4,765 of the
23,432 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Silverado 1500
are about the braking system —
20% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2003.
While traveling in bumper to bumper highway traffic in my 2022 Chevrolet Silverado RST, I attempted to accelerate and the vehicle suddenly malfunctioned. I experienced sever loss/restriction of propulsion and the vehicle would not respond normally to accelerator input. I was able to maneuver toward the shoulder of the road while avoiding a major multi-car pile up involving innocent motorists. When I attempted to stop, I did not have normal braking ability and was unable to stop in the manner I expected. I had to use the shoulder of the highway to slow the truck down until I could come to a complete stop. This created an immediate risk of serious or fatal collision on the highway, and as I maneuvered the truck out of traffic to the side of the road. Had I been unable to reach the shoulder of the road, I could have been struck by surrounding traffic. Had this failure occured un an urban area or at an intersection, near pedestrians, or at a school bus stop- I could have seriously injured or killed people or myself. After I was able to come to a complete stop. I shut it off and turned it back on, then the truck read there was no gas left (I had a 1/2 tank). This incident is not isolated electronic glitch, I have experienced electrical malfunctions including the truck failing to start, unlocking, responding at all. This all occured after an engine replacement due to a recall. I am concerned that there are unresolved electrical and power-distribution, communication-network, propulsion or braking issues that presents a serious safety risk to myself and others. My concern is that if this malfunction occurred on my drive to work in the city, around pedestrians- it could have resulted in multiple fatalities.
NHTSA complaint #11758426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming up to a stop sign, the vehicle lost braking functionality. The contact stated that the “Service Brake Assist” warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to make a right turn and pumped the brakes for the vehicle to come to a complete stop. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Almost had an accident in parking lot where my brakes were hard/spongy. I saw a recall for 2014 chevy silverado for brake booster pump but I was never informed of such recall at the time. I've had my truck since 2016. I notified dealership and they informed me that the timeframe has expired for them to repair.
NHTSA complaint #11756550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Turned from [XXX] into my street, about 9 houses down, i could not brake or turn steering wheel. Ended up hitting 2 cars, the problem was that the air bags did not deploy and the seat belt did not lock. truck was totalled. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact was alerted by OnStar of a failure with the stability system. While the contact’s husband was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was jerking; the brakes were sticking while the brake pedal was depressed. The failure persisted while driving 50 MPH. The driver used the back roads while driving to the residence. The brakes and ABS warning lights were flashing quickly. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, and DTC: U0422, was retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V761000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
NHTSA complaint #11754512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact was alerted by OnStar of a failure with the stability system. While the contact’s husband was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was jerking; the brakes were sticking while the brake pedal was depressed. The failure persisted while driving 50 MPH. The driver used the back roads while driving to the residence. The brakes and ABS warning lights were flashing quickly. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, and DTC: U0422, was retrieved. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V761000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
NHTSA complaint #11754512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Electronic Parking Brake System on my 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 continuously malfunctions. Chevy/ GM Customer Support has been made aware of this issue and continues to disregard it entirely. The Electronic Parking Brake, which is an automatic function that cannot be turned off or bypassed, fails to fully disengage when the vehicle is taken out of Park. The Electronic Parking Brake remains very slightly engaged, producing a slight noise while driving and causing excessively premature wear on the vehicles pads and rotors. My vehicle has about 64,000 miles on it, and I have had to replace my rear brakes twice now already, due to this issue. The majority of those 64,000 miles are from uninterrupted highway driving. Each time the rear brakes were replaced, I had the dealership inspect the braking system. The dealership was not able to definitively confirm for some reason but was able to speculate that the aforementioned is likely what is going on. I find that any malfunction of such a critical part of the vehicle and the safety of it's operators and passengers poses a major safety risk.
NHTSA complaint #11751449 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message that the rear seats were occupied and that the windows were rolled down was displayed, which required the contact to press the OK button. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was purchased, but no assistance was provided. The traction control and the ABS warning lights were illuminated while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the cruise control mode was inoperable. The contact replaced the brake pedal position sensor independently, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who reprogrammed the sensor. The contact stated that after the repair, the brake lights erroneously illuminated while the vehicle was turned off, causing the battery to drain. The contact disconnected and reconnected the battery, which reset the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not further diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 110,881.
NHTSA complaint #11750243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle suffered a failure cascade of the brake booster vacuum pump system. During a low-speed bumper collision on July 4 and a boat ramp slide, the pedal triggered abnormal ABS-like pulsing as the computer tried to hydraulically compensate for dropping vacuum pressure. This resulted in truck front bumper damage and boat trailer fender damage. On July 10, total failure occurred in a drive-thru, rendering the pedal rock-hard and sopping mear impossible. All marked parts and logs are available for inspection. Onboard diagnostic data reveals the electronic brake control module has driven continuously without a master clear for 22,665 miles, locking the last system initialization to 78,468 miles. This continuous data loop proves code C0299-00 was actively visible in the history log during the subsequent dealer service visits. Instead of performing the hardware pump remedy under Recall N192268490 (NHTSA 19V650). At the Jan 24 dealer visit (78,482 mi), dealer applied a software update and charged out-of-pocket fees to clear symptoms. They also ignored subsequent communication regarding the billing discrepancy. Technicians completely neglected the history logs despite explicit complaints regarding low-speed ABS sensations, trailer brake messages, park assist, and brake assist warnings. The 2026 dealers (and 2024) falsified multipoint inspections stating brakes required NO service until after winter. Jan '26 dealer delayed further diagnostics until June '26. May '26 dealer ignored texts regarding a crooked steering wheel and unstable tracking after alignment service. The truck was intentionally misdiagnosed as functional to avoid the warranty period repair. This unaddressed mechanical failure caused a destructive system cascade requiring replacement of the vacuum pump, oil-contaminated vacuum lines lines, oil-saturated booster, master cylinder, glazed pads, warped rotors, fluid flush, tires from module drag, alongside the resulting bumper and trailer property damage.
NHTSA complaint #11750018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Purchased used 6/12/2026 at 188,882 miles from a franchised Chevrolet dealer. The integrated trailer brake system master fuse and passenger-side turn signal fuse were blown at delivery. When the fuses were replaced, the trailer brake system faulted and the failure disabled the ABS, traction control, and StabiliTrak (electronic stability control). Significant safety concern: with the master fuse blown/open, the vehicle displays NO warning messages of any kind — the safety-system failure is completely masked while trailer braking is inoperative. The warning cascade only appears when a good fuse is installed and the faulted circuit is energized. Separately, at approximately 12 days and ~1,700 miles after purchase, the engine began knocking and set diagnostic trouble codes; a dealer repair order dated 7/6/2026 documents the knocking complaint with no work performed. The vehicle is currently parked as unsafe to drive. No crash, injury, or fire. Reporting so the ABS/ESC failure mode — and particularly its masking behavior when the fuse is open — is on record for this VIN and vehicle line.
NHTSA complaint #11749765 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In September 2004, I filed a complaint on my 2019 chevrolet Silverado was making a noise from under the steering wheel (like a click noise at least twice) also the brakes were changing the movement when I pressed the brakes. One night the brakes completely went out while driving at 55 mph. I tried everything from pumping hard but the pedal went all the way to the floor with no result. I related the gas until the vehicle came to a stop. From there I placed the vehicle on park in the middle of an intersection. When the traffic light turned green I placed the vehicle on D and it moved but still with no brakes. I parked on the side of the road and called a wrecker to tow my truck home. It was could not be driven. After filling a complaint the local dealership called me and fixed it free of charge. Last week the noise on the steering wheel came back and the brakes are acting funny again. I have my two daughters ages [XXX] and [XXX] in my truck and I am requesting another inspection to my vehicle before another accident can happen. IT is unsafe INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11747743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was on the highway doing 70 MPH with my family driving down I-40 through western NC (mountainous terrain) when my brakes went out and the vehicle went into limp mode. I was able to safely pull over thank God and then had my vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer just informed me that a software update is needed, and not covered under warranty. There are multiple safety bulletins coming out for related years and issues related to the braking system of this make/model and I would like this documented as well as Chevy to cover the cost of repairing this defect.
NHTSA complaint #11747665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH with his wife and grandchildren inside the vehicle, the check engine warning light, collision warning light, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the message "Braking System Failure - Do not exceed 62 MPH" and the trailer brake message was displayed. The contact continued to drive the vehicle; however, whenever the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to slow as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.
NHTSA complaint #11746388 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was a message related to brakes. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the brakes. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the brake sensors had detached. The repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
NHTSA complaint #11744942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was a message related to brakes. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the brakes. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the brake sensors had detached. The repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
NHTSA complaint #11744942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On Febuary 13th 2026 I was involved in a wreck where I re-ended another stopped vehicle. There was no warning light or automated braking executed. I braked hard but not soon enough.There was no malfunction warnings or lights displayed before (or after ) the accident showing it to be inoperative. It has been in to the dealer 3 times since. Yes it is available for inspection. Was told that it will not work if you have your foot on brake or accelerator by one technician. This truck use to brake for no reason even going 70 mph on highway. I am pretty sure GM has reprogramed to fix that issue leaving the sensitivitu so low it now does not work at all.
NHTSA complaint #11744825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Loud ticking noise and power loss. Transmission shift slips from 2nd to 3rd . Called factory and dealership for check up. Said no problem… Told to Change oil. Did this, NO CHANGE.
NHTSA complaint #11743104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, there was an abnormally loud pinging sound coming from the engine. The vehicle lost motive power, the brakes and the steering wheel became inoperable. The message "Depress Start" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was initially diagnosed that the battery failure was unsoldered. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While being test-driven by the mechanic, the vehicle stalled. After further investigation, it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to the main bearing failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, opened a case and informed the contact that a case worker, near his location, would contact him in 24 hours. The failure mileage was approximately 9,025.
NHTSA complaint #11743001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2015 Chevy Silverado, when I am breaking, especially in stop-and-go traffic when I need to my use brakes a lot. My brake pedal will be get stiff and is accompanied by extended stopping distance to a point where I almost hit the vehicle in front of me.
NHTSA complaint #11742454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.