Most common 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems
Share of the 388 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 complaints by model year
Best Silverado 2500 years: 2014, 2012, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2022, 2020, 2015, 2025. Compare all years →
2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls (1)
Interior lighting
Vehicle description: certain pickup trucks equipped with 6.6l diesel engines fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems." these vehicles have a brake system warning light in the instrument cluster that May not illuminate when the brake fluid is low.
Remedy: Dealers will change the location of a wire connection in the underhood bussed electrical center. Owner notification began July 9, 2001.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500:
Hydraulic pump shaft failures
The preliminary evaulation is being upgraded.during the ea odi will limitits investigation to only those vehicles equipped with a hydro-boost system, which provides power assist to the braking and steering sytems.vaccuum brake booster vehicles are excluded.odi hasexpanded the scope of the ea to include model years2003 and 2004, asduring the pe, odi learned that the hydroboast pumps were modified in febraury…
Crank position sensor failure - stall
In a letter dated November 7, 2007, general motors (GM) reported to the office of defects investigation (odi) that it will conduct a safety recall (07v-521) to replace the crank position sensor (ckp) in approximately 12,000 model year (my) 2001 Chevrolet silverado and GMC sierra vehicles equipped with 8.1 liter engines manufactured on or before November 15, 2000.according to GM, the ckp can fail intermittently or…
Hydraulic pump failres
GM is conducting a recall on all subject vehicles build between May 1999 and October 14, 1999.significant changes were incorporated into production in early October 1999, and vehicles built after that date have lower warranty failure rates.the complaint and warranty data appear to support the effectiveness of these changes.
What 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners say
Brakes all 181 →
Unknown Lost my truck to fire I was shopping and when I came out of the store the fire department had already put the fire out. They had said the fire started under the hood on the driver side.
I was driving aprox. 55-60 MPH on north bound 71 when traffic suddenly slowed down,when I pushed on the brakes the pedal went all the way to the floor so I tried to pump the brakes but the truck never slowed down, the traffic was completely stopped in front of me so I had to drive off into the median on the right side and up over the concrete curb into the grass and eventually came to a stop in the grass, luckily there was no cars on the side of the road,after having it checked out I found out the brake lines were completely rusted away,I had to replace a right side rim and tire, right side lower control arm,right side torsion bar, right side running board,and all the brake lines, around $2300.00 in repair, the money is not the important thing it's the lives that were almost lost because of faulty brake lines that day, presently the truck is waiting for repairs because fuel started …
Engine & cooling all 102 →
I was driving down the road and I heard a clunk. I lost all power and coasted into a farmers field. The dash board said lost power, nothing else. I had no warning. Oil pressure was where it should be until is quit. Keller Chevrolet contacted us and told us the engine blew. The connecting rod broke and the piston come apart. I had service done on my truck 4 days prior. I always service my vehicle every 3,000 miles or 3 months which ever comes first. I have about 121,000 miles on my 2001 pickup. It has always been serviced at either Bob Schmidt Chevrolet or Keller Chevrolet. We are in the process of getting a new engine from GM and having it installed at Keller Chevrolet. You can contact them for more information.
While driving down the highway @ 75mph the vehicle shut off. This has now happened multiple times and is a safety issue. While in traffic vehicles are having to make quick adjustments to avoid hitting my vehicle and for their safety. I called this into our local Chevy dealership here in colorado springs co along with calling Chevrolet recall center to be told that my vehicle is not on their list. Well apparently it should be along with all the other 2001 2500 hd Silverado's that are experiencing this problem.
Wheels & tires all 38 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 hd equipped with bf goodrich rugged terrain t/a tires, size: lt285/75/r16 (na). The contact stated that the vehicle wobbled while driving various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing where it was confirmed that there was tread separation from the front and rear tires. The tires were replaced. The manufacture was notified of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was 151,173 and the tire failure mileage was 50,000.
This is the 5th time my brakes are hanging up and over heating the wheel. Smoking severly. Had problem with ABS. System so I unplugged sensors from front wheels. And on the 1st the right passenger side did it again. Doesn't matter if on state hwy or city streets. Always starts when moving. A wobble in steering wheel. Then pulling right or left depending on which wheel is locking.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 a good car?
Based on 388 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Silverado 2500 rates avoid: 3.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silverado 2500 at the same age. It is one of the Silverado 2500 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
The brakes — 181 complaints, 47% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the engine & cooling (102) and wheels & tires (38).
How many recalls does the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?
There is 1 recall for the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, the most recent from June 26, 2001 (interior lighting). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2012 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2022, 2020, 2015 and 2025. See the full Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 76,000 miles; 26% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.