Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am filing this complaint for my father. He have a 2005 Chevy Silverado. My father was driving straight down a street at about 35 MPH when the drivers side rear axle and tire came off the vehicle. The result was body damage to the vehicle. Luckily no bodily injury or proper damage occurred other than that done on my father vehicle. As it turns out the retainer button on the end of the axle shaft was broken off allowing the axle to come out of the axle housing. A police report was filed and an insurance claim was made. The vehicle has apprx. 90,000 miles and was purchased from a dealer 1450 miles prior to the accident. (approximately 2 months after the purchase) the vehicle is currently being repaired by the dealer desantis Chevy in brockton ma. They will not cover the cost of the damage. I am thinking that a complaint has been filed like this before. Reference. …
Intermittent loss of 1st gear/truck starts in 2 or 3rd gear/intermittent trouble codes p0758 and p0740 then codes clear/extremely dangerous when moving into traffic from a stop/ don't know when truck will stall or fail to pick up speed/transmission shops say can't help until codes are set/emailed Chevrolet regarding problem/ vehicle has 45000 miles and is not due for service on the transmission until 50000 miles/trucks transmission should not start failing at only 45000 miles/ Chevy's response is vehicle past warranty period not responsible for repairs
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. While driving at approximately 2 MPH, there was a loud noise coming from the steering wheel without warning. The contact exited the vehicle and observed that the driveshaft detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the driveshaft fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle stalled several times without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be determined the contact mentioned that the wheel specifications were changed to match the tire size, but the issue still persisted. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was invalid the failure mileage was 39,000. Updated 02/08/17
$ wheel drive autotrac system malfunctioned . Bounces between 2 wheel and 4 wheel drive. This happened on a city street. It happened twice before 2013 and 2015 .had dealer diagnose and fix problem. Did not fix. There are hundreds of people on the internet with the same problem all looking for help and most cannot get problem resolved by g.m.
The automatic 4 wheel drive shifts from 2 wheel high to 4 wheel low while driving. I have replaced encoder once and now does it again. This not uncommon in Chevy p/u's. Was told by service writer this happened to a truck while it was going down road at 70mph and it destroyed power train. The person was lucky that they had their seat belts on. Problem # 2 is sometimes the speedometer works and sometimes it does not another common defect. When I worked for a plumbing company they had this some of their trucks. I also talked to a former GM mechanic and he said that these problems were common with Chevy trucks. There are recalls for hub caps and lights but not for something as serious as these 2 defects. How long before someone is injured or dies before this is corrected?
To whom it concern: I have a concern regardin my 2005 Silverado.there is a spot of grease or oil on the inside of the hub weel asseambly (both front side) I have taken in to two different dealer's and they both told me the same thing that is normal.I took a few pictures and showed them to both the dealer's service department and they said it is normal.but I don't think that it is.I whis that you can help me with this matter becouse the warranty period on my truck is soon to expire and I would want to fix it before it expires . Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you very soon . I could send you pictures of this consern this way you can see the problem .
Tl* - - the contact has a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado. The consumer experienced difficulty in steering and, getting into gear once it was at a complete stop. These symptoms began after the vehicle's odometer reached 5000 miles. The contact purchased the vehicle in 7/2005 and is the original owner. The contact has taken the vehicle to 3 separate dealerships in regards to these issues. After test driving the vehicle the mechanic agreed that there were failures with the transmission and steering that were noticeable while driving the vehicle. However, once they ran diagnostic tests the report showed that no errors existed.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle would not shift into third gear and the instrument panel was blank. The dealer stated that the transmission and instrument panel failed. The dealer was willing to replace the instrument panel for free, but the transmission would be the contact's responsibility. The contact referenced technical service bulletin number 10025462 (power train:automatic transmission). The current and failure mileages were 74,000. Updated 11/10/08 the speedometer failed 2 days prior. Updated 11/13/08. Jb
I was driving my 2005 Chevrolet Silverado on the highway with the cruise control set at 65. As I approached a stretch with a lower speed limit I depressed the set/decrease button four times to slow down. The engine RPM began to decrease on the first three pushes but on the fourth push the engine immediately went to full throttle. I quickly pressed on the brake peddle with disengaged the cruise control. I drive this stretch of road almost daily and use the same routine. This is the first time this has happened. I tried to recreate the problem but the next time it worked as it should.
Transmission complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 7% of the model year's 525 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.