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2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 VIN Check, Recalls & Reliability

The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado has good reliability. There are 13 recalls and 720 owner complaints on file for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado. Severity signals include 15 crash-related complaints and 12 fire-related complaints. The most commonly reported problem areas are: Engine (205), Power Train (201), Electrical System (77).

Silverado reliability snapshot

67/100
Latest model-year reliability score
4.0/5
RepairPal rating (overall)

Data sourced from Auto Reliability Index, aggregating NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and RepairPal repair-cost records.

Used-car research

Research the Chevrolet Silverado before checking the VIN

Compare model years, recurring problems, safety campaigns and market value first. Then use the VIN to verify the history of the individual car.

Most-reported 2021 Chevrolet Silverado issues

Owner-reported problem categories from NHTSA complaint filings. Counts reflect complaints per category for the most-recent model year on file.

  • Engine205
  • Power Train201
  • Electrical System77
  • Engine And Engine Cooling42
  • Steering33
  • Unknown Or Other30

Pre-purchase inspection checklist for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado

Hands-on checks distilled from real NHTSA complaint patterns and recall histories. Bring this list to a test drive or mechanic inspection.

  • Inspect engine for knocking or ticking sounds
  • Check transmission for shuddering or rough shifting
  • Verify oil levels and check for leaks
  • Test for unexpected tailgate opening
  • Check for recall completion on engine and transmission
  • Inspect for electronic malfunctions in the brake control module
  • Ensure no warning lights are present on the dashboard
  • Confirm proper operation of the steering system

2021 Silverado recalls (10)

Every NHTSA safety recall logged against the 2021 Silverado. A VIN check confirms whether any recall remains unrepaired on a specific vehicle.

  1. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGNHTSA 25V274000Apr 24, 2025

    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 defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.

    Consequence: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.

  2. POWER TRAINNHTSA 24V797000Oct 24, 2024

    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.

    Consequence: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    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 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.

  3. TIRESNHTSA 21V985000Dec 16, 2021

    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 (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.

    Consequence: An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212346510.

  4. AIR BAGSNHTSA 21V495000Jul 1, 2021

    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.

    Consequence: The missing tabs may prevent the air bag from deploying properly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212336560.

  5. SEAT BELTSNHTSA 20V811000Dec 23, 2020

    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.

    Consequence: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy

    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.

  6. SEAT BELTSNHTSA 20V792000Dec 17, 2020

    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.

    Consequence: If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

    Remedy

    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.

  7. TIRESNHTSA 20V684000Nov 5, 2020

    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.

    Consequence: Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202319030.

  8. LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGESNHTSA 24V060000Feb 1, 2024

    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.

    Consequence: An unlatched tailgate may open while driving and result in a loss of unsecured cargo, creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    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.

  9. SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICNHTSA 21V758000Sep 29, 2021
    Park outside until repaired

    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.

    Consequence: Water in the BPMV may cause an electrical short circuit and increase the risk of fire.

    Remedy

    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.

  10. TIRESNHTSA 21V578000Jul 29, 2021

    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.

    Consequence: An ABS system that cannot control the rear wheels independently increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    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.

Used-market value

2021 Chevrolet Silverado resale snapshot

70.5%estimated value retained after 5 years
715listings in the model-level benchmark
$43,732median asking price from 60 listings

Listing benchmarks establish a market range; trim, mileage, condition, title history and prior damage determine what one vehicle is worth.

2021 Chevrolet Silverado on the road

529,765 2021 Chevrolet Silverado units were sold new in the US — a key signal for the size of today's used-market inventory.

How the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado stacks up against rivals

The most-shopped alternatives in the same segment. Each link opens a side-by-side reliability and cost comparison.

Reliability verdict for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

With a 75/100 score against a 74/100 segment average, the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado lands just above the class norm. That points to solid, not standout, reliability: better than average on paper, but close enough to the midpoint that real-world outcomes can vary.

Issue patterns aren’t broadly spread across the truck. Complaints cluster heavily in the core mechanical systems, led by engine and power train, with electrical concerns a secondary tier. Steering and engine cooling appear less prominent by comparison, suggesting the main reliability exposure is concentrated where failures tend to matter most.

Recalls are elevated, adding complexity to the ownership risk picture despite the slightly above-average score. Overall risk level: moderate.

What you get in a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 report

NMVTIS title brand history
Odometer readings & rollback detection
Accident & damage records
Auction sales with photos
Open safety recalls
Theft & stolen vehicle check

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2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 — Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?

With a 75/100 score against a 74/100 segment average, the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado lands just above the class norm. That points to solid, not standout, reliability: better than average on paper, but close enough to the midpoint that real-world outcomes can vary.

How many recalls does the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have?

10 NHTSA safety recalls have been issued for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. A VIN check confirms whether any remain unrepaired on a specific vehicle.

What are the most common 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems?

The most-reported 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problem areas are: Engine (205), Power Train (201), Electrical System (77).

Should I run a VIN check on a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Yes. A VIN report verifies title brands, odometer history, accident records, and recall completion on a specific 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, complementing the model-year reliability data on this page.