2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Transmission Problems

Which parts fail

• Automatic transmission
  2
• Automatic transmission › Torque converter
  1

Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  1734%
• 25k–50k
  36%
• 50k–75k
  918%
• 75k–100k
  1326%
• 100k–150k
  612%
• 150k+
  24%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The truck caught on fire while I was returning from a trip out of state and then it appears it came from underneath either the transmission the engine or electrical. While returning home a message came on the panel on the highway, saying transmission, hot idle run I pulled off and did this and after about 15 minutes, the message light went off and I pursued Coming home nothing was wrong with the truck. After I dropped off to the passengers, I was on the way home and turned on home road and the message came on that says truck powering down all the lights came on the dashboard. I put the truck in park and shut the engine off had a manly open the doors and got out and smoke was rolling from underneath the truck. I grabbed the cell phones and told my passenger to call 911. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated after an independent mechanic had performed an oil change on the vehicle, the vehicle was moved and parked. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The mechanic diagnosed that the engine had seized and there were metal shavings in the oil. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer had denied coverage because the vehicle was previously serviced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25001 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). Additionally, the contact stated while idling and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed with force to stop the vehicle. The contact was concerned that the issue was abnormal. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to pull out of a parking lot, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the power steering was inoperative, but no warning lights were illuminated. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelrate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, howeve the failure was not duplicated. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed wiring harness and a failed coolant oump. The contact was informed that the wirng harness and the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated thirteen days later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission and failed coolant pump. The contact was informed that the transmission and the coolant pumo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred three days later. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the vehicle shuddered and jerked erratically. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the Toyota dealer where it was purchased, where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission independently shifted to 4-WD. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to 55 MPH, and the rear wheels locked up. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, the rear wheels locked up, and the vehicle went sideways. The vehicle was almost involved in a crash. The contact's wife, small children, and grandchildren were occupants of the vehicle during the failure. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 50 MPH while driving. The contact's wife was afraid to drive the vehicle. The OnStar system retrieved DTC: P0708 (Transmission Range Sensor Circuit High Input). Additionally, in November 2024, an unknown recall repair was performed to update the power train software. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle was shuddering. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the torque converter and transmission needed to be flushed. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering and the transmission seized, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred briefly, and the failure was self-corrected, and the contact continued driving. The failure reoccurred approximately 2 - 3 times. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, and the transmission was replaced. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to the dealer, and the transmission was replaced a second time. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated the failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the contact was informed that the oil level was low, and oil was added. The dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact had been checking the oil level and was constantly adding oil. The contact stated that the same dealer had changed the spark plugs and fuel injectors in January 2025. Recently the contact was unable to start the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to the same dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed; however, the dealer advised that the failure might have occurred due to a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and lost automotive power. The check engine, ABS, and several other unknown warning lights were displayed before an engine misfire. The vehicle regained automotive power before hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was an abnormal humming sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was eventually driven to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer determined there was a lifter failure in cylinder #2, and there was debris in both the engine and transmission, which caused engine and transmission failures. The dealer agreed to a goodwill repair, to cover part of the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA to report the failure. …

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and exiting a parking lot, the rear wheels locked up as if the brake pedal was depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was stopped and shifted to park(P), and the vehicle was turned off and restarted several times to reset the vehicle; however, the rear wheels were still locked up. The contact disconnected the battery cables and was able to unlock the rear wheels. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, but was a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was not diagnosed, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V083000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. …

Related recalls

Transmission complaints in other Silverado 1500 years