Most common 2002 Chevrolet Silverado problems
Share of the 710 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado complaints by model year
Best Silverado years: 2016, 2010, 2013. Years to avoid: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 1999. Compare all years →
2002 Chevrolet Silverado recalls (4)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles May experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas.
Remedy: Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel…
Parking brake
On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions and built with either pbr parking brake systems or trw parking brake systems, the parking brake friction linings May wear to an extent where the parking brake can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.
Remedy: Dealers will install a low-force spring clip retainer for vehicles equipped with a pbr parking brake system. On vehicles equipped with the trw parking brake system, dealers will install a redesigned parking brake cable…
Structure › Body › Tailgate › Hinge and attachments
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the galvanized steel tailgate support cables that retain the tailgate in the full open (horizontal) position May corrode, weaken, and eventually fracture. If both cables fractured, the tailgate would suddenly drop and strike the top surface of the rear bumper.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cables. Interim owner notification began on April 7, 20004. The recall began on September 24, 2004, when replacement parts were available, and will continue through October 29, 2004.
Fuel system, other › Delivery
Some 2wd and 4wd pickup trucks, converted to either dedicated or bi-fuel compressed natural gas (cng) fuel usage, were assembled with a throttle cable that can contact and rub through the flexible pressurized fuel line creating a pinhole leak of natural gas to the atmosphere.
Remedy: Dealers will secure the throttle cable to eliminate the possibility of contact with the cng fuel line. The cng fuel line, throttle cable, and cruise control cable are also to be inspected and replaced if necessary.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 12 possible defects involving the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado:
Brake line corrosion failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Defect Petition DP10-003 on March 2, 2010, requesting the investigation of model year (MY) 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD pickup trucks for corrosion failures of the vehicle brake lines.DP10-003 was granted and on March 30, 2010, Preliminary Evaluation PE10-010 was opened on more than six million model year 1999 through 2003 light trucks and sport utility…
Crank position sensor failure - stall
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe06-016) on May 4, 2006 based on eleven vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) and early warning (ewr) data alleging sudden engine shutdown while driving as a result of crank position sensor failures in my 2001-2002 general motors c/k platform vehicles equipped with 8.1l engines.in response to an information request letter sent by odi, general…
Unwanted low-speed ABS activation
In a letter dated August 29, 2005, GM notified odi that it was recalling certain model year 1999 through 2002 c/k pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles to correct a problem with anti-lock brake system (ABS) wheel speed sensor corrosion that May result in unwanted ABS activation and extended stopping distances during low-speed braking (recall 05v-379).GM's recall covers approximately 804,000 vehicles currently…
Parking brake failure
Odi opened pe03-057 to assess parking brake ineffectiveness in the subject vehicles.these vehicles are equipped with four wheel disc brakes that incorporate a single-shoe drum-in-hat parking brake independent of the service brakes.complaint and warranty data indicate that the parking brake linings tend to wear out early in the life of the vehicle (at an average of 24 months in service), reducing the parking brake…
Tailgate cable breakage
During the pe, odidiscovered that one or both of the tailgate support cables can break due to the effects of metal fatigue at the point where the cable flexes when the lift gate is opened and closed. Concurrently, the strength of the cable degrades over time due to corrosion of the wire strands in the support cables.when the vehicle is stationary and cargo is being loaded or unloaded, the tailgate can tip downward…
Steel wheel rim fracture
There have been less than 2 complaints per 100,000 subject vehicles related to the alleged defect.the oldest vehicles (my 1999) have only 2 complaints in over 140 thousand vehicles after over 4 years in service.the rate of warranty claims potentially related to the alleged defect is less than 0.1%.there are no known incidents involving rapid loss of tire pressure or loss of vehicle control.
Brake line corrosion failure
On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,…
Hydraulic pump failres
GM is conducting a recall on all subject vehicles build between May 1999 and October 14, 1999.significant changes were incorporated into production in early October 1999, and vehicles built after that date have lower warranty failure rates.the complaint and warranty data appear to support the effectiveness of these changes.
Parking brake failure
In a letter dated April 20, 2005, GM notified NHTSA that it had decided that defects that relate to motor vehicle safety exist in certain model year (my) 1999-2002 c/k 1500 series (pbr parking brake system) and my 2001-2005 c/k 2500 and 3500 series (trw parking brake system) pickups with manual transmissions.according to GM, some of these vehicles May have conditions that cause the friction linings to wear to an…
Tailgate cable breakage
General motors filed a defect notice 04v-129 on March 17, 2004, which outlines a program to replace the tailgate cables installed in affected model year 2000-2004 vehicles.refer to odi's closing report for ea04-005 for additional information.odi is aware of reports of tailgate cable breakage occurring in model year 1999 and earlier vehicles.these vehicles were equipped with similar tailgate cables as addressed by…
Throttle sticking closed
This investigation involves the general motors corporation (GM)throttle body (tb) utilized in model year (my) 1999-2002 silverado, sierra, tahoe, suburban, avalanche and yukon (subject vehicle(s)) with 4.8l, 5.3l, and 6.0l engines. The tb valve May intermittently stick in a closed position.in such a situation, an operator May apply additional accelerator pedal force to increase engine speed.the application of…
Parking brake failure
Odi's review of complaint data received since the close of ea04-011 revealed no indication that the investigation should be re-opened.more details can be found in the federal register notice enclosed in the dp05-009 public file.odi reserves the right to reopen the investigation in the future should conditions warrant.
What 2002 Chevrolet Silverado owners say
Brakes all 350 →
I own a 2002 Chevy Silverado, and I have had the brakes fail on me multiple times the first time I encountered this issue was in early January when I was driving to school and I approached a stop sign and when I went to slow down I had no brakes and my vehicle rolled into the street luckily I wasn't go very fast and there were no cars coming so I didn't get hit. The repairs cost me 175$, that was repairing the problem to bare minimum (single brake line replacement). After I fixed that issue I ran into another problem, the ABS brake system will now spontaneously turn on when I come to a stop, it resulted in a three car crash, I was going to back into a parking spot and when I pulled my truck forward I tried to stop and the ABS locked up my trucks brakes (not slippery out) and forced me to hit two other vehicles, one was majorly damaged and another with minor yet still severe damage, this …
Prior to the crash I'll describe, I noticed that the antilock brakes on my truck would engage randomly at low speeds, even though the road was clear and dry. I never received any indication from indicator lights or the truck's status display that there was a malfunction in progress. Until the incident below, braking control always returned within a few seconds and seemed to pose no safety threat. On this particular evening, they had performed without incident all the way home from work. I pulled into my driveway and into my garage. Upon entering the garage proper, the antilock brakes engaged. The garage floors (and driveway) were both clear of any snow, ice, or liquids. When the antilock brakes took control, it released the brakes and locked the brake pedal in such a way that I could not regain control. This time, I was unable to push the pedal down. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 70 →
Vehicle rolled back while in park. Truck was found against the house with the doors locked and still in park. Emergency brake is typically engaged because it is parked on a slope drive but it was found disengaged. While being towed it also rolled while loading onto the tow truck. Again, it was in park with the emergency brake engaged. Vehicle was looked at by two separate service departments with no cause found. Damage was done to the truck and the home but since GM could not duplicate the problem we are responsible for all damages. Will most likely get rid of the vehicle (trading it in at same dealer who sold and serviced it) because we do not feel safe leaving the vehicle unattended. Ts
Our daughter was driving along us highway 83 approximately 3.5 miles north of junction, texas when the 2002 z71 Chevrolet pickup traveling south, unexpectedly and with great force without the driver's control, made a right turn off the roadway causing severe damage to the vehicle and injury. Either defective steering and/or the front passenger side cv joint locked up causing the vehicle to be totalled. Vehicle had all current and suggested mainentence by the owner's manual but must have had some type of defect.
Engine & cooling all 62 →
While driving on the highway, the truck, for an unknown reason, shut down causing me to loose power steering and brake capability. I was able to shift into neutral and turn the key off and then back on again to re-start the truck. It has now happened several times and I have done the same thing each time to correct the problem. It happened once in 2009 and twice in 2010. Since then it has happened a few times per year at random times. GM has told me in the past that they don't know what would cause that issue. I could not get my local Chevrolet shop manager to give me a straight yes or no answer regarding whether my problem is consistent with the issues being experienced by effected GM models with ignition problems. …
I too have the piston slap problem with my 2002 Silverado hd 6.0l engine. I took it to the dealer at about 2400 miles and was handed a technical bulletin that was dated from 1999 (problem has been known since then) telling me that GM is working on a "fix". They did want to look at the truck to make sure nothing else was wrong. There is no "fix", just an extended warranty on the engine alone even though I already paid for the extended warranty for the entire vehicle. You cannot get the warranty agreement mailed to you to look it over, they will only send it if you agree to accept it over the phone. Bought the truck in good faith and was sold a lemon. Maybe if their profits were affected by a recall they might think twice about stealing and lying to consumers.
2002 Chevrolet Silverado engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 16 / 14 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 16 / 14 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 2WD | 10 / 13 / 11 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado a good car?
Based on 710 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Silverado rates avoid: 3.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silverado at the same age. It is one of the Silverado 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 2002 Chevrolet Silverado?
The brakes — 350 complaints, 49% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (70) and engine & cooling (62).
How many recalls does the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado, the most recent from August 29, 2005 (antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016, 2010 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 1999. See the full Chevrolet Silverado years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Chevrolet Silverado problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 47,000 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.