2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Problems & Complaints

Better than average92% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age

Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 92% fewer than a typical Silverado 3500 model year at the same age, making the 2010 one of the better Silverado 3500 years. The most reported problem area is the air bags (2 complaints, typically around 202,000 miles). 5 recalls cover this model year.

2complaints
5recalls
1crashes
0fires
1injuries
1deaths

Most common 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems

  • Air bags~202,000 miles
    2100%
  • Engine & cooling~202,000 miles
    150%
  • Electrical system~202,000 miles
    150%

Share of the 2 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints by model year

’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’266167478072504241465239311022923261052511319224241271651122
Owner complaints per model year, Chevrolet Silverado 3500. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Silverado 3500 years: 2014, 2017, 2012. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020, 2022. Compare all years →

2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls (5)

Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

NHTSA recall 21V-053 · Feb 5, 2021 · 692,526 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida,…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021.

Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

NHTSA recall 21V-054 · Feb 5, 2021 · 1,778,128 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021.

Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

NHTSA recall 21V-050 · Feb 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021.

Equipment

NHTSA recall 18V-267 · Apr 26, 2018 · 6,154 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018.

Electrical system

NHTSA recall 14V-407 · Jul 2, 2014 · 9,371 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2007, to June 22, 2011, and GMC Sierra HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 22, 2007, to June 21, 2011, and equipped with an auxiliary battery.

Remedy: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the jumper harness with one that includes a 40 amp inline fuse, and provide the owner with supplemental Owner Manual information, free of charge.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500:

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

NHTSA investigation EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 a good car?

Based on 2 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Silverado 3500 rates better than average: 92% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age. 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 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?

The air bags — 2 complaints, 100% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (1) and electrical system (1).

How many recalls does the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?

There are 5 recalls for the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, the most recent from February 5, 2021 (inflator module). 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 3500?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2017 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Silverado 3500 years comparison.

At what mileage do 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 202,000 miles; 0% 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.