Service brakes, fuel and electrical system issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Full-size trucks come in a variety of styles and formats, but all owners want capability and durability. For many years, Chevy was known as a reliable automaker for pickups, but that might not be the case anymore. Despite the tagline on the Silverado saying, “The strongest, most advanced Silverado ever,” we just can’t agree. Instead, it seems this company is allergic to advanced technology based on how often it fails.
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Even though the Silverado is often used for work, owners want a reliable electrical system to enjoy the comforts and amenities. However, this system is just a disappointment.
One NHTSA complaint states, “The backup camera brightness is so excessive it creates a hazard backing at night not being able to see out passenger side mirror, no brightness control for nighttime.”
It turns out that the faulty electrical system creates much larger trouble. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V888000 states that there is a possible defect in the battery positive cable that could lead to intermittent electrical connection. If this occurs, the vehicle could stall and an accident could happen. Additionally, there is the chance of electrical arcing, which could cause a fire. If Chevy believes that this is the “most advanced ever,” why would they want to burn it to the ground.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Engine | |
| Electrical System | |
| Steering | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Structure:body | |
| Suspension | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Exterior Lighting |
The fuel system helps the gasoline reach the engine, when it is working correctly. Yet, this basic system doesn’t work the way it is supposed to.
Read this Edmunds review. “The gas gap was deleted on this truck in favor of a rubber flap. Standard pump nozzles will fight you a little to remove them after filling up. Not much, but just enough to drip gas on the body paint underneath the filler hole. Annoying and eventually that will ruin the paint.”
Along with this fuel system complaint, there is also a recall to make note of. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V837000 states that some fuel pumps don’t have a pressure regulator, which causes over-pressurization of the system. If this happens, the fuel pump could crack and cause a leak, which once again, increases the chance of a fire. Again, this strong Silverado is subject to spontaneous combustion – which must make it the “most advanced.”
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To be strong and advanced, the Chevy Silverado must have a solid structure, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Here’s one more Edmunds review to look at. “Unfortunately this big beautiful truck, is that’s all it is. I have owned one for three months and I drove to go to the store in heavy rain all sorts of water rushing everywhere. I’m thinking suckers no water will hurt me. I guess I was wrong. I just left my home and I guess if you hit a small amount of water at the correct angle it will create a vacuum and draw water from under the front of the truck. So here is my big beautiful truck broke down and small vehicles are passing me by. Btw GM says it’s my fault??? I guess I missed the disclaimer that tells me not to drive during rain. I guess I don’t understand stand what a Trail boss Z71 mean? Don’t get wet?”
The structure is sub-par to say the least, but a recent recall affecting more than 550,000 vehicles is even more alarming. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V814000 says that if a fire occurs on the front seat belt tensioners, the hot gas could vent through a bracket and ignite the carpet. While this might not be something most truck owners would ever think about, the Silverado has already proven to be susceptible to fire.
Above all, one of the most vital safety features is the brakes. Again, this Chevy truck can’t seem to get the basics down.
Another NHTSA user wrote, “When I stop slowly, the brake pedal starts to make a noise and starts to shake. You can literally feel your foot shaking when stopping slowly. It does not make it every time but when it does it makes it like 4 times. I first noticed this when driving on the highway while on a road trip then it started doing it on the city street. It does it when you are making a stop but haven’t stopped completely because when you come to a complete stop it stops doing it.”
As one would assume, there is yet another recall, this time for the braking system. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V116000 applies to more than 20,000 vehicles. It points out that the bolts meant to attach to the brake calipers were not heat treated. Because of this misstep, they could break under a heavy load. Not only can this defect interfere with wheel rotation, but it could also lead to decreased brake performance and a higher chance of an accident. Of course, this isn’t a compact car – it’s a full-size truck. Therefore, it is meant for heavy-duty loads, or supposed to be. Apparently, handling heavy-duty loads wasn’t accounted for when the company decided this was the “strongest” yet.
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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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I purchased (cash) a 2020 Chevy Silverado RST Duramax last year and I’ve had nothing but issues with this vehicle. When I purchased it, it only had approximately 14k miles on it so to me… it was still fairly new.
After a few months of owning the vehicle, I noticed that it seemed to be losing power when driven. I took it into the dealership for maintenance and they told me everything seemed to be running as normal. They reset my indicator lights and sent me on my way.
Less than two weeks later while on the California freeway… the vehicle completely lost power and I almost crashed. Lucky for me, I had OnStar and was able to get my vehicle off the freeway safely and back to the dealership where they kept my vehicle for over a month.
According to the dealership, my wiring was all messed up so they deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive. As I started the truck to get the mileage… all of my indicator lights flashed and my door locks began to lock and unlock on their own right in front of the service team.
It was a crazy site to see but I’m glad they were there to witness the madness for themselves. Almost looked as if the vehicle was possessed. Nonetheless, they were able to figure out the issue after holding my vehicle for over a month, and I was able to take my vehicle with me back home.
Everything was going well for about three weeks, then all of a sudden… my check engine light popped back on. I was extremely frustrated at that point and drove BACK out to the dealership once again.
My vehicle is currently back at the dealership for maintenance and has been for almost two months now. I don’t think I’ll be buying any Chevy or GM vehicle in the future. This is absolutely ridiculous and GM really needs to look into all of these issues or they’ll more than likely lose a lot of great customers.
I bought a 2020 rst with the duramax with 37000 miles on it. The first 6 weeks I had it , it was in the shop 5 times. They replaced the Transmission module then the range selector. Then I was at the gas station put it in reverse to backup hit the fuel pedal and lunged forward almost going threw the doors. Finally they replaced a wiring harness between the module and selector and it seems to have fixed that problem. Now the brakes are quite spongey. Hope it stop my 7000 lb camper this spring.
I just purchased a 2020 Silverado 1500 RST at 15k miles.. what issues did you have with yours that I need to be aware of? I’ve noticed the hard down shifting and the backup cam at night not so good. I did not purchase the optional warranty besides it having the 100k mile power train warranty.
I leased a 2020 Chevy Silverado RST December 29, of 2020. The truck has been in the shop more then its been out. I am seeking legal representation to get it declared a lemon.