MODELYEARINDEX

Which Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years to avoid

Across 11 scored model years, the 2015, 2020 and 2016 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Full report
F
Grade 2011–2021
2015 vs model median 2.7×
Model median3× median
Electrical 30
Brakes 27
Airbags & Restraints 12
Avoid

2015 · 2020

Best

2013 · 2014

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
0.60× 27 B
2012
0.44× 21 B
2013
0.35× 18 B
2014
0.48× 16 B
2015
2.70× 121 F
2016
1.72× 78 D
2017
1.00× 41 C
2018
0.95× 39 C
2019
1.21× 54 D
2020
1.65× 79 D
2021
1.60× 80 D
2022 P
2.65× 124 F
2023 P
1.58× 67 C
2024 P
3.45× 185 F
2025 P
0.78× 34 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2015 F 121 reports · median 14,000 mi

  1. Electrical 30

    Vehicle has had several electrical issues, including backup camera not functioning, radio info screen disappearing, traction control must be turned off in order to have reasonable throttle response when under 40 degrees… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 27

    A warning message comes on the dash telling the driver there is a issue with the trailer brakes, or wiring system. The trailer brakes become inoperable when this comes on. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 12

    Snow on the road slid off in the ditch no impact with anything was coming back out of ditch airbags deployed truck shut off. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

9 crash · 4 fire · 3 injuries

2020 D 79 reports · median 11,300 mi

  1. Brakes 16

    After owning the brand new truck for less than 24 hours (approximately 170 miles on the odometer of the vehicle), I was driving in a straight line on a 2 lane highway at approx. 50-55mph. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 10

    The contact owns a 2020 chevrolet silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle independently shifted into four wheel drive. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 9

    Truck started making very strange noise,, came home let truck sit, went to restart and engine light came on, truck made very horrible sound, and started spitting oil out of the side of the block. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash · 2 fire

The best year for the Silverado 2500

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2013 is the best-scoring Silverado 2500 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 80.5 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2013 0.35× 18 B
2014 0.48× 16 B
2012 0.44× 21 B

Recalls

34 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V651000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2015–2017 3,640,162
21V050000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2011 2,641,272
21V054000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2011–2014 1,778,128
21V053000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2013 692,526
20V792000 SEAT BELTS 2020, 2021 624,216
24V060000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH 2020–2024 570,434
19V814000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER 2020 556,399
24V797000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2020–2022 463,295
16V069000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES 2015, 2016 430,771
21V504000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR 2015, 2016 410,019
21V496000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER 2017–2019 338,020
19V328000 ENGINE 2017–2019 318,374

+ 22 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2015 were reported at a median of 14,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years should you avoid?
2015, 2020, 2016 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Chevrolet Silverado 2500 model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
2013 is the best-scoring Chevrolet Silverado 2500 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 80.5 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?
34 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Chevrolet Silverado 2500 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 Silverado 2500
Complaints in window
121
Severity-weighted
175.5
Model median (weighted)
65
vs model median
2.70×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
6
Open investigations
1
Score 14.2 F