Common Problems That Can Happen With The Chevy Silverado (According To Owners)

As much as owners like their cars and trucks, no vehicle is without its issues, and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is no exception. While it's a surprisingly fuel efficient truck and houses a reliable engine, it's plagued with significant issues that might have buyers regretting their purchase.

These aren't issues that only a handful of owners complained about. These are common problems that plague far too many Silverado 1500 owners than anyone should be comfortable with. And not only a single model year, either, but multiple. Some problems might simply be minor inconveniences or caused by wear and tear, but others are larger issues that can affect the way the truck drives and handles.

GMC has recalled the Chevy Silverado 1500 42 different times with a variety of issues, ranging from daytime running lights not turning off to the driveshaft separating. Since the 1999 model year, the Silverado has seen its fair share of malfunctions. These are the most common ones.

With nearly 900 complaints on RepairPal, owners reported that somewhere around the 100K mark their Silverado 1500 commonly displayed a message that tells the driver to service the 4WD. However, it did happen sooner if owners used the truck more frequently for significantly taxing tasks. This is usually caused by a worn position sensor or the selector switch failing.

This doesn't plague only a single model year of the truck either, as it affects 19 different model years, from 1999 to 2017. Some customers have complained that the truck automatically shifts itself into 4WD high or low when they start the engine, along with the 4WD message.

While it's an easy enough fix, this issue can bring some complications, such as making it difficult to change between 4WD and 2WD while the warning message is present. Fortunately, it's a relatively cheap fix, costing between $88 to $111.

Every generation of the Silverado 1500 has suffered from various problems with the air conditioning unit. In fact, according to RepairPal, it's the second biggest complaint with the truck. Sometimes the air delivery isn't the temperature the driver or passenger set the A/C unit to. Other times, the temperature control has been stuck on hot, which is a terrible situation in the middle of summer. In other instances, the blower fan has completely failed to operate.

There's a wide range of costs associated with fixing the air conditioning in a truck, it all depends on the nature of the problem. If the A/C isn't blowing at all, it might only cost $60 to resolve, depending on the shop, location, and year of the Silverado. If the A/C gets stuck blowing out hot or cold air no matter what the knobs are set for, it could be a problem with the air compressor. This is going to cost the driver a pretty penny, somewhere in the ballpark of $800. Replacing an air compressor is not cheap.

A relatively urgent problem with the 2017 Silverado 1500 was a transmission problem, and those are never cheap to fix. The transmission will shift hard, which in turns causes the truck to shake. The shake, known as the "Chevy Shake," was an issue for many models between 2014 and 2019and not only the Silverado. It earned the name because this condition plagued numerous GM-made vehicles that used the K2XX platform, from the Yukon to the Escalade, which actually saved Cadillac from dying.

The worst part about this issue was that it didn't happen when the truck got up there in miles. It could happen as early as the 20,000-mile mark. To make matters worse, it could cost drivers around $4,000 to fix. Some customers reported that replacing the entire transmission fixed the problem, while others noted that replacing the torque converter did the trick. Unfortunately, many drivers have had a difficult time finding a solution. It's been bad enough that even bringing their truck into the shop hasn't resolved it. The shake could also come from the aluminum driveshaft, which wears down after a short time.

Many who owned a Silverado 1500 between 1999 and 2017 may have experienced a clunking noise as they spun the steering wheel around. This was from a loose bolt somewhere within the steering shaft. The solution was never definite because many Silverado owners tried a lube kit, and that would work, but only for a short time. Sometimes the problem would persist or even get worse even after being taken to a mechanic.

The only sure way to stop the clunking, which would be annoying if not potentially dangerous, was to replace the steering shaft entirely. Replacing a steering shaft with aftermarket parts can cost as much as $500 for the part alone. Add in labor, which varies depending on the model year of the Silverado and the shop the owner brings it to, it would be between an additional $100 to $200. It's possible that the problem is covered by a warranty, to which drivers would have to reach out to Chevrolet to find out.

When driving any ICE vehicle, drivers frequently keep an eye on their fuel gauge because nothing is more inconvenient than running out of gas in the middle of a drive. Unfortunately, 14 different model years of the Silverado, from 1999 to 2013, would register the wrong fuel level once they went over 100,000 miles. The needle on the dashboard would decrease at an alarmingly faster rate than what it should have, causing drivers to panic. In other cases, it would read that the fuel level was higher than it actually was, likely resulting in drivers being stranded on the road, calling for roadside assistance.

To fix the issue, one only has to replace the fuel level sensor. The sensor itself only costs between $70 and $200. If owners are unable to replace it themselves, depending on where they live, labor prices would bump that up between $80 and $250. However, if the truck's mileage was too high, some professionals recommended replacing the entire fuel pump module. That would run drivers anywhere between $1,500 and $1,800.