The Lemon IndexAll cars · Chevrolet · Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 130 complaints with the government about the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD, most often about transmission & drivetrain (28%).
Which engine is in it
125 of the 130 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 Duramax L5P diesel | 69% | 86 | transmission & drivetrain 29%, electrical 21%, fuel system 14% |
| 6.6 V8 gas (L8T) | 31% | 39 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Duramax L5P.
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 12,000 and 74,040 miles; the middle report was at 35,000 miles (30 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
Service Trailer Brake System error. There's a known issue for a faulty wire harness and BCM. Error makes it hard to drive and see the speed, keeps popping up.
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11769417
The rear window in my 2021 Silverado 2500 leaks when it rains, water is getting in the carpet/seats creating a bad odor and mold. The dealership will not assist in fixing this known issue.
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11724840
The tailgate will go up and down when the vehicle is turned off and in park. It will also do this while driving the vehicle. * I notice there has already been a recall for this issue, but my VIN shows NO RECALLS
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11721418
Recalls 6
24V797000 Oct 2024 Power Train
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Fix. Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458
24V060000 Feb 2024 Latches/Locks/Linkages
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with power-unlatching tailgates. The tailgate's electronic gate-release switch may short circuit due to water intrusion, which can result in the tailgate inadvertently unlatching while the vehicle is in park.
Fix. Owners are advised to check that the tailgate is closed and latched before driving. Dealers will replace the exterior touchpad switch assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232426400.
21V758000 Sep 2021 Service Brakes, Hydraulic
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles with electronic brake control modules (EBCM) replaced during vehicle assembly. The bolts that attach the brake pressure modulator valve (BPMV) assembly may not be properly tightened, which could fail to seal the two sub-assemblies and allow water intrusion.
Fix. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will replace the BPMV assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212349181.
21V578000 Jul 2021 Tires
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and GMC Sierra 2500 vehicles equipped with a 17" spare tire (RPO ZHQ or ZXT) and either the 20" accessory road tire (RPO REM) or the 18" accessory road tire (RPO Q2V). Operating the spare tire with other 20" or 18" tires can prevent the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) from engaging.
Fix. Dealers will provide the appropriate spare tire and apply a new spare tire information label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 18, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212329780.
20V811000 Dec 2020 Seat Belts
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
20V792000 Dec 2020 Seat Belts
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.
NHTSA recalls for this model year under every name these trucks are filed under. A recall that names an engine applies only to trucks with it. Free at any dealer: check the VIN.
Quick answers
Is the 2021 Silverado HD reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 130 complaints about it, most often about transmission & drivetrain (28% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2021 Silverado HD have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 6.6 Duramax L5P diesel (69%), 6.6 V8 gas (L8T) (31%).
How many recalls does the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD have?
6. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2021, mostly half-tons: 2021 Chevrolet Silverado.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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