Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 797 safety complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

797
Complaints
11
Recalls
1
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 42 crashes, 10 fires, 16 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Brakes & stability leads the complaint list, cited in 279 of 797 complaints, followed by Power train / transmission.
  2. One recall is a do-over. NHTSA records show recall repairs that were previously performed incorrectly — worth a VIN check even if you had recall work done.
  3. 1 NHTSA defect investigation is associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 797 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Brakes & stability
279
Power train / transmission
193
Electrical
120
Steering
111
Other / unspecified
83
Engine & cooling
73
Visibility & lighting
37
Suspension
30

"There is a recall (N182202780) for certain models of gm apparently, but my truck does not fall under the recall though it is the same exact problem with the brake vacuum. When pumping my brake pedal, my brakes become almost non responsive, causing me to back into my secondary vehicle."

Owner complaint filed July 2025 · Service Brakes · NHTSA ODI 11673776

"We had a auto shop do work and left are breaks lose And they do not tighten bolts both break calibers were lose and according to the lawyer we spoke with they do not have a business licenses Triad Transmission & Auto Repair 244 NC-22, Ramseur, NC 27316 Junior akins and John kearns"

Owner complaint filed June 2025 · Service Brakes · NHTSA ODI 11667055

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
37
50
90
145
105
70
65
96
47
59
33
1617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2016 compares with other model years

Across the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (1,558); the 2016 ranks 6 of 10.

Total complaints by model year — Chevrolet Silverado 1500
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
423
638
1,558
1,185
2016
797
836
514
1,073
719
807
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 11 recalls, including a do-over

11 recalls apply to some or all 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.

Feb 201616V-069
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 1, 2013, to February 1, 2016, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) manufactured March 1, 2014, to February 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 GMC S…

Apr 201616V-256
Suspension:Front:Control Arm

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control …

Sep 201616V-651
Air Bags:Frontal

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Polic…

Jul 201717V-437Repair done incorrectly
Air Bags:Frontal

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Subur…

May 201818V-291
Seat Belts:Front

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe Police Pursuit and Special-Service vehicles. The flexible steel cable connecting the driver's seat belt to the outboard side of the seat may be repeatedly bent over the seat side shield as the driver enters and…

Aug 201818V-578
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 Crew Cab Special Service, Tahoe Police Pursuit/Special Service, GMC Sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.

Sep 201919V-645
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum

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.

Oct 201919V-761
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Wheel Speed Sensor/Tone Ring

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 trav…

Nov 202020V-736
Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain:Inflator

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator.

Apr 202121V-245
Seat Belts:Front

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2014-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have received an incorrect replacement tensioner cable assembly as part of a previous recall remedy or a subsequent repair. The flexible steel …

Jul 202121V-504
Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain:Inflator

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 797 complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with NHTSA. The most-reported system is brakes & stability.

How many recalls does the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?

The 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has 11 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.