2020 Chevrolet Silverado Reliability Report

Fire is the biggest risk here, with seven fire-related reports. Named sources include a seat heater under the driver seat, the rear wiring harness, wiring near a rear seat belt, a harness rubbing on a bolt behind the fuse box, and an overheated A/C blower motor. Some trucks burned while parked. Other reports describe a burst of brake, ESC, and trailer brake warnings, a capped top speed, and sometimes no braking, often on low-mileage trucks. Complaints also cover blurry or distorted backup camera images, airbags that did not deploy in a crash, and melted DEF tank connectors on diesels.

Brake system failure warnings appear at startup or while driving, along with Service ESC and Service Trailer Brake messages and a top-speed limit of 43 or 62 mph. Drivers report a hard pedal or one that sinks to the floor with little or no braking. Three reports involve crashes. A restart often clears the warnings, and many cases involve nearly new trucks. A second pattern affects the rear brakes: sticking calipers, a parking brake that does not fully release, and rear inner pads worn out between about 25,000 and 54,000 miles. One failed master cylinder sat waiting on a back-ordered part.

Water leaking through the rear sliding window is the most common complaint here. It soaks the headliner, rear seats, and carpet, causing musty smells and mold, and dealer resealing often fails. One owner notes a Canadian recall for the leak with no US equivalent. The remaining reports overlap other categories: transmission shudder, slipping, and lockup; engines that threw a rod; DEF heater wiring that melted and triggered reduced-speed warnings; and NOx sensor failures on the 3.0L Duramax that owners paid for. One new Trail Boss burned while parked, hours after it was last driven.

Rear window leaks dominate. Water gets in through a cracked sliding window frame or a failed seal during rain or a car wash. Headliners, seat backs, and carpet get soaked and mold follows. Repeated resealing, and sometimes a full window replacement, often fails to stop the leak. Leaks are reported from about 22,000 to 56,000 miles. Other reports describe the tailgate dropping open while driving, sometimes while towing, along with frame paint flaking off, early frame and underbody rust, and loud door wind noise at highway speed.

Nearly every report describes catastrophic engine failure. It starts with ticking, rattling, or knocking, sometimes with misfires and shaking. Then the engine stalls or seizes, in several cases at highway speed. Dealers find collapsed lifters, failed camshafts, rod bearing failure, or a rod through the block, and most recommend a full engine replacement, typically between about 45,000 and 71,773 miles. Many owners connect their failure to a federal engine recall but say their VIN was not included. Some engines went unrepaired because of the cost. One owner was denied coverage because an independent shop had done the oil changes.

Two problems stand out. On gas trucks, the fuel pump or its control module fails, causing no-starts or sudden power loss while driving, and some owners wait months for back-ordered parts. On diesels, DEF tank, pump, and heater failures trigger warnings and a countdown to reduced speed, sometimes within the first 13,000 miles, with parts again on national back order. A few reports describe fuel leaking onto the hot exhaust and gasoline fumes in the cab, which is a fire risk. Others describe power loss and jerking when the engine is hot.

Most reports describe airbags that did not deploy in serious crashes, with seven crashes and eight injuries. The crashes include rear-end pileups, a rollover, and frontal impacts with a pole, a tree, and a deer. Drivers report broken ribs, a broken nose, and a concussion. Some received an airbag system alert at or after impact. Other complaints cover a Service Safety Restraint System warning traced to the clock spring around 42,000 miles, a rusted driver airbag, and concern that water from rear window leaks could reach the SRS module.