What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.
← All Chevrolet Silverado generations
NHTSA complaints per catalog listing run from 0.45 for 2025 (108 complaints across 239 listings) to 1.35 for 2021 (854 across 631). The generation median is 0.94. No year reaches twice the median. Our data has no enriched-ad count for 2025, and the newest model years have had little time to collect complaints, so their low figures say little yet. The top complaint area is the engine in every year, which lines up with the recalls and lifter reports below.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| some reports within the first 20K miles on 2020+ trucks (Rohnert Park Transmission); others later | AFM/DFM lifter failure on the 5.3L/6.2L (2019 and later) | $2,600-$4,800 on a 2020 truck (avturo, independent shop); $3,000-$4,500 both banks (Capital Motorcars). Rohnert Park Transmission gives no price. | Cylinder deactivation is now called DFM (dynamic fuel management) on newer trucks. Listen for a tick at a cold start and scan for misfire codes. Anything under warranty is a dealer matter; ask what coverage is left. |
| Not verified | 10L80 ten-speed automatic: harsh shifts and bulletins | Rebuild $3,000-$4,500 (Transmission Repair Cost); torque converter on a 2022-2025 truck is covered by a Go-Parts guide we could not open. | Transmission Repair Cost says the unit is too new for a definitive reliability profile and that bulletins suggest harsh-shift complaints similar to Ford's 10R80. Mostly a warranty question on newer trucks. |
| any | 6.2L V8 connecting rod and crankshaft recall (25V274000, 2021-2024) | Free at a Chevrolet dealer when open | GM says connecting rod or crankshaft components on certain 6.2L gas V8 trucks may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and failure. Check the VIN; this applies only to the 6.2L. |
| any | Diesel transmission control valve recalls (24V797000, 26V083000, 2020-2022 diesel trucks) | Free at a Chevrolet dealer when open | The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up; 26V083000 (February 2026) covers trucks that may have been repaired incorrectly under 24V797000. Applies to diesel trucks. |
| any | Other recalls: driveshaft (20V650000), fuel pump (19V837000), transfer case (26V289000) | Free at a Chevrolet dealer when open | 20V650000 (2019-2020): a driveshaft joint may not have been properly welded and the shaft can separate. 19V837000 (2020): the fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator. 26V289000 (2026, 4WD/AWD): a missing transfer case component may lock the wheels. |
No year in this generation was flagged. A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car.
| Year | Complaints | Top components | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,097 | Engine, Power Train, Service Brakes | |
| 2020 | 749 | Engine, Power Train, Service Brakes | |
| 2021 | 854 | Engine, Power Train, Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2022 | 655 | Engine, Power Train, Electrical System | |
| 2023 | 391 | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2024 | 319 | Engine, Power Train, Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2025 | 108 | Engine, Power Train, Electrical System | |
| 2026 | 127 | Engine, Unknown Or Other, Power Train,engine |
source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.
Own a Chevrolet Silverado, or pricing one? See what they're actually selling for →
We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule (see 'Years flagged' in each generation), and exactly one Silverado year trips it: 1999. That year has 44.94 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing (2,247 complaints across 50 listings) against a Gen 1 median of 7.16, and ads mention a problem in 10 of 33 enriched ads (30.3%) against an 11.2% median, with the 'rust' flaw excluded. It is a small sample on the oldest year. 2014 comes close on the first test (2.76 per listing against a Gen 3 median of 1.13) but 41 of 405 ads (10.12%) is exactly the median, not above it, so it is not flagged. Ad mentions are not confirmed failures.
It depends on the engine and generation. Gen 1 (1999-2006): rusted brake lines and 4L60E wear. Gen 2 (2007-2013): AFM lifter failure and oil consumption on the 5.3L, and the 6L80 automatic. Gen 3 (2014-2018): the 8-speed shudder, lifters, and recalls for power steering assist and brake vacuum. Gen 4 (2019 on): lifter reports, 10-speed shift complaints, and recalls. Each is priced, with sources, in the generation sections.
Avturo puts a 5.3L/6.2L lifter job at $2,600-$4,800 at an independent shop. Capital Motorcars gives $3,000-$4,500 for lifters on both banks, and Autos of Chicago gives $3,200 for a lifter repair against $7,000+ for an engine overhaul if a ticking lifter is ignored. These are shop figures, not a quote for your truck.
Owners and shops report a shudder under light throttle on 8L90 trucks (2015-2019). Transmission Repair Cost says GM handled it with bulletins and a class action settlement; the usual fix is the updated fluid and a reflash ($400-$700 dealer, $300-$500 independent), then a torque converter ($1,200-$2,200 independent, $1,800-$2,800 dealer) if it persists. We don't have a failure rate, only these reports. Ask for the VIN's service history.
We don't have a mileage figure we could verify from two sources, so we won't give one. What we can show: lifter failure is reported before 100K miles on some trucks and not on others (Marin Mazda reports owners at 180K-220K with no major issues), and the 6L80 wave plate is reported at 100K-150K miles (one source). Service records tell you more than the odometer.
Our complaint-per-listing figures are measured against each generation's own median, so compare within a generation, not across. Within Gen 3 the range is 0.60 (2018) to 2.76 (2014); within Gen 4, 0.45 (2025) to 1.35 (2021), though newer years have had little time to collect complaints. No year in Gen 2, 3 or 4 trips our rule.