Owners have filed 807 safety complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 20 crashes, 11 fires, 17 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.
"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 because I’m sick of hearing all the failures going on with the 6.2 engines. Such as my truck."
"The Coolant Control Valve (DTC Code P1098) is failing and only certain trucks are covered under GMs special coverage, being as this is a common issues why aren't all the trucks covered"
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 inverts that curve — filings peaked in 2025, 4 years after the model year.
Across the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (1,558); the 2021 ranks 5 of 10.
8 recalls apply to some or all 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
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 …
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 ma…
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vehicles. The front driver's side air bag module may be missing one or more metal tabs that secure the plastic air bag cover to the housing.
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system…
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…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing de…
General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to l…
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 →
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.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 807 complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has 8 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 an overall crash rating of 4 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.
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.