698 of the
4,995 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Silverado 2500
are about the electrical system —
14% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2004.
The brake lights do not work, the turn signals do not work, there is one tail light working at the lower right rear. Front parking lights work but front turn signals so not work. The cab brake light works. The turn signal flasher works and the dashboard turn arrows work but the flasher goes to hyper flash. The emergency lights do not work, the flasher switch works. The turn signal in the mirror left or right does not work. I really do not know how long this has been going on.
NHTSA complaint #11755921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and towing a trailer, the message "Trailer Brake Disconnected" was displayed with an audible chime. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer, but no fault was found with the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact discovered Service Update Program: N232414840; and associated the failure with the service update. The dealer and the manufacturer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the program. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
NHTSA complaint #11755940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle with a trailer hitched to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights failed to turn off. The contact disconnected the trailer from the vehicle for the trailer brake lights to turn off. Additionally, the electric trailer brakes and turn signals intermittently failed to function properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer could not determine where the wiring harness 120-Volt power was going and was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11753265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle with a trailer hitched to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights failed to turn off. The contact disconnected the trailer from the vehicle for the trailer brake lights to turn off. Additionally, the electric trailer brakes and turn signals intermittently failed to function properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer could not determine where the wiring harness 120-Volt power was going and was unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11753265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Radio does not emit sound also canceling all warning noises for fuel level, turn signals, seat belts, open door in motion. This problem is not only a saftey hazard for drivers its a major annoyance. Honestly find it quite distracting. Have reached out to gm multiple times and the issue hasn't been corrected. Really concerned this is going to plage my vehicle its whole life. This issue has happened more times than I can count.
NHTSA complaint #11752218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy upon obtaining a Vinlo vehicle report. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 93,000; however, the Vinlo report listed the mileage at 456,903 in 2023. The contact called the Missouri DMV, but no assistance was provided.
NHTSA complaint #11749134 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I got to my destination and got out of the truck and like a hour later I came back to my truck to get in and my truck was full of smoke and stunk and my center console and center dash melted and gone . Nothing would work . That’s all I know
NHTSA complaint #11746570 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving down the highway at 60mph, dash started blinking for trailer brake service needed. Was not trailering anything. Within 3 seconds I had smoke filling the cab, pulled over and got out. Within 3min truck was fully engulfed totally gone. God forbid I was alone but even at that I did not have time to get many things out and keep imagining what a different day I’d be looking at if there were kids with me.
NHTSA complaint #11745837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. While driving at an undisclosed speed with a camper trailer attached, the integrated trailer brake controller failed to operate correctly, causing the camper to experience severe braking failures and the vehicle failed to slow down properly. The contact stated that the integrated trailer brake controller was unable to process the electrical current between the camper battery and the vehicle battery because of the different wattages on the camper. The failure with the electrical current limited the control to slow the trailer, creating an increased stopping distance while driving. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a repair under a GM Customer Satisfaction Program: N232414840; however, the dealer stated the program had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,463.
NHTSA complaint #11745638 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In May 2026, my vehicle began exhibiting serious and dangerous problems. It would shake violently after starting and occasionally stop on its own while driving. On [XXX], my wife and I got into the vehicle and started driving from our home in West Virginia. While driving uphill at approximately 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly began shaking severely and then came to a complete stop. After a few moments, it restarted itself and accelerated to about 30–40 mph while continuing to shake violently. This happened several times during the trip. Fuel consumption also became extremely abnormal, dropping to approximately 6 miles per gallon. Because Team One Chevrolet in Oakland, Maryland, is the nearest dealer, we drove there for service. After several hours, the dealer returned the vehicle and informed us that they had replaced a sensor. However, after leaving the dealership, the Check Engine light came on again after only three engine starts. I immediately returned to the dealership, where the warning light was cleared. The following day, the Check Engine light returned. When I contacted the dealership, I was told to continue driving the vehicle with the warning light on for one to two weeks. After more than a week, I returned to the dealership, and the light was reset again. A few days later, the same problem reappeared. At that point, I was informed that, according to dealership procedures, replacement parts could not be ordered until the issue had been reported three times. After the third visit, the parts were finally ordered, and I was required to wait several more weeks for another service appointment. I also reported the issue directly to Chevrolet. Despite multiple visits, repeated failures, and a significant amount of time spent attempting repairs, my vehicle remains unrepaired. My factory warranty is approaching expiration, and no one has provided a clear answer regarding what will happen if the upcoming repair attempt fails to resolve the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AC
NHTSA complaint #11745485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Was driving east on i40 between Hinton and calumet when my truck through a check engine light and service parking break. I pulled over it smelt like burning wires I cleared the codes with a code reader and turn the truck on the accessory when smoke filled the cab I got out and the truck was in flames.
NHTSA complaint #11744216 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear tailgate opening and closing repeatedly on its own. Background: Arrived home from work yesterday evening, Jun 4, 2026. Parked my truck in the driveway. It was a hot sunny day. Turned the vehicle off, exited the vehicle, and locked the doors. Upon walking around behind my vehicle, the tailgate was opening and closing repeatedly. I attempted to manually close it to see if it would stop, I pushed the lock button on my key fob, and I pressed the tailgate button on the dash which would normally cause it to either open or close depending on its current position. None of those steps resolved the issue. I quickly googled the problem, identified the correct fuse in the dash, and pulled the endgate fuse to stop the tailgate from opening and closing on its own. With the fuse pulled, the tailgate does not function. I called my dealer who informed me it is a known issue with some Silverado trucks and that some had been recalled however he noted my 2022 was not included in the recall for this issue. I have an appointment on Jun. 19, 2026 to have it repaired.
NHTSA complaint #11742326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 6.6 gas with 59K miles has been experiencing the "shift to park" problem associated with this and other Chevrolet/GM vehicles. When putting the car in park, the column shifter moves the transmission from drive to park but when you shut off the vehicle the "Shift to Park" warning comes on and prevents the car from completely shutting down. Apparently, this is due to a defective microswitch inside the steering column that GM is well aware of. There are literally hundreds of thousands of us Chevrolet/GM owners experiencing this same problem and GM needs to acknowledge their problem and fix it as they are charging up to $700 to fix this defective part that they know is causing this issue. This has nothing to do with regular "wear and tear" on the vehicle. GM is well aware of this issue and needs to be held accountable and issue a recall to fix this problem.
NHTSA complaint #11738806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The infotainment system has not worked since day one and the entire dash and everything electrical sometimes malfunctions or doesn't work. The vehicle has been in the shop non stop for 8 months and it has not been fixed and they have said they can't fix it. According to GM they are waiting on another part to replace but the part is on back order with no timetable to get it and the mechanic has said that part won't fix it.
NHTSA complaint #11736229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Truck will not release the key consistently upon shutting down the truck. The interlock will not allow it to turn fully off and pull out despite being placed in park.
NHTSA complaint #11736161 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 at an auction. The contact stated that although the odometer indicated 89,671 miles at the time of purchase, there was a mileage discrepancy discovered during the vehicle registration. The title was marked exempt; there was no official documentation verifying the actual mileage. The discrepancy was attributed to an inoperable odometer or due to the condition of the frame of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11735088 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 from an auction. It was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle mileage was 73,672. At the time of the vehicle registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 239,567.
NHTSA complaint #11735089 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The entire infotainment system has gone black. Nothing shows on the screen. This is a safety issue as it does not show blind spot monitoring, heads up display, lane change warnings, allow hands free calling, gps, and much more. None of the safety features are available with a trailer hookup as well. We have taken it to a certified Chevrolet dealer who has said the truck was the 6th one that they have placed an order for in just over a week. The infotainment system is currently on back order which makes operating the vehicle concerning with its proper safety features.
NHTSA complaint #11733001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and started, the message "Service Trailer Brake System" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was drivable even though the message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.
NHTSA complaint #11731680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.