2019 Chevrolet Silverado Reliability Report

The brake pedal goes soft or sinks to the floor, power assist drops out, and the dash shows "Brake System Failure" with speed capped at 43 or 62 mph. ESC and trailer brake warnings often appear too. Some failures start in the first few thousand miles, and several owners say they came back after brake recall reprogramming. Six reports describe crashes, mostly rear-end collisions, with three injuries. Other complaints cover pads and rotors worn out early, which owners tie to a customer satisfaction program, and rear brakes locking in cold weather.

Oil cooler lines leak at their crimp joints or pop off and set off zero oil pressure warnings, usually around 36,000 to 42,000 miles in these reports. Owners say dealers turned them away because their VIN is outside program N212326940, while trucks in Canada and Alaska are covered. Other complaints include rear window leaks that cause mold, a backup camera that flickers or goes black, and early frame rust. A few owners say the truck rolled in reverse or started by itself. Two reports describe engine compartment fires.

Power steering assist cuts out without warning, often at startup, along with "Service Power Steering" and "Service ESC" messages. Trailer brake and rear camera faults sometimes appear at the same time. Several owners traced the problem to a corroded body-to-frame ground strap behind the passenger front wheel, failing at 26,000 to 40,000 miles. Some brand-new trucks lost assist within a few hundred miles. The fault is often intermittent and may clear after a restart. One crash report describes the truck turning hard into a gas pump island at low speed.

Oil cooler lines come loose at their crimp joints. The result is slow leaks, frequent low oil warnings, or a sudden loss of oil pressure that sprays oil under the truck. Many owners cite program N212326940 but say their VIN is not included. Lifter and camshaft failures also appear here, cutting speed to 25 to 35 mph at 79,000 to 115,000 miles, and owners point to federal investigations PE25001 and EA25007. Other reports cover heavy oil use, a cracked radiator, and one heavy-duty truck throwing sparks from the rear.

Front upper control arm ball joints break, and the wheel folds under or comes off. The failure can take out the CV axle, tie rod end, brake lines, tire, and rim. Failures occur both in parking lots and at 70 mph while towing, with owner-reported mileages as low as 9000. Several owners cite recall 21V718 but say their VIN was not included, and some trucks had dealer-installed leveling kits. Four reports describe crashes. Other complaints include a sway bar that came off its frame mount, loose wheel bearing bolts, clunking, and repeated misalignment.

The rear sliding window leaks into the cab. Owners report wet carpet, a stained headliner, mildew smells, and corroded rear modules. Dealers call it a known problem and point to a service bulletin, but reseals do not always hold, and one out-of-warranty quote ran over $4000. Paint chips and peels easily, sometimes within the first few thousand miles. Several owners also report heavy frame rust, including rust-through, at around 34,000 to 35,000 miles.

Airbags fail to deploy in serious collisions, including T-bones and 45 to 55 mph impacts. Seatbelts often fail to lock in the same crashes. Ten of these reports involve crashes, and the filings list 13 injuries, including head, spine, and hand injuries. One heavy-duty truck had its curtain airbags fire while driving at 55 mph, and the driver lost control and left the road. Dealers often could not find a cause or did not inspect the vehicle.