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Chevrolet Silverado 2500Model year report

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Problems

Compared with other Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years

Typical for this model

48/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
53filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
24,138miles, 24 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall, 6 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
—not in EPA data

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 most often describe engine block heater recall repairs that were delayed because parts were not available, and some note that cold-climate regions were prioritized. Sudden engine power loss or stalling is the next most common theme, followed by transmission shudder and lurching and airbag malfunctions. Many reports do not list mileage, and where it is listed, the problems appear across a wide range of mileage.

  1. Engine

    Engine block heater recall: repair parts delayed

    • 12 complaints (23%)
    • median 6,700 mi at 1.8 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2018–2024

    Owners say they received recall notices for the engine block heater cord (campaigns 19V328000 and 21V496000), but repair parts were not available. Some complaints say the dealer had no timeline for parts, and others say cold-climate regions were given priority. Complaints also say the repair took longer than a reasonable time to become available. A complaint describes a block heater cord rubbing against wiring until bare wire is exposed, which the owner believes can start a fire. Mileage is often not listed; where it is, reports range from about 3,500 to 20,000 miles, and some mention cold-climate regions.

    Recall 21V496000Recall 19V328000

    What to check: Check the VIN for open recalls 19V328000 and 21V496000 and ask the dealer whether the block heater cord repair has been completed. If it is still open, ask for the current parts status and an estimated repair date in writing.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Diesel l5p 2017-current. When having the engine block heater plugged in, I have seen multiple trucks burn down from having a short somewhere. I have also seen the cord for the engine block heater rub against the wiring harness and rub the insulation off exposing the bare wire. I believe when this happens, an electrical arch jumps from the wire to ground a starting a fire. Please investigate engine block heater cord and it rubbing against sharp edges exposing bare wire.”

    NHTSA complaint #11065989, filed 2018-01, 6,700 miles

    “Gm removed my engine block heater in july. It is now december and the forecasts call for single digit temperatures. Contacted GM and the dealership and they have no idea when I will get the new engine block heater installed.”

    NHTSA complaint #11287658, filed 2019-12, 20,000 miles
  2. Engine

    Sudden loss of engine power or stalling

    • 10 complaints (19%)
    • median 27,600 mi at 2.4 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2019–2026

    Owners describe the engine losing power or stalling while driving, sometimes after a reduced-power or check engine warning and sometimes with no warning at all. Some complaints describe limp mode, and another describes the engine dying on a city road, with fuel dripping from the chassis, a fire, and lost power steering and brakes. Repairs described in complaints, such as new injectors, a battery cable, or an accelerator pedal sensor, did not always stop the problem. In some cases the dealer reportedly found a fuel control module fault or metal debris from the injection pump. Mileage is not listed in every report; where it is, reports range from about 1,000 to 36,000 miles, and onset is often described as sudden.

    Recall 23V047000

    What to check: Ask for stored fault codes and repair records for any reduced-power or check engine warnings, including any injector, fuel system or sensor work. If the truck has the dual fuel tank option, ask whether recall 23V047000 has been completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Mon oct 8th, 5pm, my chevy silverado 2500hd diesel truck caught fire driving down a city road(approximately 30mph), with me, my 12yo daughter and her friend in it. The engine died, and I lost power steering and brakes. After wrestling the truck to the side fo the road, a passerby drove backwards in traffic to alert me that the truck was burning. If not for him, we might not have gotten out in time. Flaming fuel was dripping down from in the chassis, driver side, in front of rear wheel, approximately where the fueling receptacle was. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11181495, filed 2019-02, 1,000 miles

    “Driving down the road in heavy traffic and had complete engine failure due to loss of fuel. Diagnosed as fuel control module. I have seen where GM recalls have been made for similar issues. This put me in danger of collision. Truck is at the dealer and will cost $957.00”

    NHTSA complaint #11663890, filed 2025-05
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission shudder, lurching, and failure

    Mentioned in 4 of 48 sampled complaints

    Owners describe shuddering or lurching during moderate-speed acceleration, sometimes almost daily. Other complaints describe the truck downshifting on its own, engine revs rising, and the engine lurching into a higher gear on inclines. A complaint describes a transmission failure at higher mileage, with a replacement quoted and parts reported as backordered. According to complaints, the dealer described a flaw in these model years for which no fix was available and suggested tow/haul mode. Where mileage is listed, the values are 1,090 and 2,914 miles, and some describe symptoms from early on after purchase.

    What to check: Ask whether any shift-quality or transmission software update is available for this model year and whether it has been applied. On a test drive, check for shudder or lurching during moderate-speed acceleration and on an incline.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When in drive entering an incline the engine will lurch to a higher gear. Also when driving the light in the front panel will go dark. Can not read speed, tack, gas level all black. ( for 30 sec, 45 sec then for an hour and a half) also the air-conditioning will turn on automatically without me turning it on and no indicator it is on. Then later the air-conditioning indicator light will turn on . Still without me turning on the air-conditioning. At all times truck was in motion on street or highway.”

    NHTSA complaint #11179826, filed 2019-02, 1,090 miles

    “Bought this truck brand new in september 2018 and have been having problems with the torque converter since the day we bought it. It has frequent moderated shuddering and or lurching at the acceleration speed of about 30 MPH. Almost everyday and several times per day. I have taken it to the dealer several times, they say there is a flaw in the 2017-2018 trucks but there is not a fix. They say to drive the truck in tow haul and that helps. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11205552, filed 2019-05
  4. Air bags

    Airbag malfunctions: unexpected or missing deployment

    Mentioned in 4 of 48 sampled complaints

    Owners describe airbag faults in both directions: airbags that deployed unexpectedly and airbags that did not deploy in a collision. The unexpected deployments were reported while the vehicle was parked or stopped, with no collision, and a complaint mentions smoke, heat and a minor hand burn. Another complaint describes airbag deployment codes and a deployment sound and smell, with no airbag deployed. According to complaints, the reason for a curtain airbag event had not been determined, and the dealer was notified. Where mileage is listed, reports fall between about 44,000 and 72,500 miles, and the unexpected deployments were reported with no collision, such as while parked or stopped.

    Recall 24V756000

    What to check: Ask the dealer to check the VIN for open airbag recalls, including 24V756000 for roof-rail airbag inflators, and to scan for airbag fault codes. Any airbag warning light seen on a test drive should be checked by a dealer or qualified repair shop.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Vehicle displays airbag deployment codes, airbag sound was heard, airbag agent smell is present yet no airbags were deployed in the vehicle. Yes it is available for inspection on request, it will be inspected by insurance adjusters in the next week.”

    NHTSA complaint #11749702, filed 2026-07

    “Frontal driver airbag deployed spontaneously while vehicle was stopped at a stop sign. No collision or impact occurred. Deployment produced excessive smoke and heat. Minor burn to hand resulted from deployment.”

    NHTSA complaint #11746441, filed 2026-06

Buying note. Before buying a 2018 model year truck, check the VIN for open recalls, especially the engine block heater and airbag inflator recalls, and ask for records of any power-loss or transmission repairs. A test drive that includes moderate-speed acceleration and, if possible, towing can help show whether shudder or power loss occurs.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 48 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.

NHTSA recorded 53 consumer complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. 24 of the complaints include a mileage, and 75% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 24,138 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 1,345 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 14 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 48 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Suspension (2), Tires (2), Brakes (1), Engine cooling (1), Seats (1), Vehicle speed control (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 92,985. While attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that the title mileage was approximately 215,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11702712, filed 2025-12, 215,000 miles

Engine: “The check engine light comes on at 27600 miles while driving and this not 1st time this has happend .once the engine light is on the truck then loses power detunning the vehicle causing the vehicles power to not be as strong as if engine is in limp mode.at 24000 mile truck went into shop for same issue and GM replace all injectors hoping this would be the fix ..prior to 24000 miles at 23600 mile 1 injector was replace .I have now placed 3600 miles driven before light decided to come back on with all injectors replaced and now codes p1089 ,and now my truck is show number of codes including…”

NHTSA complaint #11311544, filed 2020-02, 27,600 miles

Fuel system: “Truck will to start in colder weather. Dealership told me diesel fuel has froze. Service writer told me that this was the fifth new durmax engine that has had problems and since the redesign of fuel pump the are experiencing this .there is nothing in owners manual telling to use fuel additive or when. I would like to no if they have a fix for this”

NHTSA complaint #11180113, filed 2019-02, 10,000 miles

Air bags: “There is no passenger seat belt warning audio or visual. The dealer said that this vehicle doesn't have a sensor to tell if someone is in the seat or not. But they assured me that the passenger air bags still would work. Even though it has been shown that air bags by them selves are not as effective. I read that Chevrolet offered to install an on off switch for the air bags, the wrong thing to do in my opinion. The seat belt warning system should be a requirement not an option.”

NHTSA complaint #11319681, filed 2020-03, 16,943 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

75% of the 24 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 6,700 and 44,000 miles.

29%0–1021%10–2525%25–508%50–754%75–1004%100–1508%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (24 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 24,138 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

20182019102020202120222023202420252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Silverado 2500 · regular cab 4WD★★★★☆4 / 4553 · 20.4% risk
Silverado 2500 · extended cab 4WD★★★★☆4 / 4553 · 20.4% risk
Silverado 2500 · crew cab 4WD★★★★☆4 / 4553 · 20.5% risk
Silverado 2500 · extended cab RWD★★★★☆4 / 4553 · 20.4% risk
Silverado 2500 · crew cab RWD★★★★☆4 / 4553 · 20.7% risk
Silverado 2500 · regular cab RWD★★★★☆4 / 4553 · 20.4% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2018 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking not available.

Neighbouring years: 2017: same overall rating; 2019: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1,345 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 1,345 bulletins →

Other model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026135,1002———Too new
20253015,2501——Too new to compareToo new
202414318,4004——Too new to compareToo new
20234747,0001——25 · FewerToo new
20229737,5003——62 · TypicalRising
20218939,5006——70 · MoreRising
202010925,00010——93 · MoreRising
20197412,02574—77 · MoreStable
20185324,13854—48 · TypicalStable
20175421,00054—50 · TypicalStable
201612335,00064—77 · MoreFalling
201517944,00063–4—91 · MoreStable
20144070,90022–4—0 · FewerRising
20135174,74232–4—0 · FewerFalling
20125372,00033–4—0 · FewerStable
201110472,0004——42 · TypicalFalling
20102198,0005———Falling
20096159,0005——50 · TypicalFalling
200819156,0004——60 · TypicalFalling
200720457,2303——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200617852,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200526963,0000—11Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200436873,8000—10Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200344983,0200—10Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200235184,1181—11Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200138875,5001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200013285,5001—15Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19998194,0000—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19987382,2740——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19976488,5000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Chevrolet Silverado 2500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 most often describe engine block heater recall repairs that were delayed because parts were not available, and some note that cold-climate regions were prioritized. The issues reported most often: Engine block heater recall: repair parts delayed; Sudden loss of engine power or stalling; Transmission shudder, lurching, and failure.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?

NHTSA recorded 53 consumer complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 13 complaints (25% of the total), followed by engine with 12.

Has the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 4 out of 5 stars overall, across 6 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

At what mileage are problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reported?

Among the 24 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 24,138 miles and the middle half falls between 6,700 and 44,000 miles; 75% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.