Most common 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems
Share of the 123 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 →
2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls (6)
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500, GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles, and 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2026.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, 1500 Crew Cab Special Service, Tahoe Police Pursuit/Special Service, GMC Sierra 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The brake pedal pivot nut may loosen, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the nut and reinstall the nut with increased tightness, free of charge. The recall began October 3, 2018.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
Seat belts › Pretensioner
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 heavy duty trucks manufactured October 1, 2013, to February 1, 2016, 2015-2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) manufactured March 1, 2014, to February 1, 2016, and 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will add adhesive to the brake pedal pivot nut and reinstall with an increased torque, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016.
What 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners say
Steering all 46 →
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact drove the vehicle safely home. The vehicle had not been repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 42,000. The VIN was not available.
Chevy Duramax trucks, 2011-2016 use a CP4 fuel pump that will eventually fail. The engine shuts off and there is a loss of steering and brakes. This is a major safety issue. I called Chevy GM 1800 222 1020 and was told, " we are aware of the problem, have no remedy, no recall has been issued yet, call back in a month". My daughter has a 2015 that failed when she was hauling expensive horses, the dealer put the same type defective pump back in the truck. Every diesel repair shop, dealer, and GM is aware of this defect. There is a class action law suit C/O JND Seattle WA. [phone] that may reimburse owners that have had a failure, assuming they are still alive. GM needs to recall, and replace these CP4 pumps with a CP3 or whatever they did to correct the issue in 2017 and later engines, prior to failure. Let ne know if I can provide any more information or assistance.
Transmission & drivetrain
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the contact attempted to accelerate but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that once the vehicle had cooled down, the vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The dealer suggested that the failure might be related to the transmission. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under recall and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently shifted out of gear. Additionally, the contact stated while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle lunged forward almost causing the vehicle to crash into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had persisted. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and towing a 2005 Dump Trailer, the message "Service Trailer Brake System" was displayed, and the trailer brake failed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon inspecting the trailer wires and fuses, he noticed that the parts were in good condition. The contact was able to continue driving however, the failure had been reoccurring intermittently while driving. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
While my wife and two young kids were driving down the road with sThe rear heater element caught fire and shattered the rear passenger side back glass. There was no warning lights, or prior failures with this system. This problem has not been inspected by anyone at this point due to being a holiday weekend.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 a good car?
Based on 123 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Silverado 2500 rates use caution: 1.6× 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 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
The steering — 46 complaints, 37% of all complaints for this model year, most often about gear box (other than rack and pinion). Next are the transmission & drivetrain (18) and electrical system (18).
How many recalls does the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, the most recent from September 24, 2026 (inflator). 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 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 35,000 miles; 70% 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.