AutoUtility currently tracks 708 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 237 complaints (33.5% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 13 filings cite a crash, 9 cite a fire, 7 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • • Total NHTSA Complaints: 708 reports
  • • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (237 reports • 33.5% of submitted complaints)
  • • Secondary Problem Areas: Powertrain & Transmission (219), Brakes & Traction Control (115)
  • • Crash-Citing Complaints: 13 filings
  • • Fire-Citing Complaints: 9 filings
  • • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 7 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
708
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
13
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
9
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
7
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 33.5% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

237 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
🔥 2 fire reports
#2 Problem Area 30.9% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

219 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 3 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
🔥 2 fire reports
#3 Problem Area 16.2% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

115 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 3 crash reports
#4 Problem Area 14.8% of complaints

Electrical System

105 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 8 fire reports 🩹 4 injury report entries
#5 Problem Area 10% of complaints

Steering System

71 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 6.1% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

43 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Powertrain & Transmission NHTSA ODI ID: #11760182
Filed: 08/27/2026

"Vehicle: 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 LT (5.3L V8 Engine) Component: Engine (Piston Rings, Lifters, and Motor Assembly) / Powertrain Component Availability: Yes, the failed components/vehicle are available for inspection upon request. What Happened and Safety Risk: While operating the vehicle..."

Incident Date: 07/20/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11759742
Filed: 08/26/2026

"I went to the store and my brakes were working as normal. When I started my truck to leave I had a hard pedal and there we several warnings on the dash. One said to get service and the other said to limit speed to 43 MPH. I had almost no braking power. Fortunately, I was close to home and the speed..."

Incident Date: 08/23/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11759611
Filed: 08/26/2026

"My lifter failed in my Chevy Silverado 1500 on the highway, causing severe shaking while driving and an array of dash lights. After taking it to a local. Chevy dealer, they confirmed a lifter collapse and possible damage to my cam shaft. I have been up to date on all oil changes with premium..."

Incident Date: 08/23/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11759165
Filed: 08/24/2026

"Lifters are failing. Engine is making horrible engine noise. Mechanics said it was lifters."

Incident Date: 08/22/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11759132
Filed: 08/24/2026

"Paint delaminating from front fenders. No outside influence to cause it."

Incident Date: 05/07/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 1184 61 18 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 795 42 13 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 836 49 6 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 514 10 7 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 1059 27 10 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Current Page 708 13 12 Current
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 792 20 8 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 604 10 6 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 365 7 3 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 289 7 2 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 90 1 0 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 0 0 3 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 138 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 136 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 131 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 40 2 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 33 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 31 0 1 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 25 0 4 1 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 22 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 16 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 13 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 11 0 2 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 9 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 8 1 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 6 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 6 1 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 5 4 0 5 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 5 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 4 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 1 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN 3 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 3 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 2 2 0 3 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 2 1 0 3 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT 2 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 2 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
TRAILER HITCHES,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (708). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (3)

1 OPEN 2 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA25007
Opened: 2025-10-23 • Currently Active

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the L87 6.2L engine produced by General Motors (GM). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25V-274. These engines are installed in Model Years (MY) 2019–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon/Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV vehi...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE25001
Opened: 2025-01-16 • Closed: 2025-10-23

Loss of motive power due to engine failure

Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

On January 16, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25001 after receiving complaints and field reports concerning engine failures in MY2019-2024 GM’s full-size truck and SUV T1XX platform equipped with the L87 6.2L V8 engine. These complainants alleged engine bearing failures resulting in knocking and growling noises from the engine’s bottom end and in some cases more severe consequences such as brok...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 25V274 Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE21010
Opened: 2021-04-09 • Closed: 2023-08-24

Air Bag Malfunction

Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

On April 9, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The vehicles included model year (MY) 2020 through 2021 CT4 and CT5 passenger cars, Sierra and Silverado trucks (1500/2500/3500 models), XT4 and MY 2021 Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe, Yuko...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →

Related Official Reports for 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year

Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.