AutoUtility currently tracks 792 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 387 complaints (48.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 20 filings cite a crash, 11 cite a fire, 12 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 792 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (387 reports • 48.9% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Powertrain & Transmission (229), Electrical System (108)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 20 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 11 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 12 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
792
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
20
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
11
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
12
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

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

#1 Problem Area 48.9% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

387 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.
⚠️ 4 crash reports 🔥 3 fire reports
#2 Problem Area 28.9% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

229 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 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.
⚠️ 5 crash reports 🩹 4 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 13.6% of complaints

Electrical System

108 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 4 fire reports
#4 Problem Area 5.7% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

45 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 3 crash reports
#5 Problem Area 5.2% of complaints

Steering System

41 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 2021 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 8.1% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

64 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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

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

Powertrain & Transmission NHTSA ODI ID: #11760115
Filed: 08/27/2026

"My husband was driving his 2021 Chevy Trailboss when it went into limp mode. It had to be towed to the dealership and it was uncovered that his truck was throwing out codes P0700 P2732 which is a known issue with this truck, resulting in internal valve body hydraulic failure. Since his vehicle is..."

Incident Date: 08/17/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11759806
Filed: 08/26/2026

"As of august 19, 2026 my engine suffered a catastrophic failure with code P0016 which is cranckshaft camshaft lifter failure. Engine will be replaced. Currently at the dealership for replacement. Had the truck for 2 months and I’m requesting that GM fully replace my truck with a different one..."

Incident Date: 08/19/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11759761
Filed: 08/26/2026

"I own a 2021 Silverado Trail Boss LT with the 6.2L V8. I purchased the vehicle new at Classic Chevrolet in [XXX]. In XXX, it experienced what I can only describe as engine failure. Severe knocking, loss of power, rough idling. I contacted the dealership as it was under warranty (it had..."

Incident Date: 03/01/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Engine & Cooling NHTSA ODI ID: #11758511
Crash Cited Filed: 08/21/2026

"The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to crank. The contact originally suspected a battery failure, as the vehicle had recently been involved in an accident that left the passenger-side mirror damaged with..."

Incident Date: 06/17/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11758467
Filed: 08/21/2026

"When I put the pickup in park, I get a message that states "Shift to Park". The pickup is completely stopped, the gear shift indicator is in "P". When I get out of the vehicle I get two loud two-horn alerts indicating that the pickup in not in Park, when in fact it is. Doing some research, I have..."

Incident Date: 02/01/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 708 13 12 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Current Page 792 20 8 Current
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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 109 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 233 0 1 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 135 2 0 4 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 46 1 1 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 41 0 1 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 41 1 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 25 0 2 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 20 0 0 2 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 18 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 14 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 14 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 13 7 0 8 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 8 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 7 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 1 1 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 7 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 5 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 5 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 4 1 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 3 1 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 3 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 3 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 3 1 1 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 1 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,POWER TRAIN 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
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 2 0 0 1 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
BACK OVER PREVENTION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 1 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,VISIBILITY,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT 1 0 1 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL 1 0 1 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 1 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 1 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 1 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,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 (792). 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 (5)

2 OPEN 3 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 #EA26005
Opened: 2026-08-20 • Currently Active

Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy

Affected Component: ENGINE

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001.  This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failu...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
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 Recall Query (RQ) ODI Action #RQ26001
Opened: 2026-01-16 • Closed: 2026-08-20

Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy

Affected Component: ENGINE

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001.  This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failu...

Closed without associated recall campaign. 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 →
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.