RoadVitals

2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
13
+3 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Feb 26, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 13 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, most frequently naming the brakes, electrical and engine categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 185 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes421.1%
  • Electrical315.8%
  • Engine210.5%
  • Powertrain (other)210.5%
  • Steering210.5%
  • Airbags15.3%
  • Visibility15.3%
  • Driver assistance15.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Feb 26, 2026
5,861 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”
The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N252540430View on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Nov 25, 2025
3,408 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles may not have received an owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, “Child Restraint Anchorage Systems.”
The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will provide the owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2025. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252532020. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 25, 2025.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N252532020View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

BrakesOther / unspecified
Filed Oct 26, 2026

My 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD has suffered three original Goodyear tire sidewall failures within 13,290 miles. One failure damaged a rear hydraulic brake line while driving. Serious safety hazard.

NHTSA ID
11773653
Incident
Sep 25, 2026
AirbagsElectricalVisibility
Filed Oct 19, 2026
Fire reported

A warning light illuminated as the driver was pulling into a bank parking lot. The vehicle was left running while the driver briefly stepped away to use the ATM. When he returned, he saw smoke coming out of the glove compartment. When the glovebox was opened, an active fire was already burning inside the dash cavity behind it. The fire grew rapidly and resulted in full cabin flashover, destroying the interior, melting wiring, and causing structural damage. The burn pattern clearly shows the fire originated inside the passenger-side dash/glovebox area, not the engine compartment. Photographs taken immediately after the incident show melted and fused copper wiring, arc beads, vaporized insulation, and connectors burned from the inside outward. Harness bundles were burned from the inside out, consistent with electrical arcing. A torch lighter stored in the glovebox did not ignite and played no role in the fire. Chlorine stored in the truck bed is a non-combustible oxidizer and cannot ignite or melt wiring. These facts eliminate external ignition sources. The area behind the glovebox contains multiple electrical components with known failure modes, including the body control module, fuse block, HVAC blower motor resistor, and airbag wiring harness. The warning light appearing shortly before the fire and the fire beginning while the vehicle was left running strongly indicate an internal electrical failure. The manufacturer inspected the vehicle and issued a denial but has refused to release photographs, diagnostic logs, investigator notes, or the third-party report, preventing independent verification of the cause.

NHTSA ID
11772181
Incident
Sep 3, 2026
BrakesElectricalEngine
Filed Oct 17, 2026

Brand new twenty twenty-six GM diesel. CAN bus dead, no modules communicate. Brakes locked three times while driving. Empty DPF, constant regen, extreme heat, fire risk. Check engine light never comes on. Odometer dropped seven fifty-three miles in dealer records. OnStar dead, shows zero. Twenty-two complaints logged, zero repairs. Secretary signed off everything fine in four hours with no mechanic. Salvaged twenty twenty-three control arms on a twenty twenty-six build. Rusted steering, bent scratched frame with new parts underneath. Oil pump replaced one month after delivery, large date scrubbed off pan. Midnight service stickers. Death wobble, broken shocks, AC line blocked pedals. GM cancelled buyback three times. Unsafe, defectively assembled.

NHTSA ID
11771773
Incident
Jul 23, 2026
Electrical
Filed Oct 12, 2026

Intermittent complete loss of all audio output on a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD (VIN [XXX], purchased new XXX). When the fault occurs, the vehicle produces no sound of any kind for the entire drive cycle. This includes the audible turn signal confirmation, the seat belt reminder chime, door and key chimes, and the audible alerts for the driver assistance systems (forward collision alert, lane departure, blind spot, park assist). All audible warning capability in the vehicle is lost simultaneously. The failure is intermittent and occurs without warning. It has recurred on multiple dates, most recently XXX during normal highway driving. The dealer performed a global reset per GM's instructions; audio returned, then the fault recurred approximately two weeks later. The reset provides temporary masking, not a repair. This is a known, unresolved GM defect. GM bulletin PIT6406 has covered this condition since XXX replacing two earlier bulletins on the same symptom, and has been revised approximately nine times through XXX. It remains classified as "Preliminary Information" rather than a finalized TSB. GM's own text states engineering is still investigating and instructs that the customer continue driving the vehicle in the interim. The bulletin covers 2022-2026 Silverado and Sierra 1500/2500/3500, Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon. GM has previously treated this same failure mode as a safety defect. NHTSA recall 16V084 and 16V422. Safety consequence: this is a heavy-duty truck used regularly for towing. When the fault is active, the driver receives no audible indication that a turn signal has been left on, no audible collision or lane departure warning, and no seat belt reminder. The vehicle gives the driver no indication the audio system has failed until a warning is needed and does not sound. Operators have no way to know their audible warning systems are inoperative at any given moment. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11770629
Incident
Oct 12, 2026
Filed Oct 10, 2026

This vehicle was delivered new without a printed owners manual. There are multiple open recalls for other 2026 model year Chevrolet Silverados that were also delivered without printed owners manuals, however my VIN was incorrectly omitted from the recall population. I only became aware this week that my vehicle was incorrectly excluded from these campaigns.

NHTSA ID
11770284
Incident
Oct 6, 2026
EngineFuel system
Filed Sep 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the steering wheel seized, and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. White smoke with a burning odor was coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was on an incline, which helped the vehicle to decelerate. The contact pulled off the road and came to a stop with smoke billowing under the hood. A Sheriff driving by called the fire department. The fire fighters arrived and determined that the smoke had become extinguished. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the fuel line had ruptured and there was diesel fuel collecting inside the engine compartment. The contact was informed that the fuel system had a catastrophic failure and the engine needed to be disassembled for further diagnostic tests. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 9,100.

NHTSA ID
11767704
Incident
Sep 26, 2026
Mileage
9,100 mi
Steering
Filed Sep 29, 2026

Two steering issues on the same 2026 Silverado 2500 HD LTZ Trail Boss Z71, 6.6L gas, truck has about 11,000 miles as of 09/29/2026. 1. Mechanical clunk heard and felt through the steering wheel over bumps and when the wheel is at full lock. Assist is still present; the wheel does not spin free. This matches wear/lash in the upper intermediate steering shaft (the collapsible shaft between the column and the steering gear), not the tilt mechanism. Fluid is not low and there is no visible leak. 2. Separate hissing / hydraulic-flow noise heard inside the cab from the column area when tension is applied to the wheel. There is no hydraulic fluid in the column; the noise is conducted up the shaft from the hydraulic steering gear / Digital Variable Assist (NV8) system. I am reporting both so they stay on one VIN record. 3. Both symptoms were present when I purchased the truck new on 11/25/2025 and Chevrolet dealer checked it before delivery, they said it was normal. On my first service, the truck was taken to a GMC dealer where they also stated this was normal. Now both symptoms have gotten worse and the hiss has gotten louder.

NHTSA ID
11767643
Incident
Nov 25, 2025
Brakes
Filed Sep 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal, there was a grinding sound coming from the front passenger's side wheel. Later, while driving slowly toward a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond and traveled through a four-lane intersection. The vehicle was driven to a local service center where the failure recurred while reversing into a parking space, and the vehicle struck a curb. Upon removing the front passenger's side wheel, an independent mechanic discovered that the inner brake pad was missing and the brake caliper was lodged against the brake rotor. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front brake pads and calipers had failed and needed to be replaced. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 24,052.

NHTSA ID
11764704
Incident
Sep 10, 2026
Mileage
24,052 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIP6142

This Preliminary Information (PI) relays to dealer technicians to inspect the valve lifters during adjustment or repair for a rocker arm concern or an instance of low lift height.

PIC5650N

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may find Diagnostic Trouble Codes B3055, B3

PIT6015D

This Preliminary Information provides diagnostic tips and guidance for situations where key fobs cannot be learned or programmed successfully.

PIT6564

Beginning with 2026 model year production, the floor console/armrest lamp design was changed by removing the tilt-switch ball. As a result, the lamp remains illuminated when the floor console compartment lid is closed. The BCM turns the lamp off after the ignition is switched off to prevent battery rundown. This PI is to inform dealers of the change in the lamp and operation of the lamp following repairs.

PIC6629G

This PI is to instruct dealer on diagnostic procedures that need to be completed prior to replacing a radio or IPC display

PIT5909D

This Preliminary information communicates that it is normal for the tailgate to drop faster than it used to after the GM Accessory Kicker Audio System is installed.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Silverado 2500 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000—
2026Viewing132058.9
2025311045.2
20241454052.3
2023471049.0
2022973055.0
2021896161.4
202011010163.1
2019747060.9
2018535059.8
2017545053.1
20161236053.3
20151796160.2
2014402153.8
2013513146.7
2012533152.3
20111044151.2
2010215149.8
2009615159.7
20081914359.5
20072043358.6
20061781044.2
20052691043.8
20043682048.9
20034492152.7
20023513460.3
20013001348.2
20001323259.9
1999812046.4
1998732051.7
1997642048.5
1996200—
1995300—
1994300—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.