Chevrolet Silverado 1500 body problems

STRUCTURE:BODY

The paint is coming off of the roof of my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado pick up truck. This is a common problem with the white color vehicles from Chevrolet. This is a safety issue due to paint chips and paint pieces falling down on the windshield.

NHTSA complaint #11757899 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the liftgate opened unexpectedly. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, exited the vehicle, and closed the liftgate; however, the failure persisted. There was no warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 5,070.

NHTSA complaint #11756285 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Tailgate keeps randomly opening when driving down the road. Vehicle was taken to a Chevrolet dealership for them to address. GM denied warranty claim and will not provide anything in writing. This is a huge safety concern for a work truck that hauls tools and equipment on a daily basis. And the fact that GM will not give anything in writing on the denial is absolute BS.

NHTSA complaint #11756288 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The vehicle's structural frame rails have suffered a catastrophic failure. The driver-side frame rail has a physical separation gap measuring between 1/2-inch and 1 inch wide. The passenger-side frame rail is actively delaminating and separating from the inside out. The vehicle and the failed component are completely intact and available for immediate inspection upon request. SAFETY RISK TO OTHERS:The structural integrity of the truck is entirely gone, creating an extreme safety hazard. If driven, the frame is at risk of snapping completely in half, which would cause an immediate, catastrophic loss of steering, suspension control, and braking on public roads, risking a fatal crash for the occupants and nearby drivers. CONFIRMATION BY A SERVICE CENTER:The problem has not been visually confirmed via a safety inspection. The catastrophic splitting aligns exactly with the premature corrosion patterns caused by the failing factory wax defect openly documented by General Motors in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 19-NA-255.4. INSPECTION BY MANUFACTURER/POLICE/INSURANCE:The vehicle has not yet been inspected by General Motors corporate, local police, or insurance representatives. It was immediately deemed unroadworthy and taken off public roads and parked. WARNING LAMPS AND PRIOR SYMPTOMS: There were no warning lamps, or dashboard messages. The only symptoms was when going over a bump it made a weird noises which was inspected and found the crumbling/failing frame. Because the multi-layered steel frame rots from the inside out due to moisture trapped behind the defective factory wax coating, the structural failure remained entirely invisible until the frame physically cracked open and separated.

NHTSA complaint #11752287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

On Thursday, July 9, 2026, at approximately 2:30 p.m., I was driving my 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax on Highway 40 while towing a properly connected trailer. The Multi-Flex tailgate had been fully closed and latched before I began my trip and had not been opened at any point prior to the incident. While traveling on the highway, a California Highway Patrol officer pulled alongside my vehicle and alerted me that my tailgate was down and bouncing on the trailer I was towing. I immediately pulled over to the shoulder and observed that the entire Multi-Flex tailgate had unexpectedly unlatched and was resting on the trailer. I closed and latched the tailgate, which appeared to operate normally, and continued to my destination. At no time before or during the incident did the vehicle display a "Tailgate Open" warning or any other warning message on the instrument cluster. The unexpected opening of the tailgate caused it to strike the trailer, resulting in damage to the Multi-Flex tailgate, the rear bumper, and the trailer. The vehicle has approximately 11,000 miles, was purchased new, and has not been modified. I have opened a case with General Motors, and the vehicle is scheduled to be inspected by an authorized Chevrolet dealership.

NHTSA complaint #11750324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The paint on this vehicle is horrible. Now I am upside down in the vehicle and unable to get anything close to what is owed. No one affiliated with GM/Chevy will take any responsibility

NHTSA complaint #11745852 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I was driving on the highway at about 70 mph and the passenger side lower control arm where the ball joint sits broke. It messed up the passenger fender and tire along with the steering link. It also bent the upper control arm as well. The ball joints were replaced about 6 months ago.

NHTSA complaint #11743834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while vehicle was parked, water was leaking inside the rear interior of the cab. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the vehicle was serviced but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

NHTSA complaint #11742712 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Component/System That Failed: The rear sliding window assembly leaked water into the cabin due to a manufacturing defect in the urethane seal and third brake light area. The window has been replaced and no longer leaks, but the water caused lasting damage to the headliner with trapped moisture. Components are available for inspection. Safety/Health Risk: The leak saturated the headliner, creating a serious risk of mold growth. My pregnant wife and unborn baby could be exposed to mold spores. Water intrusion also risks slippery floors, fogging, and potential electrical issues. Dealer Confirmation: Folsom Chevrolet confirmed the leak, replaced the window, and recommended full headliner replacement due to staining and mold risk. This is covered in GM TSB 18-NA-383. Manufacturer Awareness: GM has known about this defect for years but denied full repair (Claim #9582-9999). Symptoms: No warning lights. Leak first noticed in September 2025 after rains began. Due to dry California summer, it went unnoticed earlier, even though the defect likely started while the vehicle was still within the 3-year warranty period (mileage was over 36k when noticed). Additional Info: This is a known workmanship defect unrelated to mileage. A coworker has had the same issue twice on his 2025 Silverado. I paid $492.79 for the window + $144.50 diagnostic. GM offered only $1,250 in points and refused better resolution for the $3,100 headliner repair.

NHTSA complaint #11741320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

There is a bad glare that comes off the hood scoop on the bison edition that blinds a driver while driving causing a high risk of an accident

NHTSA complaint #11739148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The White Diamond Tri Coat paint that General Motors applied to vehicles is sub par and defective. There is no reason why the paint should be this bad. It is not due to damage or anything the driver has done. This is a factory defect and should be addressed. Every single vehicle I have seen with this same Tri Coat paint is chipping, flaking and peeling. My truck is the LTZ model of Silverado and that is supposed to be the top of the line, best vehicle sub trim that Chevrolet offers. I would like this to be looked into.

NHTSA complaint #11738753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Frame failed on truck completely rusted through. The safety of my family was put at risk because the chevy dealer it was always serviced at never told me about the rust problem even though they did multi point inspections everytime it was serviced at the dealer. Only time I was ever notified about this was when it was to late to fix. Vehicle has been looked at by a frame an Collison center and said a whole new frame is needed that it is not repairable. The Collison center also told me this is a common problem with these trucks due to the layered steel the manufacturer used to make the frame.

NHTSA complaint #11738427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I purchased the truck in 2021 from a chevy dealer with 32k miles on it, truck looked great and performed great, at 42k miles it started to be sluggish and it would vibrate between 30-40 and 60-70 as i feathered the gas pedal to maintain speed, but if i gave it more gas or take my foot off the pedal it would stop vibrating, I've taken it to 2 chevy dealers, the first one said it drives within GM spec's. the 2nd one looked more promising but my warranty ran out at 75k and i was at that mileage. So today at 93k on it, it still vibrates and sluggish from a start. I looked online and many people have similar problems. ALSO: The paint around my front wheels is peeling off down to the primer, I've had many vehicles and never had this happen to me, It's just flaking off, When i had the truck at the chevy dealer for maintenance and told him about it, He said GM will not fix it and they know about the issue. Now these trucks are not cheap, It seems like once they sell the vehicle GM washes their hands of it, I guess that's why they only give you 36,000 mile warranty because they don't even trust their product to last.

NHTSA complaint #11734730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Power sliding rear window panel burned and shattered due to electric malfunction or a virus.

NHTSA complaint #11733722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The frame of my 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has rusted through to the point of failing Maine state safety inspection at only 41,000 miles. A licensed Maine inspection station identified structural frame corrosion and determined the vehicle is unsafe to operate. A Chevrolet dealer confirmed the frame rust and stated the truck must have rusted sections cut out and welded to be made roadworthy. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: A rusted-through frame on a pickup truck is a serious structural defect. Frame failure while driving could cause loss of vehicle control, separation of suspension or drivetrain components, or catastrophic structural collapse, particularly at highway speeds or under load. The vehicle is currently unregisterable in Maine due to this safety failure. The failure has been confirmed by both an independent licensed inspection station and by a Chevrolet dealership service department. This failure is consistent with a known manufacturing defect documented in GM Technical Service Bulletin 19-NA-255, which acknowledges that the wax coating applied to the frames of 2011–2024 Silverado and Sierra trucks was improperly applied by a third-party frame supplier, causing the coating to peel and exposing bare steel to premature corrosion. GM has issued this TSB but has not issued a recall, and Chevrolet dealers are not consistently performing the repair. I contacted GM Customer Assistance to request goodwill repair and was refused; the representative also declined to open a case. There were no warning lamps or dashboard messages prior to discovery, as frame corrosion is not monitored by vehicle systems. The defect was identified visually during state safety inspection. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this defect pattern and consider a recall, as was ultimately ordered for the similar frame corrosion defect on Toyota Tacoma trucks.

NHTSA complaint #11733034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Main body panel bubbling paint just under rear doors both side of vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11730762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I am writing to report a serious safety concern involving my 2024 Chevrolet Silverado that resulted in a child being locked inside the vehicle with the key fob present inside the car. On March 25 2026, after parking and turning off the vehicle, I exited the driver’s seat with my key fob inside my purse, which remained in the front of the vehicle. I then walked around to remove my daughter from the back seat. During that time, she climbed into the front seat and pressed the interior door lock button, locking all doors. My daughter has autism and is not able to follow instructions or unlock the vehicle on command. As a result, she was locked inside the vehicle with the key fob present inside, and I was unable to gain access from the outside. The vehicle did not prevent the lock from engaging, nor did it allow me to open the door despite the key being inside the vehicle. This situation required emergency assistance (911) to safely remove her from the vehicle. I understand that many vehicles have “lockout prevention” features; however, in this case, the system did not account for a vulnerable occupant inside the vehicle. Allowing the vehicle to be locked from the interior while the key fob is inside—and without any external override—creates a significant child safety risk. I am requesting that Chevrolet review this design behavior as a potential safety issue, specifically: - Why the vehicle allows interior locking when a key fob is detected inside - Why there is no external override to unlock the vehicle when the key is present - Whether a software update or safety feature enhancement can address this risk This is not just a convenience issue—it is a safety hazard that can lead to dangerous outcomes, especially for children or individuals with disabilities. Please confirm receipt of this concern and advise whether this issue has been previously identified or is under review.

NHTSA complaint #11726976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

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

NHTSA complaint #11726233 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Tailgate unexpectedly opened when driving. Switch on and off when parked and drained battery

NHTSA complaint #11724913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

While driving with my trailer my Tailgate opened by itself and hit my trailer when backing up. There is a open recall for a faulty switch that may allow the Tailgate to open unexpectedly. I called my dealer and said they could only replace the faulty switch and not my damaged tailgate. It was due to the faulty switch that led to my Tailgate getting damaged. I believe this switch and my Tailgate need to replaced.

NHTSA complaint #11723827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.