RoadVitals

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting 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.
11
Latest Jun 9, 2026
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.
2%
of 695 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.
2
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 headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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 exterior lighting

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

ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jun 9, 2026

When a trailer is connected while parked and vehicle is off, trailer lights flicker, blink and sometimes remain on. Sometimes these events will set off alarm also draining battery down.

NHTSA ID
11743066
Incident
Jun 8, 2026
Exterior lightingSteering
Filed Dec 22, 2023

Voltage will drop and effects steering, dash lights, radio, headlights

NHTSA ID
11561453
Incident
Dec 12, 2023
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed May 30, 2023

2020 Silverado 1500 LTZ, Turn signals on mirror do not work

NHTSA ID
11524353
Incident
May 27, 2023
Driver assistanceExterior lightingSteering
Filed Apr 27, 2023
Crash reported

Brake system light failure. Some system lights came on. I had no breaks car didn’t stop fast enough before hitting a pole

NHTSA ID
11519278
Incident
Apr 26, 2023
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 15, 2022

This is a huge vehicle. Side indicators were required back in 1968, and yet this monster truck doesn’t have any definitive side markers. Also, the standard package does not have any turn indicators on its side mirrors. Even compact cars have this safety item.

NHTSA ID
11493735
Incident
Jan 20, 2020
ElectricalExterior lightingVisibility
Filed Jan 23, 2022

The infotainment screen brightness is set too high, such that turning the brightness setting down enough for the infotainment screen to not be too bright turns the backlighting on the instrument cluster down to where it's almost unreadable. In this specific case I was trying to use Apple Maps through Carplay for navigation in an unfamiliar rural area, where lighting on the roads is almost inexistent besides in towns. During the day it's not too much of an issue, but any time between dusk and dawn one must make a choice between visibility out the windshield and being able to quickly read anything on the instrument cluster. It is my opinion that this issue is enough of a safety hazard to force GM to make changes, but unfortunately isn't the most egregious "feature" of this screen. That title belongs to what happens when you put the vehicle in reverse at night. It seems whoever designed it thought the view of the backup camera on the infotainment screen is the only thing you should be able to see, since it changes the brightness back to its daytime setting. This makes seeing out of the vehicle in any direction where the screen is even slightly in your view almost impossible. It also means you must wait a second or two for your eyes to adjust if you want to, for example, look at the backup camera on the screen then look out the rear window. In my case, even looking out the rear window into a garage with a light on was difficult after looking at the backup camera view. Add to all of this any kind of vision issues like needing prescription glasses or contacts, and your eyes are constantly trying to adjust between being able to see what your next turn might be and being able to read any signage that may be present. Simply put, it seems GM took the idea of making the vehicle a rolling smart device to be the primary use, even above having the ability to see where you're going safely.

NHTSA ID
11448505
Incident
Jan 22, 2022
ElectricalExterior lightingPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 2, 2021

MY LIGHTS IN THE DASH INSIDE THE TRUCK. GO FROM BRIGHT, TO DARK BLACK ALL THE TIME SINCE APRIL 2020. MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE ENGAGE, WONT WORK. 12/12/2020 IN THE SNOW TRYING TO DRIVE HOME

NHTSA ID
11406157
Incident
Dec 12, 2020
Mileage
150,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lightingVisibility
Filed Jan 22, 2021
Crash reported

BACKUP CAMERA ONLY IS FUNCTIONAL IN PERFECT WEATHER CONDITIONS. IF IT'S DARK WITH NO LIGHT, THE CAMERA HAS RESOLUTION SIMILAR TO A 1950 TUBE TV. IF IT'S RAINY OR CLOUDY, THE BACKUP CAMERA IS NOT FUNCTIONAL EITHER. THERE ARE NUMEROUS YELLOW LINES AND EXTREMELY POOR QUALITY PICTURE IN MANY OTHER CONDITIONS TOO. CHEVY HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO FIX THIS ISSUE IN MY TRUCK. THE VISIBILITY IS SO BAD I HIT MY TRAILER HITCH ON THE BUMPER 7' OFF OF MY HITCH LOCATION. I COULDN'T SEE THAT MY TRAILER WAS THAT CLOSE TO ME ON THE SCREEN

NHTSA ID
11389374
Incident
Oct 7, 2020
Mileage
2,668 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 6, 2020

WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE WHEN ITS DARK THE BACK UP CAMERA COMES ON THE RADIO SCREEN. WHEN DOING SO THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SCREEN CAUSES THE INABILITY FOR MY EYES TO ADJUST TIMELY. THIS BRIGHTNESS ALSO CAUSES MY INABILITY TO SAFELY USE MY SIDE MIRRORS BECAUSE OF THIS BLINDING EFFECT. THERE IS NO WAY TO DIM NOR TURN OFF THIS FEATURE. THIS HAS ALWAYS DONE THIS SINCE DELIVERY AND I'VE BEEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR OTHER SOFTWARE UPDATES AND RECALLS. THIS STILL HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED AND IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.

NHTSA ID
11363011
Incident
Oct 5, 2020
Mileage
7,500 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 15, 2020

THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM GOES TO MAX BRIGHTNESS AT NIGHT BLINDING THE DRIVER MAKING IT NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO USE MIRRORS. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT TO CORRECT THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID
11328823
Incident
Jun 14, 2020
Mileage
13 mi
ElectricalExterior lightingVisibility
Filed May 22, 2020

I HAVE A 2020 SILVERADO 1500 THE BACK UP CAMERA IS SO BRIGHT AT NIGHT TIME (THE SCREEN BRIGHTNESS AND ITS WHITE WASHED/ TOO HIGH OF CONTRAST) THAT IT MAKES IT UNSAFE TO BACK UP AT NIGHT TIME. I AM BLINDED BY THE SCREEN AND CANT EVEN USE THE SCREEN. *TR

NHTSA ID
11325525
Incident
May 22, 2020
Mileage
100 mi

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 .