2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (132) · Service Brakes (64) · Engine (58)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
199 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (7)
Air Bags 2026-05-21 · campaign 26V325000 · 4,315 vehicles
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262557310. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V166.
Air Bags 2026-03-19 · campaign 26V166000 · 2,819 vehicles
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262549710. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
Air Bags 2025-06-26 · campaign 25V432000 · 1,658 vehicles
Defect: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increases the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252513060.
Air Bags:side/Window:curtain:inflator 2024-10-10 · campaign 24V756000 · 2,061 vehicles
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 Crew Cab trucks. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Risk: A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC Customer Service at 888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N242474500.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum 2020-10-01 · campaign 20V603000 · 14,620 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
Risk: A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
Service Brakes 2019-10-24 · campaign 19V761000 · 652,967 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum 2019-09-06 · campaign 19V645000 · 3,456,719 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Service bulletins (1,235)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-21 · PIP5700H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent confusion when ordering
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-23 · PIT5680B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides information to repair the door water deflector which is not sealed properly allows water into the door jam/sill area.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pi to help diagnose a/c concern
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,235 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-26 · Electrical System“power sliding glass window on rear of vehicle had a thermal failure, resulting in heavy smoke buildup in the cap followed by the window shattering. my vehicle has already received the recall repair, gm program #n192265660 / nhsta tsb #10171416, but the defect reoccurred and caused destruction to the vehicle.…”
2026-10-23 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe · 125,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 chevrolet silverado 1500. after starting the vehicle, there was a clicking sound coming from under the hood, and then the sound stopped. while driving approximately 55 - 60 mph, a fuel odor was detected inside the cabin of the vehicle. the vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, who determined that the exhaust mani…”
2026-10-07 · Tires“i purchased four tires for my truck from firestone, each rated for 60,000 miles. after approximately 30,000 miles, all four tires developed microcracking and visible damage. i suspect the issue may be related to the quality or composition of the materials used. i contacted the firestone location where i had previously taken my vehicle for maintenan…”
2026-09-21 · Vehicle Speed Control“on september 10, 2026, while traveling approximately 60+ mph in the passing lane, my 2018 chevrolet silverado 1500 suddenly lost normal acceleration and entered reduced engine power mode. vehicle speed dropped to approximately 40 mph, and pressing the accelerator would not provide normal power. this created a safety concern while traveling at highw…”
2026-09-21 · Engine“i tried to get a tune up and found out that the engine need $5000 worth of engine repairs. i have changed the oil and filter every three thousand miles. those engine are defective and the repair shops are full of the same type of repairs on that type of engine. my engine is a 5.3-liter v8, the engine started to make ticking noises out of nowhere an…”
2026-09-18 · Steering“intermittent issues seemingly related to power or ground problems. at idle, battery voltage drops down from 14-15v to <= 12v (as indicated on the voltmeter on the dash) while turning the steering wheel. "service stabilitrack" message shows up on the screen, and the steering becomes very difficult. last night this issue happened and the truck compl…”
2026-09-16 · Power Train“the transmission went out before it hit 100k miles. it had to be completely replaced which cost me several thousand dollars. …”
2026-09-12 · Engine“several times, while driving, the truck will simply shut down. it will becoime difficult to steer, then the engine will stall, killing the rest of the steering and the breaks as well as the dashboard, radio, etc. this can happen at any speed, low speed especially. i will give you an approximate date below, but there have been several incidents. …”
2026-08-23 · Power Train“my truck has been shuttering when accelerating and hard shifts periodically. the engine is also tapping. i have right at 74000 miles. regular oil changes and maintenances.…”
2026-08-21 · Electrical System“i was driving down the highway, turned on left signal to make left turn. the truck engine died with no warning, could not steer, almost ran into bank. all the dash lights went black, no power at all. the radio starts playing on occasion without being turned on. the clock loses time when it wants to.the blower on the ac comes on and off when it wan…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.