Designed and built for people who do lots of hauling and heavy-duty towing, the heavy-duty (HD) 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 offers a wealth of great performance features and technologies. But owners faced with engine, brake, and other malfunctions are having second thoughts about their investment. Added to this, a recall warns of an urgent fire risk, while a complaint tells of a spontaneous engine fire, not caused by the recall problem.
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Most Common Problems
There aren’t a lot of complaints to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) from 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 owners. But there are some very serious problems. Engine issues, brake problems, and a problem with the auto-dimming mirrors all feature in NHTSA complaints.
There is an urgent fire risk recall that was issued by General Motors (GM) in September 2021, that is still active. It warns that 3,241 GM vehicles, including 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500s, are at risk of the brake pressure modulator valve (BPMV) causing an electrical short circuit. If this happens, it will immediately increase the risk of fire.
According to the recall notification, the issue is that the bolts attaching the BPMV assembly may not have been tightened fully. The implication is that the 2 sub-assemblies may then not be properly sealed and water could seep into the assembly. For this reason, owners of affected vehicles are advised to park outside and away from any other structures until the recall repair is completed.
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Complaint Summary
Complaint Category
Number of Complaints
Electrical System
4
4
Engine
2
2
Latches/locks/linkages:tailgate:latch
2
2
Service Brakes
2
2
Electrical System: Integrated Trailer Brake Control
1
1
Exterior Lighting
1
1
Latches/locks/linkages
1
1
Power Train
1
1
Power Train:automatic Transmission
1
1
Unknown Or Other
1
1
Stop Delivery Problem
There is also an interesting discussion in the Duramax Forum about GM’s intention to repurchase 2022 Silverado HD and Sierra HD vehicles because of Duramax diesel engine quality issues. This draws attention to a 2022 stop delivery order for vehicles that is not currently filed on the NHTSA website.
The conversation started after another website stated it had learned that GM intended buying back certain Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD trucks because of engine quality issues. Forum members were concerned because there were no details or VIN numbers.
On April 17, 2022, a member shared that she had ordered a new 3500 in December 2021 and the dealership had called to say it couldn’t be sold and was “going back and (would be) scrapped.” In response to this, another member shared a screenshot of the original “stop delivery” notification.
There have been more responses including reports of engine replacements and cancellations since then. One posted on April 29, 2022, states, “I saw the cancellation of the stop delivery. He said mine is one GM is taking back due to the hydrolock issue. No clue why it took so long to confirm that. I had another connection look into it and they verified the same info that the order is canceled.”
Why Did GM Issue a Stop Delivery Notice?
There is a bit of a mystery about the urgent stop delivery notice that GM issued for the 2022 Chevrolet 3500 and 2500 HD vehicles as well as 2022 GMC Sierra 2500/3500 HD and 2021-2022 Chevrolet 4500 vehicles, all equipped with “certain diesel engines.”
The notification was issued to all GM dealers on March 17, 2022, and they were told to stop delivery of all vehicles in “the attached VIN file and in new vehicle inventory.” The problem, the GM notification states, is that “These vehicles may experience a hydro-lock/no start issue.” The GM reference number is N222362910, and it records that none of these vehicles may be “delivered or sold until further notice.”
Soon after this, there were multiple media reports that stated GM was planning to buy back an unspecified number of Silverado HD and Sierra HD trucks because of quality-related issues with the 6.6-liter V8 engine.
Then there was a follow-up notification, GM reference number N222362910, that refers to the March 17, 2022 stop delivery order. It states that dealers were able to submit claims for “floor plan” reimbursement for certain VINs. This is based on the number of days (up to 30) vehicles were in dealer inventory and not available for sale. The floor plan reimbursement amount for Silverado 3500 vehicles is $7.25.
The odd part is that neither of these notifications seems to be on file with the NHTSA’s manufacturer communications log, even though, by law, automakers must provide the NHTSA with all manufacturer communications.
There is, though, one communication from GMC that relates to Duramax diesel hydro locked engines on file. This tells dealerships what to do when inspecting engines for a hydro-lock condition.
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Engine Problems
Of the 371 manufacturer communications lodged with the NHTSA by late May 2023, 127 are related to engine and engine cooling issues. But there are only 2 complaints related to engine problems. One, from an owner in Texas states that there are several defects. The other is more extreme. It states that after parking the vehicle, the owner “heard an abnormal noise and saw smoke and fire” coming from the passenger side of the engine.
Luckily, the owner had a fire extinguisher on hand and was able to get the fire out. He didn’t call the fire department, but did alert the local dealership about the incident.
Problems with the Brake
When brakes don’t work, accidents happen. This is exactly what happened to an owner from Florida who had been following behind another vehicle at 3-4 lengths while traveling at 35 mph. “The vehicle in front made an aggressive stop and although I immediately saw the incident, I could not stop in time with a full panic stop by pressing the brakes hard to the floor. My brakes felt greasy and even though I had enough separation, the truck did not decelerate much. I felt the anti-lock mechanism but it did not seem to slow the vehicle.”
Implications of Auto-Dimming Mirror Malfunctions
There is only one complaint about the mirrors, but it is telling, because this is a truck designed for towing.
“The auto dimming mirrors have no shut-off on them. At night they dim so much you can’t see out of the mirrors. This is so bad I quit driving this truck at night after jackknifing my trailer when my porch light dimmed my mirrors.”
What Should You Do If Your 2023 Silverado 3500 is a Lemon?
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Chevrolet pay legal fees. 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.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
