2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems & reliability
84 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 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 vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 28 | 33% |
| Electrical System | 17 | 20% |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 14% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 10% |
| Engine | 7 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 7% |
| Structure | 3 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 10L1000 transmission had a catastrophic failure internally which caused it to rough shift, sudden down shifting, not want to shift into gear at all, and high engine rpm prior to roughly shifting. I took it to the Chevy dealers mechanic the very next business day, only to find out that from the mechanic that this is…”
Power Train · filed Jul 22, 2026
“Wrangler Trailrunner AT LT275/65R20 were on the truck when I purchased my new 2021 Chevy 2500. I only have 25K miles on it. I was driving on the interstate and the tread came off the tire tore my wheel base apart and damaged back of truck along with scratches on the side by wheel also tore wheel trim off.”
Tires · filed Jul 16, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that the electronic tailgate door had erroneously opened and closed and also, moments after turning the vehicle off the door had erroneously opened. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed May 28, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Air Bag Malfunction
Preliminary Evaluation PE21010 · opened Apr 9, 2021 · closed Aug 24, 2023
Technical service bulletins
1,068 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The 10 most recent:
This PI provides information to repair the door water deflector which is not sealed properly allows water into the door jam/sill area.
PIT5680B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 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 PI was created to help avoid unnecessary front camera module replacements
PIT6473F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2026
The purpose of this PI is to inform dealer technicians of a normal cab pressure relief valve noise to avoid unnecessary part replacement
PIT6532 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 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 Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
PIT5966F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This PI provides diagnostic steps for dealer technicians to verify the condition and ensure that part replacement is necessary
PIT6523 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 10, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates an issues with the HVAC making a hum buzz noise when the blower is set to a higher speed. Engineering is working on a new HVAC door seal material to correct the noise.
PIT6132E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 9, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates that the tool for the HD transfer cases to install the input seal during a repair is incorrect and a new tool is in development
PIP5810D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has 6 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 2021 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.