Chevrolet Silverado Complaints (2011)

773 consumer complaints on file.

#11774105October 27, 2026
STEERING, POWER TRAIN
On September 17, 2026, the vehicle suffered two critical failures. First, the transmission shifter linkage detached while being placed in DRIVE due to failure of a plastic shifter cable bushing, locking the car in NEUTRAL. Second, minutes late while loading the disabled vehicle onto a flatbed tow truck, the steering shaft completely separated from the steering column. An independent AAA mechanic inspection revealed that the steering shaft pinch bolt was entirely missing. Just 30 days prior (August 18, 2026), with under 200 miles traveled since, a licensed dealership technician performed a safety inspection and certified both assemblies as "Green" (Passed/Safe). Dealer invoices show consistent maintenance and no prior safety inspection issues since purchase in 2011. Mechanically, a pinch bolt requires weeks of driving vibration to unthread and back out, proving it was left loose, under-torqued, or missing its locking flag nut during the dealership's inspection. Furthermore, the transmission shifter cable linkage failed due to total plastic bushing degradation. At 97,970 miles, this specific GM factory bushing exhibits a well-documented color transformation from white to yellow to amber as it oxidizes through continuous heat cycles, becoming brittle and cracked before ultimately failing completely. Both failure points sit in close physical proximity when inspected from below. The intermediate steering shaft is also easily accessible from above, where a technician can quickly check the pinch bolt and clamping force by twisting the shaft or finger testing the flag nut. The technician's failure to identify a backing-out pinch bolt and a discolored, brittle bushing indicates that no physical or visual inspection took place despite a written safety certification. NOTE: Had the vehicle not first been immobilized by the transmission linkage failure, it most certainly would have been on a busy city street or interstate when the steering shaft separated. Pure luck no one hurt.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773259October 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after retrieving a Carfax report, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 115,519. The Carfax report indicated that the mileage was 253,000 in 2019.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749950July 13, 2026
ENGINE
AFM/DOD lifter failed while driving which causes multiple systems to go offline including Traction Control, stability control, ABS just to name a few. This happened while coming off freeway which can be a safety risk as vehicle was at higher speeds. This is a known GM problem with 5.3l engines and should have been addressed years ago.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738575May 18, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a lifter and a failed cylinder 6. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated. The dealer was made aware of the failure, however the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under any unknown recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 176,200.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729677April 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 103,000. However, at the time of the vehicle registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 155,000; but the Service record indicated that the mileage was 108,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726233March 22, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SUSPENSION
Was sold with a warranty and was not fulfilled, and on top of that we found out they rolled the odometer back over 50k , then found out it has a spilt frame
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690427September 29, 2025
SUSPENSION
Hello Our 2011 Chevy Silverado looks like it was sitting in a lake. The rusted frame has a hole and has failed Pennsylvania Inspection. The whole underside of the vehicle frame is peeling away the body of the truck is very clean. Truck has 60,000 miles and is garage kept. We were shocked to see the condition when we were at the inspection station. It worries me how many of these trucks are on the road or towing trailers. Please don’t wait to take action until something happens. Yes, our vehicle is available for inspection pictures. There was no warning lights. Our local Pennsylvania State Inspection Station failed the truck during routine yearly inspection. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690080September 27, 2025
AIR BAGS
[XXX] WITH ONLY 88,500 MILES no wreck or other incident service airbag light came on and dealership wants 180.00 just to check it. what creates the issue is that my other vehicle a 2010 Tahoe with 285,000 miles came on within 3 days of this one. What am i supposed to do? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659794May 8, 2025
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
as mentioned by many customers the dash on the vehicles crack and GM refuses to pay for repairs. Now there is a Airbag recall that needs to be completed and I am told by dealer that the dash will crack more and get worse during the repair and they are not responsible for the damage. This is unacceptable and unsafe as it is costing me and consumers more money for a defective product.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656860April 25, 2025
ENGINE
After 2 weeks of owning the truck which we are paying on it had to be towed 3 times stalling out and leaving leaving my family,my children with us at least once, and stranded in high traffic roads. We took it back to the dealership and they replaced the fuel pump and the fuel light came came on the very same day we picked it up. Now over a week after getting it back it has stranded us again,this time with our 3 children with us. This is on a Friday evening during rush hour. We manage to pull to a side road and off to the side a bit,but not fully. People are driving by very fast now as we wait for a tow.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651160March 27, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the dealer for the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (Air Bags); the contact was informed that the SDM module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 171,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11649794March 21, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, unoccupied, and turned off, the front passenger's side air bag deployed. Prior to the failure, the air bag warning light had intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that would have caused the air bag to deploy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648608March 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Na
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644895February 25, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639802January 31, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, WHEELS
The software that makes the truck work as a 4 cylinder truck has caused the engine light to come on and causing a code P0300 various engine misfire. The misfire is caused by the lifter spring causing the lifter to remain in the down position. The down position is against the can rod and as the cam rod rotates, this causes the lifter to break at the bottom and causing the can rod to also break which will cause an engine failure while drinking and the motor will freeze . All GMC and Chevrolet vehicles with this installed should be recalled. Everyone has been fixing it themselves by replacing the part(s) once a pinging noise is heard at 50,000 miles. Basically every 50,000 this will need to be fixed. Some people are turning off the 4 cylinder software to avoid the problem which in both cases, uses more gas and also idles higher.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639024January 28, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Stalking, harassment, identity thief, stealing of snap benefits and tampering
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634401January 6, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Engine suddenly stopped running while driving and could not be restarted. It was towed to a local diesel repair shop. Diagnostics showed a catastrophic failure of the high pressure fuel pump which polluted the complete fuel system with metal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631838December 20, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 severe frame rot drivers side front left from cab to rear wheel potential for snapping with holes of rot throughout also right side starting have had truck for 1.5 years which cost 11,000 dollars GM should be held accountable as I have read hundreds if not thousands of other Chevrolet truck owners with this issue, there was a recall for failure to add some type of rust prevention which issue would have been way past that stage GM is aware of this and fails to do anything about it, this is going to cost about 2500.00 to repair frames should not rot out like this what will it take before something is done about it 100,s of deaths due to fatal accidents the average person may not know about this as they may never go under their truck Thank You [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631441December 18, 2024
POWER TRAIN
My transmission failed and my truck wouldn’t move. I’ve replaced it with a rebuilt one which is already shifting hard and shuddering. These 6l80e transmissions are no good
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11625132November 14, 2024
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that there was rust on the frame of the vehicle. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change at an independent mechanic, it was determined that the subframe was extremely rusted. The mechanic was unable to put the vehicle on the lift. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Chevrolet Silverado