2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Problems & Complaints

Avoid2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silverado 2500 at the same age

Owners have filed 108 complaints about the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 2.1× as many as a typical Silverado 2500 model year at the same age, which makes the 2020 one of the Silverado 2500 years to avoid. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain (33 complaints, typically around 81,000 miles). 10 recalls cover this model year.

108complaints
10recalls
2crashes
3fires
2injuries
0deaths

Most common 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems

  • 3331%
  • Brakes~25,000 miles
    1918%
  • Electrical system~8,000 miles
    1716%
  • Engine & cooling~131,000 miles
    1413%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~15,000 miles
    1110%
  • Wheels & tires
    1110%
  • Other / not specified~1,000 miles
    109%
  • Steering~1,000 miles
    98%
  • Body & structure~11,000 miles
    66%
  • Speed control & acceleration
    44%
  • Lights~7,000 miles
    22%
  • Driver assistance
    22%
  • Locks & latches~118,000 miles
    22%
  • Air bags~4,000 miles
    11%
  • Seats
    11%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof
    11%
  • Suspension
    11%

Share of the 108 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Chevrolet Silverado 2500 complaints by model year

’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’2664738113238835144936826917820419161211045351401791235453741088897471432912
Owner complaints per model year, Chevrolet Silverado 2500. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Silverado 2500 years: 2014, 2012, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2022, 2020, 2015, 2025. Compare all years →

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls (10)

Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module › Software

NHTSA recall 26V-083 · Feb 12, 2026 · 1,055 vehicles

General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026.

Power train › Automatic transmission › Fluid/lubricant › Valves/valve body

NHTSA recall 24V-797 · Oct 24, 2024 · 463,295 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.

Remedy: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a…

Latches/locks/linkages › Tailgate › Latch

NHTSA recall 24V-060 · Feb 1, 2024 · 570,434 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with power-unlatching tailgates. The tailgate's electronic gate-release switch may short circuit due to water intrusion, which can result in the tailgate inadvertently unlatching while the vehicle…

Remedy: Owners are advised to check that the tailgate is closed and latched before driving. Dealers will replace the exterior touchpad switch assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2024.

Tires › Temporary/emergency spare tire

NHTSA recall 21V-578 · Jul 29, 2021 · 86 vehicles

General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and GMC Sierra 2500 vehicles equipped with a 17" spare tire (RPO ZHQ or ZXT) and either the 20" accessory road tire (RPO REM) or the 18" accessory road tire (RPO Q2V).

Remedy: Dealers will provide the appropriate spare tire and apply a new spare tire information label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 18, 2021.

Seat belts › Critical fasteners

NHTSA recall 20V-792 · Dec 17, 2020 · 624,216 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021.

Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft

NHTSA recall 20V-650 · Oct 22, 2020 · 42 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 trucks. One of the driveshaft joints may not have been properly welded, causing the driveshaft to separate while the vehicle is moving.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 2020.

Show 4 more recalls

Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator

NHTSA recall 20V-446 · Jul 30, 2020 · 769 vehicles

General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020.

Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch

NHTSA recall 20V-324 · Jun 4, 2020 · 272 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles previously recalled under 20V-142. Some of the vehicles in 20V-324 were not part of Recall 20V-142 but received defect parts during another service (typically during collision repair).

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hood assembly, free of charge. For hoods sold over the counter, dealers will contact customers with instructions for hood replacement. The recall began July 7, 2020.

Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch

NHTSA recall 20V-142 · Mar 12, 2020 · 1,909 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The hood-latch striker wires may not have been heat-treated properly, possibly causing them to fracture.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hood assembly, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at…

Seat belts › Pretensioner

NHTSA recall 19V-814 · Nov 14, 2019 · 556,399 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500:

Air Bag Malfunction

NHTSA investigation PE21010 · opened Apr 9, 2021 · closed Aug 24, 2023

On April 9, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM).

What 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners say

Transmission & drivetrain all 33 →

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, a warning alarm engaged and advised that there was an emission system issue and the vehicle needed to be serviced within 160 miles. The transmission warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she parked at some point to run an errand and upon restarting the vehicle, a death issue system alarm engaged indicating that the vehicle needed to be repaired within 90 miles. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a dead issue and one of the pins on the wiring harness had burnt and was starting to melt. The local dealer informed the contact that the death tank and wiring harness needed to be replaced; however, the parts for the repair were not available the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was not repaired. …

20,000 miles · Jan 2022 · fire

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the tachometer was operating erratically, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, and after a visual inspection, the contact observed transmission fluid pooling underneath the vehicle. The service electric parking brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the transmission oil cooler line failed at the crimp and that a failure with the electric parking brake had caused abnormal wear and tear to the brake pads and rotors. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to another dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis, adding that the failure resulted in damage to the transmission, requiring a replacement of the transmission. The vehicle was repaired. …

67,000 miles · Dec 2023

Brakes

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel briefly became tight before returning to normal functionality. After the failure, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact also stated that the brake pedal required excessive force to slow and bring the vehicle to a complete stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.

74,000 miles · Jan 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that the transmission shuddered and hesitated while driving 55 MPH or at higher speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was no longer in business. While driving at various speeds, the lifters were squeaking. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with lifters failure. The contact decided not to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

170,000 miles · Sep 2024

Electrical system

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and towing a trailer, the message "Trailer Brake Disconnected" was displayed with an audible chime. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer, but no fault was found with the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact discovered Service Update Program: N232414840; and associated the failure with the service update. The dealer and the manufacturer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the program. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

Integrated trailer brake control · 126,000 miles · Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that the radio volume was decreasing and increasing intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was water leaking through the rear sliding window into the stereo amplifier, which had caused the amplifier to experience an electrical shortage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 63,763.

64,000 miles · Aug 2023

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 a good car?

Based on 108 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Silverado 2500 rates avoid: 2.1× 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 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

The transmission & drivetrain — 33 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (19) and electrical system (17).

How many recalls does the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?

There are 10 recalls for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, the most recent from February 12, 2026 (software). 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 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 25,000 miles; 54% 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.