2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe two long-running themes: the passenger frontal air bag inflator recall (Takata) and its prolonged parts unavailability, and brake lines on the frame rusting through and letting the pedal go to the floor. Other recurring reports cover the air-conditioner blower resistor/harness, transmission cooler line leaks at the crimped fittings, cracks in the dashboard around the passenger air bag, and steering column or gear faults. Many of these complaints were filed between roughly 45,000 and 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Passenger air bag inflator recall and parts delays

   • 66 complaints (32%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 8.8 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2020

   Owners describe an open Takata passenger-side frontal air bag inflator recall, in several cases waiting a year or more because the replacement part was not available. Complaints mention the air bag warning light staying on, and others describe air bags not deploying in crashes of varying severity. Some owners report being told by the manufacturer that no remedy or new information was available yet. Filed from a few thousand miles up to about 215,000 miles, most commonly between 80,000 and 112,000 miles.

   Recall 15V324000Recall 20V0110002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the passenger frontal inflator recalls (15V324 and 20V011) have been completed and request written proof; check that the air bag warning light goes out after the bulb check.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was making a left turn at an intersection when another vehicle slammed into my truck head on. My air bags did not even deploy. Although my vehicle was the larger of the two, I expected the bags to do their intended job, but they failed to do so. This was one year after the recall and general motors still don't have a remedy for the air bags”

   NHTSA complaint #10966432, filed 2017-03, 215,000 miles

   “Takata recall I have been under recall since july, 2015 for this airbag on the passenger side of my truck. The recall itself states : inflators subject to takata equipment recall 15e-041 were installed in certain 2007- 2008 model year Chevrolet silverado and gmc sierra 2500/3500 heavy duty pickup trucks as original equipment. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10872921, filed 2016-06, 80,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Rusted brake lines, pedal to the floor

   • 16 complaints (8%)
   • median 79,500 mi at 8.0 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2024

   Complaints describe the steel brake lines along the frame rusting through, often with little warning, so the brake pedal travels to the floor and braking distance grows sharply. Owners report fluid leaking near the driver side or above the frame rail and needing a tow; several say the dealer replaced lines, or quoted a full set of lines, after the loss of braking. Reported from about 43,000 to 264,000 miles, with many between 60,000 and 130,000 miles; some owners note the truck had seen limited winter use.

   What to check: Have the truck on a lift and inspect the hard brake lines along the frame for rust, pitting or damp spots, and check brake fluid level and pedal firmness before and after a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I noticed a puddle under truck on 4-5-2020. I took the truck to richardson Chevrolet in standish on 4-6-2020 for an oil change. They changed the oil and I was told my brake lines were leaking and all needed replacing with an estimate of $1,400. I am the original owner of the truck. It was out of winter conditions for 5 years as we lived out of state.”

   NHTSA complaint #11322102, filed 2020-04, 133,000 miles

   “I was driving south on rt-13 in bristol township, pa. I had my wife with me coming back from walmart, traffic light turned red and brakes went to the floor and put on the emergency brake and luckily stopped before hitting anyone! Brake fluid was leaking driver side near gas tank, there was no warning lights on dash or no reason to believe my brakes would fail.”

   NHTSA complaint #11206282, filed 2019-05, 264,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission cooler line leaks at the fittings

   • 12 complaints (6%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2015

   Complaints describe transmission fluid seeping or leaking where the cooler lines meet the radiator, at the crimped joint between the metal and rubber sections. Owners report the dealer describing this as a commonly seen problem, and at least one notes the replacement lines use the same fitting design. Mostly reported between about 21,000 and 67,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the cooler lines and radiator fittings for wet fluid or residue, and confirm transmission fluid level and condition on the dipstick.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Took my SILVERADO 2500 in for some maintenance and the dealer informed me the transmission cooler lines were leaking at the fittings from the cooler lines to the cooler. They also informed me this was a very common problem they have seen a lot of, but there is no recall and it would be a rather costly repair. I did not pay the outrageous fee and have not yet fixed the problem...”

   NHTSA complaint #10263723, filed 2009-03, 64,303 miles

   “While doing routine maintenance on the truck I noticed the transmission cooler lines leaking. The failure is the cause of a poor fitting design on GM's behalf, and they have not committed to providing an updated part but instead choose to replace the lines with the same inadequate part. The leaking lines have not been replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #10253855, filed 2009-01, 45,000 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Cracked dashboard around the passenger air bag

   • 19 complaints (9%)
   • median 69,210 mi at 8.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2020

   Owners report cracks developing in the dashboard, often starting small above the instrument cluster or at the corner of the passenger air bag opening and growing over time. Some describe quotes of several hundred dollars to replace the dash; complaints raise concern about sharp plastic near the air bag opening. Reported from about 72,000 to 160,000 miles, with cracks sometimes described as starting years before the complaint.

   What to check: Inspect the top of the dash above the cluster and around the passenger air bag cover for cracks, and ask whether the dash has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In my truck, in the dash, there is a large crack that started back in 2017. The crack started very small. Every I hit a bump, no matter what size the bump is, it gets bigger and bigger. I need my dash to be fixed before I breaks completely.”

   NHTSA complaint #11321494, filed 2020-04, 160,000 miles

   “I am filing a complaint due to a safety concern about my passenger airbag on my chevy. There is a crack on my dash where the airbag is stored creating a safety concern in case of an accident. The pressure from the airbag can make my dash a projectile killing passengers in the car. I have attempted to discuss this with GM/chevy but they don't want to recognize their faults. This is an issue that many chevy/GM customers are having. I have pictures of dashes with the cracks in the same place each time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10746863, filed 2015-08, 60,000 miles

Buying note. Check the brake lines and the air bag recall status first, since those are the items owners mention most, then look at the cooler lines, blower connector and dash for the smaller recurring faults. Service records showing completed recall work and recent brake line inspection make a used example easier to assess.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.