Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
As I was driving at 75 MPH, the indicator light said, engine overheated. I then noticed white smoke coming from the hood. The white smoke turned black. I pulled over to the side of the road and before I could shut the engine off, the engine shut off on its own. Fire began coming up where the windshield wipers are located and proceeded through the dashboard. I tried to unlatch my seat belt but it would not release. After several tries it released. I attempted to open the door; however, I had the same problem. The door did not open. After bumping the door forcibly many times, it also came open. Mind you, all the while the flames are coming inside the cab. I called 911 and the county fire department was dispatched, but not before it was fully engulfed in flames. The vehicle was well maintained. I want to know what steps to take to prevent this from ever happening again?
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 hd. While driving approximately 75 MPH, a message indicating that the engine overheated displayed and smoke appeared under the hood of the vehicle. The flames quickly spread to the cabin of the vehicle. While the flames were inside the cabin, the contact attempted to exit the vehicle but the driver side seat belt would not immediately unlock. The seat belt finally unlocked, but the driver side door would not unlock. The door eventually unlocked and the contact was able to exit the vehicle. The fire department was called to the scene to extinguish the flames. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 247,433.
On 01/10/2010 at 2:45 a.m. We were awakened by a passer by who noticed our truck was on fire. By the time the fire department was able to put the fire out it had completely destroyed our truck, our car ,our grandsons truck and $66,000.00 damage to the house we were renting. We lost our vehicles and 90% of everything we own. It was determined to be the engine block heater in our 2002 Chevy Silverado 2500 hd. We have been in contact with general motors. We gave them all the fire reports from both west valley city fire department as well as the report and pictures provided by the investigator. They do not claim any responsibility for the fire and will not compensate us for our loss.
The glow plugs and fuel injectors fail prematurely I was told by the locol servace manager that there was plenty of time to get the repairs but a few weeks later when I brought it in for the supposed free repairs they tell me the time for mine is over its too old. When no one had showed me a print out and the company I bout it from never disclosed the issue. If the vehicle stalls in traffic it could cause an accident.
Known to GM injector problems with Chevy Silverado vehicles. My injector cracked or failed and diesel went in to my engine oil, causing an over fill of 2 gallons. Oil was leaking out all over from my truck while I was driving. There are many other post about this problem and GM is aware but hasn't issued a recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. While driving at 65 MPH, the engine stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle restarted after numerous attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
I have a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500hd lt ext. Cab lb7 duramax 5 speed allison transmission, it has 114000 miles on it. This truck has been serviced as directed since new. The truck started using lots of fuel, at an idle it serged between 700 & 900 RPM's, and oil started blowing out the blowby tube. I have just found out that 3 fuel injectors are leaking fuel, with a possible head gasket leak,filling my crankcase with diesel, causing oil to blow out all over the truck, road and whatever else it can Land on. While investigating what to do, to fix the truck I've found 3 other people I know that have duramax's, and they are going through the same problems. It's going to take me a year to save the money I need to fix this truck. I'm even going to do the work myself. In my opinion GM should be ashamed. They should at leased pay for the parts. …
Exhaust manifold bolts on 2002 Chevrolet 2500 hd 6.0 l v8 are broken at the back bolt on the drivers side. The passanger side exhaust manifold is cracked between the 3rd and 4th bolt from the front. I replaced the bolts on the driver side, except for the back one that is sheared off flush with the cylinder head. The only way to get this particular bolt out is to remove the cylinder head from the engine so that a machine shop can drill out the offending bolt. The replacement bolts that I purchased from the GM dealer were a much sturdier bolt that had a much larger head on the bolt. To me this indicates knowledge that there is a problem and that GM is aware of it. This will most certainly lead to an exhaust leak that will cause the check engine light to come on. …
I have a 2002 Chevy Silverado 2500hd with a 8.1. Two months ago the truck just stalled while I was driving it and then immediately re-started. Since then there have been several occasions where the truck simply shuts off while I am driving. It has become progressively difficult to restart the engine. I stalled out in the middle of an intersection the other day and sat there for 2-3 minutes trying to start the truck. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when or why this happens. My engine light has never been tripped by this problem. After reading the trouble codes and consulting with several mechanics we determined the problem to be the crank shaft position sensor. As I read through complaints on this website I notice this is a fairly common problem. It is also very dangerous. …
I have a 2002 Chevrolet 2500hd pickup with the duramax diesel engine with just over 100,000 miles on it. Recently, while sitting at a stop sign, darik smoke would come from the exhaust. It never did this before so I took it to the local dealer to find out what the problem might be. The dealer told me that the injectors needed to be replaced at a cost of about $4500. I contacted GMC, they set up a case file and got back to me in about a week to tell me that I was beyond the 7 year extended warranty and so they would not cover the repair. The fact that it only had about 1/2 of the 200,000 miles covered in the extended warranty didn't seem to count for anything. One of the selling points when I purchased the vehicle was that it should last for 200K to 300K miles without needing repair. …
Engine complaints in other Silverado 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 16% of the model year's 351 complaints. The component named most often is engine (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, though it has 1 recall for other components. 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 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.