2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems & reliability
123 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 46 | 37% |
| Electrical System → | 18 | 15% |
| Power Train → | 18 | 15% |
| Service Brakes → | 13 | 11% |
| Engine | 8 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 7% |
| Unknown / Other | 7 | 6% |
| Structure | 5 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 22 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 75 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 36,000 miles (middle 50% between 18,557 and 64,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.”
Air Bags · filed Aug 26, 2026
“the vehicle developed a extremely hard down shift and then a check engine light came on. the vehicle went into limp mode, took the vehicle to local diesel mechanic and i was informed that the transmission was bad and had to be replaced, while replacing the transmission i was also told the transfer case was making…”
Power Train · filed Mar 10, 2026
“While driving down the road at 60 mph the roof and side airbags deployed on both sides of the Truck with no collision only driving down the road. The vehicle was inspected by GM and they claiming no defect on their side. However Recall N202324251 Roof Rail Air Bag Inflator May Rupture, for other 2016 Chevy Silverado's…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 8, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,781 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The 10 most recent:
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2026
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates information on a hydraulic rush type noise from the power steering gear. This noise is a characteristic of the new Active Hydraulic Assist System RPO NV8 and no repairs should…
PIT5544J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
PIT5509M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 14, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician that some owners of Heavy Duty Trucks and Utilities may ask if they can lower their tire pressures. Tire pressures being set to the "Tire…
PIT4506J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 16, 2026
This preliminary information communicates an issue with aftermarket LED headlights causing IPC warning messages and MIL along with several low speed lan DTCs.
PIT6483 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 5, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 36,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.