Most common 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems
Share of the 88 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 →
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls (6)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Fluid/lubricant › Valves/valve body
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
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Electric › Control module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles with electronic brake control modules (EBCM) replaced during vehicle assembly.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from other structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will replace the BPMV assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 20, 2021.
Tires › Temporary/emergency spare tire
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
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at…
Seat belts › Critical fasteners
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500:
Air Bag Malfunction
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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 30 →
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it remained for two months, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to John Elway Chevrolet (5200 S Broadway, Englewood, CO 80113), to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000(Power Train); however, after three months, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair would not be honored because the emission system had been removed from the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. …
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while slowing down and coming to a stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed while in drive; however, the vehicle started to roll backwards. The contact depressed the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards, and the RPM became elevated to 5,000 RPM. The contact immediately turned off the vehicle to prevent the RPM from continuing to increase. The vehicle was shifted to park, restarted, and then shifted to drive(D) and the brakes released. While releasing the brake pedal, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was immediately turned off and towed to the residence. The dealer was informed of the failure of the clutch pack, which was welded together from friction. The dealer scheduled an appointment; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. …
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that the connector for the heater system was causing the vehicle to overheat, subsequently enabling the vehicle to go faster than 50 MPH. If the vehicle reaches 75 miles, it would immediately decrease in speed to 5 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed a P20C1 code, indicating reductant heater failure had occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the dealer, who recommended calling the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The manufacturer was informed of the failure they also referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
2021, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, Crew-Cab, 6.6L Gas Engine. At @ 25k miles, the "Service 4WD" light came on dash. It later started a grinding noise/sound within the front axle transfer case. Was told they had a problem with moisture intrusion into the transfer case and it would cause corrosion to sensor. Truck was taken to dealership and in shop for @ 1 week or so. After repair was completed, less than 3k miles later, it happened again. Same problem ("Service 4WD"), same noises, same diagnoses. Truck was taken back to the dealership. This time, repairs were more extensive and the wiring harness was replaced. I was traveling with work yesterday (34,458 miles on truck now) and the "Service 4WD" light came on again. I've contacted the dealership to schedule a time at the end of week or early Saturday to take the truck back again. …
Brakes
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure and informed the contact that the brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with brake pulsation, and a rear brake bolt was loosened. The mechanic tightened the bolt. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
While in a McDonalds drive through Truck lost all braking ability. Pedal went right to the floor. Truck had to be put in park to stop and shut down. After re starting engine brakes started functioning again. Very scary incident.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 a good car?
Based on 88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2021 Silverado 2500 rates use caution: 1.8× 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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
The transmission & drivetrain — 30 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (17) and brakes (12).
How many recalls does the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, the most recent from October 24, 2024 (valves/valve body). 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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 47,000 miles; 56% 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.