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2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 525.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

198 reports with mileage · 318 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 170 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports4 fire reports9 injury reports

Power Train complaints

170 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2025
EnginePower Train

2018 6.2l engine dropped 3 lifters at just a little over 70k miles. Vehicle is my wife’s and almost caused her and my child to have an accident while traveling on highway at posted speed. Vehicle lost power that resulted from premature engine failure resulting in vehicle losing power to the brakes and steering while in heavy …

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2018 6.2l engine dropped 3 lifters at just a little over 70k miles. Vehicle is my wife’s and almost caused her and my child to have an accident while traveling on highway at posted speed. Vehicle lost power that resulted from premature engine failure resulting in vehicle losing power to the brakes and steering while in heavy traffic. This directly affected my wife and immediately caused her to have a panic attack. Vehicle has always been maintained to the highest levels. This issue affects a substantial amount of these motors around the same mileage. Very bad and unsafe AFM design that is common among vehicles with this engine. Transmission is also experiencing studdering/vibration issues. Right now we have paid out over 5k for engine repairs. Transmission needs repaired and presents a constant safety risk to our family as well as others. GM needs to stand by their products as we consumers put our trust in these vehicles to be safe and to last more than a few miles. My wife and I both have to work and unfortunately we don’t have the extra funds to purchase another vehicle or to keep shelling money out to fix a basically new vehicle that we have babied. Please help us hold companies accountable for their failure to stand behind their products. Thank you for your time.

NHTSA ODI #11698549

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2025
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

My 2018 Silverado z71crew cab LT , 5.3L engine was having issues with hold Freon in AC unit. We took to dealer to be fixed in June 2025. They added Freon and it was running good for a week then once again blew but no cold air. So took back second time 7/3/25 and they started the die test and machine went down in middle of doing …

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My 2018 Silverado z71crew cab LT , 5.3L engine was having issues with hold Freon in AC unit. We took to dealer to be fixed in June 2025. They added Freon and it was running good for a week then once again blew but no cold air. So took back second time 7/3/25 and they started the die test and machine went down in middle of doing it. So could not finish fixing . We took back on 07/20/25 and they completed the test needed condenser . So few days later we took to our local mechanic to have the condenser replaced and all is well with the AC unit now. Everything was fine from mid July 2025 till Oct 14 th 2025 , when it started shaking and was running rough and engine light was on so I had it checked for codes to see what it needed. Came back as bad injector. So we took to local mechanic to have injector replaced and tuneup and coils replaced . After this was completed was running much rougher then before we even had that injector and tuneup done. So mechanic suggested for him to keep it and let him dive deeper into what was wrong and why it was running rougher than before, so we let him do that.. after two days, he came back and told us that there was a crack in the engine and that is why it was running rough and that it probably was going to have an engine failure and might be and must be replaced. So I looked up my VIN number to see if there’s any recalls for my particular truck and engine size which is a 5.3 L and it doesn’t show my particular truck but it does show my year of a Silverado and the 3.6 L engine has had the same issues so I was wondering if this recall should be extended to the 5.3 L 2018 seems to be the same problem with the engine block.

NHTSA ODI #11694938

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 2025
Power Train

2018 Chevy Silverado with 84,000 miles and the transmission is broken. Truck is currently in a shop to have a new transmission installed.

NHTSA ODI #11686620

Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2025
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

No check engine light come on until continued driving over 15-20 miles. Transmission slams into second gear when taking off or when stopping it may or may not downshift into first causing safety issues when in traffic. Possible electrical error or clutch inside transmission. On this model it is a sealed transmission so no way of…

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No check engine light come on until continued driving over 15-20 miles. Transmission slams into second gear when taking off or when stopping it may or may not downshift into first causing safety issues when in traffic. Possible electrical error or clutch inside transmission. On this model it is a sealed transmission so no way of identifying if metal shavings come out with a transmission flush. The issue only happens when vehicle is at temperature, if under and still cool drives perfect but as soon as it hits the temperature of 210 it slams very ugly.

NHTSA ODI #11683324

Mileage unknown · Aug 7, 2025
Power Train

Multiple Ttansmission failure, Torque Converter failure which leads to a completely destroyed transmission, vacuum pump to transmission fails which then completely destroys the transmission, transmission cooler failure which destroys said transmission. Due to parts availability, GM continues to replace with reman transmission…

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Multiple Ttansmission failure, Torque Converter failure which leads to a completely destroyed transmission, vacuum pump to transmission fails which then completely destroys the transmission, transmission cooler failure which destroys said transmission. Due to parts availability, GM continues to replace with reman transmission which continues to fail. 6L80E transmission. Engine catastrophic failure due to stuck lifter, recommended oil weight starved viscosity and causes lifters to become lodged and rockers, valves and other internal parts to fail catastrophically.

NHTSA ODI #11678955

Mileage unknown · Aug 3, 2025
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

1. The components that failed were the transmission because the vehicle was driving and continued to slow down until it came to a complete stop gradually, and had to be pushed home. And also, there was an issue with the doors unlocking on their own and all windows rolling down by themselves. 2. The safety risk was the issues tha…

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1. The components that failed were the transmission because the vehicle was driving and continued to slow down until it came to a complete stop gradually, and had to be pushed home. And also, there was an issue with the doors unlocking on their own and all windows rolling down by themselves. 2. The safety risk was the issues that happened without any knowledge of any issues at all with the vehicle. And the vehicle could have stopped on the highway, and another vehicle could have run into it, and it could have been a very bad incident. And with the doors unlocking and the windows rolling on their own could be exposed to unsafe environments and possibly theft of the vehicle or harm to the occupants. 3. Had a scan done, which showed the issues that were going on with the vehicle 4. I haven't had a chance to have it taken to the manufacturer because it broke down, and I was waiting for some help to get these issues repaired from the manufacturer. And needed from ACC. 5. There wasn't no indicators or lights on when this happened? I was told by a coworker about the windows being down, and with further investigations, I found the doors were unlocked as well, which was done automatically without my control.

NHTSA ODI #11678120

Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 2025
Power Train

The transmission has been shifting hard. I have had it serviced to try and address the issue. It continued to shift hard, until suddenly slamming me down and locking me into first gear. It would not shift from first gear until I found a parking lot, placed it in park, shut the truck off and restarted it. This caused me to nearly…

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The transmission has been shifting hard. I have had it serviced to try and address the issue. It continued to shift hard, until suddenly slamming me down and locking me into first gear. It would not shift from first gear until I found a parking lot, placed it in park, shut the truck off and restarted it. This caused me to nearly rear end the vehicle in front of me. This has not been reproduced to date because the shop cannot get to my truck for 4 weeks and I cannot be without a vehicle for that long (won’t schedule and let me bring in the day before). There has not been an inspection done by anyone because I was able to avoid the collision, and the shop is too far out time wise. There were no prior indications/lights to warn me of a severe problem. The dealership informed me that this has been an ongoing problem with the valve body inside the transmission, but there is no warranty or recall for it. They were sure happy to take my money without telling me of the problems when I bought my truck.

NHTSA ODI #11676824

Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2025
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

I purchased my truck in December 2018 which is a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 crew cab automatic from Servco Chevrolet Dealership in Waipahu, Hawaii and making monthly payments for my truck February of 2019 truck runs good and purchased the warranty also had my oil and service changed when time is due which I always kept u…

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I purchased my truck in December 2018 which is a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 crew cab automatic from Servco Chevrolet Dealership in Waipahu, Hawaii and making monthly payments for my truck February of 2019 truck runs good and purchased the warranty also had my oil and service changed when time is due which I always kept up. [XXX] and mileage was 40k while leaving work to go home at a stop light was red once turned green I pushed pedal to go and truck just changed noise tone started to run like rough idle, loud tapping noise coming from the engine, shaking and check engine light came on almost causing me to get into an accident. I pulled on the side and checked what was going on and heard the tapping noise from the motor. So I made an appointment with service department with Servco Chevrolet Dealership where i bought my truck from and spoke with the service tech for my truck to go in for repairs due to issue. It took 2 to 3 weeks for repairs to be complete and service tech informed me that I'm not the only person to have that issue which had to do with the lifters and camshaft with these motors but GM never came out with any recalls due to how much people has the same motors with the same issue. So luckily it was still covered under warranty but said the problem might come back and would just replace the faulty lifters and camshaft. So in August of 2023 my truck has the same issue but wasn't covered under warranty anymore and mileage is 61k and missed the warranty repairs that was for the lifters which I got it scanned cause check engine light and same issue and code was P0016. So I called Servco Chevrolet dealership in waipahu again and spoke with the service technician which he told me I just missed the coverage of the warranty repair and only way to get it fixed I would have to bring it back for them to scan and roughly would range from 4k to 8k to get it fixed. So my truck is parked in my garage and hasn't been moved but paying for truck. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

NHTSA ODI #11676464

Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2025
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

10 miles from home on [XXX] after Thanksgiving with my children sleeping at [XXX] in snowy cold weather, my engine began to fail. Power was limited on hills and the check engine light would come on and go back off when on flat or downhill. The next morning I took my truck to the dealer that I purchased it from where I was told t…

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10 miles from home on [XXX] after Thanksgiving with my children sleeping at [XXX] in snowy cold weather, my engine began to fail. Power was limited on hills and the check engine light would come on and go back off when on flat or downhill. The next morning I took my truck to the dealer that I purchased it from where I was told the lifters had failed and I need a new engine. 1000 miles after I replaced my engine my transmission failed completely requiring a transmission replacement. Immediately upon picking up the vehicle and going down a long hill in the area, engine breaking turned on as expected but as the truck tried to slow itself, after 2 or 3 downshifts, the transmission began making a loud grinding sound and while still going close to 50 MPH, the speedometer showed 10-15 MPH and the tach dropped to idle. The transmission was decoupled from the motor. When gas was reapplied it seemed to make the connection again and resume normal driving. I called the dealership whose techs did not believe me and told me that I could 'turn off' the engine breaking feature. The situation continued to worsen each drive and it would do it more often. This was unacceptable and they finally had a tech ride with me to experience it and immediately agreed there was an issue and reordered another transmission. The third transmission did not fix the issue and was experienced immediately. They are now guessing how to fix the issue telling me I have to replace the transfer case out of my pocket with no diagnosis, not sure what is causing it and have not fixed the problem. Videos would not fit in upload due to size. Videos show speedometer failure. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11675854

143,057 miles · Jul 22, 2025
Power Train

The contact's husband owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that metal shaving were discovered in the radiator due to a defective t…

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The contact's husband owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that metal shaving were discovered in the radiator due to a defective torque converter. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 143,057.

NHTSA ODI #11675435

Official recalls

7

26V325000 · Air Bags

May 21, 2026

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles. The left-side or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace both RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262557310. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V166.

26V166000 · Air Bags

Mar 19, 2026

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262549710. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.

25V432000 · Air Bags

Jun 26, 2025

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 2019 Sierra 2500, 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab vehicles. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A detached end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape and project the end cap or fragments of the inflator into the vehicle, increases the risk of injury or crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2025. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252513060.

24V756000 · Air Bags:side/window:curtain:inflator

Oct 10, 2024

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 Crew Cab trucks. The left or right-side roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC Customer Service at 888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N242474500.

20V603000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum

Oct 1, 2020

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.

19V761000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc); Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:wheel Speed Sensor/tone Ring

Oct 24, 2019

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Service Brakes

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:wheel Speed Sensor/tone Ring

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

19V645000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum

Sep 6, 2019

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.