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Chevrolet Silverado 3500Model year report

2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Problems

Complaints
72filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
68,000miles, 55 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems, especially rusted-through brake lines that let the pedal fall to the floor, plus low-speed ABS activation. The next most common theme is engine stalling at speed, which several owners and mechanics traced to the crankshaft position sensor. Many complaints come from trucks past 60,000 miles, and much of the brake trouble is tied to underbody corrosion.

  1. Engine

    Engine stalls while driving (crankshaft position sensor)

    • 16 complaints (22%)
    • median 68,000 mi at 9.2 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • filed 2001–2023

    Owners describe the engine shutting off without warning at highway or city speeds, with power steering and power brakes going away at the same time. Some say it restarts after a few seconds, others after several attempts, and the wait sometimes grows longer. Complaints frequently name the crankshaft position sensor as the cause, and several owners report being told their truck was not covered by a recall for this symptom. Reported from as little as 10,000 miles up to about 210,000 miles, across all driving speeds.

    What to check: Ask whether the crankshaft position sensor has been replaced and keep records of it. A stall at speed with the tach dropping to zero is the pattern owners describe.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2001 chevy silverado pick up 8.1liter. Vehicle will shut down without any warnings. Then will restart after slight cool down. Happened on several different occasions. Found recall notice no. 06083. Called GM and was told my VIN# doesn't match. How does GM knowingly let this happen just because not enough complaints have been issued for this batch of trucks when it has the same diagnoses as the others??? No more GM for me!”

    NHTSA complaint #10278808, filed 2009-07, 111,000 miles

    “I have a 2001 Chevrolet SILVERADO 3500 crew cab with dual wheels. Several times recently the truck has lost power while driving at highway speeds. Yesterday my wife was driving it, and it shut off while turning a corner in the center of exeter nh. It lost power steering and the truck went off the road onto the sidewalk by the town hall, narrowly missing pedestrians. I took it to a garage and found out it is being caused by the crank shaft position sensor they told me there was a dealer recall. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10325128, filed 2010-04, 47,300 miles
  2. Brakes

    Rusted-out brake lines and sudden loss of braking

    • 17 complaints (24%)
    • median 90,000 mi at 11.9 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2005–2017

    Complaints describe brake lines rusting through and leaking fluid, often leaving the pedal to travel to the floor with little warning. Owners report finding fluid under the cab or above the fuel tank, and some say the dealer replaced all the lines. Several mention heavy underbody rust while the body and interior still looked good, and several note that the truck was not included in a brake-related recall. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 156,000 miles, often on trucks driven in regions that use road salt.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the brake lines inspected on a lift along their full length, especially above the fuel tank and rear axle. Ask whether any lines have been replaced and whether a corrosion-resistant kit was used.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Brake lines on my truck rusted thru and brakes failed while on the road. The rusted lines ran from the ABS system to the master cylinder and front brakes. It occurred at low speed and I used emergency brake to get home. The lines have not been replaced as yet. I will save parts.”

    NHTSA complaint #10355522, filed 2010-09, 81,167 miles

    “Came close to hitting an so cruiser in back when front brake lines blew out on left frame and at front wheel ,wondering if GM is doing anything about this problem ,been reading on google that it seems a lot of people are having the same thing going on looked at rest of lines and they are all almost rusted away ,I don't understand this I have a 1996 s10 blazer and the lines are just fine on this old of a vehicle ,I can't find anywhere there has been a recall ?”

    NHTSA complaint #10694738, filed 2015-03, 58,345 miles
  3. Brakes

    Low-speed ABS activation and wheel speed sensors

    Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the ABS kicking in at low speed, such as while parking or rolling to a stop, with a pulsing pedal, chatter or noise and longer stopping distance. Several owners say the dealer found front wheel speed sensors affected by rust or corrosion between the sensor and its mounting surface, and cleaned or replaced them. Other complaints mention the ABS activating without warning lights. Usually reported between about 20,000 and 120,000 miles, at speeds under roughly 15 mph and often in wet conditions.

    Recall 01V2200001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Test the brakes at very low speed on a dry surface and watch for pedal pulsing or ABS noise. Ask whether the front wheel speed sensors and hubs have been serviced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The ABS sensor caused the left front brake to chatter when almost to a stop. On wet pavement the wheel would slide. I took my truck to my dealer for repair. They said that rust was forming between the casting and the sensor and lifting the sensor up. They have seen this several times. They took the sensor out and cleaned the casting and sensor sprayed a anti rust on both and replaced the sensor. Things work ok now.”

    NHTSA complaint #10208497, filed 2007-11, 68,000 miles

    “Abs pulsates on left front wheel when applied (a noise eminates from the left front wheel). Dealer replaced right front hub and left low speed brake sensor. Brakes still pulsated on left front side. Returned to dealer and was told now the left hub needs replacing. (did not have replaced. ) pulsation in brake system had not stopped after the two earlier repairs. Have spent over $1000.00 for these repairs and do not feel the GM experts know what they are doing. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10097976, filed 2004-10, 30,000 miles
  4. Fuel system

    Fuel and underbody line corrosion

    • 6 complaints (8%)
    • median 104,000 mi at 12.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2012–2015

    Complaints describe fuel lines rusting to the point of leaking, in some cases alongside rusted brake lines on the same truck. Owners report smelling fuel, finding it on the undercarriage, and replacing both sets of lines. Some mention frame and suspension mounting points showing heavy flaking rust. Mostly reported from about 95,000 miles upward, often on trucks from salt-belt areas.

    What to check: Inspect fuel and brake lines and the frame for rust before buying, ideally on a lift. Ask where the truck was driven and stored.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I own a 2001 chevy SILVERADO 3500 extended cab 8' bed 4x4 and have had the brake lines rust out to where the brakes failed and the fuel lines rust to the point of leaking. I am having to completely replace both sets of lines. Have there been any other complaints as to this issue?”

    NHTSA complaint #10483607, filed 2012-11

    “My truck has excessive undercarriage rust, to the point of reduced material thickness on the frame and all frame mounted components. Have experience one fuel line failure and fear additional failures of fuel and brake lines. Also all suspension mounting points have large metal flakes coming off.”

    NHTSA complaint #10465338, filed 2012-07, 96,000 miles

Buying note. On a truck this age, the brake and fuel lines and the overall frame condition matter more than mileage, so budget for a thorough underside inspection. Also ask for records on the crankshaft position sensor, since stalling is a frequent theme in owner reports.

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.

NHTSA recorded 72 consumer complaints for the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. 55 of the complaints include a mileage, and 24% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 68,000 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 301 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

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: Transmission and drivetrain (2), Air bags (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “My 2001 chevy one ton silverado pick-up with 90,000 miles on it , has majorly rusted out brake lines. While driving down the road, I blew a brake line. When I looked to see what line it was,I was amazed at how badly all the lines were rusted. My mechanic quoted me like $ 1400 dollars to replace all of the lines,and guarantee his work. I understand that all GM trucks from 2000 to 2009 had this major problem . I have found an after market line kit for $ 280 with about 3 days labor for a diy guy.”

NHTSA complaint #10955530, filed 2017-02, 90,000 miles

Engine cooling: “We have a 2001 SILVERADO 3500 that shut down in the middle of baltimore traffic back in 2006. We had to have it towed and paid $644.33 to have it fixed. It was the crank position sensor. We came to find out that there was a recall on this in some of the 2001's. But guess what, ours is no on the list! I asked the lady so who determines which of these model vins get to be on the recall and which ones will the consumer have to pay for. Of course she responded that she was sorry for our inconvenience, but she could not help. …”

NHTSA complaint #10376225, filed 2011-01, 81,950 miles

Engine: “I was hit head on in my 2001 chevy dual wheel truck, both vehicles were traveling approx 40/50mph, my truck shut off on impact. My air bags and seat belts did not work. I had a neck injury and need an operation.”

NHTSA complaint #10626653, filed 2014-08, 198,000 miles

Fuel system: “Re: a 2001 Chevrolet pickup in 2002-new. I have 32,000 miles on it. It keeps cutting out and red lights and even driving on the expressway. I took it in and they want me to pay for it. It is virtually new. They said the part comes with a lifetime warranty: and this one does not. They claim the recall was for the diesel pickup only??”

NHTSA complaint #10235918, filed 2008-07, 32,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

24% of the 55 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 54,000 and 97,821 miles.

2%0–109%10–2513%25–5033%50–7520%75–10018%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (55 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 68,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’01’04’077’107’14’17’24
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.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 → · 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. 301 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 301 bulletins →

Other model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 3500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2025121,5001———Too new
2024512,8003——Too new to compareToo new
20231618,0001———Too new
20222753,5003——43 · TypicalRising
20214134,5005——64 · TypicalRising
20204240,0008——56 · TypicalRising
2019227,3907———Rising
20181923,0006———Stable
20171322,0006———Not enough data
20165124,4867——91 · MoreRising
20155234,4617——79 · MoreStable
20141037,9003———Not enough data
20132656,0004——28 · FewerRising
20122346,9624———Rising
20112954,5885——28 · FewerFalling
20091047,6556———Not enough data
20083174,6294——24 · FewerRising
20073934,5005——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20065252,0360——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20054656,6330——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20044150,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20034284,7280——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20025044,8441——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20017268,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20008047,9741——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19994752,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19986771,2000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19976161,5170——Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Chevrolet Silverado 3500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems, especially rusted-through brake lines that let the pedal fall to the floor, plus low-speed ABS activation. The issues reported most often: Engine stalls while driving (crankshaft position sensor); Rusted-out brake lines and sudden loss of braking; Low-speed ABS activation and wheel speed sensors.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?

NHTSA recorded 72 consumer complaints for the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 37 complaints (51% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 17.

Has the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 reported?

Among the 55 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 68,000 miles and the middle half falls between 54,000 and 97,821 miles; 24% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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.

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.