Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 1,072 consumer complaints across the 28 model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 (1997–2025) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 80. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (314 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Silverado 3500 years →
All Silverado 3500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | 1,500 | 1 | 373 | — | Too new |
| 2024 | 51 | 2,800 | 3 | 817 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2023 | 16 | 18,000 | 1 | 745 | — | Too new |
| 2022 | 27 | 53,500 | 3 | 897 | 43 · Typical | Rising |
| 2021 | 41 | 34,500 | 5 | 880 | 64 · Typical | Rising |
| 2020 | 42 | 40,000 | 8 | 945 | 56 · Typical | Rising |
| 2019 | 22 | 7,390 | 7 | 708 | — | Rising |
| 2018 | 19 | 23,000 | 6 | 645 | — | Stable |
| 2017 | 13 | 22,000 | 6 | 932 | — | Not enough data |
| 2016 | 51 | 24,486 | 7 | 742 | 91 · More | Rising |
| 2015 | 52 | 34,461 | 7 | 897 | 79 · More | Stable |
| 2014 | 10 | 37,900 | 3 | 826 | — | Not enough data |
| 2013 | 26 | 56,000 | 4 | 1,650 | 28 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2012 | 23 | 46,962 | 4 | 742 | — | Rising |
| 2011 | 29 | 54,588 | 5 | 682 | 28 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2009 | 10 | 47,655 | 6 | 488 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 31 | 74,629 | 4 | 522 | 24 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2007 | 39 | 34,500 | 5 | 497 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2006 | 52 | 52,036 | 0 | 266 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2005 | 46 | 56,633 | 0 | 222 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 41 | 50,000 | 0 | 168 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 42 | 84,728 | 0 | 162 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 50 | 44,844 | 1 | 133 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 72 | 68,000 | 1 | 301 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2000 | 80 | 47,974 | 1 | 250 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1999 | 47 | 52,000 | 0 | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 67 | 71,200 | 0 | 13 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 61 | 61,517 | 0 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes314 30%
- Fuel system141 14%
- Electrical system136 13%
- Transmission and drivetrain127 12%
- Steering87 8.4%
- Engine84 8.1%
- Engine cooling72 7.0%
- Tires71 6.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2018: “While pulling a 40' gooseneck trailer on the highway at posted speed the ball hitch on the bed of the truck came detached from the truck. Trailer neck slammed into the center of the bed. I have an oem crownline aftermarket flat bed on my truck. Once the trailer was removed the ball hitch fell to the ground. Investigation found little to no weld present.”
NHTSA complaint #11161987, filed 2018-12, 4,500 miles2009: “While driving the vehicle, the engine suffered complete failure due to a sheared camshaft pin. This resulted in loss of control of the vehicle since it would not restart. I narrowly missed having an accident because this happened on a busy main street. I feel this to be a very serious safety issue to which a recall should be required.”
NHTSA complaint #11064689, filed 2018-01, 47,655 miles2011: “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 severe injury or death. How can I force them to replace the airbags?”
NHTSA complaint #11040961, filed 2017-10, 45,000 milesOther Chevrolet models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology