Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Chevrolet Silverado 2500, model year by model year — ranked from 338 federal NHTSA complaints across 2015–2024.
Complaint volumes on the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 stay modest across all six years in the data — no year tops 150 total occurrences, and safety-severity problems barely register. The heaviest file belongs to 2015, at 146 occurrences: electrical failures causing dashboard warnings lead (31 reports), followed by service brake warnings (29), power steering issues (18), general electrical malfunctions (14), and defective airbag deployment (11). Campaigns 16V069 and 18V578 cover the 2015 and 2016 trucks. The 2016 year itself is quiet at 49 occurrences, though its complaints tilt mechanical: steering box failure (11), steering play or looseness (6), and torque converter–related transmission failure (5) — worth remembering on a test drive, since loose steering is easy to feel if you're looking for it.
The 2017 file (56 occurrences) centers on drivability: transmission jerking and clunking during shifts (12), brakes with poor stopping performance (10), and a small but attention-getting cluster of electrical issues leading to unexpected fires (6). Three campaigns apply to 2017 — 19V328, 21V496, and 23V047. Then the 2021 and 2022 trucks (47 and 50 occurrences) share a stranger signature: tailgates that open and close on their own, with 13 and 23 reports respectively, alongside scattered transmission and electrical complaints. Recall 24V797 covers both years, and 21V758 additionally applies to 2021.
The 2024 year nearly doubles its neighbors at 99 occurrences, and almost all of it involves trailer braking: integrated trailer brake control malfunctions (33) plus two separately titled clusters of random trailer-brake disconnects during towing (24 and 19). Transmission valve body failure (12) and lock-up with jerking (11) fill out the list. Anyone buying a 2024 to tow should test with a trailer connected — this is not a problem an empty-bed drive will reveal.
Across the board, these are top-reported issues rather than a condemnation: counts reflect what owners filed with NHTSA, not measured failure rates, and the newest trucks have had the least time to accumulate reports. Verify the recalls for the year in question, then let a pre-purchase inspection and the truck's service history make the real decision.
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015worst | 99 | 14 | 0/8 | Electrical System Failure Causing Dashboard Warnings Electrical · 31 complaints |
| 2016worst | 48 | 11 | 1/5 | Steering Box Failure Steering · 11 complaints |
| 2017 | 53 | 13 | 0/4 | Transmission issues leading to jerking and clunking during shifting Transmission · 12 complaints |
| 2021 | 44 | 10 | 0/4 | Tailgate malfunctions causing unintended opening and closing Electrical · 13 complaints |
| 2022 | 42 | 6 | 0/1 | Tailgate opens and closes unexpectedly while driving or in park Electrical · 23 complaints |
| 2024worst | 52 | 5 | 0/5 | Integrating Trailer Brake Control System Malfunction Electrical · 33 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2015–2024. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.