RoadVitals

2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Mar 23, 2009
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 509 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

EnginePowertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Mar 23, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ISSUES WITH HIS VEHICLE AND TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. WHEN HE TOOK THE RECEIPT FOR THE REPAIR TO THE DEALER, THEY REFUSED TO SPEAK WITH HIM. THE DEALER CLAIMED TO HAVE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR CHARGES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE REAR END SEAL, TRANSMISSION COLLAR, INTAKE GASKET, THEUPDATED 04-20-09 *BF HEAD GASKET ON THE ENGINE, AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE ALL REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

NHTSA ID
10262750
Incident
Apr 1, 2006
Mileage
98,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Feb 23, 2009

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING. LOST REVERSE 2ND AND 4TH. COMMON PROBLEM WITH POOR QUALITY TRANSMISSION COMPONENTS USED BY GM. SCUM. ANYWAYS, ECONOMY IS IN A RECESSION AND I HAVE LOTS OF BILLS TO PAY AND NOW THIS ONE AS WELL. THANKS. I LAUGH EVERYTIME GM'S STOCK GETS LOWER. THEY TRULY DESERVE IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10259637
Incident
Feb 18, 2009
Mileage
50,000 mi
Fuel systemTransmission
Filed Feb 11, 2009

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 58000 MILES. THIS TRUCK WAS NEVER USED FOR TOWING. THE REVERSE WENT OUT BACKING OUT THE GARAGE. ALSO, THE VENT AND VAPOR SENSOR FOR THE FUEL TANK FAILED. I WAS TOLD THERE HAVE BEEN MANY UPDATES FOR THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10258381
Incident
Apr 25, 2008
Mileage
57,823 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 29, 2008

SUN SHELL GEARS IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (4L60E) STRIPPED. LOSS OF REVERSE, SECOND AND FOURTH GEARS IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. 1ST TIME WITH 17,982 MILES ON VEHICLE AND THE 2ND TIME WITH 78,407 MILES ON VEHICLE. DEALER REPAIRED FIRST TIME UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND TIME THEY SPLIT THE REPAIR BILL OF $850.00. *TR

NHTSA ID
10240153
Incident
Aug 22, 2008
Mileage
78,407 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 21, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WAS REBUILT; HOWEVER, IT FAILED AGAIN WITHIN 2.5 YEARS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 159,000.

NHTSA ID
10239229
Incident
Mar 10, 2005
Mileage
119,000 mi
Transmission
Filed May 1, 2008
Crash reported

DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 35 MPH, TRANSMISSION FAILED (SUN SHELL GEAR IN A4L60E GM TRANSMISSION). LOST ALL DRIVE AND WAS BUMPED FROM REAR, DENTED BUMPER ONLY. TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10226390
Incident
Apr 8, 2008
Mileage
41,237 mi
Fuel systemTransmission
Filed Oct 11, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE, SECOND, AND FOURTH GEARS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION REACTION SHELL CAUSED THE FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1,728. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 57,000. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ THE FUEL PUMP AND U-JOINTS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED *JB

NHTSA ID
10205406
Incident
Sep 29, 2007
Mileage
57,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 16, 2007

TRANSMISSION OF 2002 CHEVROLET TAHOE FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME. 79,000 MILES. HAD BEEN DRIVING ON FREEWAY TO DESTINATION. 10 YARDS FROM DESTINATION I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, BUT REVERSE DID NOT WORK. CAR IN DRIVE SUDDENLY HAD SAME WHINE AS WHEN OEM TRANSMISSION BROKE. NEEDED 2ND NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10203146
Incident
Sep 15, 2007
Mileage
79,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 28, 2007

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 02' CHEVROLET SILVERADO AT ONLY 23K MILES. DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT. MANY REPORTS OF FAILURES ON GM VEHICLES..PLEASE HELP US. *TR

NHTSA ID
10189148
Incident
Apr 16, 2007
Mileage
23,820 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 7, 2007

(1) NO EVENTS NOTED LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED. PROPER MAINTENANCE AND INTERVALS WERE OBSERVED. WARRANTY HAD RECENTLY EXPIRED. MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS ~49,000 MILES. (2) TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRED LEAVING FAMILY STRANDED IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING EFFORTS FROM 2 GARAGES, IT WAS DETERMINED THE SUN REACTION GEAR FAILED. THIS FAILURE HAS NO FOREWARNING AND IS DUE TO INFERIOR QUALITY OF MATERIALS/PARTS USED IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS EVENT LEFT MY FAMILY STUCK IN TRAFFIC UNTIL, THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR, IT WAS FOUND THAT 1 GEAR WAS LEFT SEMI-FUNCTIONAL. THE LACK OF REVERSE GEAR ALSO PUT MY FAMILY IN DANGER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REACH A SAFE AREA, OUT OF TRAFFIC. GM IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AS NOTED IN NUMEROUS FACTORY TECHNICAL BULLETINS AND CONVERSATIONS HAD BETWEEN MANUFACTURER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MYSELF BUT ARE UNWILLING TO MAKE ANY STRIDES FOR CORRECTING THE ISSUE OR COMPENSATE FOR DAMAGES. (3) AT MY EXPENSE, THE REPAIR OPTIONS WERE TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF TOTAL REBUILD OF THE TRANSMISSION. WE OPTED TO TOTAL REBUILD FOR 2 REASONS; FIRST - THE REPLACEMENT WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM GM AND IT COULD NOT BE VERIFIED IF THE SAME ISSUE WOULD EXIST IN THE REPLACEMENT; SECOND - PROPER REBUILD EXPENSE WAS FOR COST EFFICIENT. THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE PART IS AVAILABLE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10184401
Incident
Dec 1, 2005
Mileage
49,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 28, 2007

HEARD SEVERAL THINGS COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR WHILE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING, THEN A CONSTANT WHINNING SOUND WITH NO POWER. HAD TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED. DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND DETERMINED IT WAS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND THE SUN GEAR ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. COSTS WERE AROUND $1600. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES AND IS NOT QUITE FIVE YEARS OLD (2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500). *NM

NHTSA ID
10180939
Incident
Jan 20, 2007
Mileage
66,200 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 5, 2007

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 CHEVY 4X4 PICKUP (46,000 MILES) HOME WHEN A LOUD CLANK NOISE OCCURRED AND THEN A HIGH PITCHED GRINDING NOISE FOLLOWED. MY TRUCK WOULD NOT SHIFT NORMALLY (2ND, 4TH, AND REVERSE WERE OUT). I WAS LUCKY TO MAKE IT HOME AS I DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY THROUGH THE NATIONAL FOREST WHERE CELL PHONE COVERAGE IS VERY LIMITED. I TOOK MY PICKUP INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH MY SUN SHELL IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT HAD APPARENTLY FAILED AND WOULD COST BETWEEN $1300 AND $2500 TO GET EVERYTHING FIXED DEPENDING ON HOW EXTENSIVE THE DAMAGE. I BOUGHT THE PICKUP NEW AND ITS NEVER BEEN OFF-ROAD, TOWED OR HAULED ANYTHING AND ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES. *NM

NHTSA ID
10177853
Incident
Jan 4, 2007
Mileage
46,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 16, 2006

I PURCHASED A 2002 Z71 CHEVROLET CREWCAB 4 W/D PICKUP TRUCK FROM HENDRICK CHEVROLET IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004, AND HAVE HAD MY TRANSMISSION (1ST, 3RD AND REVERSE) GO OUT TWICE IN LESS THAN A YEAR. I CONTACTED GM, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL AT THAT TIME, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA SITE ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM ON MY MODEL TRUCK. THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT OF MAY OF 2005, IT HAPPENED AGAIN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. I HAD TO PAY $1,400 TO HAVE IT FIXED IN MAY 2005, BUT THE PLACE OF BUSINESS WHO FIXED IT, FIXED IT AGAIN AT NO COST, AS HE SAID HE GUARANTEES HIS WORK FOR A YEAR, AND SINCE IT HAD NOT BEEN A FULL YEAR, HE DIDN'T CHARGE ME...YOU MIGHT SAY I WAS UNLUCKY AND LUCKY AT THE SAME TIME. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THAT PARTICULAR MODEL PICKUP. *NM

NHTSA ID
10155436
Incident
Feb 16, 2006
Mileage
75,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 5, 2004

1. NORMAL USE OF THE VEHICLE. 2.TRANSMISSION FAILED, LEAVING ME STRANDED. 3. TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT MY COST. THERE ARE MANY PARTS JUST LIKE MINE AT THE AAMCO TRANSMISSION SHOP IN LAKE CHARLES, LA. *AK

NHTSA ID
10098351
Incident
Oct 21, 2004
Mileage
46,100 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 28, 2004

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION MADE A NOISE, SLIPPED,AND THEN LOCKED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, WHO REPLACED THE SUN SEAL AND PINS THAT SHEARED OFF. THE FAILURE RECURRED 3 TIMES IN WHICH THE SAME PARTS WERE REPLACED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10080019
Incident
Mar 23, 2004
Mileage
10,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 22, 2002

WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, AND SECOND TO THIRD GEAR, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD. LOUD NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION/ REAREND. OCCURRED AFTER FREEWAY DRIVING REPEATEDLY.*AK

NHTSA ID
761032
Incident
Apr 12, 2002

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .