOT, ONE TIME WHILE PULLING OVER TO PARK AND ONE TIME WHILE TU”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

97 complaints

13%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (LAKE CHEVROLET, 31201 AUTO CENTER DR, LAKE ELSINORE, CA 92530) WHERE IT WAS EXPLAINED TO THE CONTACT TH
• VEHICLES ENGINE AND IGNITION SHUT OFF WHILE TURNING RIGHT. ENGINE CAN BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN 3 WEEKS (1090 MILES) UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED. ONE TIME WHILE ENTERING A ROADWAY FROM A PARKING LOT, ONE TIME WHILE PULLING OVER TO PARK AND ONE TIME WHILE TU
• PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW AUTO UP BROKE AND ALMOST COMPLETELY SEVERED A ADULT MALES RING FING TIP. IN A PARKING LOT THE WINDOW WENT UP 'USING AUTO UP'. A FRIEND WAS GETTING IN THE TRUCK AND HAD HIS FINGER UNFORTUNATELY IN THE WAY THE WINDOW DID NOT STOP AFTER COMING INTO CONTACT WITH HIS FINGER AND IT

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (LAKE CHEVROLET, 31201 AUTO CENTER DR, LAKE ELSINORE, CA 92530) WHERE IT WAS EXPLAINED TO THE CONTACT TH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

96 complaints

13%

• THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT SOLID HARD AND LOSS OF BRAKING HAPPENED WHILE BACKING A BOAT TRAILER DOWN A BOAT LAUNCH RAMP. WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED THE DASH FLASHED SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST. LOSS OF POWER BRAKES CAUSED THE TRUCK TO NOT STOP EVEN WITH PUSHING DOWN ON THE PEDDLE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. THIS OCCURRE
• IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I WAS THE AT FAULT DRIVER, I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AND DID NOT NOTICE THE RED LIGHT NOR THE CAR STOPPED UNTIL APPROXIMATELY THREE SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT. ONCE I RECOGNIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING, I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS. I HIT THE OTHER DRIVER IN THE REAR OF HIS VE
• DRIVING IN STRAIGHT LINE AT 5MPH WITH HILL DECENT ACTIVATED. BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN TO PULSATE, WHICH WAS FELT IN THE PEDAL AND IT WAS MAKING AN ODD AUDIBLE PULSATING NOISE FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL NON-STOP AS IF ABS WAS CONSTANTLY ENGAGING. BRAKES SUDDENLY DISENGAGED AND TRUCK STARTED PICKING UP SPEED. ER

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT SOLID HARD AND LOSS OF BRAKING HAPPENED WHILE BACKING A BOAT TRAILER DOWN A BOAT LAUNCH RAMP. WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED THE DASH FLASHED SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST. LOSS OF POWER BRAKES CAUSED THE TRUCK TO NOT STOP EVEN WITH PUSHING DOWN ON THE PEDDLE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. THIS OCCURRE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

60 complaints

• I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER, I HAVE 70 MILES ON IT, THE TRUCK SHAKES AT 75-85 MPH, DEALER SAYS IT OK. I PAID 40K FOR THIS AND ITS NOT OK WITH ME.
• CONSTANT VIBRATION/SHAKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 65 MPH. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN LIKE THIS SINCE THE DAY IT LEFT THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN ON HIGHWAY AND VIBRATION IS FELT, PUTTING THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL DOES NOT CHANGE THE VIBRATION, SLOWING DOWN MAKES IT SLIGHTLY WORSE, SPEEDING IT MAKES IT
• VEHICLE DEVELOPED A VIBRATION AT 80MPH WHICH FADES IN AND OUT. TIRES WERE ROAD FORCED BALANCED, AND ALIGNMENT WAS DONE. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED. THE SHACKING AT 80MPH CONTINUED. ON A 30 MILE COMMUTE AT 80MPH THE VIBRATION IS EXTREME 25% OF THE TIME (LIKE DRIVING OVER A RUMBLE STRIP), MODERATE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER, I HAVE 70 MILES ON IT, THE TRUCK SHAKES AT 75-85 MPH, DEALER SAYS IT OK. I PAID 40K FOR THIS AND ITS NOT OK WITH ME.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 735 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: TRUCK STATIONARY. STARTED ENGINE. IMMEDIATELY MESSAGE SHOWED UP ON DASHBOARD INDICATING STEERING ASSIST LOW, DRIVE CAREFULLY. NO POWER STEERING. TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIT. SHIFTED INTO REVERSE; TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE AS IF IN NEUTRAL. TRUCK MOVE MOVE FORWARD IN DRIVE. SHUT OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTED
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: VEHICLES ENGINE AND IGNITION SHUT OFF WHILE TURNING RIGHT. ENGINE CAN BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN 3 WEEKS (1090 MILES) UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED. ONE TIME WHILE ENTERING A ROADWAY FROM A PARKING LOT, ONE TIME WHILE PULLING OVER TO PARK AND ONE TIME WHILE TU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (LAKE CHEVROLET, 31201 AUTO CENTER DR, LAKE ELSINORE, CA 92530) WHERE IT WAS EXPLAINED TO THE CONTACT TH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT SOLID HARD AND LOSS OF BRAKING HAPPENED WHILE BACKING A BOAT TRAILER DOWN A BOAT LAUNCH RAMP. WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED THE DASH FLASHED SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST. LOSS OF POWER BRAKES CAUSED THE TRUCK TO NOT STOP EVEN WITH PUSHING DOWN ON THE PEDDLE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. THIS OCCURRE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)