2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe loose, sloppy steering that develops at low mileage and makes the truck hard to hold in a lane, particularly on highways and while towing. Other recurring reports involve diesel fuel-system faults that can cause a loss of power, transmission problems, trailer-brake and brake-assist concerns, and disappointing low-beam headlights. Complaints span from a few thousand miles up to well past 100,000, with many of the steering reports arriving early in ownership.

1. 1
   Steering

   Loose steering / excess play in steering wheel

   • 41 complaints (33%)
   • median 25,500 mi at 3.4 yrs old (32 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2025

   Complaints describe several inches of free play in the steering wheel before the front wheels respond, which owners say appears suddenly and gets worse over time. Drivers report constant small corrections to stay in a lane, worse behavior on crowned roads, bridges, in wind, and while towing a trailer. Dealers have replaced or adjusted the steering gear box, and some complaints mention an adhesive or lock compound applied to the adjusting hardware, sometimes with the looseness returning within a few thousand miles. Power steering fluid leaks and a complete loss of power assist are also described in a few cases. Mostly reported between about 10,000 and 50,000 miles, often noticed first on the highway or soon after purchase.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a test drive, turn the wheel gently with the truck parked and again at highway speed and note any dead zone before the wheels respond. Ask for service records showing whether the steering gear box or its adjustment hardware has already been worked on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving south on us hwy 43 at 63 MPH and my power steering went out resulting in my truck leaving the road and crashing into the trees on the northbound right of way I know that the previous year trucks have a recall on the electronic steering system but there are no recalls on my truck as of yet on the power assisted steering I was lucky please help keep anyone else from getting hurt from this faulty system”

   NHTSA complaint #11165615, filed 2019-01, 78,000 miles

   “At around 27900 miles all of a sudden the steering wheel has 3 to 4 inches of free play. It is sloppy at all speeds, it is was hard to maintain the lane especially at highway speeds while going over a bridge deck where the blacktop meets the concrete, the truck would jerk to the right or left. I called my dealership bonner Chevrolet in kingston pa. I was able to drop it off and told them my problem and that was a service bulletin pit5501c for it. They put adhesive on the bolt for the steering box. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11326054, filed 2020-05, 30,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Trailer brake and brake-assist concerns

   • 11 complaints (9%)
   • median 52,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2022

   Owners towing trailers describe a service trailer brake message appearing at random that disables the trailer brakes until the trailer is unplugged and reconnected, and one owner measured low voltage at the seven-pin connector. Other complaints describe the brake pedal going to the floor or the pedal losing power assist, especially on long downhill stretches, and some report vibration through the wheel and pedal that persists after brake and rotor checks. Reported from very low mileage up to about 70,000 miles, frequently while towing or braking on descents.

   Recall 18V578000Recall 16V0690001 related service bulletin

   What to check: If you tow, hook up a trailer and confirm the trailer brakes engage and that no service trailer brake message appears. Confirm whether the brake pedal recall work was completed for this VIN, and test the pedal feel on a long descent.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Going downhill using the brakes often it loses power brakes because of vacuum loss. Their is a recall for this but my truck is not on it. To recalibrate the electronic brake control. The brakes still work but with no assist it is very hard to slow down. The code showed on my Chevrolet app but not when they scanned the vehicle. Code 8-9999”

   NHTSA complaint #11405849, filed 2021-03, 9,000 miles

   “For three years I have towed several 10,000# toy hauler trailers around the country with sub standard brake systems. Each time I took the truck to the dealer to have the brakes checked, I was told that they were fine and no problems existed.with the trucks trailer brake system. After checking the trucks system myself,, I determined that the voltage to the trailer was only at 1.8v when it should have been 12v. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11180133, filed 2019-02, 14,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Diesel high-pressure fuel pump failure and power loss

   • 23 complaints (19%)
   • median 52,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners of diesel trucks describe the engine misfiring or shutting off while driving, sometimes at highway speed, with the vehicle failing to restart. Dealers have diagnosed a failed high-pressure fuel pump and, in several cases, reported metal debris in the fuel lines and injectors, which owners say led to wider fuel-system repairs. Some complaints mention parts on national backorder and repeated failures after repair. Reported from roughly 65,000 to 175,000 miles, often during highway driving or while towing.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the high-pressure fuel pump and injectors have been replaced and whether fuel-system debris was ever found. A pre-purchase inspection by a diesel specialist, including a fuel-system scan for stored codes, is worth the cost.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Check engine light came on throwing p203b code, which is the reductant level sensor code. This seems to have been an issue already in these vehicles dating back to 2011 when it started. I found a service bulletin #14652a regarding the replacement of such sensor but the dates on the vehicles only state 2011-2012. I want to see if there is a newer bulletin released which covers the later years with the same problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11363540, filed 2020-10, 79,500 miles

   “I am on a cross country trip and the vehicles engine light came on, I pulled into a chevy dealer for service. Chevy dealer claims the part needed for repair called an ECM module, (I.e. Computer) is not available and it is not being produced because of a defect in design. The vehicle has been with a chevy dealer for 10 days. I am 1100 miles from home and general motors has refused to give me a loaner to drive back to kansas city. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11089830, filed 2018-04, 34,500 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, hard shifting and loss of drive

   • 10 complaints (8%)
   • median 70,400 mi at 7.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe harsh or delayed shifting, shuddering and clunking, the truck jumping out of gear or lunging when pulling away from a stop, and in some cases a complete loss of movement that dealers attributed to transmission failure. A few owners report transmission fluid leaks at the cooler hose crimp, and others mention the truck rolling slightly or clunking after a cold start in Park. Spread from about 34,000 to 190,000 miles, with several reports in the 60,000-80,000 mile range.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the truck from cold and note any clunk when shifting out of Park, shudder under light acceleration, or delayed engagement. Check transmission fluid level and color, and look for fluid at the cooler line crimps.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Transmission coolant line from the transmission to trans cooler leaking at crimp on hose leaks and then brake completely causing trans fluid to be lost and lost of vehicle use”

   NHTSA complaint #11097054, filed 2018-05, 65,800 miles

   “The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently shifted out of gear. Additionally, the contact stated while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle lunged forward almost causing the vehicle to crash into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had persisted. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11478167, filed 2022-08, 34,000 miles
5. 5
   Other or unknown

   Dim, narrow low-beam headlights

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the low beams as dim with little light thrown to the sides, making rural roads, curves and wet pavement hard to see at night. Some say the dealer checked aim but not output, and several report relying on fog lamps to drive after dark. Often noted within the first few thousand miles of new ownership, with no clear mileage pattern.

   What to check: Drive the truck after dark on an unlit road before buying, and check whether the housing lenses are clear and whether any aftermarket lighting has been fitted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The lighting on these trucks is absolutely terrible. The brights/high beams are ok but the dim/low beams are dangerous! There is little to no side projection and the distance is horrible. If it wasnt for the fog lamps I wouldnt be able to drive this truck at night. It is completely unacceptable that a $60,000 vehicle would come with lighting this poor!”

   NHTSA complaint #11186723, filed 2019-03, 42,000 miles

   “The low beam headlights are dangerously narrow and dim. In rural areas where there is little ambient light it is impossible to see deer in the ditches, and curves in the road are worse because the narrow beam doesn't project to the side at all. The dealer checked the headlight adjustment but not the lumen output of the low beam. Gm was no help at all. The way it is now is not safe and an increase chance of auto and animal accidents.”

   NHTSA complaint #10968599, filed 2017-03, 425 miles

Buying note. Pay the most attention to steering feel on the test drive, since that is what owners of this model year report most, and get any diesel fuel-system and transmission history in writing. Confirming that open recalls for the brake pedal and air bag inflators were completed is also worthwhile before purchase.

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.