2021 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 Complaints

I brought my vehicle to the dealership on March 7, 2026, to address the outstanding safety recall. However, I was informed that the recall repair cannot be completed until I first pay $1,100 to replace the idler pulley. Unfortunately, an unexpected $1,100 expense is not currently in my budget. It is quite concerning to continue driving a vehicle with a known risk of losing propulsion, as the increased risk of a crash is a significant safety worry for me. I would appreciate any assistance or alternative solutions you can provide to ensure this safety recall is resolved. Please find the message from the dealership: Additional Diagnostic recommendations: we are going to want to get the Idler pulley replaced 1st as it can cause unwanted noise and vibration during the testing with the Pico scope. after the repair take the vehicle on a good test drive get it good and warm Then retest the engine with the Pico scope and proceed with those test results. we still want to make sure it is tested correctly If the engine passes just note under Special Coverage N252494003 This special coverage covers if an engine failure occurs in the vehicle as a result of the condition described above for a period of 10 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership."

In 2024, the vehicle began experiencing severe jerking and drivability issues that appear to be transmission-related. We first took the vehicle to Terry Cullen Chevrolet in Southlake. The vehicle remained in the shop for months while still under warranty, yet the issue was never properly resolved. Attempts to communicate with management were largely unsuccessful, and we received little support in addressing the problem. Following guidance from Chevrolet corporate customer service, we then took the vehicle back to the original dealership, Nash Chevrolet in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Nash Chevrolet also held the truck for several months without resolving the issue. During this time, my husband who is self-employed in the home renovation industry—was left without adequate transportation. Because his work requires a truck, he was unable to complete scheduled projects, resulting in an estimated loss of $50,000–$60,000 in income. After the vehicle was returned to us, the same issue occurred again. When we attempted to contact Nash Chevrolet for assistance, our calls were no longer returned. We were forced to seek help elsewhere and brought the truck to a GMC/Buick dealership in Newnan, Georgia. The vehiche is unsafe to drive and after further research found this information and this is exactly the issue we have experience out of this truck making it unsafe to drive-8-Speed Transmission Issues (2015-2019): Litigation exists for 2015–2019 Silverados equipped with Hydra-Matic 8-speed transmissions, alleging rough shifting, hesitation, and vibration.

The tailgate release switch is randomly operating, allowing the tailgate to drop. This has happened at highway speeds (from 55 to 75) and also while in park. I've had to pull over on multiple occasions to close the tailgate. This could allow items to fall out the back of my truck and possible strike other vehicles and their passengers at speed. The dealership has reported it can also drain the battery, which can jeopardize my safety as I am often in the backcountry in very cold temperatures and could be stranded. (Has not happened to me as of yet) This is a known issue that other Chevrolet 1500 trucks have been recalled for (in Canada) and other models of the Silverado in the US. My dealership (Fox Negaunee) stated that they have received numerous complaints on this issue but no recall has been issued for my vehicle yet. I have spoken with the dealership over the phone, but I have not brought it in until further information on a recall may become available. There are no warning lights that appear. This started happening about a month ago, and has continued since then.

My 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, with approximately 84,000 miles, experienced a premature and catastrophic transmission failure while driving. The vehicle began to shudder severely and lost its ability to accelerate properly, creating an unsafe driving condition. I was able to get the vehicle to a dealership. The dealership diagnosed a complete torque converter failure requiring a full transmission replacement. Crucially, at no point before or during this failure did the vehicle's onboard diagnostic systems provide any check engine light or warning message. A sudden loss of power and transmission function on a highway is a major safety risk. I believe this is a widespread defect that needs to be investigated before it causes a serious accident.

2021 Silverado tailgates often stop working due to a faulty, corroded electronic switch caused by water intrusion. A major 2020-2024 GM recall exists for this, which can cause unexpected opening. Check for corrosion in the tailgate switch/connector, a pinched wiring harness, or check for a blown fuse. This is the 2nd time my truck is at ganley Chevy in Cleveland Ohio. They already fixed 1 rotted wire due to corrosion. And now having same issue again that tailgate won’t open. They told me approximately 1000.00 to find and MAYBE fix the problem. This truck should be included in the recall as to it falls under the year of the issues and that it’s the same EXACT ISSUES AS LISTED Again they have my truck in shop and I feel my truck falls under the recall proximity of said items.

When I started my truck, a "service power steering" error was displayed in my DIC. My power steering lost all control. After driving for 10 minutes and then shutting the truck off for about 5 minutes, the system reset. This looks very similar to the recall #N212333900, but 2021 Silverados were not included with the recall. This is the 2nd time it happened. The first time was in 2023. It's pretty scary when you can't steer without extreme exertion.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, there was a metallic sound as if a bolt had fallen inside the engine compartment and was rotating and spinning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the camshaft and the engine lifters had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and NHTSA Action Numbers: EA25007 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling) and RQ26001 (Engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

UNKNOWN. I have had issues with my vehicle since the purchase. Very subtle in the beginning, then it became more noticeable. There was a recall issue with a valve in the operation of the transmission, this issue is now affecting the shifting into different gears. The other day a vehicle ran a red light and my wife and I were in the intersection. I tried to accelerate to get out of the way, but here was a delay before the truck's transmission engaged. Luckily it did engage and the collision was avoided. This is a serious issue, an issue that shouldn't exist, an issue that the manufacturer knew about. I would like someone to investigate this and hopefully, help me with this issue. [XXX] [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On 2-23-2026, while traveling at highway speeds on the freeway, the front upper and lower A-arms (control arms) suffered a complete structural failure. This caused an immediate loss of steering control, forcing the vehicle off the road. By sheer luck and reactive maneuvering, I was able to avoid a multi-vehicle collision; however, the failure resulted in over $4,000 in mechanical and body damage.

On a very cold day in January I left work to head home in 4-high. Just before I got on the highway, the truck did a hard shift from 1st to 2nd and I felt kind of a clunk. Truck immediately threw a check engine light and went into limp mode (didn't seem to shift at all). Pulled into a parking lot and tried to go in reverse, but truck would not go into reverse. Truck was towed to local dealership where they diagnosed it with a failed valve body on the transmission. Dealership told me the valve body was on back order so I then towed the truck to a local transmission shop who changed out the valve body. Transmission had no issues before this. The morning this happened it was very cold (below zero) and I got a message in the truck that said, "heater performance mode active". Thought that was weird, but dealer did not seem to think it had anything to do with the failure.