Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 182 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD (2001–2005) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 101. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (91 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Silverado 1500 HD model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 26 | 87,030 | 0 | 500 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 17 | 60,200 | 0 | 385 | — | Falling |
| 2003 | 101 | 84,000 | 0 | 366 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 22 | 110,000 | 0 | 312 | — | Stable |
| 2001 | 16 | 100,118 | 0 | 74 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes91 46%
- Electrical system43 22%
- Steering16 8.1%
- Fuel system13 6.6%
- Transmission and drivetrain12 6.1%
- Engine cooling9 4.6%
- Engine8 4.1%
- Body and structure5 2.5%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2005: “My son was driving home from work on the highway and the truck started shaking. He pulled over and saw that the tire was coming apart. This is a sumitomo tire 285/50r20 115h. Dot v4jd 3mtr4910. This was a very dangerous situation especially because all of the tires are the same. The truck was parked until we can figure out what to do.”
NHTSA complaint #11353731, filed 2020-09, 50,000 miles2003: “While driving to work I pressed the brake pedal and it went right to the floor. I quickly pulling into a driveway and slammed on the emergency brake because I had zero braking from the pedal. I looked underneath the truck and saw a rusted brake line dripping fluid. If I was on the expressway I would have seriously hurt someone because I lost all braking function.”
NHTSA complaint #10629079, filed 2014-08, 158,210 miles2002: “Traveling down hill on snow cover roads at about 40 MPH, the light turned and I hit the brakes and the pedal went to the floor, the rear wheels started sliding. I was not able to stop in time to make the light, but was able to get on the shoulder to avoid an accident and come to a stop. After investigation I found the steel brake lines that were badly corroded had ruptured.”
NHTSA complaint #10496514, filed 2013-02, 85,000 milesOther Chevrolet models
19,372 complaintsChevrolet Silverado 1500
18,137 complaintsChevrolet Impala
10,410 complaintsChevrolet Tahoe
10,066 complaintsChevrolet Equinox
9,215 complaintsChevrolet Silverado
8,790 complaintsChevrolet Blazer
8,202 complaintsChevrolet Suburban
8,174 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology