Most common 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems
Share of the 42 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints by model year
Best Silverado 3500 years: 2014, 2017, 2012. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020, 2022. Compare all years →
2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 recalls (8)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module › Software
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
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.
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.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
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
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.
Show 2 more recalls
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
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
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 3500:
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 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 62 MPH during snow weather and switching lanes; the accelerator pedal was depressed, and both the rear wheels had locked. The vehicle spun out of control and traveled into the center lane of a two-lane road and crashed into a snow embankment where it came to a stop. No Injuries were sustained. No warning light illuminated. Prior to the crash, the contact stated that the transmission was slipping and making abnormal noises where it was taken to a dealer for the transmission was inspected and replaced due to metal shaving intrusion. …
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle later failed to start and became undrivable. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing and for the manufacturer internal recall repairs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train); however, the local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the dealer was not aware of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue via email, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle later failed to start and became undrivable. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing and for the manufacturer internal recall repairs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train); however, the local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the dealer was not aware of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue via email, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that after driving at an undisclosed speed and towing a fifth wheel, after visual inspection, the contact observed that due to the routing of exhaust system, heat from the exhaust had started to melt the front wall of the trailer. The contact was concerned that the trailer battery and propane tank were resting on the other side wall, which could potentially cause a fire. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but advised the contact that the exhaust could not be rerouted. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Brakes
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH and approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed down to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact made a left turn to avoid a ditch. The contact stated that the vehicle then rolled to a stop. The contact shifted to low gear, turned the hazard lights on, and was able to drive to the residence. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the brake fluid was leaking. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where the passenger's side rear brake pads, brake disk, and brake calipers were replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the driver's side rear brake pads, brake disk, and brake calipers were replaced; however, the failure persisted. …
This problem concerns faulty emergency brakes. The issue was discovered in the driveway, when I engaged the parking brake with the vehicle in park and my foot on the brake. The Service Emergency Brake light came on and stayed on. When the problem was investigated at the dealership, it was found that the brake pad abradable material had delaminated from the brake shoe and was floating loose inside the drum. This same condition was found on 3 of the 4 brake shoes. Based on the appearance of the parts it did no appear they fell off when the parking brake was engaged, but had been loose for some time. With loose parts floating inside the brake drum sooner or later they will move and could lock up the rear wheel. The Chevrolet service department did not seem to be concerned with condition. A big concern is that the parking brake needs to be engaged to discover the issue. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 a good car?
Based on 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Silverado 3500 rates avoid: 2.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age. It is one of the Silverado 3500 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 3500?
The transmission & drivetrain — 16 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (7) and brakes (7).
How many recalls does the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, 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 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 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 40,000 miles; 73% 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.