Powertrain, brake, electrical, & and engine issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Among the top trucks on the road, the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500, launched in 1999, continues to be hailed as one of the best from the automaker. Chevy claims it provides “a legendary engine for epic journeys.” But owners are finding fault with the engine, as well as the powertrain, electrical system, and both the trailer and service brakes.
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Complaints made by consumers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are incredibly varied. They cover 10 different components or systems, often citing problems with 2 or 3 of them.
The majority of complaints filed with the NHTSA between December 22, 2021, and November 15, 2022, relate to the brakes of this light-duty, half-ton truck. Most of these refer to trailer brake control, which is a huge issue for a truck that its owners use for towing. There is also a recall that relates to the brakes, although it isn’t the brakes themselves that are at fault, but rather a high-mounted brake light that doesn’t work This reduces visibility for other drivers, which increases the risk of a crash.
There are also almost as many about the powertrain (5 vs 6). Most of these complaints describe how the transmission slips, which is an issue that Chevrolet apparently knows about. But this knowledge doesn’t seem to be helping Chevy Silverado owners.
Complaints about the electrical system are varied, with most complainants listing these under 2-3 categories. At least one of the engine problems is related to the electrical system.
Airbag problems are worth mentioning because they are meant to provide the first line of defense during an accident. When they don’t work, occupants are put at risk. A woman from Pennsylvania tells how her husband was driving at 60 MPH started coughing, got distracted, and lost control of the vehicle. “The vehicle veered off the road and crashed into several trees. The airbags failed to deploy.”
The man was transported out of the vehicle to the hospital with the assistance of emergency units. Unfortunately, he had significant injuries
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Steering | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Structure:body |
There are serious issues with the powertrain, especially the transmission slipping.
The first complaint about this was lodged with the NHTSA in February 2022. “On the first drive every day, the transmission keeps slipping between 1st and 2nd gear and you have no power trying to accelerate until you find a gear. Took it to (the) dealership and they couldn’t find anything wrong. They said Chevrolet has a bulletin on this issue already. (This is) not okay.”
An owner from Illinois confirms that it is a problem that the manufacturer, General Motors (GM) knows about. “Since new delivery, (the) transmission appears to slip into neutral when (the) vehicle is first started and accelerated forward. (I) was advised by Chevrolet service that this is a known issue, and that GM is aware of the issue, but nothing can be done about it. Other than annoying, if a quicker move forward is required, the vehicle accelerates in neutral then grabs, causing the vehicle to slip on wet pavement, which could lead to a loss of control.”
An owner from Indiana describes how the “entire truck shudders and it feels as if the transmission slips” when driving at highway speed. This usually happens when “winding up to pass.” The vehicle doesn’t accelerate in the normal way, “it feels as if the transmission has issues finding the passing gear. After passing and letting off the gas it continues to shudder for a while until you reach a steady speed.”
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A big problem here is an integrated trailer brake system failure. But there are other brake issues too, as the number of manufacturer communications filed with the NHTSA indicate. These are varied, with 4 relating to service brakes, 2 to service brakes, air, 1 to service brakes hydraulic, and another 4 to the parking brake.
An owner from Florida was driving when “the truck reported a brake system failure and I lost power to my brakes. I was able to pull over at the gas station and call the dealership. They said they couldn’t assist because they didn’t know what the issue was.” Nevertheless, he had the truck towed to the dealer, who kept it for 8 days and replaced the brake module. But driving home, the same thing happened. “The dashboard read “Brake system failure “. I called the dealer and this time they towed the vehicle. They said they are replacing the entire master cylinder but I don’t have faith that this will solve the issue. I’ve heard of other Chevy Silverado’s with the same issue.”
This owner reported the problem to GM HQ, but complains that “ it doesn’t seem like there is a sense of urgency or that they care about the safety concerns I have with this truck.”
The most recent complaint, from an owner in Pennsylvania, states that after the trailer braking system warning light came on, the dealer diagnosed an integrated trailer brake system failure. This was on November 15, 2022. But, the vehicle wasn’t repaired “due to the manufacturer not having a fix for the failure.”
According to the manufacturer communications filed with the NHTSA, GM has been working on a fix for this issue since at least September 2022.
Another complaint about the trailer brakes is from an owner in Indiana who got a “trailer brakes disabled service required” message. He was towing an RV trailer at the time and went directly to the dealership.
“They found #PIT5948A from Oct 6th, 2022 stating that engineers are aware of (the) issue for all models using this integrated trailer brake. This is an Urgent issue and critical for those pulling trailers with brakes. This is very dangerous to have trailer brakes disabled when pulling heavy trailers (and) can result in serious accidents and should be addressed immediately.”
There are several complaints about the engine, one from an owner in Texas who states that an engine misfire caused an electrical system failure. While driving at about 75-80 mph, the truck suddenly decelerated to 40 mph “and jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated.” The dealer replaced the injector, but the failure recurred. At the time of the complaint, the vehicle was with the dealer.
A complaint from Michigan tells how a Silverado stalled while driving at 50 mph. The “Shift to Neutral” and “Restart Vehicle” messages were displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where ”it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be repaired.”
There are several complaints about the engine, one from an owner in Texas who states that an engine misfire caused an electrical system failure. While driving at about 75-80 mph, the truck suddenly decelerated to 40 mph “and jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated.” The dealer replaced the injector, but the failure recurred. At the time of the complaint, the vehicle was with the dealer.
A complaint from Michigan tells how a Silverado stalled while driving at 50 mph. The “Shift to Neutral” and “Restart Vehicle” messages were displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where ”it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be repaired.”
You don’t have to be stuck with a lemon. So, if you think your Silverado 1500 is a lemon, contact Lemberg Law for a free evaluation of your problem. The law makes Chevrolet pay the legal fees, which means that you may be able to get your lemon out of your life.
Every year auto manufacturers buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you. Call our Helpline to find out more.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Pulling with 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax – the truck shivers at 48 to 60 mph under a load. Had the Chevy Dealership look at it to no surprise no issues found at 1,500 miles and about 6,800 miles.
Now at 10,758 miles check engine light comes on and OnStar sends a message to have the emissions checked. Have an appointment for two weeks out now and after researching this I find a number of folks with this issue and the DEF heating element/control.
I will know more after Thanksgiving, and am I thankful I bought a Chevy, not!
Hopefully they get their stuff together before long. Never should have gotten rid of my 2011 Ford F250 diesel.
I purchased new 2022 Silverado 2,7 l
And have issue with 1&2 gear took to dealer and was informed that they can’t do anything for me
Contacted Chevy manufacturer was told same thing
Looking for advice
i was the person in the artical talked to supervisor at gm, i was told the airbags were in compliance .do not beleve 60mph into a tree is in compliance .i need help still have problems from accedent.