349 of the
1,453 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Silverado 3500
are about the braking system —
24% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2000.
Since repair work was performed on this vehicle in late 2025, it has intermittently experienced sudden, complete brake lockup on all four wheels without any pedal input. This has occurred during sharp turns and during straight, steady highway driving, both suddenly and after gradual buildup; regardless of the pattern leading up to it, the lockup itself is abrupt and unexpected. On March 25, 2026, driving approximately 70 mph on the Glendale Freeway (SR-2) between Mountain Ave and Foothill Blvd, at approximately 39,900 miles, all four brakes suddenly applied with no pedal input, causing the truck to skid toward a stop while traffic continued to pass at highway speed. Smoke was visible from the front wheels and in my mirrors. No crash, fire, injury, or fatality occurred, but the vehicle poses an ongoing risk of sudden, uncommanded loss of control, especially hazardous at highway speed with surrounding traffic. The dealership's inspection found blue thermal discoloration on all four brake rotors, consistent with extreme, sustained overheating, and recommended full brake system replacement estimated at $23,875.25. I am retired, on a fixed income, and cannot readily absorb a repair of this magnitude for an intermittent but serious safety defect. This vehicle uses a Hydro-Boost brake system. GM has published service information (Bulletin PIT3665J) describing a known condition on this platform where the brake pedal can move or self-apply, caused by the internal dump valve failing to seat due to steering system contamination. This bulletin covers Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks across model years 1998-2020, among other GM platforms. Given the severity of this failure and the number of vehicles affected across more than two decades, I believe this warrants review as a potential safety defect.
NHTSA complaint #11750416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This truck was parked on a job site, on a flat parking lot over blacktop, doing a regen for the 5th time in just a few days. The truck had 4,000 miles on it. When it completed the regen, we shut the truck off. Within 15 minutes the truck was fully engulfed in flames. A fire investigator looked at it and determined the fire started in the engine bay, below the master cylinder. He said this was a GM problem. As this truck was a replacement truck, for another broken down truck, we were outside the auto coverage on our insurance. The business property is covering the tool loss, and said it isnt worth going after GM as they make it impossible. I know this isnt the only vehicle this has happened to, and they simply refuse to even answer. I want to file a formal complaint against GM, and want them to cover the loss, the loss of use. This is a safety matter as this could have happened driving down the road and caused loss of life.
NHTSA complaint #11736265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Trailer brakes and lights come and go. I start with having everything then loose brakes and lights when I’m driving. This is apparently a known issue that they have a fix for but I have never received anything about a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11728285 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving down the highway at speed limit when the dash lights came on and the truck started jerking went to a mechanic and he stated it was a fuel ejector after getting it replaced the issue still occurs often check engine light comes on and off and this the only transportation I have for work
NHTSA complaint #11694315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When pulling my trailer with my 2024 chevy 3500, I get the following alert displayed on my screen periodically: Trailer Brakes Disabled Service Required. The trailer brakes stop working on my 16000lb trailer and I need to pull off the road and shut off the truck, and then restart it to get my brakes working again. The dealer replaced the brake controller in the truck, but I still get the message. I towed this trailer across country 2 times in my 2020 chevy without a problem. I have hydrastar brakes on my 2022 keystone Montana. GM said it's a problem with the trailer. Hydrastar said they have had numerous reports from 2024 GM truck owners. I am bringing it back to the GM dealer Monday for an oil change but I was informed they have no further information to guide them Please assist.
NHTSA complaint #11694147 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The braking system is very weak given the towing and load rating on the truck. Emergency stopping is at times questionable. It seems there is almost no braking from the front axle of the truck. In 80000 miles the front brakes are still over 75% pad left with the rear brakes now being on the second set. I have had the dealership Chevrolet of Canton look into this and they tell me that is how this trick is designed to work. This is the first truck I have ever owned that used the rear brakes more 4 times faster than the front brakes. This is an issue that GM needs to look into.
NHTSA complaint #11683161 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1st incident: When driving the vehicle dashboard shut off, no indicators working such as speedometer, gauges etc and brakes were not working, luckily I was in a 60 miles an hour zone so I had to just let the vehicle come to a gravity stop. To turn off the engine and start it back up again. 2nd incident: when driving the dash lights turned off and on like flickering on and off and all the gauges mentioned above did not work, and brakes did not work. This is very scary! All power in the truck is lost while driving and braking issue!
NHTSA complaint #11677598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brakes really seem to be lacking stopping power unloaded and especially while towing a 30' gooseneck loaded. I even have the brake controller set to 10 and it really takes awhile to stop. I have to deliberately leave even more room in front of me to make sure I can stop.
NHTSA complaint #11675338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We were towing our 2025 Brinkley Z3100 Fifth Wheel and had a complete loss of trailer brakes with no warning or notification during a trip to and from the tennessee mountains from Florida. Had we not noticed the poor stopping ability it would have been an issue on any downhill grades as the trailer is in excess of 14,000 lbs. We stopped disconnected and reconnected the 7 pin connector and brakes were restored. This happened 4 times. We have made an appointment with the service department at Davis Chevrolet in Gainesville Florida however the service writer (Paul) has already indicated that he feels it is a trailer problem with the interaction of the trailer. Internet searches show this is a common problem with the GM Products and a Service Bullitin has been issued for years 2023-2024. Ours is a 2025 with the identical issues. I think there could be many many more of these out there and hope the issue can be resolved. I can reproduce the problem and it meets the full description of the Service bullitin 6379278.
NHTSA complaint #11670933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving my truck and towing a trailer which has elec. over hyd. brakes and trying to stop. My truck will disable my brakes on my trailer, which may weigh 3+ times the weight of my truck. GM had a recall on the truck brake module which fixed my problem. Then l took my truck back for an oil change a few months later and they said that there is a open recall on the brake module (NEWER UPDATE) which once again caused my brake issues again with the newer recall. l have opened up a complaint with GM and they say take it to a GM dealer. The dealer checks the truck out and says there is no problem with the truck. They tell me that l need to install a module on my trailer ,which l did early on with the problem. l did own a 2017 chevy and pulled that trailer with NO issues. The trailer dealer hooked the trailer to a 2018 GMC and a 2016 Dodge pick-up. And had NO problem with the trailer brakes and put a NYS inspection sticker on my trailer LAST MONTH. We !! the trailer dealer and myself have spoken to the company ( brake module) that GM says that l need. This trailer brake module which the trailer dealer installed in Feb 2024 still did not fix my problem. The brake module company told me GM has His words a HORNETS NEST problem with this issue. Someone is going to loose there brakes and KILL somebody or a family Thank You for any HELP [XXX] Please contact with any feedback or info INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11664756 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brakes on this vehicle are very spongy, they have to be pushed all the way to the floor to get the vehicle to stop. When pulling a trailer you are on pins and needles wondering if you can get the truck to stop. The trailer brakes are doing most of the stopping. I have owned many trucks and the brakes on this 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 are the worst that I have ever experienced. This is a Safety hazard with serious implications. I have talked to many other people with the same truck and they also claim that the brake system is faulty and/or sub standard. I have taken my truck back to the dealer and they claim that the brakes are working normal (test driving around their service lot). This is a serious problem that needs to be investigated by your orginazation. Thank you in advance for any insight on this serious brake issue.
NHTSA complaint #11651568 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While connected to a RV which has onboard batteries, the truck's brake controller disables the braking system if the batteries on the RV fluctuate in voltage. The truck will give an alert advising "Trailer Brakes Disabled." This has occurred multiple times while pulling my RV which weighs 16,000 pounds, making it unsafe and hard to stop using only the truck's brakes. It happened while traveling through Atlanta, GA and once in Nashville, TN. Chevrolet has at least one TSB on this for similar 2022-2024 2500 and 3500 trucks. This has been a widely reported problem on several RV forums. The truck brake controller will work again if the engine is shut off and turned back on or the trailer is unplugged and re-plugged in the truck. This problem occurred approximately 10 times on my trip from Missouri to Florida in January and about the same number of times when returning to Missouri at the end of February.
NHTSA complaint #11648847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The trailer brake controller randomly shuts down. We have gone through our trailer meticulously and have found zero issues. We have used this trailer with other trucks without any issues. This truck brake controller is shutting down leaving the driver with out brakes. We almost had a wreck due to this. GM keeps telling us that it is a trailer issue however the trailer works perfectly with any other truck. Someone is going to die in a wreck of this is not addressed immediately.
NHTSA complaint #11647786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brake pedal pivot bolt nut loosened itself and came off of the bolt, allowing the bolt to back out of the pedal mount and the brake pedal fell out of position and became lodged behind the accelerator pedal. Thankfully no accident occurred. After performing research with local dealer and independent repair shop it was found to be an obvious repeat failure of the General Motors safety recall #20760E already performed on the vehicle. I reached out to GM customer support who were rude and I received no help in the matter. Can provide more information upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11643118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
During operation of the vehicle at approximately 45mph and sudden stopping/ breaking is required, truck fails to do so. It is a partial loss of brake pressure and a loud "whale cry" type sound that appears to be coming from under the hood. I have had it happen twice just recently; I have taken to dealer, and they cannot replicate the issue. I have caught the sound the second time on video. To summarize truck loses partial breaking power, pedal does not bottom out, but it feels like there is not as much pressure being applied to the breaks when needed. Once the sound stops all braking returns to normal.
NHTSA complaint #11636906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving home from work 7/1/2024 approx 5:15PM Smelled burning smell, no noise or dash lights, thought it was another car. 1 minute later, heard a thump from under hood and "Charging System Failure" came on dash. Decided to take to Chevy dealer, which was 5 minutes away. Within next 2 minutes steering failed. As I came to next intersection, brakes failed, went thorough red light, luckily not hit by another vehicle. Coasted to stop and called tow service.Engine was still running until I turned it off. Had towed to local Chevy dealer. AC compressor had locked up, broken belt. Steering and brakes failed. Dealer agreed both failed, but would not list the brake failure on the invoice. I was originally invoiced 2900.00 to repair, even though truck had only 29244 miles. That was reduced to 1160.00. Was told it was 2 months past 36 month warranty. Engine was still under warranty, but AC, alternator, power steering and brakes, was not,. I had contacted GM which originally told me they would reimburse me for repairs and would mail me a check, I have the email. When check did not arrive after 2 months, I contacted my case worker again via email and phone. Could not get a response after about 6 attempts. When I called and finally got another person, I was informed they had changed their mind.
NHTSA complaint #11631152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I haul vehicles for a living. My rear wheels locked up and my truck came to a complete stop while I was on the highway. Luckily I was able to pull over and no one was behind me. It has happened a total of 3 times. There is no fix for my recall yet. I’m terrified to drive, but this is how I make my living. What happens when it rains and my wheels lock up again. My life is on the line. I went to Chevrolet service they said they have no idea what could have caused this. Then a couple weeks later I get an open recall with no remedy. What am I suppose to do?
NHTSA complaint #11629809 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and extended to the floorboard, and the vehicle almost crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact later discovered that the rear driver’s side brake pad had been ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission erroneously shifted out of 4-WD while driving. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 49,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11623512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving along pulling a trailer, you unexpectedly lose you trailer brakes. Someone is going to get seriously injured or killed if GM doesn't fix this.
NHTSA complaint #11619801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.