2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Brake Problems

99 owners have reported brakes problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 to NHTSA — 19% of all 521 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 50,000 miles. That ranks #17 of 31 Silverado 1500 model years for brake complaints (a typical year has 122). 3 related recalls have been issued.

99complaints
50ktypical miles
3related recalls
3crashes
1fires
1injuries

Which parts fail

  • Antilock › ABS warning light
    3
  • Power assist
    2
  • Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
    1
  • Power assist › Vacuum
    1

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    923%
  • 25k–50k
    1230%
  • 50k–75k
    923%
  • 75k–100k
    513%
  • 100k–150k
    410%
  • 150k+
    13%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owned a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at 80 MPH the steering wheel became stiff and the vehicle would not brake without any warning. The contact desperately pressed on the brake pedal but the vehicle would not brake, causing the contact to be struck by another vehicle on the driver's side. No one was injured and no major damage to none of the vehicles. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a loss. All the air bags deploy but the front driver side. The manufacturer was not unable to reach them. The failure mileage was 69,000.

69,000 miles · Feb 2023 · crash

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated he replaced the battery and was able to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated he was able to jumpstart and restart the vehicle however, as he was exiting the parking lot and making a right turn, the vehicle inadvertently stalled almost causing him to crash into a wall. Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact jumpstarted the vehicle however, the failure reoccurred while driving and he veered to the side of the road. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The radio, the headlights were engaging and disengaging independently. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. …

57,000 miles · Mar 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several safety related failures which included unintended acceleration. The contact indicated that the transmission needed to be replaced on multiple occasions due to the failure. The braking system had malfunctioned and caused the brake pedal to become difficult to depress. The brake master cylinder was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The steering rack was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that there was a loud clanking sound underneath the vehicle while driving over a bump in the road. The motor mount was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. …

52,000 miles · Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact was alerted by OnStar of a failure with the stability system. While the contact's husband was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was jerking; the brakes were sticking while the brake pedal was depressed. The failure persisted while driving 50 MPH. The driver used the back roads while driving to the residence. The brakes and ABS warning lights were flashing quickly. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, and DTC: U0422, was retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V761000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

113,000 miles · Jun 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and towing a trailer, the stabilitrak warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The ABS and traction control warning lights were intermittently flashing. Soon after the warning lights appeared, the brakes started to lock up and the contact lost control of the vehicle and veered off to the right side of the roadway. The brake pedal released soon after the failure and the warning lights disappeared. The contact was able to resume normal driving at a low rate of speed with the hazard lights activated. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000. The VIN was not available.

Antilock › ABS warning light · 12,000 miles · Sep 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the brake pedal briefly became stiff, after which the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to stop but required increased effort. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V603000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 161,000.

161,000 miles · Jul 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds and in also while reversing, the "Trailer brake system Service" and "Stabili-trak Service" messages were displayed. Additionally, the ABS warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle stalled on several occasions; however, on other occasions, the power steering function became inoperable. The vehicle was able to be restarted after each failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Antilock › ABS warning light · 95,000 miles · Nov 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced unintended braking. Additionally, the steering wheel was shaking while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V761000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

35,000 miles · Dec 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally while driving 45 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The mechanic later determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and determined there were no recalls on the VIN related to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

75,000 miles · May 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while approaching a stop sign, the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the brake pedal failed to function properly. The contact stated that extra effort was needed while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contacted became aware of a failure with the vacuum pump which had caused the failure with the brake pedal. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and instructed the contact to call NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

Power assist › Vacuum · 57,000 miles · May 2024

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum

NHTSA recall 20V-603 · Oct 1, 2020 · 14,620 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020.

Service brakes

NHTSA recall 19V-761 · Oct 24, 2019 · 652,967 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782.

Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum

NHTSA recall 19V-645 · Sep 6, 2019 · 3,456,719 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019.

Brake complaints in other Silverado 1500 years

’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’263134122373422307363429330131171622817717952813742661909919511545572411612
Brake complaints per model year, Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

Frequently asked questions

How common are brake problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

NHTSA has 99 complaints about the brakes of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 19% of the model year's 521 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (3 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brake problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-603 (vacuum, Oct 1, 2020); NHTSA recall 19V-761 (service brakes, Oct 24, 2019); NHTSA recall 19V-645 (vacuum, Sep 6, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brake problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to brakes 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.