2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Problems & Complaints

Average33% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age

Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is about average for the Silverado 3500 at the same age. The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling (7 complaints, typically around 23,000 miles). 6 recalls cover this model year.

19complaints
6recalls
0crashes
0fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most common 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems

  • Engine & cooling~23,000 miles
    737%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~68,000 miles
    526%
  • Electrical system~28,000 miles
    316%
  • Body & structure~5,000 miles
    211%
  • Transmission & drivetrain
    211%
  • Other / not specified
    211%
  • Equipment & accessories
    211%
  • Steering
    211%
  • Wheels & tires~21,000 miles
    15%
  • Brakes
    15%
  • Driver assistance
    15%

Share of the 19 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 →

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls (6)

Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator

NHTSA recall 24V-756 · Oct 10, 2024 · 2,061 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 Crew Cab trucks. The left 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 the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024.

Fuel system, diesel › Storage › Tank assembly

NHTSA recall 23V-047 · Feb 2, 2023 · 22,132 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 vehicles equipped with a dual fuel tank option. The rear fuel tank may collapse and prevent the fuel pump from transferring fuel to the front tank, resulting in an engine stall.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank and fuel pump module, replacing them as necessary. Dealers will also add a vent hose to the rear tank assembly. Repairs will be performed free of charge.

Equipment › Electrical › Engine block heater

NHTSA recall 21V-496 · Jul 1, 2021 · 338,020 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500 and 2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with a Duramax diesel 6.6 liter engine and an optional engine-block heater cord.

Remedy: Dealers will replace engine block heaters and heater cords. Vehicles that have this feature disabled as a remedy to the safety condition will be contacted and offered replacement block heaters and heater cords under a…

Engine

NHTSA recall 19V-328 · Apr 25, 2019 · 318,374 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 vehicles and 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with Duramax 6.6 liter diesel engines and an optional engine-block heater.

Remedy: GM will contact owners, dealers will replace the engine block heater, free of charge. Additionally, in Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 vehicles, dealers will install a new rerouted heater cord.

Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly

NHTSA recall 19V-088 · Feb 7, 2019 · 18,574 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 GMC Sierra 3500 and Chevrolet Silverado 3500 trucks equipped with gasoline engines and dual fuel tanks. The fuel-level sensor in the front tank may stick in a low-level position, allowing the rear tank to overfill the front tank.

Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear-tank fuel-pump module, inspect the front tank and, if necessary, replace the front tank, free of charge. The recall began July 30, 2019.

Seat belts › Front › Retractor

NHTSA recall 17V-567 · Sep 14, 2017 · 38,048 vehicles

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks. The front seat belt retractor assemblies were built with the incorrect torsion bar.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front seat belt retractor assemblies, free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021.

What 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 owners say

Engine & cooling

The contact owns 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine started misfiring and made an abnormal knocking sound. Additionally, the vehicle was shuddering. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, where the contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner. The contact retrieved diagnostic trouble code indicating an open circuit on the seventh fuel injector. The contact purchased the part from an unknown dealer and replaced the fuel injector connector harness; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact replaced the connector harness of the second and fourth fuel injectors; however, the failure persisted. The contact was in the process of replacing the connector harness of the eighth fuel injector. …

65,000 miles · Feb 2024

46000 miles and the oil pan rotting from the salt on the roads i have an extended warranty no one wants to cover the warranty it has 100000 power train warranty and no one wants to be responsible for it

Aug 2023

Fuel & propulsion system

The contact owns 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine started misfiring and made an abnormal knocking sound. Additionally, the vehicle was shuddering. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, where the contact scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner. The contact retrieved diagnostic trouble code indicating an open circuit on the seventh fuel injector. The contact purchased the part from an unknown dealer and replaced the fuel injector connector harness; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact replaced the connector harness of the second and fourth fuel injectors; however, the failure persisted. The contact was in the process of replacing the connector harness of the eighth fuel injector. …

Fuel injection system · 65,000 miles · Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that the fuel tank had collapsed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump and rear fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V047000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The failure mileage was approximately 68,390. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

68,000 miles · Jun 2022

Electrical system

I've heard all the horror stories about faulty electrical issues. I'm chasing an issue now on my 2018 with ONLY 87,000 miles after spending a bunch of money on batteries hub assemblies random control modules to try to fix an issue of stabilitrak, traction control, abs, trailer brakes, power steering etc all going off every 3 seconds. Grounds have all been re done to bare metal nothing is fixing the issue. Steering wheel about flew out of my hands going 65mph when the power steering message along with all the others on the dtc while dinging annoying the shit out of me. I've bought nothing but gm trucks my whole adult life and I'll never do it again. Thing is a piece of shit and you all should be doing something to fix it. I've seen people have the fix by replacing a tail light bulb speed sensors ecbm abs modules trailer brake modules harnesses the list is endless. …

Jan 2026

Recall N192265660 repair failed. Dealer stated that GM refused to participate in the repair. Smoke and smell of burning electrical followed by the rear window exploding. Dealer quoted over $1900 to repair and suggested we go aftermarket and have the repair done elsewhere. Vehicle has approximately 62k miles since last attempt to repair the recall.

Apr 2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 a good car?

Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 Silverado 3500 rates average: 33% 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 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?

The engine & cooling — 7 complaints, 37% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (5) and electrical system (3).

How many recalls does the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?

There are 6 recalls for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, the most recent from October 10, 2024 (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 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 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 23,000 miles; 71% 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.