2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Brakes Problems

While connected to a RV which has onboard batteries, the truck's brake controller disables the braking system if the batteries on the RV fluctuate in voltage. The truck will give an alert advising "Trailer Brakes Disabled." This has occurred multiple times while pulling my RV which weighs 16,000 pounds, making it unsafe and hard to stop using only the truck's brakes. It happened while traveling through Atlanta, GA and once in Nashville, TN. Chevrolet has at least one TSB on this for similar 2022-2024 2500 and 3500 trucks. This has been a widely reported problem on several RV forums. The truck brake controller will work again if the engine is shut off and turned back on or the trailer is unplugged and re-plugged in the truck. This problem occurred approximately 10 times on my trip from Missouri to Florida in January and about the same number of times when returning to Missouri at the end of February.

NHTSA ID

11648847

Incident

Jan 18, 2025

Rear passenger side, brakes, locking up keeping the truck from rolling. Replaced the brake fluid line and also both calipers. The brakes are still locking up.

NHTSA ID

11521829

Incident

Mar 4, 2023

Driving my truck, without a trailer, the "Service Trailer Brakes Soon" fault came on my truck. This is a known problem that GM is aware of with their ITBC system for YEARS & have done selective recalls for. This a hazard to the motoring public. There is no warning when this fault happens while pulling a trailer & when it does pop up, you lose all trailer brakes. I had the same problem with my 2010 Silverado, after numerous visits to the dealership & thousands of dollars & filed complaints with GM & NHTSA, nothing was done. When taken to the dealership, if the fault isn't on the screen, they claim they can't find or fix the problem. I pull a 10,000 pound 5th wheel, I need trailer brakes when I apply them.

NHTSA ID

11436323

Incident

Oct 11, 2021

SERPENTINE BELT BROKE . I HAVE IT AVAILABLE. RECOMMENDED SERVICE IS 150K MILES OR 10 YEARS . IT BROKE AT 55K AND 5 YEARS. LOST BRAKE AND STEERING ASSIST. ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP OR TURN VEHICLE. IT IS A DIESEL AND USES HYDRAULIC ASSIST. DEALER REPLACED BELT COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. NO WARNING.

NHTSA ID

11423931

Incident

Jul 2, 2021

BRAKES ARE NOT EFFICIENT. THEY NEED ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO STOP. OR BRAKE PEDALS MUST BE APPLIED(PUMPED) SEVERAL TIMES TO STOP BETTER WITH LESS PRESSURE.

NHTSA ID

11388168

Incident

Jul 24, 2017

Mileage

16,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT MOVE AND BECAME STUCK WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED AS SHE CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AS IT APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO GOSCH CHEVROLET OF HEMET (400 CARRIAGE CIR, HEMET, CA 92545, (951) 216-3486) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM PUMP NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THERE WAS SUSPICION THAT THE PUMP COULD FAIL AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE NUMBER WAS PROVIDED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A CASE MANAGER WOULD CALL HER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,444.

NHTSA ID

11164844

Incident

Jan 3, 2019

Mileage

44,444 mi

BOUGHT TRUCK NEW. BOUGHT A BRAND NEW FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER TO TOW. SOMETIMES WHILE TOWING THE TRAILER, THE TRUCK WILL "SHUDDER" WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MAYBE 3 OR 4 TIMES IN THE 2 YEARS THAT I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK AND TRAILER. IT "SHUDDERS" BAD ENOUGH THAT IT HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. WHEN IT DOES THIS, THE STABILITRAK, TRACTION CONTROL AND ALL MY GAUGES COME ON. THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACH RESET. ALL THIS WHILE DRIVING. BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ALL THEY DO IS POINT THE FINGER AT THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER. TRAILER MANUFACTURER SAYS THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE, AND IT IS ONLY HAPPENING TO CHEVY TRUCKS THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK AND TRAILER

NHTSA ID

11121154

Incident

Aug 7, 2018

Mileage

1,000 mi

DRIVING VEHICLE ABS AND SKID WARNING LIGHTS APPEARS, BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING APPEARS ALWAYS LIT WHILE IN TOWING MODE. NONE STOP BEEPING. NO REASON WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. HAD VEHICLE CHECKED BY MULTIPLE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS AND THEY HAVE CHANGED SENSORS, TOWING PLUG TWICE, ELECTRICAL REWIRING. BEGAN TOWING 1 HOUR AFTER REPAIRS AND THE SAME PROBLEMS BEGAN ALL OVER AGAIN. NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN NOTICED $2700.00 LATER

NHTSA ID

11039430

Incident

Jan 1, 2017

Mileage

75,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, FELT SOFT, AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD EVENTUALLY SLOW DOWN AND STOP WHILE THE BRAKES WERE STILL BEING APPLIED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND TO POWER GM (16070 STATE RTE 170, EAST LIVERPOOL, OH 43920 (330) 385-9100), BUT NEITHER PLACES COULD DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE CHANGED EVERY 4,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND FILED A LAW SUIT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD POSTPONED COURT HEARINGS REPEATEDLY AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOW PART OF A LEMON LAW. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

NHTSA ID

11006565

Incident

Sep 1, 2016

Mileage

4,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH HAULING A GOOSE NECK FLATBED DUEL TANDEM TRAILER, THE POWER BUS BAR SHORTED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH A LOOSE WIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STARTER. THE RADIO WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND THE CONTACT WAS LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER TIGHTENED THE WIRES AND REPLACED ALL OF THE BUS BARS. THE NEXT MORNING, WITHIN LESS THAN 20 MILES, THE BUS BARS FAILED AGAIN. THE BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL, AND OTHER WARNING INDICATORS AND GAUGES ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO MOVE THE KEY BACK AND FORTH AS WELL AS USE THE KEY FOB TO EXIT THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE LEVER WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER A SECOND TIME. THE DEALER FAILED TO ROUTE THE WIRES CORRECTLY, IN WHICH THE EDGE OF THE BRACKET RUBBED A HOLE IN THE POWER CABLE. THE TAILGATE FRACTURED AND SHORTED DUE TO THE FAILURE, BUT THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURES. WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER A FOURTH TIME, THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR INTAKE HEATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

NHTSA ID

10909332

Incident

Aug 27, 2016

Mileage

4,000 mi