2011 Chevrolet SILVERADO 3500

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Above Average

Quick Summary

The 2011 Chevrolet SILVERADO 3500 has 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.5x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is air bags problems (24% of all complaints), specifically: received letter from gm july 2016 about recall. called dealership that sold me the vehicle. they said, gm has not come up with a repair yet. the dealership would call to set up repair appointment once they know of repair and parts on hand. called dealership 10/26/2017 still no clue about repair proc.

1 crash report 1 injury

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.5x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

AIR BAGS

10 complaints

24%

• RECEIVED LETTER FROM GM JULY 2016 ABOUT RECALL. CALLED DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID, GM HAS NOT COME UP WITH A REPAIR YET. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD CALL TO SET UP REPAIR APPOINTMENT ONCE THEY KNOW OF REPAIR AND PARTS ON HAND. CALLED DEALERSHIP 10/26/2017 STILL NO CLUE ABOUT REPAIR PROC
• TAKATA RECALL: I HAVE ASKED THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE DANGEROUS AIRBAGS FIVE OR SIX TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR & A HALF AS WELL AS TELEPHONING GMC CORPORATE OFFICE TWICE. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THEY DON'T HAVE THE REPLACEMENT AIRBAGS. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY LEAVE ME, MY FAMILY & PASSENGERS IN DANGER OF SEVE
• TAKATA RECALL NOTHING YET BUT NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING WITH A UNSTABLE BOMB IN MY VEHICLE. WHATS THE HOLD UP WITH A REPLACEMENT?

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

“RECEIVED LETTER FROM GM JULY 2016 ABOUT RECALL. CALLED DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID, GM HAS NOT COME UP WITH A REPAIR YET. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD CALL TO SET UP REPAIR APPOINTMENT ONCE THEY KNOW OF REPAIR AND PARTS ON HAND. CALLED DEALERSHIP 10/26/2017 STILL NO CLUE ABOUT REPAIR PROC”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

6 complaints

14%

• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500HD(NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS PROGRAMMED TO LIMIT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID WAS TOO LOW. HE NOTICED THAT WHEN HE FILLED THE FUEL TANK, THE COMPUTER DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE TANK WAS FULL AND THE DIES
• STRONG EXHAUST AND OR RAW FUEL SMELLS INSIDE CAB AND AROUND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE ENGINE BAY. ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE IS REGENERATING. SMOKE BILLOWING OUT FROM UNDER RIGHT SIDE OF HOOD. A CLEAR LIQUID AND A BLACK LIQUID RUNNING DOWN EXHAUST PIPE FROM TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST EXIT. NOTICEABLE LEA
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE DIESEL INJECTION PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500HD(NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS PROGRAMMED TO LIMIT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID WAS TOO LOW. HE NOTICED THAT WHEN HE FILLED THE FUEL TANK, THE COMPUTER DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE TANK WAS FULL AND THE DIES”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

6 complaints

14%

• STRONG EXHAUST AND OR RAW FUEL SMELLS INSIDE CAB AND AROUND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE ENGINE BAY. ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE IS REGENERATING. SMOKE BILLOWING OUT FROM UNDER RIGHT SIDE OF HOOD. A CLEAR LIQUID AND A BLACK LIQUID RUNNING DOWN EXHAUST PIPE FROM TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST EXIT. NOTICEABLE LEA
• NOVEMBER 19 2014 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN MY SERVICE EXHAUST FLUID SYSTEM DIC CAME ON, FOLLOWED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IT WAS TAKEN TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED ALL COMPONENTS OF THE DEF SYSTEM. THEN ON DECEMBER 11 THE EXHAUST FLUID SYSTEM DIC CAME ON AGAIN, BUT WITH THE MESSAGE
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE PAST 50 MPH AND THE EXHAUST FLUID QUALITY POOR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON A DAILY BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“STRONG EXHAUST AND OR RAW FUEL SMELLS INSIDE CAB AND AROUND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE ENGINE BAY. ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE IS REGENERATING. SMOKE BILLOWING OUT FROM UNDER RIGHT SIDE OF HOOD. A CLEAR LIQUID AND A BLACK LIQUID RUNNING DOWN EXHAUST PIPE FROM TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST EXIT. NOTICEABLE LEA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

5 complaints

12%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF THE DRIVE POSITION AND INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE'S GAUGES FLUCTUATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT YET DIAGNOSED. THE VEHIC
• DIESEL EXHAUST FILTER (DEF) AND FLOW REDUCTION TUBE ON DURAMAX LML ENGINE. FAUTLY DEF REQUIRES EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES TO CLEAN - OR REGENERATE - CAUSING THE DEF AND REDUCTION TUBE TO FAIL. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE A FIRE HAZARD TO VEHICLE AND GRASS OR OTHER TERRAIN OVER WHICH THE TRUCK IS PARKED.
• The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH and slowing for a traffic signal, the vehicle downshifted very hard. The contact stated that there was an audible clunking sound while the transmission was downshifting. The contact stated that at

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF THE DRIVE POSITION AND INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE'S GAUGES FLUCTUATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT YET DIAGNOSED. THE VEHIC”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

4 complaints

10%

• IBC ( INTEGRATED BRAKE CONTROLLER ) FACTORY INSTALLED IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH TRAILER BRAKING SYSTEMS USING A EOH ( ELECTRIC OVER HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS) HOWEVER ACCORDING TO REPORTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES AND GOING TO A GM DEALER THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS FOR OWNERS TO HAVE INSTALLED AT OUR ( OWNERS ) AFTERM
• CRACKED DASH ABOVE DRIVER INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND AROUND PASSENGER AIRBAG.
• DIESEL EXHAUST FILTER (DEF) AND FLOW REDUCTION TUBE ON DURAMAX LML ENGINE. FAUTLY DEF REQUIRES EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES TO CLEAN - OR REGENERATE - CAUSING THE DEF AND REDUCTION TUBE TO FAIL. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE A FIRE HAZARD TO VEHICLE AND GRASS OR OTHER TERRAIN OVER WHICH THE TRUCK IS PARKED.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“IBC ( INTEGRATED BRAKE CONTROLLER ) FACTORY INSTALLED IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH TRAILER BRAKING SYSTEMS USING A EOH ( ELECTRIC OVER HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS) HOWEVER ACCORDING TO REPORTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES AND GOING TO A GM DEALER THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS FOR OWNERS TO HAVE INSTALLED AT OUR ( OWNERS ) AFTERM”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~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 42 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
AIR BAGS: RECEIVED LETTER FROM GM JULY 2016 ABOUT RECALL. CALLED DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID, GM HAS NOT COME UP WITH A REPAIR YET. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD CALL TO SET UP REPAIR APPOINTMENT ONCE THEY KNOW OF REPAIR AND PARTS ON HAND. CALLED DEALERSHIP 10/26/2017 STILL NO CLUE ABOUT REPAIR PROC
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500HD(NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS PROGRAMMED TO LIMIT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID WAS TOO LOW. HE NOTICED THAT WHEN HE FILLED THE FUEL TANK, THE COMPUTER DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE TANK WAS FULL AND THE DIES
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: STRONG EXHAUST AND OR RAW FUEL SMELLS INSIDE CAB AND AROUND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE ENGINE BAY. ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE IS REGENERATING. SMOKE BILLOWING OUT FROM UNDER RIGHT SIDE OF HOOD. A CLEAR LIQUID AND A BLACK LIQUID RUNNING DOWN EXHAUST PIPE FROM TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST EXIT. NOTICEABLE LEA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF THE DRIVE POSITION AND INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE'S GAUGES FLUCTUATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT YET DIAGNOSED. THE VEHIC
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)